Hudson Freeman is a brooklyn-based Lofi-folk artist, inspired and forged by the DIY midwest. The 27-year-old Freeman continues to record and perform songs equal-parts resonant, reflective, and poignant. He has quickly emerged as one of indie’s most enthralling new voices. His recent full-length, is a Folk Artist, helped solidify his presence as the kind of songwriter unafraid to tackle life’s most draining contradictions: modern identity, digital disconnection, and faith. Born to Evangelical missionaries, Hudson started writing songs upon a radical break at the age of thirteen when his family suddenly moved from the suburbs of Dallas to The Kingdom of Eswatini. The profound influence of indie big-hitters like Sufjan Stevens and Bon Iver as well as college years spent in Springfield, Missouri made a do-it-yourself midwesterner out of Hudson. Now, his new song “If You Know Me” has recently started drawing in attention from the masses, catapulting Freeman into a wider spotlight than ever. It’s a moody blend of bedroom pop, folk, slowcore, and post-emo, stitched together by a singular guitar riff and mantra-style lyrics, confirming Hudson’s undeniable knack for melody. Instagram | TikTok | Spotify

The New Pornographers

Over the past 20 years, The New Pornographers have proven themselves one of the most excellent bands in indie rock. They have released nine studio albums, including their classic debut Mass Romantic and their latest 2023’s Continue as a Guest, which marked their debut for Merge Records. They’ve constantly offered new sonic surprises with every album, and have established themselves alongside modern luminaries like Yo La Tengo and Superchunk when it comes to their ability to evolve while still retaining what made them so special in the first place. Of the newest record, New York Magazine lauded, “The New Pornographers are a massive unit bursting with unique and intersecting talents…the band’s ninth album serves another helping of their signature dish.” The band’s new single “Ballad of the Last Payphone” is out now with a new full-length album slated for release in 2026 – more details to come. Critical acclaim for The New Pornographers: “Over the course of their 20-plus-year career, the New Pornographers have often specialized in catchy ambiguity. If leader Carl Newman was just a machine cranking out power-pop tunes, it would get boring. But there’s also a lot of mixed emotions going on under the surface of their studiously nuanced pop-rock formalism—like if Cheap Trick was as quick-witted as Steely Dan, or the Romantics were as thoughtful as R.E.M.”- Rolling Stone “Pure, blissfully irresistible power pop”- NPR Music “[The New Pornographers] make catchy, sophisticated alternate-universe hits.”- Stereogum Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok | Threads | Spotify

Philstock ’25

More Cowbell, Rattletraps, Honey Pumpkins, Wyatt Easterling Proceeds will benefit the ALS United North Carolina

Martin Sexton – Live Wide Open Tour 2026

This is a seated show. Martin Sexton tours in support the 25th anniversary of Live Wide Open – the critically-acclaimed double vinyl live album. The show will include these fan-favorites as well as some new material and surprise covers. “The real thing, people” —Billboard “Soul-marinated voice” —Rolling Stone “Mr. Sexton as an impassioned performer can bring women and men to tears when they see him live” —Wall Street Journal “The best live performer I’ve ever seen.” —John Mayer “Master of dynamics, reducing a room to silence with his blustering baritone, then teasing that silence with a fluttering falsetto.” —Acoustic Guitar Website | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud

