The Menzingers
Everything I Ever Saw finds the Menzingers entering a new era in what’s already been a storied career. The Philadelphia punk legends’ eighth album chronicles moments of significant change—the personal, the political, and the universal—while returning to the core creative principles that first put them on the map with listeners the world over. Twenty years in, the Menzingers have discovered that the wisdom gained with time’s passing is even stronger than the emotional armor they once wore in their youth, and Everything I Ever Saw captures the quartet embracing the here and now while strengthening the bonds that have held them together. Work on Everything I Ever Saw started in earnest after touring behind 2023’s Some Of It Was True, as the group felt a re-energized urgency while their worlds changed around them. “It wasn’t something that we initially set out to do,” vocalist/guitarist Greg Barnett says. “We started writing immediately after our last record in a very fun, casual way—but we were going through really special moments that we wanted to document.” “We’ve been doing this for so long that it’s routine,” vocalist/guitarist Tom May adds. “Between this record and the last record, however, so much happened in our lives, and we always write about what’s going on.” Indeed, the last three years have been plenty busy in the Menzingers’ world: while Barnett got married and welcomed his first child, May got divorced and navigated new emotional territory both in and outside of the band. “We’re no strangers to writing about breakups, but divorce is different,” he says. “There’s a weirdness to it that cuts so much deeper and hurts much more. The most devastating part is that you had a vision for your life that’s gone now, and you have to figure out how to navigate that while growing as a person. But through that suffering, I definitely became a better person than I was before. When you’re broken, you can put yourself back together in a way where you are who you truly want to become.” “It was sad for him, but he became the person that he always wanted to be, and he found so much happiness in this way his life changed,” Barnett adds. “I’ll always look back on this record as living in the moment of these massive changes in our lives.” While working on the record in the band’s new studio space in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia, the quartet—rounded out by bassist Eric Keen and drummer Joe Godino—engaged in some group camaraderie (and, yes, a couple of frosty beverages) to help their bandmate and lifelong friend navigate this particular era of growing pains in his personal life. “Those guys took care of me,” May says, “and I can’t even put it into words how powerful that was. It solidified our creative relationship, because they’re some of the few people that I can talk about these things with.” It’s that sense of coming together that inspired Barnett’s lyrics on the charging “Nobody’s Heroes,” which opens with the glowing tick-tock of a drum machine before launching into the type of passionate burn the Menzingers have long been known for. “It feels like the story of the Menzingers to me,” he says while talking about the song. “I wanted to write about my experiences of trying to be there for him through everything he was going through. Then, the approach became the whole band rallying around each other, and an anthem for everything that we’ve been through, while shining a light on the connection that we have together.” Website
Michigander
$1 from each ticket will be donated to Headcount via GanderGives, the band’s 501c3 partnership with Plus1. Join the band in making a difference. Website · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube · Spotify
Night! Night!
Night! Night! Sleazy Post-Hardcore from Chapel Hill. Bandcamp · Instagram RIBS southern mobility meets uptown dentistry Bandcamp · Instagram
Crazy Chester: A Very Carrboro Tribute To The Band & The Last Waltz 50th Anniversary Tour
Formed in early 2020 for a series of one-off events in the piedmont region of North Carolina, Crazy Chester is a homegrown tribute act to The Band, consisting of Carrboro musicians Jones Bell (Mellow Swells, Ravary), Charles Cleaver (Big Star’s Third, Fancy Gap, Lemon Sparks), Rob DiMauro (Heat Preacher, Mixtape Grab Bag, One After 919), Justin Ellis (Slow Teeth, Ravary, Easter Island, One After 919), and Rafael Green (solo artist, Ravary, One After 919), respectively recreating and playing the parts of Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Robbie Robertson. For the sixth year in a row, Crazy Chester will be performing most of The Band’s legendary farewell performance from Thanksgiving Day 1976, immortalized in the 1978 Martin Scorsese film “The Last Waltz” – complete with additional musicians and special local guests to play the songs originally performed in the film by Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and many more. But this time – they’re taking the show on the road to celebrate 50 Years of The Last Waltz. A show that must be seen to be believed. Full list of guest performers TBD!
