10/15 Fridays on the Lawn Photos

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Local Beat Roundtable: Series 2 preview 10/29/10

Tonight on the Local Beat we begin our second installment of the Local Beat Roundtable Series.  If you remember from back in August when we had our first in the roundtable discussions with Betsy Harris, Karen Mann, Jake Seaton, Linnie Green, and Bryan Reed the focus on these roundtable discussions is not to focus on the music that make up our scene but the people who promote it and document it.

This evening we are having several exemplary characters in on the program for what should turn out to be some great conversation.

Ross Grady has been the most prominent local music documenter probably ever in our region.  It seems his dedication to the scene knows no bounds.  In addition to running Triangle Rock and starting up Alt Music Chapel Hill Ross is also the guardian of his radio program on WXDU that happens every Sunday from 4pm-6pm.  Be sure to listen in on 88.7 or stream it live on the internet!

Ryan Sweeney is another radio personality who was the general manager at 89.3 WSOE in 2009.  He is now living in Cary and the Director of Communications at the popular website Choose Local Music.  In addition to other things Ryan is a great local music connoisseur who should have plenty to share.

Glenn Boothe is the main man at one of the most significant local venues in the Triangle, the Local 506 in Chapel Hill.   Commonly the central hub of local music in our area, the Local 506 is commonly mentioned by bands and fans alike as their favorite place to watch live music in our area.   I can't wait to chat with Glenn about his thoughts on the music in our area.

Another music venue owner, Chris Tamplin is stopping by.  Chris was the main organizer for Local Beer Local Band and booked shows at Tir Na Nog before starting his own venture with Durham's newest local venue, Motorco.  Chris should have some fascinating insight into the different cities and their relationships to the music surrounding them among other things.

Eric Chen is also dropping by.  You might have heard Eric on WXYC for nine years or seen him at many Hammer No More The Fingers shows (as well as others) with his video camera in tote.  Eric has been documenting the music in our area for some time now and I am sure he will have plenty to add to our convseration.  Check out his Vimeo Account here.


Hammer No More the Fingers + Phil Cook @ Trekky House 5/24/10 from Eric Chen on Vimeo.

It is certainly a special treat to have each of these amazing individuals on the show all at once.  It is not going to be a Local Beat you will want to miss.  Be sure to tune in at 5pm on 88.1 or listen live online.  Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and ReverbNation.

We have Troika Music Festival passes!

For 3 days, from November 4-6, Durham comes alive with music and art. Troika Music Festival began in 2002 and is still going strong. Bands featured this year include Birds & Arrows, Veelee, Old Bricks, I Was Totally Destroying It, Red Collar, The Small Ponds, Americans in France, Phil Cook and His Feat, Chatham County Line, Mount Moriah, Gray Young, Spider Bags, and even more! They'll be performing at venues around Durham and WKNC has 3-day festival passes to give away!

Just be the correct caller when the DJ asks for it now through November 3, and you could win a pair of 3-day festival passes!

EOT47 Chancellor Woodson 10/26/10

Technician's Amanda Wilkins talks to Chancellor Woodson in advance of his formal installation.  Mason profiles interesting classes and professors, Chris talks to State Fair eco-magician Steve Trash, Mark highlights local ethnic markets, and Tyler and Taylor preview the big FSU game.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT47_102610.mp3

--> GIVEAWAYS!

This week we've got some golden giveaways on WKNC!

Be the right caller when the DJ asks for it and you could win tickets to:

10/27: MiMOSA at Lincoln Theatre

10/29: Jason Isbell at Casbah

10/30: Blonde Redhead at Cat's Cradle



10/30: Howlies at Slim's

10/30: Mantras at the Pour House

10/31: Caribou at Cat's Cradle



10/31: Marxtravaganza (featuring Bright Young Things, Tomahawks, Brett Harris, and more!) at Slim's

annnnd

11/3: MGMT at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium



Remember, you have to listen to win!

EOT46 16th District Senate Candidates 10/19/10

John interviews the three candidates running for the 16th district of the North Carolina Senate:  Incumbent Democrat Josh Stein, GOP challenger Michael Beezley, and Libertarian challenger Stephanie Watson.  Taylor talks about the Wolfpack's tough loss to ECU, Mark shares his fall recipe ideas, and Chris brings you another Gardening Minute.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT46_101910.mp3

LBLB October 28... Halloween Style!

