Don’t Miss at Shakori Hills:
Chatham County Line: With just one microphone, these bluegrass pickers offer a truly acoustic performance that will get your feet tapping.
Ryan Gustafson: Classic rock riffs and borderline bizarre pop contribute to Gustafson’s vintage, alluring aesthetic.
Samantha Crain: Samantha Crain is a singer-songwriter for a generation of listeners who weren’t weaned on Joni Mitchell. But even if you were, you’ll appreciate her quirky, offbeat vocals. She’s buzzworthy, but from what we can tell, there’s substance behind the hype.
Moog Fest
Moogfest takes its name from synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog, who lived in Asheville. Courtesy of Moogfest/AC Entertainment.
2010 has brought two sizeable first- year festivals to North Carolina. With the success of Raleigh’s Hopscotch, Moogfest looms on the horizon with its stacked lineup of national and international artists.
Brought to you by AC Entertainment, the same people responsible for Bonnaroo, Moogfest promises to draw in fans from all over the country.
Almost every act on the bill has seen a national tour circuit. Devo, Pretty Lights, Girl Talk, Caribou, Dan Deacon — the all-star lineup is sure to cause some schedule conflicts.
The festival pays homage to perhaps the most important, least-recognized person in electronic music history: Robert Moog.
Alongside myriad patents and inventions, Moog (rhymes with “vogue”) built his own line of analog synthesizers in the ‘60s that set the standard for electronic musical instruments.
Moog’s legacy lives on in Asheville, home to Moog Music and now the site of Moogfest.
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
Fans looking for more than just music will take solace in the festival’s several workshops. Sponsored by The Red Bull Music Academy, the event will offer talks on topics like the birth of the synthesizer and even theremin lessons.
-Joseph Chapman
Don’t Miss at Moog Fest:
Neon Indian: Blending worldly, ethnic samples with retro sensibilities, Neon Indian was the dreamy soundtrack to every hipster’s summer party. But that doesn’t mean it’s dated come fall. It’s the perfect blast of breezy electronica to usher out the summer.
Big Boi: Asheville’s about to get hit with a serious dose of Atlanta swagger. The hip-hop artist takes his genre in new and inspired directions, and we’re excited for Big Boi’s live set.
Lake Eden Arts Fest
Lake Eden Arts Festival, aka “Leaf,” is a family-friendly festival with music and other activities. Courtesy of Lake Eden Arts Festival.
This festival’s off the beaten path when it comes to local buzz, but a weekend in Black Mountain, N.C. full of folk, reggae and bluegrass will be as crisp and refreshing as a sip from a mountain spring.
The 31st annual incarnation of the event will take place October 14 to 17.
One major facet of this festival’s appeal is its focus on numerous forms of art. Where many similar festivals rely solely on its stages, Lake Eden Arts Fest (or “Leaf”) integrates dance workshops, poetry readings and drum circles.
Leaf also draws significance from its proximity to historic Black Mountain College. The festival will offer tours for its patrons to learn about the rich literary and artistic history that the college fostered during the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.
If you head up the mountain for the weekend of the 14th, you should plan your schedule in advance. The lineup is tightly packed from start to close.
The Indigo Girls, one of the headliners, will probably attract the most attention, but it’s the festival’s lesser known acts that are its real gems.
It’s an ideal opportunity to check out a complete unknown —chances are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
-Linnie Greene
Don’t Miss Lake Eden Arts Fest:
The Wailers: These legends of reggae barely need an introduction, but it’s worth mentioning that The Wailers’ show will likely be an experience unlike any other show you’ve seen.
Red Clay Ramblers: The Red Clay Ramblers might have won a Grammy, but that doesn’t mean they’ve turned into city slickers. Much the opposite. These are some of the most raucous bluegrass tunes you’ll ever hear.
Bonga & the Voudou Drums of Haiti: This is exactly the kind of eclectic, exotic music that you wouldn’t hear at lots of festivals, which is why Dive would recommend it. There’s a slim chance that you’d ever see this master percussionist elsewhere.
Troika
Last year’s Troika Music Festival featured numerous talented acts from around the Triangle at venues throughout downtown Durham. The festival highlights local artists of numerous styles and genres. DTH File Photo.
It’s no secret that the Triangle is a flourishing music triumvirate—with festival after festival, the local scene only shines brighter and rocks harder in 2010.
Durham’s Troika Music Festival hits the Bull City November 4-6. This year’s festival will feature more than 44 bands over three days and several downtown venues, including Chatham County Line, Hammer No More The Fingers and Midtown Dickens.
Troika has hosted acts ranging from folk to rock to hip-hop, representing the variety of talent that rounds out the state.
With this combination of musicians, a vibrant craft show and the space provided by newly-opened Motorco Music Hall, Troika gives the Triangle something big to talk about this fall.
-Elizabeth Byrum
Don’t Miss at Troika:
Gross Ghost: Gross Ghost is one of several great acts to emerge from local label Grip Tapes in the last few months.. It’s groovy, surf-style pop songs that’ll get your feet tapping.
Phil Cook and his Feat: You really don’t want to miss the chance to see a musician like Phil Cook bonding with his banjo. And “bonding” is exactly what it is — the musician has an innate and uncanny way with his instrument.
Birds of Avalon: These psychedelic rockers can lay down a track or tear it up in a spacey jam that will take you to another dimension — no drugs needed.
