Dante High
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Umphrey’s McGee – Cruising Altitude 2025 Tour
Chicago’s eclectic rock band Umphrey’s McGee has been keeping fans on their toes for nearly 27 years now. Though often pigeonholed into “jam band” circles, Umphrey’s doesn’t fit that traditional mold; and their fans don’t either. Is it prog rock? Song-forward, Beatles-esque arrangements? Be careful, they might hit you with some metal riffs mid-set, too. Amongst 2,500+ gigs and 300 million+ tracks streamed, you-had-to-be-there moments include the band’s performance at the first-ever Bonnaroo and selling more CDs (remember those?) than any other act on the bill. A leader in the live music world, Umphrey’s McGee became the first group to launch its own single-artist streaming service with UMLive.net, which houses recordings of every gig since 2005. The service has since grown and now lives on through Nugs.net, which is used by the likes of Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and more. Beyond intimate backstage encounters and ski trips with their most diehard fans, Umphrey’s McGee instituted the groundbreaking “Headphones & Snowcones” program, granting fans access to professional headphones and a soundboard-quality mix to listen wirelessly at shows. At their UMBowl, they empowered the audience to vote on the setlist in real-time and choose favorite improv themes via text message. In 2017, they stepped into another realm altogether by integrating themselves into the VR Platform Endless Riff. All of the above has earned the band status as kings of the live music scene with standing yearly engagements at iconic venues, their own events in Iceland (Rockjavick) and Mexico (Holidaze), and co-hosting Chillicothe, IL’s long-running Summer Camp festival. In April 2025, Umphrey’s McGee will lead their faithful fans on another bucket list musical adventure: Morockshow will feature three nights in Marrakech, Morocco, marking another signature event in an exotic location. Umphrey’s McGee’s latest release Asking For A Friend showcases more evolved songwriting and thoughtful arranging from a band continuing to grow and mature with their droves of die-hard, longtime fans. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Donny Benét
“Jeffrey Lebowski, is “The Dude,” Donny Benét, is “The Don.” Quite simply.” Praised and panned by critics as “Prince on a serious budget cut,” Donny Benét is best described as the favourite nephew to Uncles Giorgio Moroder, Alan Vega and Michael McDonald. Hailing from Australia, Benét’s debut album Don’t Hold Back confused and intrigued many whilst quickly establishing him as a cult figure in the Australian music scene. Donny’s piece de resistance The Don, which featured the breakthrough single Konichiwa facilitated his first invitation to tour Europe in 2018. In no time at all Europe had caught a fever that only Donny could quell each time he returned to perform. Several sold out European tours later, alongside regular US touring led Donny to follow up with his 2020 album Mr Experience and instrumental EP Le Piano. 2023 saw Donny creating his own label Donnyland Records, which led to the announcement and release of his 6th album Infinite Desires. Touring Europe and the US since 2018, Donny regularly sells out headline shows and has performed at festivals such as Outsidelands, Pukkelpop, Green Man Festival, Rock Werchter, Dour Festical, Down the Rabbit Hole, Pohoda Festival, Zomerparkfeest and Rock For Churchill, to name a few. A perfectionist, Benét writes, performs and records entirely by himself at the renowned Donnyland Studios. Vintage synthesisers and drum machines are used exclusively by Donny when presenting his hot takes on life, love and relationships. A masterful bassist, his songs are instantly recognised by their signature basslines, timeless production and tongue in cheek lyrics. Website | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Chris Chism, Earleine, Breezy
Chris Chism Chris Chism was born and raised in Indiana but now operates out of North Carolina. Raised with bluegrass and classic country he always returns to it in his songwriting. He plays banjo and sings a unique blend of folk, and alternative music. Chris is celebrating the release of a new single “Drive My Car” this December. Website | Instagram Breezy Singer-songwriter from Chapel Hill, NC, using music to relate to people in the difficulties and beauties of love, life, and everything in between. Soft melodies that will make you feel something. Instagram Earleine Earleine is an indie folk singer songwriter hailing from Nashville, TN. They write about personal struggles and successes with an openness and softness that pulls you in. Earleine consists of lead singer and songwriter Ash Wright with a rotating cast of accompanying performers. Instagram
Shakey Graves
Across his career, Shakey Graves — a.k.a. the performance moniker of Austin, Texas-born Alejandro Rose-Garcia — has intentionally created thrilling musical adventures tailored to each fan: burning CDs and putting them in personalized decorated bags; building intricate scavenger hunts that send fans in search of unique tapes; and Bandcamp-exclusive releases. “The fans and musicians that really resonate with me — and the inexplicable ways that I find things that I like — are usually entirely through randomness and chaos and accident,” Rose-Garcia says. “I’ve always been on this quest to make people feel like my own music is a choose your own adventure.” As Rose-Garcia releases his new Shakey Graves album Movie of the Week — a collection of songs whittled down from epic-length recording sessions — he has devised one of his most innovative musical adventures yet. “For the album release, I’m setting up a website,” he says. “On this website, there will be a way to shuffle a collection of alternate tracks and unique songs from the sessions in seemingly infinite combinations to create new albums.” Thanks to this cutting-edge technology, fans will be able to own this alternate version and do whatever they want with it — giving them control over the destiny of the music. “Imagination really is the tool,” Rose-Garcia says. “The point is to make and create something yourself. Any way that I can allow people to apply their imagination over my music — and allow them to sculpt it using their own prompts — will let them create something new.” Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Crazy Chester: A Very Carrboro Tribute To The Band & The Last Waltz
Formed in early 2020 for a series of one-off events, 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, Tripp), Rob DiMauro (Heat Preacher, Mixtape Grab Bag), Justin Ellis (Slow Teeth, Ravary), and Rafael Green (Little Raven, Ravary), respectively recreating and playing the parts of Richard Manuel, Garth Hudson, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Robbie Robertson. For this special concert, 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. Join for an unforgettable live performance of a Thanksgiving tradition, live at the Cat’s Cradle.
