Kyle Hume & The Astronomers
Growing up banging on drums at an early age while somewhat reluctantly taking piano lessons, Kyle fell in love with music. Take a car ride with Kyle or check out his extensive playlists and you’ll get a peek into his creative mind, but also be left a little confused as to what music he really likes…that’s because he doesn’t like music, he loves it…everything about it! Proudly hailing from his hometown in Louisville, KY now Nashville-based Hume enjoys balancing work with play. As a writer, vocalist and producer, Kyle’s committed to discovering his own sound…every day, in every session, with every song. Kyle regards his breakthrough song “If I Would Have Known” as something truly special. A song he was inspired to write by a fan that continues to bring healing to millions around the world who’ve lost someone special. Described as “empathetic and honest.” Kyle has a gift for writing songs that give voice to those who can’t find the words themselves, especially when faced with personal struggle. One fan said it best, “You speak for us all!” Kyle invites his fans to not just listen to his music but also experience it in person at one of his shows coming soon! Website | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube The Astronomers are the band you can’t help but root for. Led by frontman Michael Stensland and producer Ben Baker, the duo boasts a dynamic and energy-filled performance that blends pop, rock, and electronic elements, resulting in a sound that’s uniquely their own. Formed in 2019 and proudly independent the duo write, produce, mix, and master tracks from their home studio in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Their music gained momentum in 2020 with the release of single “Overthinking,” which received support from top 40 radio station; 101.1 WIXX, hitting #1 on Christmas Eve of 2020. Subsequent singles “Bad Type” and “Hotel Rooms” also received full rotation status, with “Hotel Rooms” charting at #88 on US top 40 radio and hitting #1 on 101.1 WIXX. In 2023, The Astronomers embarked on three headline tours across the United States in support of their debut album, “The Occasion,” culminating in performances alongside national acts American Authors, LIT, Neon Trees, and more. Chapter 4 unfolds for The Astronomers with their highly anticipated 16-track sophomore album, “Not Forever Anymore,” set to release on May 17th. In an innovative approach, the band is releasing a new song every other week leading up to the album launch, expressing their dedication to giving each song the spotlight it deserves. With their undeniable talent, captivating live performances, and authentic sound, it’s only a matter of time before The Astronomers become household names. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Victoria Victoria
Breakout artist Victoria Victoria is praised for her proficient songwriting and celebratory live performances, inviting audiences into a communal experience. In 2023, Victoria Victoria was named a “rising act” by RollingStone after performing on NPR’s Mountain Stage. Joined by her siblings and an air tight rhythm section, the group is brimming with lush harmonies and bewitching chemistry, leaving the audience charmed and wanting more. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
With Love, Little Chair, Sugar Snap Peas
Western North Carolina Benefit Concert. All proceeds will go to help those affected by Hurricane Helene via Asheville Relief. Unfortunately, Omni will no longer be playing. With Love is the project of Carrboro-based songwriter Reilly Milburn, brought to the stage with multi-instrumentalists Emmaus Holder, Max Levinson, John DiSabito, Bradley Robasky, and Steve. Formed in late 2022, With Love melds elements of indie, rock, and emotional hardcore with plans to release its first full length LP in early 2025. Bandcamp | Instagram | Spotify
Schooner “You Forget About Your Heart” 20th Anniversary Vinyl Release Show
$5 from each ticket will be directed to WNC hurricane relief. Soon after the start of this millennium, the long-fabled music scene in the middle of North Carolina seemed on the cusp of a new renaissance. Avaricious talk of Chapel Hill as the next Seattle had subsided to the slow simmer of people making music because it’s what they loved; Raleigh’s wild alt-country moment had likewise downshifted, some groups breaking up and others settling into the rhythms of lifers. But a crop of young bands bolstered by upstart labels and an enthusiastic audience in several interconnected little cities—Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and their many hinterlands—increasingly felt like they had something significant to say. The ever-wooing Rosebuds led the charge nationally, but Des Ark, DeYarmond Edison, Ticonderoga, and The Kingsbury Manx were just four in a flood of groups that made that moment feel so rich. Of them all, Schooner might have been the most beguiling, with a 2004 debut, You Forget About Your Heart, that remains a gem of sad-eyed Southern songwriting wonder, even if most people have yet to hear it. As is inevitable in small and energetic scenes where everyone abuts everyone else’s business, Schooner sprang from a few different disconnected projects. Songwriter Reid Johnson and guitarist Tripp Cox played plangent rock that echoed Britpop in a band called The A.M. Johnson, meanwhile, was making lo-fi recordings in his apartment near