Billy Joel rocks Raleigh with hits, deep cuts

The Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, returned to the Triangle on Sunday night for a much hyped show that surpassed expectations and made good on Joel's promise to dig deep into his catalog on this tour.

The packed PNC Center erupted when Joel took the stage and launched into the classic "Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)." The electricity continued into the synth rocker "Pressure"

J Roddy Walston and Reignwolf let loose in Raleigh

Photos by Justin Weber

The prominence of rock and roll revivalism is waning in the current musical zeitgeist, but J Roddy Walston and Reignwolf showed it still remains popular by selling out Kings Barcade on a Tuesday night.



Reignwolf is the stage name for Jordan Cook, a Seattle musician via Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He’s been tearing up the northwest for a few years now with his anthemic

Neko Case impresses with solo career spanning set at DPAC

On one of the first truly chilly North Carolina nights in 2013, Neko Case treated a nearly sold out DPAC to a set that only a nitpicky few would find lacking.

Opener Karen Elson set the stage with a set of dark blues. With just her voice, her guitar and her partner on guitar the sound was sparse and foreboding. Elson’s set derived mostly from her debut album The Ghost Who Walks, but she left out

World of Bluegrass 2013: Bluegrass Ramble Wednesday Night

Photos by Justin Weber

The International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) Wide Open Bluegrass festival kicks into high gear this weekend, but there is an incredible number of events are taking place during the week.

A series of showcases called the Bluegrass Ramble filled downtown Raleigh venues Wednesday night and I was able to sample a small and varied portion of them.
With tables

Alabama Shakes bring powerful soul to Booth Amphitheatre

All photos by Kevin Norris

Soulful roots rock band Alabama Shakes have experienced an unlikely launch into superstardom in the last few years leading up to and following the release of their 2012 debut album Boys & Girls. That rise brought them to Cary's Koka Booth Amphitheatre on Friday night, a massive step up from the Cat's Cradle, which they played last year.

The band came out swinging,

Hopscotch 2013 Night 3: San Fermin, Low

Photos by Kevin Norris

After leaving the space rock sounds of Spiritualized in City Plaza (see photos with Justin's write-up HERE), I made my way to Fletcher Opera Theater for one of the sets I was most looking forward to at Hopscotch 2013, Brooklyn group San Fermin.

Things got off to a rocky start though as their set was delayed while songwriter and keyboardist Ellis Ludwig-Leone was forced

Hopscotch 2013 Night 3: The Breeders, Spiritualized

Photos by Kevin Norris

On an absolutely gorgeous North Carolina day, The Breeders put to rest any concern that they might sound like a facsimile of their former selves.

Unlike Hopscotch alums Guided By Voices, The Breeders didn’t trudge through their 90s rock, they embraced it. The band enjoyed the idea of recreating Last Splash going as far as to even bring some of the original equipment

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Holy Ghost!, A-Trak

Photos by Kevin Norris

After local favorites Gross Ghost and Future Islands got things started on the City Plaza stage on Friday (see photos with Justin's write-up HERE), it was time for the replacements for original headliner Big Boi to keep the party going.

New York synthpop band Holy Ghost! were up first and they played songs from their forthcoming sophomore album Dynamics as well as their

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, Big Daddy Kane, Waxahatchee

Photos by Kevin Norris

While tuning in the Fletcher Opera House, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper opened up the floor for questions which for one rude audience member was an invitation to loudly ask, “What do you look like naked?” It’s unfair that a wonderful musician would be reduced to a sexual object simply because she’s female and it’s unacceptable.

Lady Lamb was briefly taken aback, but quickly

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Villages, Alexander Turnquist

Early in the night the Kennedy played host to quiet and introspective artists. Villages, the project of Asheville’s Ross Gentry, opened the venue with soothing drones and sound effects.

