To Be Heard celebrates their inception with Carrboro, Raleigh launch parties

To Be Heard is a new booking agency helmed by local
musicians Justin Ellis & Mark Connor

This weekend some of the most exciting acts in the North Carolina music scene will be coming together for two stellar bills split between The Cave in Carrboro and Slims in Raleigh, all to celebrate the kick-off of the brand new, musician-run booking agency To Be Heard. To Be Heard is helmed by Mark Connor (Owner of The Cave, member of SOON AD, Grohg, The Tomahawks) and Justin Ellis (member of Happy Abandon, Clockwork Kids, The Color Exchange) and the agency provides a unique perk that many other agencies are unable to boast, the owners are actually regularly touring musicians.

Night One will take place on 3/17 at The Cave and will feature Body Games, Davidians, Al Riggs & The Big Sad, Majestic Vistas, and Ravary. Night Two will take place at Slims and will feature Naked Gods, Wild Fur, S.E. Ward, Peter Vance (of Happy Abandon) and Fluorescence. Each show is $5 in advance, $7 day of.

These two shows serve as a means of highlighting the already robust roster that To Be Heard has gathered, ranging from shoegaze to punk to electronica to folk, the agency is already representing far reaches of the North Carolina scene. "The big thing with the roster for To Be Heard is that we wanted to feature bands that we think deserve to be heard on a larger scale," Ellis states, and they've wasted no time in working to get the word out on these stellar acts. Connor and Ellis have already begun booking nationwide dates for SE Ward, Happy Abandon, Wild Fur and Naked Naps while also helping to spearhead the Fluorescence album release show in Chapel Hill on 4/14.

As touring musicians, Ellis and Connor provide a unique perspective to the ever-changing realm of booking. With Connor serving as owner of the Cave and talent buyer at Slim's and both members having amassed a vast list of contacts throughout the country, the two not only understand what shows are worth pursuing but also how to maneuver through the negotiation process that may escape many musicians that just want to focus on their craft. Taking on 18 artists that range from the internationally acclaimed The Veldt to swiftly rising local standouts like Zack Mexico, Naked Naps and Body Games, To Be Heard has set some lofty goals for themselves to manage a roster brimming with such talent. But as Ellis puts it, it's always easier to handle these things when you've got a true dedication to the craft.

"At the end of the day, Mark and I actually enjoy doing this," Ellis states. "Booking a tour is like a puzzle that takes months to complete, and you get many setbacks on occasion, but when it's all done and announced - it feels great." Be on the lookout for a string of April shows in the Triangle from local favorites Naked Gods and head over to To Be Heard's website to get a full list of their roster and upcoming shows. You can also purchase tickets to The Cave and Slims in advance below:
The Cave
Slims

Show Review: Hopscotch Music Festival 2013, Day 1

Kurt Vile & The Violators @ The Lincoln Theater

I say it each year, but I truly don't know how Grayson and Greg will be able to top themselves next year. Although this year's festival was plagued with last minute cancellations of some big named artists, the show still went off without a hitch. Artists like Action Bronson pulling out last minute made for brilliant, once in a lifetime moments like Big Daddy Kane's set at The Lincoln. And while many thought the cancellation of Big Boi could harm this festival, considering he was their marquee act, the addition of A-Trak and Holy Ghost! made Friday night's City Plaza set far more wild than Big Boi ever could have. While the hip-hop icon will certainly tear down the house on Sept. 21 when he plays his rescheduled show, few lineups in Hopscotch history have meshed as well as Friday's events.

So after seeing 35 bands in three days and amassing more hours of live music than sleep, I've slowly begun to take in everything that I checked out over the weekend. From the good to the weird, I can honestly say there weren't really any sets that I couldn't find something to enjoy. For those that frequent festivals like this, that's a true testament to the power of this lineup. When you've got as many bands as Hopscotch does on your lineup there's bound to be a few duds, but if they were around this year I certainly didn't get the chance to see them. As a matter of fact, I stumbled upon more surprisingly fantastic sets than I did disappointing.

Rather than lambast you with a gigantic, novel-esque post that encompasses all of these acts that I've seen throughout the weekend, I've chosen to give day-by-day reviews for all of this year's festivities. So indulge yourself in day one and be on the lookout for the Friday review tomorrow!

Hear Here: February 21 - February 27

Baobab (Phil Torres & Whitney Trettien)

After a few weeks of Hear Here downtime due to that pestering obligation known as "school", it's back in full effect with an incredible week of shows.  From a sold out Tame Impala show at Cat's Cradle to a couple of highly anticipated local outins from personal favorites like Baobab and Naked Gods, there's a wide array of awesome live music for you North Carolina folks to check out.  Thankfully the shows are relatively spread out throughout the week as well, so for once there's little worry about missing one show for another or attempting to breaking the laws of time and space and being in two places at once.  Diversity and excitement is abound in the Triangle this week, so let's get to some shows!

Show of the Week: Baobab w/ Virgins Family Band @ Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC on Friday, February 22

Music on the Mountaintop brings Railroad Earth, Dr. Dog and some stellar locals to Grandfather Mtn.

Music on the Mountaintop brings Dr. Dog,
Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Railroad Earth, and
more to Banner Elk, NC on August 24-26

Music on the Mountaintop is celebrating its 5th anniversary in a big way, bringing in the highly esteemed Railroad Earth as a partner in curating and hosting a Superjam on the last day of the festival.   Headlined by Railroad Earth and the fantastic indie folk rockers Dr. Dog, Music on the Mountaintop is a quaint but expanding event held near the college town of Boone, NC.  The three-day festival held at the foot of Grandfather Mountain from August 24 through August 26 is currently selling tickets at an early bird price of $85, allowing you to enjoy three days of music and two nights of camping in one of the most gorgeous festival locales in the state.

Held at Grandfather Mountain Campground, the festival offers satellite parking at a lot under 5 miles away and requires festival goers to take the golf cart shuttle or the free Boone/App State shuttle.  With a low price and some stellar local acts filling out the line-up, MOTM looks like it's going to be an absolute blast.

Radiating nothing but good vibes, Music on the Mountaintop is held in Banner Elk, NC roughly 10 miles from Boone and already features a diverse lineup of talented North Carolina musicians along with some highly revered international acts as well.  Beginning in 2008, the festival has grown from humble beginnings and has continually supported local non-profits such as Appalachian Voices throughout their history.  With last year's attendance at 5,500 the festival has since expanded to three days, and with artists like The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Sam Bush, MOTM continues to fill their expanding lineup with an eclectic blend of musical styles that makes for their best lineup yet.  Local standout artists like River Whyless and Naked Gods of Boone return to the festival along with the beloved Holy Ghost Tent Revival make for an excellent snapshot of North Carolina's music scene.  Be sure to check out the rest of the lineup thus far after the jump!

WKNC Double Barrel Benefit 9 Announces Lineup

WKNC's Double Barrel Benefit 9
will be held on February 3 and 4
at The Pour House in Raleigh, NC

This afternoon DJ Kligz and Adam Kincaid from The Local Beat announced the lineup to WKNC's 9th annual Double Barrel Benefit, to be held on February 3 and 4 at The Pour House.  WKNC is NC State's student radio station and it has become quite the staple in the Carolina music scene between all of its outlets for local talent such as The Local Beat, Fridays on the Lawn, and Double Barrel Benefit.  Double Barrel is always one of the most exciting collection of local artists sharing the same bill, all helping to give back to the station for WKNC's biggest fundraiser of the year.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't biased about how excited I am for this event because I volunteer for KNC, but it sincerely has an excellent array of some of the Triangle's finest talents.