A Conversation With Brian Warren of Weatherbox

Weatherbox Live at the Tipsy Teapot in Greenville, NC
Photo by Terry McElhennon

Last week, I ventured to Greenville, NC to see a show I'd been excited about for quite some time; San Diegan (is that a real adjective?) hard rockers Weatherbox would be gracing the stage at one of my favorite Greenville spots, the Tipsy Teapot. Hot on the heels of the release of their newest EP Follow the Rattle of the Afghan Guitar (check out Grant's review if you haven't already), the band have been touring relentlessly, bringing Long Island's Sainthood Reps along for the ride. Both bands brought plenty of energy to spare and their heavy, high-octane performance blew plenty of minds that night (and probably a few eardrums as well). Weatherbox played through an excellent blend of old and new material that kept every head in the room banging right until they closed with "Trippin' The Life Fantastic", one of my personal favorites. After the incredible performance, I had the esteemed pleasure of sitting down with frontman Brian Warren to talk about his music, touring, conflict in the Middle East, and R. Kelly.

Fitz & the Tantrums, Walk the Moon at Cat's Cradle

Fitz and the Tantrums (top) and Walk the Moon (bottom)
will be at Chapel Hill, NC's Cat's Cradle.
Click above for ticket information.

Walk the Moon have been perennial favorites on Myxem since the self-release of their infectious electro-pop masterpiece I Want! I Want!. At Bonnaroo, I made it a special point to catch their high energy set. Any chance to see them live, from heretofore, is a chance I will gladly accept. So when you combine Walk the Moon with soul/indie pop powerhouse Fitz and The Tantrums, you have a set made of solid gold. On November 4^th, that's exactly what's happening: Fitz and The Tantrums w/Walk the Moon at the legendary Chapel Hill, NC haunt Cat's Cradle.

Preview: Shakori Hills Fall 2011

Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival will be held Oct 6th-9th.
Click above to visit their official site.

Having fully recovered from the breakneck pacing of Hopscotch, we now set our sights on another of the Triangle's (well, just outside the Triangle) hidden gems: The Shakori Hill Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance, Shakori for short. On October 6th, the sleepy rural community of Silk Hope will erupt to vibrant life as folks of all stripes gather together on its beautiful countryside to enjoy a four day music festival.

The last festival, held in April, boasted 50 bands, including jam-band mainstays (and upstate New York natives) Donna the Buffalo, as well as astonishing sets from Arrested Development and Holy Ghost Tent Revival. As vibrant a musical community as the Triangle is, it featured a fair number of local acts, including Birds and Arrows, Mount Moriah and perennial favorites Midtown Dickens (whom I watched in the rain).

This time around, the organizers have gone all-in, so to speak. They've attracted major national acts, including Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, legendary banjoist Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, up-and-comer Brett Dennen, Dirty Bourbon River Show, The Emmit-Nerishi Band and many, many more. Still, they make a fantastic effort to highlight local talent with Hammer No More The Fingers, Dub Addis and Des Ark. With a grand total of over 50 fifty bands lined up and a boatload of daily activities, there is something for everyone to listen to and enjoy.

Rob Delaney Live At The Cat's Cradle

Terry and I took a trip to Chapel Hill, NC, the epicenter of what has been one of the most fruitful independent music scenes (think James Taylor, Ben Folds, Superchunk, Archers of Loaf, et al), to see the hilarious and unnaturally tall Rob Delaney unleash a flurry of his trademark off-color humor. What we got instead was a Cavalcade of Stars-esque evening that speaks volumes about the collaborative artistic atmosphere surrounding the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.

Delaney came out first, unleashing a barrage of his A-grade material. At points, I was actually crying from laughter. After this initial series of jokes, he called Mac McCaughan of the legendary Superchunk to the stage. McCaughan, armed with an acoustic guitar, ran through an even mix of old and new Superchunk with surprising results. While it was, obviously, in no way a Superchunk set, the solo-acoustic arrangements added a sort of earthy and rugged element to the familiar songs and provided for an interesting introduction to their new material. The big surprise, however, was what happened next.