Promoting and strengthening the artistic and cultural development of Orange County, North Carolina
The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and Mike’s Art Truck are hosting a summer exhibit and sale of folk art at the Alexander Dickson House in Hillsborough, NC. “Outsider Art in the Visitors Center” is a diverse collection of art from nine self-taught artists. The show is on display now through August 29, 2019, inside the... Read More →
"Way Out West: Celebrating the Gift of the Hugh A. McAllister Jr. Collection" marks the transformational bequest of over twenty examples of art related to the American West and Southwest to the Ackland Art Museum. Displayed together with artworks already in the Museum’s own permanent collection, the exhibition features nearly eighty works spanning over 150... Read More →
Each year we write, create, build and perform a large summer pageant-play-extravaganza. These performances last about an hour, include an ensemble of professional musicians who create an original score of music and involve a cast of puppeteers, which has included as many as twenty-eight performers. Our summer extravaganza is attended by over 18,000 people! Through... Read More →
Capping off a fruitful 12-year long solo career, David Bazan resurrects both the moniker and mindset of his profoundly influential indie rock outfit, Pedro The Lion. The band’s new album and Polyvinyl debut, Phoenix, marks a return to form as the follow up to their 2004 opus, Achilles Heel. Phoenix maps out the emotional intricacies of growing up in Arizona with the songs themselves a darkly hopeful introspection into home and what it means to go back, if you ever can. Since their formation in 2001, mewithoutYou have become a standard-bearer for their genre. Across six full-length albums and a handful of EPs, the Philadelphia band— alternately labeled experimental punk, post-hardcore, indie rock, etc.—have long put a premium on progression, never anchoring themselves to a single sound and instead gracefully wandering across stylistic lines. It’s that same spirit that informed the band’s upcoming seventh album , their second for Run For Cover Records, as well as its accompanying EP . Pedro The Lion links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music mewithoutYou links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
For a guy whose career has evolved more by serendipity than design, Ben Dickey’s professional journey has turned into one heckuva ride. It’s not every day an obscure musician’s famous actor/director friend hands him the lead in a passion-project indie film, and he not only winds up sharing the screen with one of his musical heroes, he also wins a Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Dramatic Achievement in Acting – and a Variety magazine “for your consideration” plug for a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Dickey’s acting debut in Blaze, Ethan Hawke’s biopic about doomed Texas singer-songwriter Blaze Foley, has already led to more roles, including their pairing as bounty hunters in The Kid, a western directed by Vincent D’Onofrio. But just as exciting, as far as Dickey’s concerned, is the opportunity it provided to record with that musical hero, longtime Bob Dylan guitarist Charlie Sexton (who played Blaze’s other troubled Texas songwriting legend, Townes Van Zandt). After they did the film’s original cast recording (on Light in the Attic Records), Sexton produced Dickey’s solo album, A Glimmer on the Outskirts. That inspired Sexton, Hawke and Blaze executive producer Louis Black to form SexHawkeBlack Records, a new Austin-based imprint under the umbrella of Nashville’s Dualtone Records. Dickey’s March 7, 2019 release is the label’s first. It’s hardly Dickey’s first recording foray, however. In fact, he says, he preferred the idea of forming a label to shopping for one because he’d been signed before – and still bears scars from watching the dream morph into a momentum-sucking nightmare. But SexHawkeBlack president Erika Pinktipps happens to be friends with Dualtone’s founder; that connection quickly turned into an actual alliance. “We’re all doing this together,” Dickey says, “ a group of people who all care about each other and have similar artistic arrows pointed in the same direction.” Dickey was 10 when his artistic arrow started pointing toward music; that’s when his grandfather handed down his 1935 Gibson L-30 archtop. “He was a magical fellow, and his guitar is, too,” Dickey says. “So I wanted to be magic, too.” Within a year, his grandfather was gone. The magic, fortunately, stayed. But conjuring it wasn’t always easy for a kid growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, far from his dad – a college football star who’d moved to Georgia after the parental split, when Dickey was 4. Ten years later, Dickey’s mother left, too – following her friend and boss, Bill Clinton, from the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion to the White House. Dickey moved into his grandmother’s basement – and became one more angry, disaffected teenage rocker. He formed his first “real” band, Shake Ray Turbine, at 16, made his first record at 17 and began touring at 18, ditching Little Rock Central High (most famous students: the Little Rock Nine) for an $850 Ford van. When the founder of their D.I.Y. label, File 13 Records, headed to Philadelphia for college, they followed. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify
