UPCOMING SHOWS AT CAT'S CRADLE

Shows at Cat's Cradle this October at a glance: 

October 3 -Tapes N' Tapes

October 5 - Tune Yards with Pat Jordache

October 10 - Junior Boys

October 17 - Deer Tick 

 October 19 - The Rosebuds 

October 22 - Dawes and Blitzen Trapper

October 25 - Mike Doughty (Soul Coughing) and his Band Fantastic

October 28 - Ra Ra Riot

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS THIS SATURDAY 10-1 at THE HAW RIVER BALLROOM

Who knew that just up the road from our fair city lies a community seeping with musicality?  Saxapahaw, NC on Haw River is home to Yep Rock Records (Apples in Stereo, Liam Finn, Chuck Prophet) and the soon to be famous Haw River Ballroom.  I hate to admit that I had never heard of it before this year when it was announced that former Pavement leader and alt. rock demigod Stephen Malkmus was set to perform there Saturday October 1. 

Malkmus, rare bird that he is, is playing where? Not at Cat's Cradle, or The Lincoln Theater, or even the dreaded Disco Rodeo? No, the crowned prince of Pavement chose a more idyllic setting for his show in the peaceful and rural landscape just north of Chapel Hill.  I personally cannot wait to experience a musician and songwriter of such magnitude at a venue so quaint.  

Since the dissolution of Pavement, Stephen Malkmus has gone on to define kick-ass alternative rock and roll music with that unmistakable “yeah whatever”, back talky attitude with top shelf musicianship in each of his solo records.  Since 2001, he and his newest band, The Jicks, have released 5 exceptional albums including their latest Mirror Traffic( produced by Beck!)

LIZZY ROSS BAND AT HAW RIVER BALLROOM 9-30

Award winning singer songwriter Lizzy Ross has made her mark as a tried and true North Carolinian musician not to be taken lightly.  Her bluesy tones and vocal range are on par with Norah Jones but also have the bite of Bonnie Rate. She and her band are out in support of their latest record Read Me Out Loud, a well arranged laundry list of her misadventures, and  cuts and bruises earned in the fiery stages of loving, being loved, and of course, rejection.  Her use of imagery is stunning as each songs takes you down a dusty road or to the banks of a river somewhere dark and dangerous.  She is backed up by a powerhouse of  musicians who serve each song perfectly whether leaning towards the bluesy or roots rock side of Lizzy's multi-faceted psyche. .

The Lizzy Ross Band is performing at The Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, NC Friday September 30 with The Mipso Trio and  Big Something..   Come early and camp out, eat  NC BBQ, even jump on the slip 'n slide!































 

TWO JEANNE JOLLY PERFORMANCES COMING UP

The beautiful and talented Jeanne Jolly is performing two very important shows in the next few weeks:


Rock For Hope takes place Saturday October 1st on the lawn at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  UNC Cancer Care and Rex Cancer Center are proudly putting on this event to raise awareness for cancer research.   Jolly will be accompanied by master guitarist Chirs Boerner and pedal steel player, Allyn Love.  For more information visit www.rexhealthcare.com/rock-for-hope

Jeanne will also be perforoming at Southland Ballroom in Raleigh October 8 and will be joined by guitarist Chris Boerner, Allyn Love on pedal Steele, Nick Baglio on drums, and bassist E. Scott Warren.  Shows like this are not be missed when Jolly has the support of backing band this magnificent.   Steve Howell and the Lonesome Teardrops will follow.

FLEET FOXES TOMORROW NIGHT AT RALEIGH AMPHITHEATER, WILCO SEPTEMBER 27

They're back!  Fleet Foxes return to Raleigh on the second leg of their whirlwind tour of the world.  They will be joined by The Walkmen for tomorrow night's performance. 

Jeff Tweedy and the gang are performing their special brand of American rock and roll to hoards of devoted fans at Raleigh Amphitheater September 27.  Wilco has been putting out a succession of masterful records for over 12 years, all with a similar core, but with new branches and extensions of their talent on each.  They are out in support of their latest studio effort, The Whole Love

WIDESPREAD PANIC SEPTEMBER 23 AND 24 AT RALEIGH AMPHITHEATER

Word has it the boys from Panic may be hanging it up after this tour.  Last Dance.  As I've written before, I will always have a special place in my heart for Widespread Panic.  A lot of us grew up on their music, going to their shows several nights in a row.  Halloweens in New Orleans, New Years Eve's in Atlanta, summers here in Raleigh.  Those were high times, and i will never forget them or the music.  If Widespread Panic ever meant anything to you in the past or still today, bid farewell to JB, Schools, Todd, Jo Jo, Sunny, and their latest guitarist Jimmy Herring this weekend.