He gradually layered tones to make harmonies and added a few accents around the edges. The music swelled until it felt like pressure would cause the small theater to pop. At the end of the decrescendo, the sound

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Thurston Moore, John Maloney & Merzbow

Photos by Kevin Norris

At 7 p.m., the official Hopscotch Twitter account announced that the official improviser in residence, Merzbow, would be playing a special set with Thurston Moore and John Maloney at Kings Barcade. Rumor had been circling since Moore and Maloney’s day party performance earlier and the official word spread quickly.

By 7:30 p.m. the line outside Kings stretched down the

Hopscotch 2013 Night 1: Marnie Stern, Oblivians

Photos by Kevin Norris

It will be difficult to find a musician that had more fun than Marnie Stern. Right away, it was apparent from the look in her eyes and the grin on her face. This was full force joy boarding on reckless abandon. The energy in the room was incredible and it fed right back into Stern, who threw herself into her set like few musicians I’ve seen.

Stern’s incredible guitar

Hopscotch 2013 Night 1: Ironing Board Sam

Photos by Kevin Norris

Inside the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM), Ironing Board Sam was jamming in a sharp pink suit. Sam played a handful of classic songs like “Georgia on my Mind” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” It wasn’t Sam’s best performance, but more felt off than just his keyboard playing.

CAM itself felt sterile with bright lights making it feel like anybody but a music venue. It

Hopscotch 2013 Night 1: Nathan Bowles, Angel Olsen

Photos by Kevin Norris

In the quiet confines of the Fletcher Opera House, Nathan Bowles kicked off 2013’s Hopscotch festival with solo banjo pieces both original and classic. Bowles welcoming nature, his intricate music, and the venue itself made for an intimate performance that felt more like somebody’s living room than a music festival.

It’s the kind of set that feels like it could only

The Killers rock packed Red Hat Amphitheater

Las Vegas rockers The Killers rolled into Raleigh Monday night for a packed show at Red Hat Amphitheater, their first Triangle show in almost nine years (they played the Cat's Cradle in September 2004).

The band wasted no time getting to the hits as they opened with their biggest U.S. hit "Mr. Brightside" and the momentum continued to build as they rolled right into "Spaceman." Frontman Brandon

Blanko Basnet releases self-titled debut at The Pinkhook with Speedy Ortiz & Organos

Photos by Justin Weber

“Album release show” may be slowly becoming more sales pitch than celebration to meet fan demand for unique concert experiences, but on Friday night at The Pinhook Joe Hall beamed with pride as his new band, Blanko Basnet, released physical copies of their debut self-titled LP out into the world for the first time.



The new songs written by Hall have a similar melodic

Mac DeMarco cooks up something good with Lonnie Walker and Gross Ghost at Kings

Photos by Justin Weber

Mac DeMarco is sitting on the stage floor in front of a packed house at Kings Barcade fixing a guitar string he broke in the middle of his set opener “Cookin’ Up Something Good." He’d arrived five hours late and there was no time for a proper sound check before the show. He looks tired and at the edge of frustration – a rare sight for the goofy and go-lucky DeMarco.

He

Dawes, Shovels & Rope sell out sweltering Cat's Cradle

All photos by Kevin Norris

California americana rock band Dawes have become regular visitors to the Triangle over the last few yeas and each time they come back it the crowds grow larger. On Wednesday night the band rolled into town with Shovels and Rope and played a sweltering, sold out show at the Cat's Cradle.

Dawes released their third album in April titled Stories Don't End and the band

The Postal Service revisits 'Give Up' at Walnut Creek

After leaving their unexpectedly successful electro pop supergroup dormant for about eight years, The Postal Service revived their lone album Give Up for a tenth anniversary reissue and a big reunion tour that rolled into Raleigh on Friday night.

The show was moved from the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown to the big shed at Walnut Creek due to the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea making their

The Darkness kicks off North American tour in Raleigh

All photos by Kevin Norris

On Friday night, over-the-top British rockers The Darkness kicked off their North American tour at Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre. Even though the band hadn't played shows in a few months, they were in top form, delighting the crowd with their infectious, tongue in cheek rock and a unitard-sporting, undeniably entertaining frontman.

After opening with "Every Inch of You"