Promoting and strengthening the artistic and cultural development of Orange County, North Carolina
Catch local artists alongside international acts at the 10th annual Hopscotch Music Festival in Downtown Raleigh.
Quinn Christopherson is an Athabaskan and Inupiaq songwriter who is born, raised and based in Anchorage, Alaska. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music
The National Parks was formed by Brady Parks in 2013 in Provo, Utah and has since independently released three studio albums. Upon the release of their debut LP, Young (2013), the band climbed to #13 on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and with their sophomore record, Until I Live (2015), the 4-piece became a Billboard Regional Heatseeker. The National Parks’ third studio album, Places, was released in late 2017 followed by a deluxe version in February 2018. In the first month after the release of Places (2017), the record had been streamed more than 1,000,000 times on Spotify alone with individual tracks landing on major Spotify playlists like Pop Chillout, Indie Pop and Morning Commute. Despite operating as a true independent, the band has built and maintained an impressive following with a Spotify monthly listenership nearing 400,000 and appearances at SXSW, CMJ, Snowmass Mammoth Fest, Oyster Ridge Music Festival, School Nights at Bardot’s. Praise has come from major press outlets such as NPR, Paste, Baeble Music, The Vinyl District, and The National Parks create atmospheric and “anthemic indie-folk as boundless as their name would suggest” (Paste Magazine) centered around male/female harmonies backdropped by guitar/piano/violin instrumentation. The band’s earliest touring was done as a three-piece but as the music has evolved, so has the band. A wide cast of musicians have joined as touring members of The National Parks but by 2015, the group had settled into a consistent four-piece setup with original members Brady Parks (vocals/guitar) and Sydney Macfarlane (vocals/keys) playing alongside, Cam Brannelly (drums) and Megan Parks (violin). Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube WILD is a trio from Los Angeles, CA. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music
What will we do? For Lula Wiles, the trio made up of Isa Burke, Eleanor Buckland, and Mali Obomsawin, the question is central to the creation of their music-and it’s the title of their sophomore album, out in 2019 on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. “We wanted to make an album that reflected, in a current way, what we are all staying up late thinking about and talking about over drinks at the dinner table,” says Obomsawin. “What is everyone worried about, confiding in their friends about, losing sleep about?” Anchoring the band’s sharp, provocative songcraft is a mastery of folk music, and a willingness to subvert its hallowed conventions. They infuse their songs with distinctly modern sounds: pop hooks, distorted electric guitars, and dissonant multi-layered vocals, all employed in the service of songs that reclaim folk music in their own voice. The musicians take turns in different roles–Burke and Buckland on guitar and fiddle, Obomsawin on bass, all three singing and writing-but no matter who’s playing what, they operate in close tandem. All three members grew up in small-town Maine, and the band came of age in Boston’s lively roots scene. Since then, they have toured internationally, winning fans at the Newport Folk Festival and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, garnering acclaim from NPR Music and a Boston Music Awards nomination, and sharing stages with the likes of Aoife O’Donovan, the Wood Brothers, and Tim O’Brien. Lula Wiles exists in the tense space where tradition and revolution meet, from which their harmonies rise into the air to create new American music. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Sometimes, a mystical, life-changing connection can be closer than you think. In 2017, Grammy Award-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada had recorded some instrumentals in his Austin studio, and he started looking around for a vocalist — he knew a lot of singers, but he wanted something different. He reached out to friends in Los Angeles, in London, but nothing seemed right. Meantime, Eric Burton had recently made his way to Texas. Born in the San Fernando Valley, he grew up in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. He started busking at the Santa Monica pier, where he brought in a few hundred dollars a day and developed his performance skills. Burton traveled through the Western states before deciding to settle down in Austin — setting up his busking spot on a downtown street corner, at 6th Street and Congress, for maximum exposure. A mutual friend mentioned Burton to Quesada, saying that he was the best singer he had ever heard. The two musicians connected, but