Benjamin Tod and the Inline Six 2026 Tour

Sitting at a corner café table, Benjamin Tod’s eyes light up when asked what it’s like to finally embrace happiness and accept love. With a slight grin, he sips his coffee and leans back, one arm draped casually and comfortably over the chair. “I’m kind of settling into my age, into allowing myself to be happy,” the 33-year-old says. “For years, I led myself and the people around me into a lot of unnecessary darkness. And now, I’ve learned how to give and receive affection — it’s helped heal a lot of parts of myself.” Tod’s demeanor is a far cry from his usual stiff posture stance with arms folded, this permeating sense of trepidation and scrutiny for what trouble may be coming down the pike. The relaxed, calm aura is a sign of a human being who has overcome lifelong personal demons, one who has finally become liberated — not only in his personal life, but also his music. “This latest record is so unusual for what I do,” Tod says. “It’s almost a spite album, to prove what I can do as a writer in whatever medium I step into.” Titled Shooting Star, the album carves a fresh creative path for Tod, a storied singer-songwriter and frontman of Lost Dog Street Band. The self-proclaimed “proprietor of misery,” Tod finds himself transcending into a life of gratitude, patience, and stability. “People evolve and change. You’re growing as a person,” Tod says. “If you want to get healthier, you have to start intentionally behaving like a healthy person. You have to look around you and adapt to those things — if you don’t change your identity, it’s hard to change yourself.” For this latest solo endeavor, Tod tapped some of Nashville’s finest to conjure country gold. Shifting from his signature somber tone of struggle and survival, Tod and his coal fire throat radiate a feeling of clarity and new beginnings in the face of adversity. The result is this intrinsic, musical crossroads — more Hank Williams than Bob Wills, more Marty Stuart than George Jones. “Most of my career has been laser-focused on poetic, piercing songwriting in mainly a folk tradition.” Tod says. “I wanted to prove to myself and the industry that I could write an elite country record with ease. Either way, if I didn’t accomplish that goal, I sure as hell came closer than anyone on pop country radio.” The inspiration for the project struck in the summer of 2022, with Tod penning the opening track “I Ain’t The Man.” From there, it became this unrelenting, internal thirst for Tod to begin “imagining what all I could do within a genre slightly outside my comfort zone.” With a thick thread of honkytonk woven into it, the album leaves fingerprints on seemingly every style of country, from outlaw to red dirt, folk to indie, the culmination of which being a happily welcomed challenge for Tod — the ethos of his life and career at this juncture howling loudly “obstacles are opportunities.” Shooting Star is also a full-circle moment for Tod. Coming of age in Music City, he found himself squarely in the midst of rough-n-tumble Lower Broadway. Busking on street corners playing Woody Guthrie and Jim Ringer tunes for spare change. And getting kicked out of Robert’s Western World or Layla’s Honky Tonk “more times than most regulars had been before the age of 20.” Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify

Myka Lace, Kait Polgar, Roxanne Fortney, Laura Ivy

Myka Lace Myka Lace, an indie singer/songwriter originally from Danville, IA, has recently emerged in the vibrant Triangle music scene. Myka has been writing music for over 10 years and has only recently begun performing her music in front of audiences. Her music is deeply influenced by a diverse range of fellow artists and draws inspiration from the soft, beautiful, and melancholy moments of life. Instagram Kait Polgar Kait Polgar (kaitbird) is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who got her start in Austin before relocating to Carrboro, NC. Classically trained in voice, she leans into the unpredictability of life with stories of naïvety, love and loss. Her music is a blend of folk and ethereal pop inspired by artists like the O’Pears and the Staves. Instagram Roxanne Fortney Roxanne Fortney is a songwriter from Chapel Hill, NC who uses soft melodies and meaningful lyrics to speak about love, loss and faith to relate to and inspire listeners. She has a folk singer-songwriter style with slight rock influences. Instagram Laura Ivy Laura Ivy is a local folk singer-songwriter from North Carolina, whose music focuses on the inner world of the human experience. She uses metaphorical links between man and nature to encourage listeners to dive deeper into their personal life experiences and conclusions. Laura is a vocalist who accompanies herself on guitar and piano, utilizing her opera training to create powerful melodies in a modern-folk style. Linktree

Langhorne Slim – The Dreamin’ Kind Tour

For more than two decades, Langhorne Slim has been a fearless voice in modern Americana, known for his raw emotion and rule-breaking spirit. On his ninth album, The Dreamin’ Kind, the Nashville-based songwriter plugs in his electric guitar and dives headfirst into big-hearted, 1970s-style rock & roll.Produced by Greta Van Fleet’s Sam F. Kiszka, the record pairs power chords and soaring hooks with the vulnerable storytelling that’s long defined Slim’s work. “It felt like I was blowing some old shit up so I could plant some new flowers,” he says. “I love folk music, but rock & roll tickles the same part of my soul. I wanted to explore that.”The collaboration began after Slim opened for Greta Van Fleet, leading to loose, inspired sessions with Kiszka and drummer Danny Wagner. Together they built songs that move from the propulsive rush of “Rock N Roll” and the swagger of “Haunted Man” to the tender sweep of “Dream Come True” and “Stealin’ Time.”Recorded over a year in Nashville, The Dreamin’ Kind bridges Slim’s rootsy past with a louder, more expansive present. It’s a record of freedom and discovery, equally at home in rock clubs and around campfires — proof that Langhorne Slim, ever the dreamer, still finds new ground to break with every song. Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify | Facebook