Plays Well With Others: Justin Ellis’ 35th Birthday Show
Local musician, multi-instrumentalist, music educator, and community event organizer Justin Ellis has been playing at the Cat’s Cradle since his high school battle of the bands at age 15. Twenty years later, he’s bringing it all back to where it began, bringing along bands, friends, bandmates, collaborators, and former students from the past two decades into one special night. Expect a few songs each from most of Justin’s bands past and present, unique matchups and collaborations, and loads of Justin’s favorite songs played by all of Justin’s favorite people in a rotating superjam of some of the best players in North Carolina and beyond. See you there! Ticket proceeds will go towards local pro-immigration organizations. Featuring Performances from Slow Teeth Ravary Crazy Chester One After 919 The MothmenRafael Green The Color Exchange Clockwork Kids Flash Car Amelia Riggs + No Exit The Plays Well With Others Megajam Marc Allen Jones Bell Joshua Bosworth Robert Chamberlain Charles Cleaver Anna Cobb Kent Corley Asher De La Torre Jeff DeLuca Rob DiMauro Ripley Florek Lauren Francis Morgan Friedman Danlee Gildersleeve Rafael Green Jeremy Haire JJ Meacham Helbert Cole Ivester Hazen Johnson Nick Johnson Chesley Kalnen Will Kitchin Georgia Moon Amelia Riggs Conlan Sharp Asher Simon Kate Stokes Geoff Thomas Jake Waits Grant Watson John Wolfe Andrew Yesnick And more!
Grrrlbands Showcase
Dance and sing along to songs by: Siouxsie and the Banshees Cyndi Lauper Rage Against the Machine My Chemical Romance Destroy Boys
Willow Avalon – Pink Pocket Pistol Tour
Originally from Georgia and now based in Nashville, Willow Avalon’s musical journey began with her first word, “Elvis.” Raised by her mother and grandmother in a small Southern town, she grew up playing piano in church and taught herself guitar at age 12, using songwriting as both an escape and a means of self-expression through a life-journey that has been anything but straight-forward. Her much-praised 2025 debut album, Southern Belle Raisin’ Hell, cemented her as one of country music’s most compelling new voices, blending classic country, Americana, and pop influences. She has performed at The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS Mornings, and the Grand Ole Opry, as well as festivals like Stagecoach, C2C, CMA, and Lollapalooza, bringing her electrifying presence to global audiences. With a sharp wit and rebellious spirit, she has shared stages with legends and rising stars alike, including Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Zach Bryan, Cage the Elephant, Paul Cauthen, Charles Wesley Godwin, and more. Solidified by sold-out headline tours in North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as hundreds of millions of views across social content, Willow Avalon is redefining what it means to be a modern Southern storyteller. Website · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube · TikTok · Spotify
Bird and Byron
Bird and Byron – rock & soul duo – are based out of Nashville, TN. The duo have gained viral success from their “One TakeTuesday” weekly series reaching millions of viewers; translating into loyal followers worldwide. The raw video posts are of the duoperforming clips of original songs or covers in their own styling. Since the inception of the video series, Bird and Byron have garneredattention and reposts from the likes of James Taylor, Willow Smith, Coldplay, Noah Kahan, Mt. Joy, Brittany Broski, andmany others. The momentum created by the “One Take Tuesday” series permitted Bird and Byron to record their debut EP at the Bomb ShelterNashville. With the support of esteemed producer Andrija Tokic ‘producer of the Alabama Shakes debut record’ the groupcreated an authentic first project that sealed them as an important part of the new rock and soul genre. Bird and Byron’s first EP released on October 15, 2021 – followed by festival appearance, sold out shows and growing radio support. Their authentic writing style stands out w/ Bird’s powerful melodic vocals to Byron’s electrifying blues soul guitar. Since moving to Nashville in May 2022, they have quickly assimilated into Music City and are creating valuable connections within themusic industry. The duo are currently collaborating with notable Nashville producers, Je Trott (Grammy-nominated for work withSheryl Crow) and Andrew Petro. The duo (w/ full band) have recently performed to packed audiences on a multi-city tour, including stops in Austin, Carolinas,Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, NYC and Mississippi. They released their second EP in early 2023 – which has pushed their Spotify streams to over 7,000,000+ and 220,000+ monthlylisteners. The EP release also earned them a global licensing deal to all Abercrombie and Fitch storefronts. Top listener cities:Chicago, Denver, London, Los Angeles and NYC. Top listener countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom and USA. Bird and Byron’s social media presence has amassed 96,000+ followers on Tik Tok nearing over 3 million total likes throughthe #birdandbyron tag , and a growing 11,400+ follower base on Instagram. The duo has delved into sync – landing deals with aLondon-based sync firm A&G that represents artists Beabadoobee and The 1975. Bird and Byron’s self-produced debutalbum is out now. Instagram · Facebook · TikTok