Burton took a while to respond (“My friends were like ‘Dude, you’re a mad man, you need to hit that guy back!'”) Finally, he called Quesada, and started singing to one of the tracks over the phone. “I loved his energy, his vibe, and I knew it would be incredible on record,” he says. “From the moment I heard him on the phone, I was all about it.” The results of that inauspicious beginning can now be heard on the self-titled debut album from Black Pumas, the group that Quesada and Burton assembled, which has become one of the year’s most anticipated projects. Described as “Wu-Tang Clan meets James Brown” by KCRW, Black Pumas were the winner of Best New Band at the 2019 Austin Music Awards. Quesada has a storied reputation from playing in bands like Grupo Fantasma and Brownout, accompanying artists from Prince to Daniel Johnston, and producing such acclaimed projects as 2018’s Look at My Soul: The Latin Shade Of Texas Soul. For the tracks that kicked off this project, though, he had a different direction in mind. “I was looking for somebody with their own identity,” says Quesada, “who liked Neil Young as much as Sam Cooke.” Burton’s taste, range, and experience proved to be exactly what Quesada was seeking. “We just take to the same kind of music,” he says. “I listen to East Coast hip-hop, old soul music, folk music. When Adrian sent me the songs, it was like I had already heard them before. We were on the same wavelength from the get-go.” The first day they got together in the studio, they recorded the dusty funk that would become the Black Pumas’ first two singles, “Black Moon Rising” and “Fire.” Quesada had written the music for “Black Moon Rising” on the day of the 2017 solar eclipse, and Burton took that concept and ran with it. “Right away, the hair stood up on the back of my neck,” says Quesada. “I knew, ‘This is it — this is the guy.'” Burton sensed the potential, as well. “When I saw that Adrian played with Prince and had a Grammy,” he says, “that he was a serious, respected artist, I knew that I would do my best not to squander that. If you can do it on the street, for a long time, without making yourself crazy, you can do it with a guy who’s won a Grammy.” Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
BY NAMBI E. KELLEY BASED ON THE NOVEL BY RICHARD WRIGHT DIRECTED BY COLETTE ROBERT WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR, WHAT DO YOU SEE? On Chicago’s South Side in the 1930s, Bigger Thomas struggles to find a place for himself in a world where systemic oppression and poverty make fear and violence the everyday... Read More →
Swing & Blues Wednesdays with Richard Badu – (Sept 2019)
Dr. Bacon is a genre blending “Appalachian Funk-Rock” band from Asheville, NC. Performing an infectiously danceable blend of funk, soul, jazz, rock, blues, folk, hip-hop and more. Featuring as diverse instrumentation as influencing styles including: guitars, resonator, harmonica, bass, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone drums, trombone, violin, lap steel, mandolin, kazoo and more. Dr. Bacon is sure to get you moving and grooving. Links: Website
The festival is hosted by the Orange County Optimist Club and raises funds for youth programs and services throughout the County. As the Counties largest and oldest event we feature a BBQ contest, arts and craft vendors, car show, children’s area and much more in historic downtown Hillsborough. Held in mid-September, we have been featured... Read More →
The Big Book Sale! Thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records for sale with prices starting at 50¢. Proceeds benefit Chapel Hill Public Library. Friday September 13, 2019 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm Friends only, memberships sold at the door ($10 for students, including college and grad students) Saturday, September 14, 2019 10:00 am... Read More →
Who’s Bad’s live performance is an unrivaled celebration of pop music’s one true King. Their power-packed performance of Michael Jackson’s expansive catalog has ignited crowds on every continent and can only be described as a jaw-dropping, musical must-see. As the longest-running Michael Jackson tribute band, and the only one to predate his untimely passing, Who’s Bad has awed even the skeptics, selling out nearly 50 venues in the United Kingdom including London’s O2 in December of 2010, the venue where the King of Pop was slated to end his career with a 50-show “This Is It” concert series. Beyond this unparalleled achievement, Who’s Bad has checked some of the world’s most famous pavilions off their ‘to-do’ list, selling out their first tour of China with stops at Ningbo’s Grand Theatre and Hunan Grand Theatre in Chengsha. Never neglecting Michael’s U.S. fans, Who’s Bad has packed The House of Blues in Houston, Dallas, and New Orleans; rocked DC’s 930 Club and returned to their native Chapel Hill, NC boasting larger, more