Amelia Day

Amelia Day is a musical jack-of-all-trades. Standing at the intersection of folk, rock, and pop, Day blends heartfelt storytelling, raw delivery, and unforgettable melodies into music that feels both fresh and familiar — like rediscovering an old favorite. A self-described writer before anything else, her perceptive lyricism extends far beyond her 23 years, with lines reminiscent of songwriting greats like Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon. As the Spokesman-Review notes, Day has a signature style that features “wordplay, double-meanings and rhythmic variations,” with themes ranging from journeying into adulthood to climate change. Many of Day’s songs are also shaped by her intimate relationships, where her queerness and candor take center stage. Day’s upcoming EP EGO TRIP is her most personal project yet. Lead single “Lady Los Angeles” traces the sting of betrayal after discovering infidelity, while the rest of the EP takes listeners on an intimate journey through her grieving process. “The character of ‘Lady Los Angeles’ is representative of my ex’s obsession with attention and fame at all costs and my own fear of being seduced by those same temptations,” Day explains. “It felt like she was having an affair, not only with another person, but with the often-self-aggrandizing culture of Los Angeles itself.” Born and raised in the small town of Sumner, Washington — the self-proclaimed “Rhubarb Pie Capital of the World” — Day has been drawn to music-making since she could walk. “I had no idea what I was doing, but I had a toy ukulele and drum, and my parents had an upright piano that I would mess around on,” she recalls. “I could spend hours just playing around on the keys, making up little songs, which my piano teacher recognized and encouraged.” By middle school, Day was already writing her own songs “about myself and my (very angsty) preteen feelings.” Once Day got to college, she began performing her originals publicly, though not without roadblocks. “I had horrible stage fright up until mid-college,” she admits. Starting with farmers markets and local restaurants, Day gradually built up the confidence and the following that would lead to sold-out shows in Seattle, Boston, and D.C., as well as festival appearances at Bumbershoot (“one of my favorite sets I’ve ever played…there was a line of people outside waiting to get in!”), Capitol Hill Block Party, Folklife Festival, and Seattle PrideFest — all on her own. “I’m proud of getting to this point as an artist completely solo,” Day says. Day is proficient on guitar, keys, bass, and drums, often switching between instruments during her live performances. At other times, she lets the music take over — stepping away from the instruments to simply sing and dance with mic in hand. She says she aims to “create an environment of complete presence and joy, but also healthy catharsis of all the worst emotions.” As the Vanderbilt Hustler highlights, her set is “energetic, emotional and full of fun, just like all of her music.” Fans often leave Day’s shows on a high, blown away by her powerhouse vocals (drawing comparisons to Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Alanis Morissette, and others), and charmed by the joy she exudes while onstage. Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

The Jack Wharff Band

Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, The Jack Wharff Band play a strikingly unique blend of bluegrass, Country and rock. Known for their electric live performances, masterful instrumentation, and their ability to make music that consistently defies the confines of genre, the young band burst onto the scene last year with snippets of jaw-dropping original songs posted to TikTok and Reels. Composed of vocalist/frontman Jack Wharff, drummer Garrett Howell, bassist Ryan Atchison and guitarist Evan Novoa, the salt of the earth four-piece has quickly captivated audiences with their infectious energy and unrelenting passion for the craft. The band has taken everything that has come their way in stride – viral videos of their original songs, a record deal with Big Machine Records, a move to Music City and more – earning a loyal following along the way. With an unparalleled ability to command an audience with vibrant stage presence far beyond their years and toe-tapping anthems that beg to be sung along to, it’s clear that this is just the beginning for The Jack Wharff Band. This fall, they are touring on select dates of Ole 60’s U.S. Tour 2025 and Max McNown’s Forever Ain’t Long Enough Tour. Early next year, the band will hit the road once again, opening on select dates of 49 Winchester’s 2026 Spring Tour. For more information and tour dates, please visit thejackwharffband.com. Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | YouTube | Spotify

Genre: Concerts

Coma Cinema

Hudson Freeman