Category Archives: Music

August 10, 2012 · 1:30 pm

North Hill’s Midtown Emerging Artist Series Begins August 10th

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Logo Courtesy of North Hills

If you are looking for free live local music take note, North Hills is getting readyto kickoff the second year of their “Emerging Artists” series tonight.  The music series features local bands and solo artists playing on stage every Friday from 6-8pm during August, September, and mid-October. The performances will take place outside next to Fountain Park located at the base of the Captrust tower, just outside of World of Beer who usually sets up a small beer tent to serve the audience.

North Hills 2012 Emerging Artist Music Schedule:

August 10 – Erik Smallwood
August 17 – Howie Dewitt
August 24 – US
August 31 – Johnny Orr Band

September 7 – Jo Gore and the Alternative
September 14 – Jason Adamo
September 21 – Old Avenue
September 28 – Addison Prophet

October 5 – CrowField
October 12 – Catie King

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May 10, 2012 · 8:20 pm

The Mint Julep Jazz Band at Lafayette Village Saturday May 12th!

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Photo by Ashley Warren

Some great jazz music is coming to North Raleigh this weekend! The Mint Julep Jazz Band is performing at Lafayette Village in North Raleigh this Saturday, May 12, from 7-10 p.m. on the green in front of The Village Grill.

Their performance is part of ItalianFest, an all day event at Lafayette Village starting at noon.  ItalianFest will include lots of live music, Italian-themed activities and, of course, food! Bring your appetite for some delicious Italian food, relax with a glass of wine, and enjoy the sounds of the Mint Julep Jazz Band.

For more information about the schedule of events at ItalianFest, visit the event page on facebook.

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Photo by Ashley Warren

About the Mint Julip Jazz Band
With their little big band lineup of 4 horns, rhythm section, and vocalist, the Mint Julep Jazz Band recreates the hot jazz sounds of the 1920′s, 1930′s, and early 1940′s through arrangements based on original recordings from the jazz age and swing era.

Influences include Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Artie Shaw, Jimmie Lunceford, the Boswell Sisters, Annette Hanshaw, Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Fletcher Henderson, Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, and many other wonderful and talented jazz artists of the 1920′s and 1930′s.

The Mint Julep Jazz Band was created by Lucian Cobb and Laura Windley of Durham, NC, who have worked diligently to create a songbook that will swing your socks off.

Upcoming Shows:

May 12, 2012 – ItalianFest
Lafayette Village
Raleigh, NC
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Admission: Free!

May 18, 2012 – LabourLove Gallery After Hours Concert, hosted by The Art of Cool Project
807 E Main St, Suite 2-130
Durham, NC
9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Admission: $10.00 advance tickets, $15.00 at the door. Tickets available for purchase athttp://theartofcoolproject.com/buy-tickets

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April 4, 2012 · 2:14 am

4th Annual Cuegrass Festival Returns to The Pit BBQ – April 21, 2012

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Pit Master Ed Mitchell checks on the smoker at Cuefest!

For some reason there hasn’t been much buzz about this as in previous years, but I want to make sure word gets out this fun event.  The 4th Annual ‘Cuegrass Festival is set to return to the The Pit BBQ in Raleigh on Saturday April 21st from 12-6pm. The action will take place along Davie street in front of restaurant with a jam-packed day full of great ‘cue, local brews and toe-tappin’ bluegrass music! The folks at The Pit will have the pig cookers fired up to serve plenty of their famous Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue and offer a selection of local brews.

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Ed Show's The Musicians hot it's done ~ 'Cuefest 2010

Musical acts planned for this year’s event are Mandolin Orange, Delta Rae, Old Habits, and American Aquarium.

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The crowd settles in for some great music ~ 'Cuefest 2010

Make sure you bring your lawn chairs and blankets for a day filled of relaxing with great food and music. Proceeds from the $5 gate donation go to the North Carolina 4-H Youth Development.

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March 19, 2012 · 9:59 am

Picture of the Week ~ Durham Street Piano

Tom Merrigan - Durham Street Piano 102

This week’s photo was taken at the 2nd Annual “Marry Durham” celebration held this past Saturday on Rigsbee Avenue in downtown Durham. The event is a celebration of the communities’ commitment to the Bull City and featured a parade, live music, and great food from several local food trucks. Pictured above is Tom Merrigan the “Durham Street Piano” player entertaining the crowd gathered in front of Fullsteam Brewery with one of his fun boogie-woogie tunes.  Tom was joined by a few of  my friends from the Bulltown Strutters Kevin (on snare) and Todd (Sousaphone).

Check out the video below to learn more about Tom and his story behind making the Durham Street Piano Project a reality.

Video courtesy of Mimi Schiffman

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June 10, 2011 · 10:25 am

North Hills Midtown Music Summer Concert Series 2011

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I stopped by North Hills last night and found it jumping! I forgot that the put host live music every Thursday evening from 6-9pm as part of their Midtown Summer Beach Music Concert Series. The band performing last night was called Liquid Pleasure.  As you can see from the pictures they drew quiet a crowd.

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The stage is set up in front of the movie theater inbetween Chick fil-A and Five Guys and has a nice area in front for dancing.  There is also a “kid zone” set up to the left of the stage. Folks arrive early to set up seats throughout the courtyard (which is closed to traffic during concert nights).  There are several good palces to grab a quick bite to eat or drink in that section of North Hills and I also spotted a budweiser beer truck selling drafts for $4.

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 The band playing last night did a great job getting people up on their feet and on the dance floor. The theme for the concert series is “Beach Music”, but each band is different featuring different styles and instruments. For a full lisiting of the bands booked for the summer series check out the North Hills website here.

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While the “Beach Music” theme in general lends itself to a slightly older crowd, the turnout  was a good mix of older adults, young families, and teens.  It is a popular event so make sure you get there early to avoid parking hassles. I arrived around 6pm and the area was already filling up and parking was starting to get challenging.

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On my way back to my car I spotted the “ShuttleBug” transporting folks over to the concert from the other side of North Hills across Six Forks Road. I think this is a great idea and hope to see them build on this service in the future as the complex continues to expand. You can view additional photos from last night’s concert in my flickr photo album here.

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