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Festival Coverage Local Music

LBLB April 21 Hopscotch Party!

This Thursday is truly going to be something special!  WKNC and Tir Na nOg are more than happy to have Hopscotch Music Festival and Vitamin Water Uncapped present a very special Local Beer Local Band Hopscotch Announcement Party featuring The Rosebuds, Heads on Sticks, and DJ SPCL GST spinning throughout the evening and a fashion show hosted by Revolver Consignment.

 

Come early – this show will be packed!!  Might as well get a cheeseburger (they’re mad cheap at the pub on Thursdays) and down some beers with friends before the fashion show starts at 10 p.m. Following that will be all the live jams.

The Rosebuds are releasing their new album Loud Planes Fly Low on June 7, and I have a feeling you might get to hear a little sneak peak of it at the show… well at least I hope so.

Heads on Sticks has been my favorite local live act since the first time I saw them. This is music that I like.

There is hardly any other time you’re going to get all of the awesomeness for the price of FREE so I don’t understand why anyone would not come. I’m guessing there will be a few Hopscotch wristband giveaways at the show too.
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Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Lineup to be Released 4.20

Hopscotch, the Independent Weekly’s annual music festival in downtown Raleigh will be releasing the lineup for their September 3-day festival on Wednesday, April 20th. Greg Lowenhagen of Independent Weekly will be on-air with our very own Chuck from 11-noon to talk about the show and this year’s line up.

Last year hosted names like Panda Bear, Public Enemy, The Rosebuds,  Sharon Van Etten, Megafaun, Best Coast and more than 100 other bands.  This year is sure to be even better; full of national acts as well as great local talent.  Tune in to find out who!

Tickets will go on sale as the lineup is released on April 20th. Free 3-day wristbands were given out at local record stores for Record Store Day April 16. Stay tuned to WKNC and keep reading Independent Weekly to find out ways you can win tickets.

For more musical fun, Hopscotch is hosting a few free local shows throughout Raleigh on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (4/21-4/23) in celebration of their lineup release!

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Festival Coverage

Shakori Hills is back for Spring!

Press release from Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance:

9th Annual Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance

Silk Hope, NC –  The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will hold its annual spring festival from Thursday, April 21 to Sunday, April 24, 2011. The festival will feature more than 50 bands and performers on two big outdoor stages, a large Dance Tent, and an intimate Cabaret Tent. Located on 72 beautiful farmland acres at 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road in Silk Hope, North Carolina, just down the road from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham, Burlington, and Greensboro. The festival also features local crafts, delicious food, various children’s activities, environmental sustainability workshops, and much more in a family-friendly environment.

Featured acts include: The Travelin’ McCourys, Arrested Development, The Lee Boys, Donna the Buffalo, Tift Merritt, Umalali, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Langhorne Slim, Scythian, Preston Frank & His Zydeco Family Band, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Orquesta GarDel, and Joy Kills Sorrow.

Other local favorites include: The Beast, Diali Cissokho & Kairaba!, Midtown Dickens, Greg Humphreys, Birds & Arrows, Lizzy Ross Band, John Howie Jr. & The Sweethearts, Mount Moriah, Cool John Ferguson, Gray Young, Kooley High, Big Fat Gap, Jack Maverick & His Wild Rebels, Penny Prophets, The Music Maker Revue, Bluegrass Experience, Dark Water Rising, Big Al Hall & Marching Rams, Skeedaddle, Sarah Shook & The Devil, Paperhand Puppet Intervention, Trilogy, Apple Chill Cloggers, HoopDrum, and Elikem African Dance

Other great acts on the bill: Pura Fe, Keith Secola & His Wild Band of Indians, Taj Weekes, Thousands of One, The Deer Clan Singers, Ayurveda, Hudost, Old Man Luedecke, Jason Ringenberg, Do It to Julia, Big Daddy Love, Nikki Talley, Farmer Jason, Spirit Family Reunion, Louise Omoto Kessel, Aaron Burdett, Old Sledge, Double E, Michael Jacobs, Daygot Leeyos, Stuart McNair, Possum Creek, and more.

Festival tickets are on sale now. Four day passes are $90 in advance and $100 at the gate. Kids 12 and under are FREE! Day passes are $25 (Thurs), $35 (Fri), $45 (Sat), and $25 (Sun). Youth prices (13-15) are $12, $17, $20, and $12. Tent camping is $10 per tent and vehicle camping is $50 in advance and $60 at the gate.

Stay tuned to WKNC for ticket giveaways and more updates!

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Festival Coverage

Asheville meet Moogfest

I had the pleasure this past Halloween weekend of attending the inaugural MoogFest in Asheville, North Carolina. Surrounded by the beautiful sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I witnessed sets ranging from the achingly beautiful sounds of jónsi to the infectious electro-pop of Hot Chip. The festival was a huge success and one of the most fun weekends I’ve had all year. Instead of doing the usual “write a paragraph about each act you saw,” I offer you a list of various this and that’s. Stay tuned for a gallery of photos from the weekend coming soon. Enjoy.