The Milk Carton Kids
On their seventh studio album, *Lost Cause Lover Fool* (due April 24 on Far Cry/Thirty Tigers), The Milk Carton Kids offer nine songs that, more than ever, invite listeners to lean in close and linger inside the small moments the record quietly magnifies. When Los Angeles–based singer-songwriters Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan first emerged in 2011, they did so with a sound as unassuming as their “marketing” plan. They recorded their ten-song debut, *Prologue*, with just their two guitars and two voices. They posted it online as a free download, sending the link to friends via email. Even amidst the foot stomps and hand claps carrying Folk into the mainstream, hundreds of thousands of people managed to find *Prologue* in that first year. From the beginning, The Milk Carton Kids were more interested in precision than volume. “We were very conscious back then of trying to make our two voices sound like one thing,” Ryan recalls. “And we wanted our guitars to sound like one instrument too.” That instinct toward unity and understatement became the foundation of a career that steadily expanded without ever losing its center. Fast-forward fifteen years, through chaotic world events, a global pandemic and its aftermath. Through Ryan’s two children and Pattengale’s move to Nashville then back to LA, his bout with cancer. The pair went from darlings of the Americana Music Association Festival to hosting its annual awards show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. They started their own Sad Songs Summer Camp, helping songwriters dig deeper and darker through an intense workshopping process. They also founded the Los Angeles Folk Festival, spotlighting musicians and comedians in the broader Folk community. (In its first two years, the festival has featured performances by Emmylou Harris, Waxahatchee, Sierra Ferrell, Willie Watson, Valerie June, and more.) Along the way, the duo has received four Grammy nominations and their songs have been featured in numerous film and TV projects, from Gus Van Zandt’s *Promised Land* to Tina Fey’s goofball comedy series *Girls5Eva*. They’ve collaborated with a who’s who of players from Joe Henry and Rosanne Cash to Sara Bareilles and Josh Ritter. Through all of it, The Milk Carton Kids have remained committed to a deceptively simple idea: music can help turn down the volume on a chaotic world and make room for what matters most. *Lost Cause Lover Fool* is the clearest distillation of that idea yet. With roots-leaning arrangements and a deep trust in space, the album expands the duo’s signature minimalist sound while somehow making it even more focused. “This album is, at its core, a collection of songs about transformation,” Pattengale explains. “About the shifting terrain of consciousness and the stories we build to understand who we’ve been, who we are, and who we’re becoming. Each song takes a single moment, sometimes examined with microscopic closeness and sometimes viewed from a great distance, and lets it expand until it becomes an entire world. By enlarging small feelings until they’re inhabitable, the record looks for eternity not in the sweeping or monumental, but in the intimate specifics that usually pass too quickly to notice.” The record opens with “Blue Water,” led by the lonesome pluck of a banjo. Handled with restraint, the instrument feels less like traditional bluegrass and more like morning light cast across a stretch of grass. Lyrically, the song captures a fleeting image: a man walking along a river, thinking about the child who once lay on his chest and now shares his worried mind. Website
Happy Landing
Happy Landing is an American band formed in Oxford, Mississippi in 2020 by Matthew Hendley (lead vocals, guitar), Keegan Christensen (vocals, keys), Jacob Christensen (drums, vocals), Andrew Gardner (fiddle, vocals), and Wilson Moyer (bass/guitar, vocals). The group pioneers a new wave of folk music, captivating audiences internationally with their energetic live shows and fresh sound, blended from the roots of southern rock, punk and folk. After debut festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Summerfest, the band’s sophomore album, Big Sun, comes in 2026 paired with a major headline tour of the US & Canada. Website · Facebook · Instagram · YouTube
