NC State football will face Virginia on Saturday, November 3 for this year’s homecoming game. The game begins at 12:30PM, if you make it through your shotgun-ridden beer pong-playing pig-roasting tailgating, that is. Festivities have been going on all week, including last night’s Pack Howl concert featuring Wale and the week-long “Wear Red Get Fed” campaign, where broke hungry college students are rewarded with free food from local businesses for donning the school’s famous color.

What we here at WKNC are most excited about though  (we have a few hardcore sports fans, a sports show, etc. — but let’s face it, music is the priority here) are the string of free shows taking place all afternoon into the night. Hillsborough Street’s Homecoming Music Fest will begin at 4:00PM at Schoolkids Records. Similar to Halloween’s hike night, bars, restaurants and venues along Hillsborough will have bands playing:

4:00PM – Nick Autry @ Schoolkids Records

5:00PM - Spider Bags @ Schoolkids Records

6:00PM – Homecoming Parade on Hillsborough Street

7:30PM - Jason Adamo Band @ Sadlacks, Love Under @ Hotbox, Bullfrog McGhee @ Chili Bomba, Side Car Social Club @ The Keg, SupaTight @ The Alley, Sai Surrealia @ Pack House, E-Train @ East Village, Future Islands @ Schoolkids

8:00PM – Free Karaoke @ Brickhouse

10:30PM –  MSRP & The Last Tall Boy @ Sadlacks, Windsor Oaks Band @ Hotbox, DJ @ Chili Bomba, DW Band @ The Keg, TheAmateurs @ The Alley, Synergy and Heads on Sticks @ Pack House, Hot Damn Band @ East Village, The Embers @ Pantana Bobs, Spider Bags @ Schoolkids

Despite a a mere (baseball-induced) hour-long version of the Local Beat this week, we had an excellent show.  I was joined by Chas, Dan, and Dopko of Raleigh band Gray Young to talk about everything from their show that night at Sadlack’s to where the band’s name came from (a question to which we did not receive an answer).

We also discussed the release of the band’s first album, Firmament, and where they plan to go from here.  These are tremendously nice guys with a very bright future, and they have basically gotten better every time I’ve seen them live.  There should be more on their show at Sadlack’s (including Dancing Tony documentation!) soon from Gray Matter.

You can check out the full interview, in 4 segments, below.  And if you missed the Sadlack’s show, be sure to check them out at the Local 506 on April 13, alongside the Appleseed Cast and An Horse.  And join us next week, as we’ll be hanging out with A Rooster for the Masses.

Gray Young in the studio, 3/20/09

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