The Triangle Explorer

Cary tends to get a bad rap in my opinion.  All too often it is the subject of tired jokes with references to the number of yankees that live there and nonexistant rules requiring everyone to live in beige houses.  Yet once you peel away these misconceptions you discover that the area has a lot culture to offer with monthly art and music events that shouldn’t be discounted so quickly.  A came across the perfect example two weeks ago when my wife and I ventured over to Bond Park in Cary to listen to the  free outdoor performance by Montana Skies at the Sertoma Amphitheater.  

Montana Skies is an eclectic duo that combines the techniques and music theory typically found within a classical orchestra crossed with the energy of a rock band.  The duo is comprised of Jennifer and Jonathan Adams who create a unique form of music with their pairing of cello, six-string electric cello, and Spanish/classical guitar, and steel string guitar. They add to the complexity of their performance by employing a musical technique known as “looping”.  In this case, the looping is not a pre-recorded audio sample that they repeat, but instead is a live recording they make during their performance that they then use electronics to repeat or “loop” throughout the piece. 

They performed a wide variety of music genres ranging from covers of Pink Floyd and Rush to Vivaldi, House of the Rising Sun, and Bach.  They also do their own originals that are inspired by their travels across the country and sometimes have Spanish influence.  I enjoyed one piece in particular that they wrote after visiting the grand canyon.  

If you haven’t had a chance to catch music or theatrical performance at the Sertoma Amphitheater in Cary I suggest you put this on your list of things to do this fall.  While some of the plays require the purchase of a ticket, they are well worth it and there are usually more than several free events scheduled as well.  Some interesting upcoming events at the Amphitheater are a free performance by the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble on October 17th and a presentation of William Shakespeare’s play “The Winter’s Tale” October 8-10 (tickets $15). Check out the Sertoma Series website for additional details about future shows.