Mad Crush, Bass Battery, Cage Bird Fancier
Proceeds will go to help benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene via the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. Donations made to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund will go to nonprofits working to meet the immediate needs of storm victims such as food and water, cleaning supplies and other emergency supplies. All of the donations made will go to disaster relief.
Blue Goose Kaboom, Cuffing Season, Jacks Reese
Jacks Reese (Durham) wants a new cult to join. They moved south in search of a new idea worth putting on record. If interested, pitch to them your belief system immediately for review. They’re uncommitted and ready to swear into a community of common values. Jacks Reese.jpg Cuffing season is a Hillsborough based 4-piece emo/indie rock band created in 2019 featuring James Straub, Caden Splenda, Brian Finch, and Brandon Finch. The band draws inspiration from artists like Weezer, The Strokes, and American Football. Their music consists of a unique sound with evocative guitar solos that blend indie and Midwest emo vibes. Blue Goose Kaboom is a Durham-based 4 piece indie alt rock band that brings a loud, high energy, and interactive performance to the stage. They combine a powerful sound with catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics that are lightly drizzled with a touch of humor — drawing inspiration from artists like Green Day, Weezer, and Ben Folds. BONUS POINTS IF YOU WEAR YOUR BEST SHADES!
Jeremie Albino
When Jeremie Albino was a teenager, he started busking around Toronto, setting up along the boardwalk or on a street corner downtown, wherever he thought he might find some passersby. “Usually nobody was listening,” he says, “but occasionally one or two people would tell me it sounded great. They had places to be and things to do, but they would stop and listen for a little while. That kind of interaction felt very special to me, and that’s when I realized I really do love performing. That’s when I realized I could hold a listener’s interest and give something back to them.” That experience set Albino on his path, and it showed him how much joy can be found in the simple act of connecting with a listener, whether it’s an entire crowd or just one person in that crowd. Since then, he has refined a vital and idiosyncratic mix of styles and sounds that are rooted in tradition but grasping toward the future: His songs are grounded in the gritty storytelling of classic country music, propelled by the rhythms of old-school R&B, played with the wild abandon of early rock ’n’ roll, and sung with the deep feeling of southern soul. Thanks to his sweaty, livewire concerts, he has been steadily growing his audience from a few passersby to packed houses around Canada and the U.S. Our Time In The Sun, his soulful fourth solo album, sounds like the culmination of what he started out on the street corners of Toronto. The title track showcases his remarkable range—emotionally, vocally, and stylistically. Anchored in a Stax rhythm section and punctuated with dramatic horns, it’s a dusty country-soul number about good love curdling into bad, but there’s none of the romantic recrimination that infects so many breakup songs. Rather, in his performance as much as in his lyrics, Albino conveys a warm generosity toward somebody who tried just as hard as he did to make it work. He’s the rare singer who’s always in the moment, taking nothing about the song or the melody or the lyrics for granted. And he brings the listener right into the moment with him. “I try to put my heart into everything,” he says. “There’s really no other way for me to do it. If I’m not putting everything into the song, then why would I even bother to sing it?” As much as he loves performing and winning over listeners, Albino by his own admission has never felt that same connection to songwriting, but he made a breakthrough on Our Time in the Sun. Working with producer Dan Auerbach, he emerges as a sharp, observant songwriter who is quick with a clever turn of phrase and open to the emotional nuance of the stories he’s telling on “I Don’t Mind Waiting” and the raw “Struggling With The Bottle.” “I used to struggle with writing. Okay, I used to hate it. Whenever I needed to write new songs, I would just sit there for months toiling away.” When he signed with Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label, however, they spent hours and hours bouncing ideas off one another, their sessions becoming a masterclass on how to write a good, solid song. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | TikTok
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Jessica Lea Mayfield is singer songwriter hailing from rural Ohio, she’s been active since age 15 as a solo artist and grew up living in a bus and traveling around playing bluegrass festivals with her parents family band starting at the age of 8. She writes ominous Appalachian folk rock depicting love and relationships and human dynamics. Her 4th studio album is set to be released end of this year (produced by Daywave) and she is announcing east and west coast fall and winter tour dates. Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