Get spooky, baby!  This Thursday WKNC and Tir Na nOg bring you the scariest bands to hit the Raleigh scene: Left Outlet, A Rooster for the Masses, and The Alcazar Hotel. I know you're heart is racing with fright already!  n all seriousness, Local Beer Local Band Night is FREE, 21 and up, and the nightmare starts at 10 p.m. Keep an eye out for Big Boss's pumpkin beer. AHHH!!!



Left Outlet

Easily the hottest gay band in Raleigh, this band features:  "T.Lemuel...soothe sayer from another place; D.Smith....dulcet notes stolen from siren songs;  L.Bennett...aural massaging with ivory and circuit;  St. Anthony...self-destructive plunges into the deep and;  C-Tron Bravo...booming pounding grooving."  This band is most likely to rock your face off and steal your boyfriend.  Yummmmm

A Rooster for the Masses

This band is too good.  You might have caught them at Hopscotch during our Local Beer Local Band day show at Tir Na nOg. Their album review by Grayson Currin in the Independent Weekly said, “The Rooster still sings truth to power over angular guitar lines and hi-hat pulses, whether riffing on the downtown void King’s Barcade left behind on ‘No Party Downtown’ (the band released Rojo there in 2006) or territorial tendencies on ‘Headwaters.’”  Well thankfully, Kings is back (was anyone there this past Saturday?? Luckies...), A Rooster for the Masses is playing music, and everyone will be happy.

The Alcazar Hotel

"Inspired by the music and philosophies of such seminal bands as The MC5, Morphine, and The Violent Femmes, The Alcazar Hotel play straight up Rock & Roll, no qualifier (indie, alternative, punk, etc.) necessary.  Their first release “Songs from The Alcazar Hotel” (Knockdown South, 2005) was a widely received hit in Amsterdam, The Netherlands after Dawson moved there in 2006. After a year of squatting and busking, Dawson returned to the states to record their follow up album, “Come ON! Dig The Unified Theory!” “…The Unified Theory” was recorded with a blistering set up of 2-string bass, electric guitar, and vicious drums at Delta Recording Service in Como, Mississippi. It features guest appearances by Jimbo Mathus of The Squirrel Nut Zippers and Luther Dickinson of The Black Crowes & North Mississippi Allstars."



There will be a really scary interview on Thursday from 7-8pm starring myself and Left Outlet.  Be sure to tune in on the creepyness.

Design Council Halloween Bash sure to entertain

The NCSU College of Design has a lot going for it: the prettiest slice of campus, convenient juxtaposition with Pullen Park and the railroad tracks, the coolest bikes, an awesome-looking dean...and the list continues.  In short, the cool place to be is rarely far from Brooks Hall.  This Saturday (October 24th) will be no exception, as the Design Council will be throwing their annual Halloween Bash.

This year's shindig features treats from different poles of the local music spectrum: the always-charming, Dylan-scented indie troubadours Lonnie Walker, the exceedingly talented hip-hop monarch King Mez, as well as  DJs The Biters and Holygrailers.

Tickets are ten bucks; full event info is available here!

Local Natives bring in fans from all over

This past weekend, October 16, marked the longest drive to see a single concert for a large amount of people, including myself. Some fans journeyed over 5 1/2 hours, if not more, all to see a few bands—Local Natives, The Ruby Suns, and The Union Line—at The Grey Eagle in Asheville, NC. Once the show began, I understood why.

The Union Line, a five-piece from California, started off the night. Creative drum beats were a staple in each song laced with pretty guitar and Natives-esque vocals. While most shows' opener band encourages a crowd to linger at best, The Union Line had the crowd engaged and dancing within the first song.



The Ruby Suns followed with a poppier set; think Toro Y Moi if they ate too much sugar. Regardless of the slight genre change, it kept everyone energetic.

Following was the headliner for the night, Local Natives. With only one LP out, Gorilla Manor, I was surprised to see a sold-out show. The fanbase was incredible, especially for such a new band. It was shoulder-to-shoulder and impossible to move as far front as I would have liked. The set started off strong and hit every song on the album. Another pleasant surprise was Local Natives actually sounds better live, in my opinion. Everything—vocals, drums, guitar, etc.—was on point, in addition to crowd interaction. Another very unique aspect of this band is each member alternated instruments every song or so.