Best show of the weekend: Massive Attack and jónsi (tie)

Most common theme of the weekend: Acts who are laid-back on record being not-so-laid-back live (see Thievery Corporation, Four Tet, Massive Attack)

Coolest instrument: Neon Indian guitarist Ronald Geirhart’s guitar, featuring an embedded LED screen

Most common smell: It was a music festival. In Asheville. Figure it out.

Best surprise guests: Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale of Devo (who were forced to cancel their set due to a hand injury sustained by guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh) coming out at the end of The Octopus Project’s set to perform a couple songs (including my personal favorite, “Beautiful World”)

Best stage show: Massive Attack’s absolutely stunning set-up, featuring several LED screens displaying socio-political messages alongside striking visuals

Most amusing moment: Part of the floor in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium sinking in due to hardcore dancing during Sleigh Bells and Neon Indian, forcing security to clear the pit and front row

Best non-musical moment: Yelling “WOOT WOOT” at a gaggle of (real) Juggaloes

Biggest surprises: RJD2 and Pretty Lights, neither of which I’d been a huge fan of before the festival

Best costume: The giant sasquatch

Person having the most fun: According to a brief exchange I had with him, head of AC Entertainment (one of the main forces behind this festival, as well as Bonnaroo) Ashley Capps

Did you attend MoogFest? Who were your favorite acts? What were some of you favorite moments?

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Festival Coverage

Hopscotch Festival Sets Dates for 2011

In an email sent out earlier this week, the folks behind Hopscotch Music Festival announced the dates for next year’s festival. Go ahead and mark your calendars, for the festival will return to downtown Raleigh on September 8-10, 2011. The email notes to keep an eye on the fest’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, as well as its website, for updates on Hopscotch, round two.

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Festival Coverage

What should Hopscotch do differently next time?

I think we can consider last weekend’s first annual Hopscotch Music Festival to be a runaway success.  Never before has the city of Raleigh had such an incredible musical event within the confines of downtown. The crowds were terrific (I have yet to hear of anything about someone getting out of hand with authorities), the venues were spectacular hosts, the bands were on point, parking was never a problem, and let’s face it, besides a weak drizzle Saturday night the weather was terrific! You have to hand it to Greg Lowenhagen and Grayson Currin, as well the many volunteers and others who helped out for the spectacular organization and attention to detail the festival was able to achieve.  And while it is not set in stone that Hopscotch will continue, in most people’s minds, especially those of the organizers, it certainly will.

So that begs the question, what things can be tweaked to make the festival an even better experience? I have a couple of small things that would have improved:

  • Promote the day parties: In my opinion one of the best things about the festival were the numerous free day parties that took place across town. Unfortunately, these were not heavily promoted to the masses and for most out-of-towners they missed out. Friday night I was standing next to a group of festival goers who had driven eight hours for Hopscotch and they had no idea they had already missed out on two days worth of free music before the night even began. Instead they had stayed in their hotel rooms the entire day watching TV and waiting for the official Hopscotch to start. Saturday I caught them hopping around having a blast and they thanked me profusely for informing them of all the day shows going on.
  • More options besides music: While this never bothered me since I am all about the music, I think it would be interesting if perhaps the festival has more attractions. Perhaps movie screenings, food discounts, daytime downtown museum/brewery tours, or a giant hopscotch game people have to follow from one venue to the next on the sidewalk? It would just be something extra to entice people who only care about maybe 4 or 5 bands to get a ticket and not feel bad about the price.
  • Better schedule grid on pamphlets: Another minor concern was the grid on the schedule that was handed out to all concert attendees. The schedule was difficult to read and I know many complained about having a hard time knowing when certain bands were going to start. It wasn’t too difficult but a better visual would have been better.
  • Android and Blackberry app: Yeah yeah, I know iPhone’s are king, but there are just as many if not more people in our area with smart phones containing android software and blackberry mobile devices. It would have been awesome to have had a Hopscotch app on my phone. Instead I had to rely on a calendar from GoGo Raleigh, which was nice, just not as nice.
  • Social Media Incentives: With social media websites like Foursquare and Facebook getting involved with location based software, it would have added a little spice to let users going to the festival receive badges or maybe even some sort of prize for checking into certain spots, the most venues, etc. Not only is this a fun game for people attending, but it provides fantastic and free promotion for the event and venues hosting bands.

The complaints I have seem so trivial and minor that I hardly see the point in posting them.  What about you?  Do you have any comments or suggestions for the future of the festival?  Comment below!

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Festival Coverage

Follow me at Hopscotch!

Hello, WKNC fans, I am the staff photographer, Katie, a.k.a the Blog Lady because I also edit the blog, and I’m going to be at Hopscotch ALL WEEKEND taking photographs! Don’t worry, my camera will be much nicer than that.