N.C. State, late-night testaments of a recent grad enduring a breakup and wondering just where his life was going. When The A.M. couldn’t make a show in early 2003, Johnson, Cox, and a few friends stepped forward with full-band versions of these softer songs. They were so excited that a keyboard was smashed, which accidentally busted Johnson’s prized acoustic guitar, too. Anyway, less a year later, not only had Schooner’s lineup solidified—Johnson up front, sister Kathryn on keys and exquisite harmonies, Cox on bass and occasional guitar, and scene veteran Billy Alphin adding soul on the drums—but they’d also made a record, You Forget About Your Heart. This will be the first time You Forget About Your Heart will be on vinyl. It is an expanded reissue with three previously unreleased demos, a 20-track companion download with nine additional demos and home recordings, and extensive liner notes documenting the time period by Grayson Harver Currin. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Threads
Chatham County Line Holiday Tour
Launched a little more than twenty years ago in Raleigh, North Carolina, Chatham County Line built a devoted local following on the strength of their genre-bending live show—an intoxicating blend of bluegrass, folk, country, and rock and roll—before breaking out internationally with their 2003 self-titled debut. In the years to come, the band would go on to release eight more critically acclaimed studio albums, top the Billboard Bluegrass Chart four times, collaborate with the likes of Judy Collins, Sharon Van Etten, and Norwegian star Jonas Fjeld, earn two gold records in Norway (where they were also twice nominated for the Spellemannprisen, Norway’s equivalent of a Grammy), and share bills with everyone from Guy Clark and Lyle Lovett to Steve Martin & Martin Short and The Avett Brothers. NPR hailed the group as “a bridge between bluegrass traditions and a fresh interpretation of those influences,” while Uncut lauded their “powerful melodies and gorgeous harmonies,” and Pitchfork dubbed their music “timeless.” The band’s latest release, Hiyo, marks the band’s first release since the departure of their longtime banjo player and serves as something of a reintroduction to the roots stalwarts, complete with new sounds, new collaborators, and a whole new lease on life. Recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain studio with co-producer/engineer Rachael Moore (Kacey Musgraves, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss), the collection finds the trio—Dave Wilson (lead singer/guitarist), John Teer (fiddle/mandolin) and Greg Readling (bass/pedal steel), embracing change at every turn, experimenting with fresh sonic palettes and innovative approaches to their core instrumentation. The songwriting remains classic Chatham County Line here—rich, evocative tales of love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow, righteousness and revenge—but the settings have evolved to incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and more electric guitar and percussion than ever before. Given the group’s string band roots and decades spent singing around a single microphone, the results are nothing short of revelatory, taking an enduring sound and injecting it with a thrilling new spirit of discovery and vitality. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
Stephen Wilson Jr. – SØN OF DAD TOUR 2025
Stephen Wilson Jr. is a singer/songwriter from rural Southern Indiana. Self-described as “Death Cab For Country,” Stephen Wilson Jr. draws upon indie rock, grunge and country to create a distinct sound that is influenced by artists as diverse as The National, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Nirvana. Wilson was raised by a single father who was a boxer and had him boxing from age seven through adulthood as an Indiana State Golden Gloves finalist. The self-taught guitarist moved to Nashville to pursue a degree in Microbiology at MTSU, where he started indie rock band AutoVaughn after finishing his degree. After five years of touring the world as lead guitarist with AutoVaughn, Wilson turned his creative focus toward songwriting and singing. After the band, Wilson relied back on his education where he worked for several years as an R&D scientist at Mars until signing a publishing deal with BMG Nashville in 2016. His songs were soon recorded by acts like Caitlyn Smith, Brothers Osborne, Old Dominion, MacKenzie Porter, Sixpence None the Richer and Leigh Nash. Wilson went on to self-release several songs of his own including, “the devil”, “Year To Be Young 1994”, “The Beginning”, “Holler From The Holler” – which won 6 independent film festival awards for its accompanying music video – and “billy”, which caught the attention of Billboard who featured the single in its ‘Makin’ Tracks’ column. Wilson went on to tour the US and Europe with acts like Brothers Osborne, Midland, and Cadillac Three developing a global base of music fans enamored by his emotive performance, skilled guitar prowess, and powerful vocals. In March 2023, he signed to Big Loud Records, and released his debut EP bon aqua. The seven-song collection compiles 6 previously released songs and the brand new single “American Gothic” (feat. Hailey Whitters). Wilson joined Whitters on road as direct support for her Raised Tour and is scheduled to support The Lone Bellow this Spring before performing at Bourbon and Beyond Festival, FairWell Festival and CMA Fest later this year. He is also scheduled to appear at London’s Black Deer Festival and Highways Festival at Royal Albert Hall this year. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud | TikTok
