Dinosaur Jr. – Spring Tour 2027
Finally! The sixth studio album Dinosaur Jr. have recorded in the 20 years since their triumphal rebirth. There have been several live and/or closet cleaning collections to keep us punters sated for the five years since Sweep It Into Space, but there is nothing quite like having a full slab of new Dino tunes to fry your ears. And There Near has all knobs set to Extra Crispy. Created in short, intense bursts over the course of a year at Amherst’s Bisquiteen Studio, There Near was recorded almost entirely by Dino’s core trio — king of the thunder tubs, Murph, human tornado Lou Barlow on bass/vocals and the inimitable J Mascis on guitar/vocals — with a bit of piano and organ work by local master musician, Ken Mauri. And the album roars from start to finish. Trying to define the essence of Dino’s sound is never easy. It’s an instantly recognizable blend of loose vocals, sharp guitars and an animalistic rhythm section, but these parts combine into a whole far more magical and exciting than its components. In strict rock-write terms, you might call the approach “post-core power balladeering,” but what use is that? Dinosaur Jr. invented their formula for noise/pop jiggering around the same time Husker Dü were trying out some of the same ideas, all of which got made popular by a band they inspired called Nirvana. But that’s an old and much-told tale. J’s guitar tone throughout There Near is even more animalistic than usual, perhaps owing partly to the fact he’s playing through a recently acquired 70’s Mesa Boogie MK 1 amp. “I bought the same amp that Chris Dixon had when we made our first album,” J says. “Chris recorded us at his house with his amp. It has a real interesting sound I haven’t gotten for a while. And it’s something I was trying to get back to on this album. The Stones started using Mesa Boogies in the ’70s after they heard Santana playing through them. Then The Clash copied The Stones, etc. As the years went on into the MK 2 and so on, the Boogie got more metal sounding. But the MK 1 has a souped-up Fender sound. You always hear how Rick Rubin always makes bands he’s producing sit down and listen to their first album and say let’s get back to that sound. So I just gave myself his advice.” Asked about the philosophical opacity of his lyrical approach, J says. “I’m not always sure what a song is ‘about’ when I’m writing it. I guess the meaning will present itself at some point. I’ll use whatever words work. And a lot of it will be influenced by whatever esoteric mumbo jumbo I’m reading at the time. I try not to think too hard about any of it. I think it’s a drag that Spotify shows all the lyrics to a song. What’s the fun of that? Japanese labels always wanted us to give them lyrics to print. I wouldn’t hand them over so they’d just have to try and figure them out. It has always been better to make up your own version of lyrics to songs by the Stones or R.E.M. or whoever. I mean, R.E.M.’s whole thing was about mumbling. I never understood why they caved to pressure and started enunciating.” “Someone suggested this album sounds more upbeat, but I guess that’s to do with my delivery, because lyrics like ‘No Friends’ might make you think otherwise. But I usually write in the third person. It’s all just make believe.” Website · Facebook · Instagram · Spotify · YouTube
Scattrbrain
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AZ Chike
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Contrasts Songwriter Showcase
Ashby Lynn is a songwriter from eastern NC, pulling inspiration from indie-folk and traditional music. Beginning their songwriting journey at twelve, Ashby’s voice as a songwriter has bloomed into auditory Impressionism. Stringing together environmental landscapes, poetry, and delicately played alternative tuned guitars, Ashby has developed an idiosyncratic sonic tapestry. They are currently working on their first EP ‘deer path’. Instagram Max Jacobson is a singer-songwriter based in Chapel Hill, NC. He serves as a guitarist, mandolinist, and bassist in a number of local bands in the triangle area and fronts his own project “Yakamashii”.” Instagram Roxanne Fortney is a local songwriter from Chapel Hill, NC who uses storytelling and intentional lyricism to sing softly about life’s nuances…love, loss, the everyday, and faith to relate to and inspire listeners. Her debut album ‘Growing’, released May 2024, is reminiscent of these themes. She has a folk/singer-songwriter style with soft rock influences. Instagram · Spotify Cole Cook is a local songwriter and musician. He plays in local band, The Rattletraps, playing harmonica and tambourine and singing vocals.