As frequently as I can, AT LEAST once a day, I will be uploading my photos onto Flickr and putting up slideshows on the blog! I’m going to try to hit as many venues and as many shows as I can throughout the entire event. I’ll definitely cover the events put on by WKNC, and I’m especially excited for the smaller shows that will compile great local musicians from every music genre!

So be checking the blog daily for my photo updates, and if you have any special request of shows you’d like to see photos of, leave a comment on this post!

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Festival Coverage

MORE HOPSCOTCH HOPSCOTCH HOPSCOTCH

DAY PARTIES:

WKNC is sponsoring two day parties:

-Tir Na Nog’s show featuring Cellar Seas, Veelee, Filthybird, Temperance League and A Rooster for the Masses (FREE noon-5pm Friday 9/10)

-The “Local Time” stage Sain front of the Raleigh Times featuring The Flute Flies, NAPS, The Loners, Maple Stave, Red Collar, Des Ark and The Old Ceremony. Our street team will be doing live broadcasts throughout the event. (FREE 11am-6pm Saturday 9/11)

FIVE STAR:
Thursday night at Five Star, WKNC Afterhours DJs (Hennessey, Jose Jose, Chocolate Rice and Brooklyn Airlift) will be spinning from 10:30at night until 2 in the mo’nin. Buy a club wristband, or risk it waiting in line, to attend.

STILL HAVE UNANSWERED HOPSCOTCH QUESTIONS?
Grayson Currin (festival curator) and Greg Lowenhagen (creative director) of the Independent Weekly will be this week’s VIP(s) on Eye on the Triangle tomorrow night at 7pm. Comment on this post if you have any specific (or general, I guess) questions to be answered straight from the big-wigs themselves.


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Festival Coverage Local Music

Local Beer Local Band Presents Hopscotch Day Party! FRIDAY Sept. 10

This Thursday night will be overrun with Hopscotch goers, therefore, WKNC and Tir Na nOg will be hosting our usual Local Beer Local Band Night on Friday, September 10 instead! New Raleigh and Aviator Brewing Company are also presenting.

There will be a total of FIVE, yes count ‘em five!, local acts this week: Cellar Seas, Veelee, Filthy Bird, Temperance League, and A Rooster for the Masses.  All of these bands are WKNC favorites. It will be a great way to kick off your Friday night. Music starts at 12 .pm.

I plan to have Cellar Seas and Veelee in the station on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. so be sure to tune in for that!

Cellar Seas

Cellar Seas is made up of some of my favorite Raleigh people (a bartender, a dj, and frontman to another great band, NAPS). Slow indie rock with just a twinge of country. Plus, these men are all devastatingly handsome.

Veelee

Veelee is my number one favorite duo within our already amazing local music scene. Ginger and Matthew have some sort of power over me when I see them play. I can’t stop smiling, and I want to dance but no one else is… so I don’t. If this happens to you on Friday, please dance, and I will join you! Veelee will also be playing at 10:30 p.m. at The Hive the same day.

Filthy Bird

I’m always a sucker for a band with female vocals. The folks at the Pinhook said, “These guys are kind of a cosmic Americana western eastern totem spirit animal.” They also have a new record coming out in October, so I’m sure you’re bound to get a sneak peak of what’s on it at this show.

Temperance League

Harder garage rock with a retro feel. Their former band you might remember, Bruce Hazel & Some Volunteers.

A Rooster for the Masses

This band is too good.  You might have caught them Friday the 3rd at the Cave; if not, catch them this Friday! Their album review by Grayson Currin in the Independent Weekly said, “the Rooster still sings truth to power over angular guitar lines and hi-hat pulses, whether riffing on the downtown void King’s Barcade left behind on ‘No Party Downtown’ (the band released Rojo there in 2006) or territorial tendencies on ‘Headwaters.’”  Well thankfully, Kings is back, A Rooster for the Masses is playing music, and everyone will be happy.

So don’t forget! Before you begin your Friday night Hopscotch adventures, head to the pub and check out all of these awesome bands. Plus, if you didn’t get a Hopscotch ticket (There are only about 15 all-inclusive passes left as I write this!) you can still come to this daytime event!  See you there, with a day-beer in hand!

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Festival Coverage

Hometapes to host Hopscotch day party

Excellent Portland record label Hometapes will host a day party, Hometapes Friend Island, during the Hopscotch Music Festival, adding to an already hefty lineup of free day shows. The party will go down Friday, September 10 from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Pour House and feature musical performances from Megafaun, Breathe Owl Breathe, All Tiny Creatures, Pattern Is Movement, Collections of Colonies of Bees, and Family Dynamics (a.k.a. Stars Like Fleas).

The Hopscotch Twitter announced that there will be a complete list of day parties, among other new info, added to the site soon.

And yes, WKNC, will be hosting a party, as well. More info real soon!