One of my (many) favorite parts of this show particularly was how eager the bands were to meet the fans. Every member from the three bands took time to hold a conversation with fans, sign autographs, joke around, and take pictures with the best college radio station in NC.

Glorious Giveaways!

Good afternoon!

We have some great giveaways that are going like HOT CAKES!

October 21: The Love Language at Kings

October 22: Goner at Kings

October 23: Airiel Down at Lincoln Theatre

October 23:   Gray Young at The Pour House

October 23:  The Moaners w/ Embarrassing Fruits at Kings

October 24: Small Black at Kings

October 26: Muse w/ Metric at the RBC Center

Remember, you have to listen to win!

Local Beer Local Band—October 21—Tir Na nOg

As usual,  Tir Na nOg and WKNC present Local Beer Local Band Night. This Tursday, October 21 features music from Mount Moriah, Old Bricks, and Filthybird! Same rules: starts at 10 p.m., ages 21 and up, and FREE.



Filthybird

I’m always a sucker for a band with female vocals. The folks at the Pinhook said, “These guys are kind of a cosmic Americana western eastern totem spirit animal.” They just had their record release party at the Pinhook on the 15th of October.  If you didn't catch them there, see them this Thursday!!

Old Bricks

I just saw these guys at the album release party for Veelee. That in itself was an amazing show, I hope you were able to make it. Although this band encompasses the same exact members as Motor Skills, the sound is entirely different. Stuart, the singer, reminded me of Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, in the most wonderful way.

Mount Moriah

Folk rock in the best way.  I have a girl crush on Heather... don't tell....



Old Bricks is going to come hang out with me in the studio on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. Be sure to tune in!!

Active Child on WKNC tomorrow at 11 AM

The man behind the haunting, spacey synth-pop of Active Child, Pat Grossi, will be calling in to WKNC tomorrow, October 19, for a live interview at 11 a.m. Tune in to hear about where Grossi's musical interest started, how (or if) his choir experience has influenced his music, and more.

Active Child plays tomorrow night at Local 506 in Chapel Hill with School of Seven Bells.

Superchunk stuns after 9-year hiatus from the music scene

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week 10/15, written by DJ Ones, WKNC deejay

It's hard to believe that it has been nine years since Superchunks's last full-length album. Aside from recording a track here and there, Majesty Shredding comes as the Chapel Hill band's storming entry back into the forefront of the local music scene. Although the legacy of Superchunk will most likely spur talk about the history of Merge Records and the earlier punk scene of Chapel Hill, it is increasingly difficult to fail to acknowledge their arsenal of great music.

Almost a decade has gone by and Superchunk has not missed a beat. Starting from the first track, "Digging for Something," the album channels that same heart and drive prominent throughout their career. Upbeat, anthemic, and full of great guitar riffs, Superchunk proves they are still hyper enough. The high-paced tracks keep coming. "My Gap Feels Weird" punctuates a more mature, higher-quality production that never loses sight of their distinct sound. Subtly layering the vocal styling of lead singer Mac McCaughan, the track progresses and builds toward a strong ending—the likes of which do not disappoint. However, the band does show they can perfect slow-paced pop tracks. "Rosemarie" offers a great transition out of the upbeat into the relaxed, and is still able to deliver the distinct Superchunk kick. Tracks like "Hot Tubes" and "Fractures in Plastic" are sprinkled throughout to give the listener a general break, and they are a necessary breather for an otherwise fast album. They also show how Superchunk has strengthened so many areas of their overall sound over the decades.

Nevertheless, prepare to strap yourself down for this album. Barely skipping a beat, Superchunk delivers epic guitar riffs that penetrate almost every song and are timed masterfully within the tracks. Where other bands may attempt to write songs that are similar in nature, very few are able to execute them on the same level as a band as experienced as Superchunk. Majesty Shredding ends on one of the highest notes any album for the year has. "Everything at Once" starts with the simple background vocals of the band and builds with the introduction of McCaughan's high-registering vocals. The track builds a sense of anticipation released with a face-melting guitar solo. With every member firing on all levels, it is hard to deny that fans of Superchunk, or the power-punk sound that signified the band's career, will be disappointed with their latest release. The wait has been well worth it as Superchunk has crafted another album that not only will reignite the interest of old fans, but will also fit nicely as one of their most complete albums to date.