Mega Colossus
Jacob Sharp: Middle Kid Album Release Show
Jacob Sharp has been writing songs and playing shows for 15 years. And he finally has an album of his own worth sharing. The songs of “Middle Kid” provide nuanced insights to the relational intrigue that has long driven both his musical and interpersonal worlds. A richly-textured album that feels bound to immediately serve as a lexicon for an increasingly vast indie-folk world, it’s as equally sparse as it is confident, and full of both the emotional directness and pop hooks that have become the calling cards of Jacob’s writing and songs. From a small town in the mountains of North Carolina, Jacob grew up surrounded by music and obsessed with bands. As a founding member of Mipso, who sprang from Chapel Hill as a genre-bending stringband in 2012 and now serves as a maven to a fully-bloomed folk/americana scene, he has long been most comfortable making music with friends. Though this is a solo-debut, the collaboration at its core is what gives it its most striking edge – and the album is a celebration of the musical community Jacob has built living in Brooklyn and Los Angeles when not on the road over the last decade. It was initially conceived as an outlet for the co-writing that drives his creative world; the record features co-writing contributions from Bridget Kearney (Lake Street Dive), Benjamin Lazar Davis (Maya Hawke, Cuddle Magic), Taylor Ashton and Shane Leonard. But when demo sessions began with co-producer Benjamin Lazar Davis it became immediately clear that the batch of songs deserved a band of ringers. Jacob’s closest friends and most-treasured musical companions gathered in Los Angeles in the early summer of 2024 and gave the tunes the life they needed to become a record too good not to share. “Middle Kid” is out on October 9th – with select tour dates this fall to celebrate the release. Taylor Ashton is a shape-shifting songwriter with the heart of a novelist and the timing of a stand-up comic. Whether it’s just his warm baritone over solo clawhammer banjo or his agile falsetto soaring over an electric six-piece band with horns, his live shows unfold like a play: vulnerable, funny, and slyly profound. Laughter often gives way to a hush. Ashton’s sound evokes the intimacy of Nick Drake, the soul of Bill Withers, the tender playfulness of Harry Nilsson, and the searching spirit of Joni Mitchell.
Tabitha Meeks
The Queen of Retro Pop has arrived. Currently touring the country, her piano solos and live shows are unmatched for their vintage and fun energy. She is best described as “Norah Jones meets Nancy Sinatra,” and Tabitha Meeks’ feel-good throwback music will make you bop your head, tap your toes, and feel empowered all at once. Her song “Cherry on Top” aired in the No. 1 Hulu/Disney+ show “The Testaments” (S1 Ep. 3) and her Holiday hit song “Ready for Christmas” has been used in over 1 million social media videos. Website · Facebook · Instagram · TikTok
Frankie Gavin (of De Dannan)
This is a seated show. Frankie Gavin is widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish fiddle players of all time. Best known as the founding member of the legendary Irish traditional band De Dannan, Gavin has enjoyed an extraordinary career spanning decades. He has recorded and performed with an impressive range of musical icons, including The Rolling Stones, Stéphane Grappelli, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Earl Scruggs, Tim O’Brien, and Nigel Kennedy. — Simon Haines
Sam Shackleton – North American Headline Tour
Widely known for his viral videos and songs such as The Lone Prairie, The Overgate, and Rocky Road to Dublin, Sam Shackleton has developed a large touring fanbase across the UK and USA. He has become well known for his unique, rowdy, and exciting performance style, from his strong Scottish traditional ballad singing brogue reminiscent of the likes of Luke Kelly, to his masterful interpretations of traditional folk music from Scotland, Ireland, and the USA, which he blends with punk elements alongside his own original songs and deep introspective lyrics. Whether moving the audience to tears with an old folk ballad such as The Butcher Boy, or rousing the whole room to sing and dance to his rhythmic clawhammer banjo and whooping harmonica, the Scottish troubadour has been making a name for himself on the global folk scene by consistently selling out headline shows across the UK and the USA. Website · Facebook · Instagram · TikTok · YouTube · Spotify
School of Rock Chapel Hill’s End of Season Showcase
FREE and Open to the Public, but $10 donations at the door are kindly requested and gratefully received to help cover fees for students with financial need. Thank you for your generosity. 12:00 – Women in Country 1:00 – Philly Freedom 2:00 – Songwriting 3:00 – Best of Frank Zappa 4:00 – Fly Like An Eagle epic album 5:00 – Strokes vs Killers Website · Instagram · Facebook · Facebook Event