Cat’s Cradle Back Room

Who Runs the Hill Artist Showcase Artists: RYXOG Micah Evans Rasco Kamari Thats 2x Berchie Crown Chaz Juttera 4MoneyChris Misguides Meetro Bankquoh Bbychop Kal Caviness D money

Meeting in Boone, NC through Appalachian State’s Hayes School of Music, Unaka Prong began as a joint collaboration of songwriting in 2013 between John Hargett, Mike Welsh, Daniel Stevenson, Jonathon Sale, and Chris Pope. Over the past six years, Unaka Prong has been sculpting a sonically unique identity. Offering a fresh and memorable musical experience that many fans have described as a melding between prog rock groups like King Crimson, jazz funk groups like Soulive, and psychedelic jam rock groups like Phish. Combining odd meters, funky grooves, and earnest lyricism, their latest release, ‘Salinity Now!’, reflects the group honing in their songwriting with each stylistic direction. Recently the band has been busy touring the east coast performing at music festivals and clubs alike supporting notable acts including Tauk, Col. Bruce Hampton, Moon Taxi, Toubab Krewe, Jonathon Scales Fourchestra, and Dumpstaphunk. The band takes an experimental approach to many of their songs through an expressive, conversational atmosphere between instruments. Every show and album mixes a hearty blend of genres that is sure to appeal to many different ears. Links: Website | Facebook Hustle Souls is an Asheville, NC based soul/rock band who fuse nostalgic, dust-covered-vinyl soul aesthetics with modern sensibilities; recently named one of “Music Connections” Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands. Driven by a lust for songwriting, the band’s fervid live performance is heightened by undeniable instrumental prowess and 3 part vocal harmony. With relentless touring, sold out shows and major festival appearances the band has earned a reputation as one of the East Coast’s most promising acts, After releasing a live video series, the band was approached by gold and platinum mixer and producer Eric “Mixerman” Sarafin (Ben Harper, Pharcyde etc.) about making a record. Hustle Souls released their debut full-length album “Color” to a sold out crowd and are currently touring from Atlanta to Boston in support of the 10 song LP. “”Their blend of jazz, pop, and rock is inventive and captivating. Their lines are on point and their sound is tight, creating space for Billy Litz’s rabbit hole musicianship. And you can f***ing dance to it. Friday night was a revelation, I’m already looking forward to the next one.” – Caleb Calhoun Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube Vintage Pistol is a 5-piece roots rock band out of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Comprised of a heavy rhythm section, searing electric guitars, keyboards, and harmonica, they are described by most as wild, rambunctious and jam heavy. You’ll hear shades of the Allman Brothers, the Stones, Van Morrison and The Marcus King Band in their music. They take the old road to rock and roll fame and fortune. Relentless touring. Hundreds of gigs, from city to city, night after night, fueled by drugs and booze and the relentless desire to be heard and to connect. No matter where or when you see them, you’ll never catch them on an off night. Vintage Pistol fires no rusty bullets. They explode like a flintrock spark to black powder and rage wildly and unpredictably throughout their shows. Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Formed in the summer of 2015, Illiterate Light transcend expectations of typical rock music through their limitations as a duo. Jeff Gorman elevates his gritty guitar melodies and honest lyricism by stomping out thunderous synth bass with his feet as Jake Cochran layers lush vocal harmony and explodes with body convulsing energy around his minimalist standing drum kit. Gorman and Cochran’s incessant writing, commanding live performance, and constant touring promise a bright future as they finish their debut album with Vance Powell (Jack White, Kings of Leon, Chris Stapleton) and Adrian Olsen (Foxygen, Natalie Prass). “Better Than I Used To” is the first taste of what’s to come from Illiterate Light. Spanning the better part of a decade, the creative evolution between Gorman and Cochran is far from ordinary. The duo has run an organic farm in the Shenandoah Valley, toured the mid-Atlantic in bands by bicycle, and lived in small communities while pursuing modes of alternative education. Their eclectic background is mirrored in their sound and lyricism, floating between postmodern confusion and vibrant optimism. Though shaped by the DIY music scene of their hometown Harrisonburg VA, the duo has grown immensely through immersion in the thriving communities of both Richmond, VA and Nashville, TN. Links: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify | YouTube