eagerly-awaited performances with every romp around the globe. Sold-out shows from Colorado’s Bluebird Theatre and LA’s Gibson Amphitheatre and Romania’s Sala Palatalui to Teatro do Bourbon Country (Porto Alegre, Brazil) tell the story: no corner of the earth is safe from this infectious party production. Who’s Bad has earned its name by paying studious attention to Michael Jackson’s every original groove and gravity-defying dance move, boasting over 100 years of professional experience and a team of dancers with resumes that include Broadway productions such as Phantom of the Opera. Vamsi Tadepalli (Who’s Bad founder, composer, and saxophonist) assembled a cast of North Carolina’s premiere musicians and, from Who’s Bad’s inception, believed in the band’s boundless possibilities. The velvety vocals and pinpoint choreography of frontmen Joseph Bell and Taalib York’s combined with the six-piece band’s synchronized dance routines, blaring horns and down-deep rhythms, results in a performance delivered with soul and precision superseded by no one but the King himself. They’ve shared stages with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, The Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men, and hip hop superstar, Pitbull. Captivated fans include LIVENATION’s Anthony Nicolaidis who calls Who’s Bad, “the real deal,” and Michael Jackson’s longtime friend and manager Frank DiLeo who proclaimed after Who’s Bad show in Nashville, TN, “the show was great….Michael would have been proud!” Whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to Human Nature, or learned to moonwalk to Billie Jean, Who’s Bad is THE ULTIMATE music-and-dance driven Michael Jackson homage. This band of professionals relentlessly elevate the legacy of pop music’s King, always pushing themselves to be more precise, to raise the level of excitement and awe, while embodying Michael Jackson’s mission to bring people together of all races, genders, and cultures through music. As the curtain opens on a Who’s Bad performance, every MJ fan feels the adrenaline, screams at the sight of that unmistakable silhouette, and succumbs to a surefire Michael Jackson sing-along. The energy is purely magnetic, the musicianship is first-rate, the dance moves deftly inspired. Who’s Bad is a tribute befitting a King and their high-octane execution of MJ’s music and dance has catapulted them to the exclusive rank of Ultimate! Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Cat’s Cradle will be matching the first $1000 in advance sales and donations! This performance will benefit the following charities: YachtAid Global | World Central Kitchen | American Red Cross Free entry Donations encouraged ($10 or larger) Please note that there are no ticketing fees on your donation Aid for the Bahamas 5:00pm: Flesh Tuxedo / Kid Advay 6:00pm: Chris Frisina 6:30pm: Simone Finally 7:00pm: Love & Valor 7:45pm: Matt Southern and Lost Gold 8:30pm: Dissimilar South 9:15pm: Gone Ghosts 10:00pm: Texoma 10:45pm: Charles Latham & the Borrowed Band
This show is now part of our Aid for the Bahamas event – all proceeds will go toward Hurricane Dorian relief efforts. English/American duo, A Different Thread deliver a bluesy blend of Beatlesque folk rock meets Gillian Welch dark country. Alicia Best (of Durham, NC) and Robert Jackson (of Lichfield, UK) were both traveling songwriters in their own right when they met busking in Ireland in 2016. Joining forces they have been on the road together ever since. Their original songs are inspired by the music that has crisscrossed the Atlantic over the generations, in true folk fashion. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music Honey Magpie is an indie-folk trio from the Chapel Hill, NC area. Their sound is both traditional and modern, blending classical string instruments and three-part harmonies with pop, rock, and indie influences. They began playing together as a band when Rachael Hurwitz (vocals, guitar, keyboard) moved to North Carolina in 2014. She recruited Pippa Hoover (cello, vocals) to fill out her original songs about life, love, and travel. Kati Moore (violin, vocals) joined the band in 2015, completing Honey Magpie’s lineup. Pippa and Kati soon also brought original material to the band, expanding Honey Magpie’s repertoire to include a wide variety of nature-inspired songs as well as some traditional and popular covers. They released their first album, Honey Magpie, in July 2017. Their second album, which they began recording in March of 2019, expands upon their classic sweet folk sound to include a unique blend of comedy, snark, darkness and angst. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Infielder Links: Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Videos
Please join us on Sunday, September 8th from 6-7pm for a Musical Salon featuring the Sail Away Ladies; Irene Felsman, Linda Prager, and Mitzi Quint.