Inara George and Greg Kurstin, alias the bird and the bee, are an army of two. They listen to everything, and answer to no one. Over the course of 3 years, they whiled away scattered afternoons in Greg’s studio in Echo Park, California, sequestered in a little world of their own making, and creating the ten sunshine-drenched, semi-psychedelic ditties you hold before you. Were these compositions intended for public consumption? Inara and Greg never gave it any thought; they made music together simply for the joy of it. the bird and the bee, their self-titled debut for Metro Blue Records, an imprint of Blue Note Records, is a labor of love. If you know anything about the backgrounds of Inara George and Greg Kurstin, the accomplishments of the bird and the bee might not seem quite so casual as all that. Both are blessed with extraordinary intuitive musical abilities, which have been bolstered by years of practice. Multi-instrumentalist Greg was a jazz piano prodigy by the time he started shaving; he moved to New York specifically to study with leftist Jaki Byard, a jazz icon best known as Mingus’ pianist. He returned to Los Angeles and became one of the city’s most well respected musicians, lending his skills to the likes of Beck and Robert Moog, as well as writing with and/or producing The Flaming Lips, Peaches, and Lily Allen, to name a few. As for Inara, she grew up in Los Angeles in a musical household, the daughter of Lowell George, frontman of the eclectic ’70s Southern rock band Little Feat. For several years she was in different bands in the Los Angeles area until she began her solo career releasing 2005’s critically acclaimed All Rise. During the making of that record was when Greg and Inara first met. It was through mutual friend and All Rise producer, Mike Andrews, that Inara and Greg made a connection. “I like to sing standards, and Greg likes to play them,” recalls Inara. “He was working on my record, and one day, after a rehearsal, we hung out near a piano and, for three or four hours, played all the old songs we knew.” When they ran short of material, it dawned on them to augment the repertoire with a few originals and put their own stamp on the traditions established by the greats who had gone before. Like the Tropicalia revolutionaries of ’60s Brazil, who both revered and reacted against the traditions of bossa nova, the bird and the bee wanted to put their own spin on classic pop conventions. Although they composed as a team, Inara was responsible for vocals, while Greg oversaw almost all instrumental parts. Neither party assumed a secondary role; in the creative process, it was purely give-and-take. “Melodies would dictate chord progressions, or sometimes vice-versa, depending on where the vocal part wanted to go,” recalls Inara. “The writing was almost improvised in nature.” This was a change from many of their other gigs, especially for Greg; there was no pressure to deliver a hit song, or capture a signature sound. With the bird and the bee, any idea was fair game. The first song the duo collaborated on, “Again & Again,” became a template for the material to come. Handclaps and tambourines, a bumblebee bass line, and Inara’s beguiling vocals blend together in a summery concoction. Each of the songs that follows similarly and slyly unveils its own unique charm. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube
4ortyThoux Links: SoundCloud Lil Bobby Links: SoundCloud Fend! Links: SoundCloud D1G Links: SoundCloud Clip Links: SoundCloud
You can buy tickets for the both nights for $40. Tickets for individual shows are also available – $25 for Friday and $25 for Saturday. All shows are all ages. And remember all proceeds will go to the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation. Tickets: Both Nights/Weekend Pass $40 | Friday Night $25 | Saturday Night $25 Ladies and gentlemen…it is time to BE LOUD again! Be Loud! ’19 is the weekend of August 23 and 24th at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, with all proceeds benefiting the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation. This is our 6th Anniversary show (yes, we said 6th!) and we’re pleased to announce that Chatham County Line is headlining Friday night with The Old Ceremony, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen and Alive at 27 rounding out a super fine bill. Saturday night features Preeesh! plays Joe Jackson (Ladd, Plymale, Sledge, Dennis doing songs from the first two Joe Jackson records…more on that below) with Greg Humphreys Electric Trio, PopUp Chorus and Pajama Day. A great weekend of music! More information over at the website for Be Loud! Friday