Friday, April 29, 2011
Click here for Jeremy M. Lange's photos of Tuesday night's show in Durham.
It’s been 10 years since Valient Thorr, the bearded, denim-vested troupe of hard rock avengers, landed in the Triangle from Venus with their twin-axe attack and mythical backstory. And as the rowdy rock band celebrates its decennial, we celebrate the traits that have kept the band’s hordes of die-hard Thorriors fervent and growing since 2001. Through some 10 members and five albums—from 2003’s self-released debut, Stranded On Earth, to last year’s, Stranger—Valient Thorr has been a model of consistency. Witness these five model Thorr songs, culled from dozens of equally worthy candidates.
Valient Thorr plays Kings Saturday, April 30, with Static Minds and The Dynamite Brothers.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
- Drew Valenti
- Andrew Weathers
We’re losing a good one: Greensboro’s Andrew Weathers, an avant-garde composer whose evolution can be traced from his solo guitar-via-laptop work as Pacific Before Tiger to the more recent classical drone-folk of the ensemble that takes his name, is finishing at University of North Carolina-Greensboro and summarily moving to California. Good for him, but otherwise dammit.
So if he absolutely has to leave us, at least seeing him complete his degree in Music Composition should be a memorable sendoff. His senior recital happens at 9 p.m. tonight at Greensboro’s CFBG. He will be joined by, for this evening, what he’s calling Andrew Weathers Ensemble Auxiliary Orchestra. Review to come.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
- Jeremy M. Lange
- Colossus plays one of the last shows at the Reservoir tonight
There is a room on the border of downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Carrboro. It's on the side of a car wash, and it has no large windows, just two dark metal doors that open up onto a side street that's appropriately named Brewer Lane. For more than six years this room has played host to the Reservoir, an anything goes mix of rock club and corner bar that's loud, lively and cheap. But after Friday, this room will no longer be the bar's home.
In response to escalating rent, the owners of the Reservoir have decided to look for another space. They have nothing lined up and will spend the summer finding a suitable location for the move, hoping to open back up later this year. Their absence will be sorely noticed, and not just by those hankering for a $1.50 tallboy on a Monday night. The Reservoir has come to mix things that aren't commonly combined by bars, not just in Chapel Hill or Carrboro, but throughout the Triangle.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
- Jeremy M. Lange
- Carpenter Ryan Carlson sits underneath a tree that landed on his roof in the Oakwood neighborhood of Raleigh. A record 92 tornadoes tore through North Carolina on April 16.
Rough-and-tumble country outlaws Hank Sinatra headline the 10-band show, which starts at 5 pm. Antibubbles bring peppy, though sincere, garage pop-punk. Jack the Radio, whose debut LP actually hits shelves today, calls to mind southern rock-educated-pop, a la The Wallflowers. Also aboard are A Rooster for the Masses, Richard Bacchus, Brett Harris, OAK Team, Stella Lively, Maldora and This House on Fire. And the nOg—which many of us know has a fantastic kitchen—will have at least one food giveaway.
If people’s true character is visible in times of adversity, then Tir na nOg and these 10 bands deserve our admiration. Donations of any amount are encouraged. And if you can’t attend this show, here’s the link to the Red Cross’ donation page.
Forget cake. The real question is, could you make your Shrinky-Dinks in it??
Great piece, Lisa! …
by Jane Hobson Snyder on The rise and fall of the Easy-Bake Oven (Object of Desire)
I'm a physicist (just like Dr. Hansen) and this article is overloaded with misinformation and biases. It is an advertisement …
by John Droz on Duke professor Orrin Pilkey takes on the deniers in Global Climate Change: A Primer (Reading)