Section A) Molly Cronenwett – Mondays, 9:30am-12pm, Sept 9-Oct 28 (not 9/16)
The Humanities in Action series is our homage to the tradition of civic humanism. Renaissance civic humanists believe that knowledge could forage a moral community. Humanities in Action events honor this tradition by encouraging our audience to apply what they learn to their civic life. Come engage with contemporary and potentially controversial topics in a welcoming environment. Fall 2019 September... Read More →
This monthly event brings together founders, startup teams, free lancers, and local professionals for introductions and networking. Attendees can watch or participate in quick pitch sessions, or simply share what they're up to. Practice telling your story to customers, investors, and the public. Join us in at the Pit Chapel Hill for appetizers on the... Read More →
Section B) James Ward – Tuesdays, 6:30-9pm, Sept 10 – Oct 22 (Fall 2019)
Jason Abide – Tuesdays, 7-9pm, Sept 10 – Oct 15 (Fall 2019)
Presented by André Keiji Kunigami, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Spanish and Portuguese This fall, take a cinematic trip around the world with Mornings at the Movies! Join our insightful Carolina foreign language scholars as they share their favorite films. All screenings begin promptly at 10:00 am and conclude with a discussion with our scholar. Directed by Juliana... Read More →
Section B) Luna Lee Ray – Wednesdays, 11am-2pm, Sept 11 – Oct 9 (Fall 2019)
Section B) Luna Lee Ray – Wednesdays, 2:15-5pm, Sept 11 – Oct 9 (Fall 2019)
Section A) Adam Dodds – Wednesdays, 6-9pm, Sept 11 – Oct 2 (Fall 2019)
Section A) Molly Cronenwett – Wednesdays, 6:30-9pm, Sept 11 – Oct 23 (Fall 2019)
Please join us on 9/12 from 6-8pm to hear our featured artists discuss their stunning new show. This incredible exhibit features the mixed media work of member Carol Retsch-Bogart, ceramics by members Linda Prager and Natalie Boorman and guest artist Nikki Blair, textile work by Peg Gignoux and paintings by Katherine Armacost. Light refreshments will... Read More →
Roberta Marasca – Thursdays, 6-9pm, Sept 12 – Sept 19 (Fall 2019)
Section A) Luna Lee Ray – Fridays, 11am-2pm, Sept 13 – Oct 11 (Fall 2019)
“Tierra Whack is the Philly surrealist taking rap into another dimension.” —VICE Tierra Whack is leading a generation of young artists remaking the music industry. Called a “true hip-hop original” (Pitchfork), the Grammy-nominated rapper/singer/songwriter’s music slips between genres and moods, creating a surreal experience that captures the bright spectrum of human emotion with nary a... Read More →
The great fire in the famous Notre Dame Cathedral badly damaged a great Parisian monument, but it seemed to affect French national identity almost as profoundly as it damaged the church itself. How does the history of this iconic cathedral embody the complexity of French culture and national memory? This question shapes the themes of... Read More →
Susan Walser – Saturday & Sunday, 10am-4pm, Sept 14 & 15 (Fall 2019)
Section A) Anoo Brod – Saturday, 11am-4pm, Sept 14 (Fall 2019)
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