headliner Chatham County Line has been crossing borders musically and literally since they formed in the Triangle in the early ’00s. Call them “newgrass”, “guerilla bluegrass” or whatever you like…they’ve been at the forefront of an insurgence of Carolina bluegrass and have taken their incredible music throughout the world. The Old Ceremony are another local treasure who also bend genres, make incredible records and put on a mighty fine show. The Tan & Sober Gentlemen produce an avalanche of Scotch-Irish hillbilly insanity they dub “Celtic punk-grass.” Alive at 27 rocked the stage at our annual spring high school showcase and just released their first EP this summer. Saturday night features Preeesh!, a supergroup comprised of John Plymale, Rob Ladd, Robert Sledge and Brian Dennis, who will be performing songs from Look Sharp! and I’m the Man, Joe Jackson’s first two records from 1979 (which was 40 years ago!). Be Loud regulars will recognize these four from previous festivals and the songs are equally memorable. Greg Humphreys has also played Be Loud before, fronting Dillon Fence and Hobex, and we’re thrilled to have his current band the Greg Humphreys Electric Trio come down from New York City to perform this year. Get ready for a little soul, a little funk and a lot of fun. If you’ve never seen or been involved in a PopUp Chorus show you are in for a treat. The whole audience learns, rehearses and sings a song in 40 minutes and (drumroll) we’ll be singing Tom Petty’s “American Girl”. Pajama Day’s indie pop was a big hit at our high school showcase. Thanks for your support and Be Loud!
Shark Quest Comprised of a virtual who’s-who of the local Triangle (NC) music scene of the late ’90s, Shark Quest draws on a myriad of styles, melding individual influences & talents to create something that is definitively their own. Dusty pop melds with elements of surf guitar, bluegrass, traditional folk, bossa nova, Sufi-western, & neoclassical baroque to create a sound that is uniquely Shark Quest. Links: Bandcamp The Shoaldiggers The Shoaldiggers’ nine pieces produce a one of a kind sound that is completely unique, yet familiar enough to embrace. From rolling seascapes to the hollers of the smokey mountains, Shoaldiggers shows are a swamp grass blast! Links: Website | Facebook | Spotify Mystery Ranch Links: Facebook
You can buy tickets for the both nights for $40. Tickets for individual shows are also available – $25 for Friday and $25 for Saturday. All shows are all ages. And remember all proceeds will go to the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation. Tickets: Both Nights/Weekend Pass $40 | Friday Night $25 | Saturday Night $25 Ladies and gentlemen…it is time to BE LOUD again! Be Loud! ’19 is the weekend of August 23 and 24th at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, with all proceeds benefiting the Be Loud! Sophie Foundation. This is our 6th Anniversary show (yes, we said 6th!) and we’re pleased to announce that Chatham County Line is headlining Friday night with The Old Ceremony, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen and Alive at 27 rounding out a super fine bill. Saturday night features Preeesh! plays Joe Jackson (Ladd, Plymale, Sledge, Dennis doing songs from the first two Joe Jackson records…more on that below) with Greg Humphreys Electric Trio, PopUp Chorus and Pajama Day. A great weekend of music! More information over at the website for Be Loud! Friday headliner Chatham County Line has been crossing borders musically and literally since they formed in the Triangle in the early ’00s. Call them “newgrass”, “guerilla bluegrass” or whatever you like…they’ve been at the forefront of an insurgence of Carolina bluegrass and have taken their incredible music throughout the world. The Old Ceremony are another local treasure who also bend genres, make incredible records and put on a mighty fine show. The Tan & Sober Gentlemen produce an avalanche of Scotch-Irish hillbilly insanity they dub “Celtic punk-grass.” Alive at 27 rocked the stage at our annual spring high school showcase and just released their first EP this summer. Saturday night features Preeesh!, a supergroup comprised of John Plymale, Rob Ladd, Robert Sledge and Brian Dennis, who will be performing songs from Look Sharp! and I’m the Man, Joe Jackson’s first two records from 1979 (which was 40 years ago!). Be Loud regulars will recognize these four from previous festivals and the songs are equally memorable. Greg Humphreys has also played Be Loud before, fronting Dillon Fence and Hobex, and we’re thrilled to have his current band the Greg Humphreys Electric Trio come down from New York City to perform this year. Get ready for a little soul, a little funk and a lot of fun. If you’ve never seen or been involved in a PopUp Chorus show you are in for a treat. The whole audience learns, rehearses and sings a song in 40 minutes and (drumroll) we’ll be singing Tom Petty’s “American Girl”. Pajama Day’s indie pop was a big hit at our high school showcase. Thanks for your support and Be Loud!
