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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass

Tag Archives: Come Hear NC


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2022 N.C. State Fair Folk Festival features some of state’s top musical talent

The N.C. State Fair has a tradition of featuring some of the state’s most talented artists and this year is no exception.

For 2022, the N.C. State Fair Folk Festival has moved to Heritage Circle next to the historic church. Talented musicians from across North Carolina feature performances ranging from old-time bluegrass music to folk and Americana. 

I am looking forward to hearing some of my personal favorites —
Into the Fog, Big Daddy Love, The Barefoot Movement, Violet Bell, Abigail Dowd — as well as being introduced to new talent such as Sweet Potato Pie, Russ Thompson, Jarrett Raymond and Dawn Landes, among others.

HERITAGE CIRCLE STAGE

 Thursday, October 13
 1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
6:30 p.m.		SPP Sweet Potato Pie All-female bluegrass band blends Americana, country, and gospel into their classic sound 
  Friday, October 14
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		Russ Russ Thompson Folk and Americana singer-songwriter out of Greensboro  
 4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		BDL Big Daddy Love Winston-Salem’s purveyors of Appalachian rock,
bluegrass, and psychedelic jams 
 Saturday, October 15
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		Jarrett Jarrett Raymond Wilmington-based folk singer-songwriter
and 1st Place winner at NC Dogwood Festival
 2 p.m.
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		Ages Past Ages Past “Traditional with a twist” bluegrass from Western NC
 Sunday, October 16
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		Chris Chris McGinnis Sultry, salty, and deeply rooted folk music out of Morganton, NC 
 2 p.m.
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		John Jon Shain & F.J. Ventre Blues, jazz, and folk from these gifted Durham scene mainstays 
 Monday, October 17
 11 a.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.		Sideline Sideline Pickin’ and grinnin’ on these bluegrass classics and original compositions from some of the capital city’s finest 
 Tuesday, October 18
 11 a.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.		Into the Fog Into The Fog Adventurous genre-jumping newgrass from
Raleigh-by-way-of-Wilmington 
 Wednesday, October 19
 11 a.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.		Holland The Holland Brothers Old-school country and country-blues from the Piedmont duo
 Thursday, October 20
 11 a.m.
1 p.m.
3 p.m.
5 p.m.
7 p.m.		Barefoot The Barefoot Movement Americana and bluegrass quartet originating from Granville County
 Friday, October 21
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		David David & Kolby Bluegrass, gospel and country music duo from Greensboro 
 2 p.m.
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		Violet Violet Bell Delicated progressive folk duo from Chapel Hill 
 Saturday, October 22
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		Abigail Abigail Dowd Greensboro’s folk singer-songwriter known for her vivid lyrics and unique classical influenced guitar style 
 2 p.m.
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		Grassomatic  The Grassomatics Bluegrass and more out of the capital city
 Sunday, October 23
 10 a.m.
12 p.m.		Dawn Dawn Landes Folk and Americana-pop songwriting
from the Chapel Hill musician
 2 p.m.
4 p.m.
6 p.m.
8 p.m.		Carolina Line Carolina Line Bluegrass Bluegrass and country straight out of Southport/Oak Island, NC 
   
  


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That Music Fest is coming to DBAP in June

That Music Fest presented by Come Hear NC is a two-day music festival celebrating the artists who make music right here in North Carolina! Join then at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Friday, June 24, and Saturday, June 25, for a stacked line up of incredible music. You can see 12 artists on the Main Stage, another six on the Landing Stage and seven more on the Concourse Stage sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. That’s 25 bands on 3 stages under the stars at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park!

Single Day Tickets and Weekend Passes are available at the link below. 

https://thatstation.net/that-music-fest-schedule/


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Steep Canyon Rangers shine at MerleFest 2019 with ‘North Carolina Songbook’ debut

MerleFest 2019 attendees received a special treat on Sunday afternoon when the Steep Canyon Rangers hit the stage.

Perennial MerleFest favorites, the band, whose members mostly hail from Brevard, North Carolina, has been affectionately dubbed “Steep” by their fans. And those fans were not disappointed by the band’s special set, titled “North Carolina Songbook,” a tribute to this state’s vast musical heritage.

When Gov. Roy Cooper introduced the band he noted that the state is recognizing 2019 as the “Year of Music.” In a nod to Cooper’s initiative, the band performed one-off set of covers by North Carolina artists, which included, appropriately, Deep Gap native and MerleFest founder the late, great Doc Watson’s “Your Long Journey,” a beloved tune written by his wife, the late Rosa Lee Watson, as well as a haunting rendition of Chapel Hill native James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James.”

The band said in a release, “The influence of North Carolinians can be heard in almost every genre of popular music from Earl Scruggs to John Coltrane. Many of them worked in textile mills by day and played music with friends and family on the weekends. Some were virtuosos who packed up their influences and took the world by storm. All were, like us, a product of the music and people they grew up with in Carrboro, Jacksonville, Eden, Tryon… every corner East to West.”

Doc Watson soaked up and shared more of this state’s music and played fiddle tunes, blues, jazz, country, rock ‘n roll, and everything in between. This has been Doc’s lasting legacy for the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the band said they were excited to share the North Carolina Songbook for the very first time on Sunday afternoon at MerleFest.

MerleFest, in a release, said it is pleased to partner with Come Hear NC, a promotional campaign of the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources and the North Carolina Arts Council, to celebrate 2019 as “The Year of Music,” a designation Cooper announced in November of 2018. MerleFest, honoring its locale, has programmed over 35 artists who currently call North Carolina home, each artist representing a different aspect of the state’s great musical history. Come Hear NC was designed to celebrate North Carolinians’ groundbreaking contributions to many of America’s most important musical genres — blues, bluegrass, jazz, gospel, funk, rock and everything in-between.