88.1 WKNC Pick of the Week is published in every Friday in the print edition of Technician, as well as online at technicianonline.com and wknc.org.

The Foreign Exchange On "Real RnB Radio" 10/16

The Foreign Exchange, popular Indie-Soul/R&B/Electronica/Hip-Hop duo will be calling in to "Real RnB Radio" on 10/16 in celebration of the release of their third album, Authenticity.

Authenticity, in stores 10/12, is the follow up to the Grammy-nominated and critically acclaimed Leave It All Behind, which featured hits "Daykeeper," "All Or Nothing," "Take Off The Blues," and "I Wanna Know."

The Foreign Exchange is comprised of Hip-Hop underground legend Phonte of Little Brother and Dutch producer/musician Nicolay. The duo met on the message boards of Okayplayer.com in 2002 and formed the group without having ever met, hence the name The Foreign Exchange.

Listen to "Real RnB Radio" with Mir.I.am for the live interview Saturday night at 10:30 p .m. ET on 88.1FM WKNC or stream live at www.wknc.org.

The Foreign Exchange will be having a listening party for Authenticity Sunday, October 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Six Plates Wine Bar.

EOT45 Dr. Michael Beitler 10/12/10

Chris interviews Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Mike Beitler, plus Evan's message about recent teen suicides, Mark's restaurant review, and Tyler talks about how the football team is back on track.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT45_101210.mp3

Benefit concert scheduled at White Collar Crime

23-year-old Steven Campbell has been battling Ewing's Sarcoma for 13 years. Recently, his condition took a turn for the worse, and Jackie Campbell decided to take action. In celebration of Steven's birthday and in order to help raise funds for medical expenses, etc., Jackie is organizing a concert at White Collar Crime in Raleigh on October 17. The show will begin at 7 p.m. and features local artists such as The Royal Nites, Hank Sinatra, Richard Bacchus & The Luckiest Girls, Hell No, and The "Infamous" Sugar. $10 is the suggested donation.

Local Beat preview 10/15/10

This coming Friday on the Local Beat will be another fantastic evening as I will be joined by several different guests.

5 p.m. brings in one of my favorite groups in the area, Carrboro folksters Mandolin Orange, coming on to promote an upcoming show at the Local 506. The show is this Saturday, October 16, with Greg Humphreys. It should make for a fascinating concert on Saturday but also some great conversation and live radio Friday evening.

Check out the interview I had with Emily and Andrew of Mandolin Orange back in April:
Mandolin Orange on the Local Beat 4/9/10

And I also interview Greg Humphreys recently as well:
Greg Humphreys on the Local Beat 10/1/10

At 6 p.m., Gray Young is coming back on the show once again to talk about their brand new album. If you recall the group came in back in early August before the album was ready to be released. Staysail is going to be released on October 23 at the Pour House, and we will talk about that in full.

For the final hour of the show, local hip-hop star King Mez is dropping by with ex DJ Big Fat Sac and several other representatives of the Cooke Street Carnival that is being held this Saturday on Cooke Street in downtown Raleigh. We will be talking about the festival and catching up with the King.

Look! ---> This Week's Giveaways!

Hey guys! Fall seems to really be here, and no better way to celebrate the cool weather than a local show!

How can you go to one of these great local shows for free?!? Well, by calling in at the appropriate time on WKNC and telling the deejay whatever it is they want to know!

This week you could win:

10/15: Carolyn Wonderland @ Casbah (a great new venue in Durham)

10/16: Rocktober @ the Pour House

10/16: Sisters w/ French Miami @ Slim's Downtown

10/17: We are Scientists @ Cat's Cradle



10/17: Vampire Weekend w/ Beach House @ Raleigh Amphitheater

10/18: Los Campesinos! @ Cat's Cradle

10/19: Stone Temple Pilots w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ Raleigh Amphitheater

You could also win Midlake merchandise or a "Get Him to the Greek" DVD!

There are some shows there I am itching to go to...  but remember, you have to listen to win!

Take a Trip with DJ Elly May!

Over NCSU's fall break I had the opportunity to take a road trip to Missouri and back. This included stops in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. Tomorrow morning from 9-11 a.m., join me on WKNC as I recount my trip in music with stories along the way.

LIVE at Tir Na nOg! LBLB October 14!!!