BASSNECTAR TOMORROW NIGHT 9-22 at DISCO RODEO

Thumped out techno and synthesizers with a staggering light show is on tap at the Disco Rodeo in Raleigh tomorrow evening with Santa Cruz based electronic composer Bassnectar or Lorin Ashton( if you're to cool to call someone by their DJ name).  His sets are usually comprised of a meshing of popular tunes saturated with his own bleeps, scratches, samples and manipulated sound waves creating a rave like atmosphere in which not dancing is impossible.  Get your glow sticks, water, vicks inhalers, et all for this one.

HOPSCOTCH FRIDAY

Friday's lineup is loaded with bands I have never heard, which is exciting.  Aside from Raleigh's The Annuals, Singer Songwriter John Vanderslice, and a handful of others, I am clueless.  However, there is one band I can not wait to experience: Guided By Voices.   Led by famous alcoholic Robert Pollard, GBV paved the way and created the template for scores of alternative and independent bands.  Known for their brilliant under 2 minute songs, lo fi sound, and wild stage antics (Pollard especially),  GBV released volumes of work over their  twenty some odd  career.  Formed in 1983 and disbanded in 2004, the band is back and playing at Raleigh City Plaza at 8:40. Unreal.

Also performing at City Plaza before GBW:Southern rock storytellers  The Drive By Truckers and San Francisco indie outfit The Dodo's. 

Check the HOPSCOTCH website for complete schedule! 

HOPSCOTCH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2011 IS HERE!

That's right folks, the second annual Hopscotch Music Festival cranks up tomorrow with around 50 musical acts from all over the country performing in clubs and venues strewn across the downtown Raleigh area. This event is monumental in that Raleigh's history will be forever changed because such an eclectic celebration of music is  happening and will continue to grow right here.  This festival is certainly easy to describe as an "indie" music festival, but I see it as much more.  It is, in fact, a declaration that Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel hill is a fertile breeding ground for the past , present, and future of music. Bands and fans should not only recognize that fact, but also flock to our great city to take part in such an occasion.

I look forward to absorbing as much new music as humanly possible which should be no problem, as I've hardly heard 1/3 of them, save a a single off of a blog or on 88.1. 

Chapel Hill's Spider Bags are set to play the Lincoln Theater as well as  Raleigh's the Love Language-two bands who have made waves in the triangle and beyond.  Atlanta's  Black Lips are "headlining" if you chose to use that word, but I'm guessing the theatrical punk rockers from Georgia are stoked to share the stage with their triangle brethren.

Over at Fletcher Opera Hall , singer songwriter Steve Gunn, composer and avaunt guard musician Rhys Chatham, Australian cult band The Necks  and Dinosaur Juinor's Jay Mascis are on the bill. This lineup exemplifies the fact that this music festival is not pigeonholed by one single genre.

The Pour House welcomes  Prurient, Oneohtrix Point Never, Weekend, and Cold Cave.  these bands fall under the experimental and synth pop genres, so If you're into chilled out techo brushed beats and the like, I suggest camping out at The Pour House.

Scheduled to perform at The Berkley Cafe on Martin Street Man Will Destroy Himself, Durham's Hog, Brooklyn's minimalist rockers Slasher Risk, and San Francisco  noise rock outfit  Oxbow.


Also performing Thursday evening:

VENUE
Tir Na Nog Irish Pub

Twelve Thousand Armies, Tender Fruit, Cheyenne Marie Mize, and Fan Modine.

VENUE
The Hive at Busy Bee

Jack the Radio, Dustin Wong, Reading Rainbow, and electronic duo Ford and Lopatin.

VENUE
Slim's

Super Vacations, PC Worship, XRay Eyeballs, and JEFF the Brotherhood. 

VENUE
Five Star:

Yair Yona, Black Twig Pickers, Frank Fairfield, and William Tyler.

VENUE
Kings Barcade

Dinosaur Feathers, Lower Dens,  Grandchildren , Woodsmen, and Lonnie Walker.

VENUE
Deep South

Bustello, Invisible Hand, Apache Dropout, and Empress Hotel.


VENUE
 White Collar Crime

Oulip, Le Weekend, Xiu Xiu, Dan Melchior Und Das Menace.

VENUE
The Union

Cassis Orange, Yardwork, Filthy Bird, Mandolin Orange.