Sunny SlopesJohn Jaquiss, Bill Tarman, Casey Cook, Kent Howard, Josh Bratch Links: Facebook | SoundCloud Speed Stick Geeked out drummers Laura King, and Tom Simpson bring you heavy improvisational drum performance based on sweating, and blasting out the freshest beats. Sharing a kick drum they use their psychic connection to forward movement and exploration. Links: Facebook
Rissi Palmer, who describes her musical style as “Southern Soul,” has received widespread media attention in national publications including Ebony, Parade, People, Newsweek, Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, The Wall Street Journal and more. She has performed on the CBS Early Show, CNN, The Tavis Smiley Show, Oprah & Friends, at the White House, Lincoln Center,... Read More →
Online applications are now available for the 2020 Emerging Artists Grant Program. The Emerging Artists Program (EAP) is a project grant program that provides financial support to developing or established professionals by funding a project pivotal to the advancement of their careers as artists. Pivotal projects can occur at all stages of a career; therefore... Read More →
Online applications are now available for the 2020 Emerging Artists Grant Program. The Emerging Artists Program (EAP) is a project grant program that provides financial support to developing or established professionals by funding a project pivotal to the advancement of their careers as artists. Pivotal projects can occur at all stages of a career; therefore... Read More →
Please join us for a fun ramble on the campus at UNC-Chapel Hill for an architecture tour highlighting many of the interesting stories built into its history and written about in The Campus at Chapel Hill: 225 Years of Architecture. The tour will be led by JJ Bauer (Faculty, Department of Art and Art History) and... Read More →
Poet, teacher, arts advocate and North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green will read from and discuss her work. Green is the first African American and the third woman to serve as the state’s ambassador for poetry and the spoken word. This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Enriching Voices: African American Contributions... Read More →
Carolina Public Humanities is teaming up with the Ackland Art Museum to explore the ways in which Modern Arab Women are speaking out through art and literature. Celebrate female storytellers with Nadia Yaqub, professor of Asian Studies, in a lively discussion of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize-winning novel Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi, the first female Omani novelist to be... Read More →
“Big City Cat: My Life in Folk Rock,” singer/songwriter Steve Forbert’s exceptional new memoir co-written with Therese Boyd, allows him ample opportunity to candidly reflect on those specific circumstances that first brought him to the public eye. Presented by Cat’s Cradle.
A free half-day music camp and choral workshop on Saturday, August 24, 2019. Our North Carolina Boys Choir and Girls Choir Half-Day Music Camp and Workshop is open to public (all children in our community between 7 and 14 years of age). When: Saturday, August 24, 2019; 9 AM – 12 PM (Free) Where: 1712 Willow Dr.,... Read More →
A fun art party and studio tour at Mark Cool’s country place with an amazing collection of guest artists with a focus on creative reuse and unique vision. Awesome art Live acoustic music Good Food Family friendly Games Creek walk Cool junk and architectural salvage Tiny houses Free admission Just a fun day in the... Read More →
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