Come down to WKNC and Tir Na Nog's Local Band Local Beer on Thursday, October 14 to see AMINAL, BRETT HARRIS, and THE HONORED GUESTS! The show is FREE. Ages 21 and up. 10 p.m.

Don't forget to visit the fancy shmancy new Local Beer Local Band website! Loaded with show schedules and a download-able mixtape!



Aminal

"If pop music is a wild animal, then this Chapel Hill trio’s domesticated it, teaching it to sit up, roll over and lay in their lap. Their songs amble with unhurried grace and purr with ineffable charm. Frontman Patrick O’Neill has a gift for vocal melodies that insinuate themselves into your confidences so completely that, after a couple of listens, you’re ready to buy them a round of drinks. The songs boast a woozy ebb and flow fueled by a vibrant rhythm section that’s capable of unspooling the sound with the measured skill of a master angler loosening and locking his reel."

- Hopscotch Music Festival

You might have missed these guys at Hopscotch because they were playing at the same time as Best Coast. No worries, catch them this Thursday!

Brett Harris

"...equal amounts of jangle and drift, pop and pontification, like a Nick Lowe and Randy Newman acolyte dreaming in FM ballad Technisound."

-Grayson Currin, Independent Weekly

"...Durham's version of Paul McCartney."
-Zach Hanner, Shawna Kenney & John Staton, Wilmington Star News

Brett Harris recently played on NC State campus for Shack-a-thon. A week-long camp-out to support Habitat for Humanity.

The Honored Guests

"Perfection is better in concept than practice, as most anyone who's lived with a perfectionist will tell you. It nearly brought down the Chapel Hill band The Honored Guests until they learned to scale their ambitions and expectations to a place where the means of playing music were as important as the ends of making the perfect record.

That struggle is encapsulated not only in the title of the Guests' third album, Please Try Again, but also in the songs themselves. Sure, the album suggests The Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin with its richly layered songs, oddly shaped and resolutely catchy arrangements and dreamy countenance. But rather than being infused with hope, Please Try Again comes shadowed by a sense of frustration and dissipation, tracing a psyche at war with itself." - The Independent



All of the above bands will be in the station this Thursday from 7-8 p.m. for an interview. Tune in!

Local Beat recap 10/1/10

Two weeks ago on the Local Beat was a full evening of fantastic interviews featuring some amazing musicians in our area.

Greg Humphreys has been making music locally for over two decades now. His newest and second solo album Realign Your Mind has been available for download for a couple months but only recently has he put the album out on CD. Greg came in and chatted with us about his history in the area and his evolution as a musician. In addition, Greg played several brand new tracks, which you can listen to and download in the music player to the right.  Listen to our interview below:
Greg Humphreys on the Local Beat 10/1/10


Songs of Water is a band out of Greensboro, and I am not afraid to say they have taken the top position as my favorite new band with their incredible release of The Sea Has Spoken, which came out earlier this year. Only three of the eight members made the trip down I-40 but that was plenty as they brought so many instruments into the studio, one could hardly walk around. We only had a short time with the group as it took them several minutes to set up but check out the amazing songs they played for us live:
Songs of Water on the Local Beat 10/1/10


Maria Albani (Schooner, Organos), John Harrison (North Elementary), Drew Robertson (Phon), and Lincoln Hancock (Strange) came in to present Minus Sound Research, a visual art exhibition featuring works from only North Carolina musicians that is going on throughout the month of October at the Carrboro Arts Center. This interview turned out to be one of the most hilarious and entertaining I have had in awhile so be sure to give it a listen:
Minus Sound Research on the Local Beat 10/1/10

Local Beat recap 9/24/10

The evening of September 24 was quite a full show on the Local Beat.

Django Haskins and Mark Simonsen of The Old Ceremony sat down with me for the first hour to pick up where we left off last February about their brand new album, Tender Age. The album has been released for a couple of weeks now and the fellas and I played several tracks off of the album and a couple in studio, which you can listen to in the mini player at the bottom of the page and download here.  Give the entire interview a listen below:
The Old Ceremony on the Local Beat 9/24/10

A newer and less known band from Raleigh called Scarlet Virginia dropped by for the second hour of the show to play some live songs and talk about their debut release, By Lamplight EP which was put out back in August.  The group is a soft, folky-pop group, and they played several acoustic songs for us, which you can listen to and download here. Check out our conversation below:
Scarlet Virginia on the Local Beat 9/24/10