Jon Shain Trio
Hailing from Durham, NC, Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who’s been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style – combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Jon has released nine solo albums to date, along with two albums with duo partner FJ Ventre, a Jon Shain Trio live album, and one album of co-writes with Joe Newberry. Shain’s newest album, Restless Soul Syndrome, recorded at Good Luck Studio this past year, was released this spring and went to #5 on the folk radio chart. Shain is also the author of the music books Gettin’ Handy With the Blues – a Tribute to the Legacy of W.C. Handy and Jon Shain’s Fingerstyle Guitar Method, both published by Mel Bay Publications. In 2019, Shain won the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in the solo/duo category. Shain cut his touring teeth from 1989-1998 founding the Chapel Hill, NC folk-rock group, Flyin’ Mice and their spin-off group, WAKE. The band performed with acts such as David Grisman, Tony Rice Unit, Hot Tuna, and the Dixie Dregs, released four CDs, and played clubs, schools, and festivals up and down the East Coast, building a legion of fans. After the band’s breakup, Shain went solo, returning to his roots by touring in the folk and blues circuit. Shain has also become a sought after guitar teacher and studio producer. In 2021, he produced Donna Herula’s blues radio chart-topping album, Bang at the Door. Over the last several years, Shain has headlined listening rooms both as a solo and with duo partner FJ Ventre throughout the US and he’s done two solo tours in Europe. He has opened shows for John Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’, Little Feat, and many other roots legends. When Shain is not recording, producing other artists, or performing, he stays busy giving private instruction in guitar, and teaching group workshops in songwriting and blues guitar. FJ Ventre began playing music with Jon in 1982 when they met in high school and have developed a brotherly connection that continues to this day. Since relocating to Chapel Hill, NC in 2000, Ventre has performed with his own group The Swang Brothers, as well as with Chris Stamey, Wes Collins, Huzzah, and a who’s who of NC music groups. In addition to being a sought-after bassist, Ventre spends his time behind the mixing board, producing and engineering at his own Good Luck Studio as well as songwriting. Bill Newton began playing harmonica in 1971, buying a Marine Band for $1.75 in a Durham, NC pawn shop. From the first note, he was hooked. Since then, Newton has played with many great Triangle area bands, starting in blues and bluegrass, and branching out to swing and jump blues, and doing session work with artists such as the Indigo Girls. He plays blues harp, chromatic, and even the bass harmonica. He has played with Jon on and off since the 1990s. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Lazer Dim 700
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Gang of Four
2025 will be the 45th anniversary of the release of ‘Entertainment!‘ in the US, and will be our final year as a band. It’s been wonderful, but all things must end. We want to go out with a bang and celebrate with our fans and friends. So, on what will be our last US tour, we’ll play two sets at each show: ‘Entertainment!” from start to finish in the first, and the best of the rest in the second. Come and join in, it’ll be a blast! Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Speed Stick
The Carrboro, NC supergroup Speed Stick is an ever-evolving project among a group of friends—Ash Bowie (Polvo), Charles Chace (The Paul Swest), Laura King (Bat Fangs), and Thomas Simpson (The Love Language)—whose musical achievements reach back as far as the 1990s. But as its live shows attest, the band does not want to rehearse old accomplishments. On stage, Speed Stick wants to shatter epochs. Step into a world of thunder where lighting strikes rewire nervous systems. Ride waves with peaks that precede disquieting calms. Float in spaces where dark and light collide to set blood afire. To participate in a Speed Stick show is to enter a space of bodily and psychological endurance. Off-kilter guitar riffs shadow the raging intensity of drums; blistering drum beats dance to the feedback of guitars.The songs for Volume One were created in unusual fashion over the course of a year. Initially, Speed Stick only consisted of two drummers. They distributed nine studio tracks and a single live track to select musicians. The musicians’ task was simple: draw inspiration from the beats in order to create music that spreads laterally and horizontally like a rhizome. Indeed, Volume One has utterly discarded the yoke of genre by instead tethering intricate, interlocking drums to myriad creative personalities: Mac McCaughan (Superchunk), Kelley Deal (The Breeders, R. Ring), Mike Montgomery (R. Ring), Stuart McLamb (The Love Language). But no one can stop with just the album. Your ears will yearn to see the shapes of sound and your eyes will beg to taste color. For what Volume One heralds is that the supergroup Speed Stick is the super show of shows.Bandcamp | Facebook
