Thursday, May 29: The Trousers at Tir na nOg
I love this band so much, and they hardly ever play out, maybe because drummer Stephen Gardner is mighty busy with his duties as singer/guitarist with The T's. This band is fine British blues rock, and singer-guitarist Jim Pendergast plays with an understated elegance that must be heard live to be appreciated.

Thursday, May 29: Citified with Inspector and Tiny Meteors at Cat's Cradle
This is part of The Club is Open series, and it's free!

Friday, May 30: The Heavy Pets at Slim's
The Heavy Pets are the latest band from Art Jackson, who used to be in Mercury Birds and Allnight.

Friday, May 30: Rokker at Sam Ash
Rokker is John E. Rokker from Widow playing metal/hard rock's greatest hits. I understand they do a mean cover of Thin Lizzy's "Fighting." This is a 7 p.m. show, and I'm going to assume it's free.

SHOW OF THE WEEK!
Saturday, May 31: Trekky Record Music Fest, Piedmont Biofuels in Pittsboro
Damn! What a line-up! This is a daylong festival with great bands and local vendors to benefit the Trekky Music collective. According to the press release, they're having it at Piedmont Biofuels because it's apparently a really cool place that has a giant chess board. I haven't been there so I can't vouch for that.
Show starts at 2 p.m.; $10 suggested donation
The line up:

The Never
Bowerbirds
Endless Mic
Megafaun
Embarrassing Fruits
Hammer No More the Fingers
Butterflies
The Future Kings of Nowhere
Barghest
Wil Donegan and the Americans
Vibrant Green
Sweet By and By

Tuesday, June 3: Oakley Hall at Local 506
If The Band abandoned Big Pink for Brooklyn and added a sweet-voiced female singer to their line-up, you'd have something close to Oakley Hall. Here's what I wrote about them in 2006.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

Friday, June 6: Richard Bacchus & the Luckiest Girls with The Hot Pursuit, Slim's
It's Ricky's birthday, so come drink some tequila with him to celebrate.

Friday, June 6: Swervedriver with The Nein, Cat's Cradle
English shoegaze band with locals The Nein, featuring Fin Cohen (White Octave) and Chuck Johnson (Spatula). See video of The Nein.

Tuesday, June 10: Mudhoney with Birds of Avalon, Cat's Cradle
Legendary grunge masters. Birds of Avalon tour so much now you'd do well to catch them while you can.


UPCOMING IN GENERAL

Friday, June 13: Goner CD-release party at Slim's

Friday, June 13: Killer Filler (CD-relase) with Dom Casual, Local 505
Hillsborough instrumentalists with Pressure Boys guitar player Bryon Settle on guitar.

Saturday, June 14: Shake It Like a Caveman, Sadlack's (early! and free!)
Raw one-man blues machine. Check out the video from earlier this year.

Friday, June 20: Teenage Prayers with Hymns at Slim's
I saw both these bands back in March, mainly because Teenage Prayers had been talked up so much to me. I ended up liking Hymns more. Here's what I wrote about them back then.


Saturday, June 21: Milemarker with Fin Fang Foom and Bellefea
Legendary semi-local band returns.

Saturday, June 21: the T's at Slim's


July 4-6: Heavy Rebel Weekend
If you love hot rods and rockabilly, you might want to take a road trip to Winston-Salem this weekend.

July 12 & 13: The Club is Open Festival, Cat's Cradle
Featuring, among others, Red Collar, Future Kings of Nowhere and I Was Totally Destroying It.

Photos from Hopscotch, 2021

 

Hopscotch 2021 was pared down and definitely surreal, but it sure felt good to get out and hear some live music again. As always, I saw a lot of old favorites, discovered some new ones, and generally had an amazing time. See more photos and video on my Instagram account, which is where I hang out these days. 

Photos from Hopscotch 2019

Lute

Kate Rhudy

Niecy Blues

Kelsey Waldon

Mike and the Moonpies

Photos from Hopscotch 2018

No One Mind at Kings

I had to miss the last night of Hopscotch 2018 due to last-minute hurricane prep, which meant I had to miss the artist I most wanted to see, Nile Rodgers! Still, I had a thoroughly enjoyable two days that included a flawless set by Sleep, with very fine openers Skeletonwitch. I also got to see a lot of new bands, namely locals Vacant Company and Henbrain, who have become new favorites. That's what I always appreciate most about Hopscotch. At some point I'm going to discover a new favorite band. 

Rachel Kiel at the Guitartown party at Berkeley Cafe

Henbrain at Ruby Deluxe

Henbrain at Ruby Deluxe

Nest Egg at Kings

Nest Egg at Kings

Skeletonwitch at the Basement

 Skeletonwitch at the Basement

Sleep at the Basement

Sleep at the Basement

Long Hots at Kings

Long Hots at Kings

Vacant Company at Lincoln Theatre

Vacant Company at Lincoln Theatre

Vacant Company at Lincoln Theatre

Lightning Born at Lincoln Theatre

Lightning Born at Lincoln Theatre

Lightning Born at Lincoln Theatre

Lightning Born at Lincoln Theatre

Lightning Born at Lincoln Theatre

Photos from Hopscotch 2017

 Year of the Ox at the Primitive Ways Day Party

 Darth Kannabyss at the Primitive Ways Day Party

Aleph Naught at the Primitive Ways Day Party 

Jerkagram at the Primitive Ways Day Party

 

 Datura at the Primitive Ways Day Party

Bask at CAM, night one

Kayo Dot at CAM, night one 

Pallbearer at CAM, night one 

Mourning Cloak at The Pour House, night two 

King Woman at The Pour House, night two 

 Thou at The Pour House, night two

I did a little less Hopscotching this year than in years past, but still saw quite a few good shows. Asheville's Bask released one of my favorite albums this year, so I was looking forward to finally seeing them live. They more than exceeded expectations, as did Pallbearer, whom I haven't seen since Hopscotch 2012. Best surprise of the weekend was King Woman. I admit I wasn't taken with their latest release, but the live antics of singer Kristina Esfandiari made for an enthralling show.