Lee and Bert of the Milagro Saints came in for the final hour of the show, and we chatted about a wide variety of things from their shows last weekend to the evolution of the band through 15 years of staying together. The Milagro Saints are one of the more storied and traveled groups in our area, and the guys had plenty to share:
Milagro Saints on the Local Beat 9/24/10

Local Beat recap 9/10/10

Due to the happenings of Hopscotch, I only had a one hour show on September 10 but was happy to have the Small Ponds' Caitlin and Cary and Matt Douglas as guests on the program as we promoted their new album, Caitlin Cary & Matt Douglas Are The Small Ponds. The album was released the following week at the Pour House and currently the band is on tour up and down the East coast. We chatted about the history of the group, along with many other things. Matt and Caitlin are both amazing, hilarious guests, and the interview was one of my favorites. Give it a listen below:

The Small Ponds on the Local Beat 9/10/10

Local Beat recap 9/3/10 (Hopscotch Edition)

September 3 was the Friday before Hopscotch Music Festival, and I was joined by Grayson Currin, music editor of the Independent Weekly who was also Hopscotch Curator. Hopscotch is the biggest music event to ever happen in Raleigh, so I dedicated the entire three hours of the show to chatting with Grayson about everything associated with the festival.  Caitlin Cary (Small Ponds, Tres Chicas), Reid Johnson (Schooner), and Brian Corum (Lonnie Walker) also came on the show, and Reid and Brian played some brand new tunes (which you can download here). What ended up happening was three hours of a fascinating, entertaining conversation with insight into Hopscotch. Listen below:

Hour 1:
Hopscotch on the Local Beat 9/3/10 (Hour 1)

Hour 2:
Hopscotch on the Local Beat 9/3/10 (Hour 2)

Hour 3:
Hopscotch on the Local Beat 9/3/10 (Hour 3)

Fridays on the Lawn returns!

WKNC has again teamed up with our comrades in the Union Activities Board and Student Government to bring great live music to campus.

This Friday, October 15th, has local acts Birds and Arrows and Embarrassing Fruits performing on Harris Field (at the corner of Dan Allen Drive and Cates Avenue).  The show starts at 6:30 and is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC so bring your friends, maybe a blanket and a picnic basket, and come experience some awesome locally-grown musical talent.

P.S. There will also be some free grub for early-comers!

Rogue Wave, Midlake, and Peter Wolf Crier Impress at the Cat’s Cradle

After an impossibly long week, I had hoped that last Saturday's show at the Cat's Cradle would be great. I was in no way prepared for the powerful emotional journey I would experience. Each band attempted impossibly, yet successfully, to up the ante of intensity by giving a more impassioned and stirring performance than the previous band. Incredibly, even with their considerable body of recorded material, all three groups performed better live than on their albums.



Peter Wolf Crier took the stage first and stunned with their short and blistering set. Peter Pisano and drummer Brian Moen played with soulful, biting fervor. At times the duo’s dynamics recalled the consonance of the drums-and-guitar pair Dodos, but for most of the show, Pisano dominated the stage; the very air in the room became an extension of his body. Like a stationary one-man band, his myriad of amplifiers and effects pedals became a playground for his manic and maximalist compositions.



Crier’s performance would have been tough for any band to follow, but Midlake followed in stride. Appropriately, the band walked onstage just as Fairport Convention’s brilliant rendition of “Tam Lin” faded to a close over the venue’s speakers. A pastoral, electric folk ballad, “Tam Lin” is exactly the sort of song that underlies Midlake’s sound.

The seven musicians crowded the front of the stage in the best approximation of a democracy they could muster. Singer Tim Smith began the set crouched low in a folding chair, his presence subdued until the songs began to take shape. As guitar lines melded with flutes, close vocal harmonies and restrained drumming, the songs would weave and swell into evocatively textured sonic tapestries.



Rogue Wave took the stage without much fanfare. With their intentions clearly set on playing great songs, the band impressed with their joyous musicianship and their impeccable craft. Even after two great performances leading up to their set, Rogue Wave was the highlight of the night. Zach Rogue played with a fiery glint in his eye, and his bandmates deftly followed his every move. Fan favorites such as "Eyes" didn't simply soar, they filled the room with their beauty.  As I drove home later that night, I realized something: this is why I go to concerts—to be moved.