Tall Heights have relentlessly built a career from the ground up. Starting as buskers on the streets of Boston and now performing in packed venues across North America, Europe, and beyond, the duo has distilled their sound in an organic and unselfconscious way. The unmistakable DNA of their music draws on many elements, but the blend of their two distinct voices, in both harmony and unison, is what elevates it and separates it from the pack. Hailing from the Boston area, Paul Wright and Tim Harrington met each other in their hometown of Sturbridge through Tim’s older brother. The friendship blossomed in high school when they both took up the guitar and began working on music together. It didn’t take long for them to see the potential hidden in these casual jam sessions. As Paul recalls, “Tim transformed from kid brother to musical collaborator over the course of a summer.” Tall Heights is now set to release two highly-anticipated singles, ‘Keeps Me Light’ and ‘Under Your Skin’, both mixed by Grammy-nominated engineer Damien Lewis. Following on the success of their viral single ‘Spirit Cold’, this new material captures a similar authentic and meaningful energy, but also shows a side we have not yet seen of the pair. The self-produced project, recorded in their simple home studio, captures that raw moment between albums, delivering some of their most honest and heartfelt work to date. Written and recorded in a reflective lull between hectic periods of touring, the new tracks reaffirm Tall Heights’ commitment to a singular sound and an equally rare friendship. ‘Under Your Skin’ rides a wave of ethereal harmony, creating a mesmeric atmosphere of nostalgia. The introspective track, which features additional vocals from Berklee College of Music’s Upper Structure, is a song for the next generation. It was written when Harrington was expecting his first child and completed soon after his son was born. Around that same time, Wright’s brother had a daughter too. It was a moment of reckoning for Tall Heights, a moment to peek over the partition into posterity. In their words, “It’s a reflection on living. It’s about the joy of welcoming a new human into existence, and the heartache of bringing them into a frightening, twisted world. We liked the word play of “under your skin” being both a reference to blood relation, AND how dads get under their kids’ skin”. With ‘Keeps Me Light’, they explore the sense of safety felt in friendship. Even as humankind marches on into darkness, there will always be a safe space in the heart of a friend. The track showcases a rich string arrangement, additional a cappella vocals from Upper Structure, and features Harrington’s parlor-sized resonator guitar, which gives it a bluesy, almost Southern grit. Together, the two tracks give audiences an intimate look at a poignant and potent time in the lives of both artists. Combining Paul’s lifetime of classical training, Harrington’s spontaneous artistic instincts, and the prismatic union of their unique voices, Tall Heights’ sonic imprint is in a category all its own. Tall Heights’ recordings have amassed over 275 million streams. They regularly serve as Ben Folds’ backing band, and have toured alongside CAKE, Judah & the Lion, Colony House, and The Paper Kites. They’ve also performed on both Conan in 2016 and CBS Saturday Morning in 2018. ‘Under Your Skin’ and ‘Keeps Me Light’ are due for release fall 2019.

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Sunday, January 19th, 2020 12:30 – 2pm = Workshop #5 = Ultrafaux band workshop for guitar, bass, and any other acoustic instrument. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary. Click here to purchase Ultrafaux Workshop tickets. 12:30 – 2pm = Workshop #6 = Jason Anick violin workshop. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary. Click here to purchase Jason Anick Workshop tickets.

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Sunday, January 19th, 2020 12:30 – 2pm = Workshop #6 = Jason Anick violin workshop. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary.

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Sunday, January 19th, 2020 12:30 – 2pm = Workshop #5 = Ultrafaux band workshop for guitar, bass, and any other acoustic instrument. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary.

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Saturday, January 18th, 2020 11am – 12:30pm = Workshop #1 = Gabriel Pelli violin workshop. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary. Click here to purchase Gabriel Pelli Workshop tickets. 11am – 12:30pm = Workshop #2 = Dave Smith guitar workshop. Open to ages 12+, must be fairly proficient at your instrument, but no experience in the style is necessary. Click here to purchase Dave Smith Workshop tickets. 2 – 3:30pm = Workshop #3 = Tony Williamson mandolin workshop. Click here to purchase Tony Williamson Workshop tickets. 2 – 3:30pm = Workshop #4 = Daniel Hall rhythm workshop, open to all instruments including drums. Click here to purchase Daniel Hall Workshop tickets. 7:30pm = doors 8 – 8:30pm = David DiGiuseppe & Robbie Link open the show 8:30 -10:30pm = OCB show. Standing room, limited seating. Onyx Club Boys Onyx Club Boys is an acoustic string band (violin, guitar, upright bass, and drums) rooted in Django Reinhardt’s Gypsy Jazz sounds of 1930’s Paris, and Stuff Smith’s New York City Swing. However, being from 21st Century North Carolina, their diverse influences take the music beyond borders. It’s a trip around the world, which will make you swoon, tap your feet, and realize how universally similar music really is. “100% genuine. No backing tracks necessary! Curiously exotic, yet pleasantly familiar.” The band just released their new album, “Million Color Vision” in the Fall of 2017. It features catchy originals along with a few classics, and was carefully crafted and recorded over the last few years. Appearances have included Shakori Hills Festival, Festival for the Eno, Haw River Ballroom, Cat’s Cradle, Raleigh First Night, Artsplosure, NC Museum of Art, WUNC’s Back Porch Music at American Tobacco Campus Durham, Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival, National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and many more. Members have played in bands such as The Squirrel Nut Zippers, The Old Ceremony, Dialli Cissokho and Kaira Ba, and the Paperhand Puppet Intervention band. “The cool dexterity of their playing binds together the broad catalog” – Grayson Currin, music editor Indy Week, NC

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Saturday, January 18th, 2020 2 – 3:30pm = Workshop #4 = Daniel Hall rhythm workshop, open to all instruments including drums.

3rd Annual Carrboro Django Reinhardt Festival Saturday, January 18th, 2020 2 – 3:30pm = Workshop #3 = Tony Williamson mandolin workshop.