One of the things that I’ve been most excited for about Carolina Grown is finally rearing its head. While I love getting the chance to chat with local artists and community members every week, not everyone gets the chance to plop down by a radio or computer to soak in this music and conversation. Thus, you’ve got to bring the shows to the people! I’ll be archiving every episode of Carolina Grown so that listeners without a constant two-hour block on Fridays can have the same listening experience as those that do. While it’s taken a few weeks to get these archives up and running, they will begin to regularly go up the week after said show has aired.
The first episode of Carolina Grown is one that’s dear to my heart. One of my favorite local acts joined me for an hour filled with fun conversation and incredible live performances, not to mention I got to talk about my favorite festival on the planet for the second hour of the show. The show was Shakori themed, with Virgins Family Band taking over the first hour for some enriching conversation and some dazzling music. The band performed two tracks from their phenomenal album Honeylion and also shared a brand new, untitled track with all of the listeners.
During the second hour I was joined by Johnno Potts of Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance. Throughout the hour I played tracks from Shakori performers and alumni, but most importantly we talked a lot about the inception of the festival, how its grown and all that it takes to put on such an immense festival on a 75-acre farmland. We recount some personal Shakori highlights, geek out about the stellar lineup for the fall festival, and have a whole lot of fun talking about the rich community that surrounds this grassroots event.
Be on the lookout for the rest of October’s shows within the next few days, but for now you can enjoy the very first episode of Carolina Grown at your own convenience!