Ginny from the Blog

Two incredible North Carolina bands will perform in the Triangle over the next two days, and you really should make an effort to see one or both if you’re into Bluegrass-ish music.

I say Bluegrass-ish because the first band is Holy Ghost Tent Revival, and while their banjo invokes the feel of Bluegrass occasionally, I really have no idea how to describe their music. But what I can say is that their unique sound lured me to the tent they were performing under at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival this spring. Yep, I was listening to another band and I overheard Holy Ghost’s spirited noise at another tent so I headed to their tent and was entranced by their sound. They’re playing at the Pour House at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, June 17. Tickets are $8, which is an amazing deal b/c I’m pretty sure this is going to be an incredible, energetic show. Get a feel for them here:

The second show I highly recommend you see this week is The Kickin Grass Band, which is undeniably Bluegrass. I first heard them on WKNC, my favorite radio station since I ditched my Sirius subscription a few months ago. They perform at 6 p.m. Friday, June 8 for free at the American Tobacco free concert series: Back Porch Music on the Lawn. Here’s a sample for you:

If you go to the Friday show at American Tobacco, you can turn your Friday evening into a night on the town in Durham. After the concert, you might consider:

* Go to the American Dance Festival. The Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollack Dance Company performs a dance at 8 p.m. Friday based on a short story by filmmaker Tim Burton. The show is across the street at Durham Performing Arts Center, so you should have plenty of time to fit in both.

*Get dinner at one of Durham’s many fantastic restaurants. Perhaps you can try Pop’s now that it’s located in its new home in West Village. Or go to The Federal and get the pork sandwich (it’s not BBQ Pork) and then send me an e-mail thanking me for introducing you to one of the best sandwiches in the Triangle. Go have a cocktail at Whiskey or throw back a beer at The Pinhook.

* Check out Retrofantasma, a double-feature of classic horror movies at Carolina Theatre. Friday’s lineup includes a 7 p.m. showing of the 1953 “It Came From Outer Space” in 3-D followed by a 9 p.m. showing of the 1986 movie Invaders from Mars.

Let me know if there’s anything else cool going on in Durham on Friday night.

It was a long winter. Seriously, I think winter 2009 has been my worst yet. I still feel like I’m thawing out and getting my Ginny groove back. It started just before Christmas, when my grandma passed away. Once that happened, I just sort of gave up on all the fun things I enjoyed and wrapped myself in a cocoon with my boyfriend and cats. I’m slowly starting to emerge, and I hope that means you’ll see more of me on my blog.

My sincere apologies to all the PR people and event organizers who have e-mailed me in recent months seeking coverage. Don’t give up on me, just be patient as I find my footing again in the social world. So let me jump back in …

Here are some not-to-be-missed Triangle events that are coming up this month:

* Durham Art Walk: More than 200 artists will have their works on display in downtown Durham on Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18. If you haven’t hung out in downtown Durham recently, this is an excellent reason to head over to the Bull City. Make a full Saturday out of it by starting at the Durham Farmer’s Market, then go across the street to the Scrap  Exchange and get lost in the randomness of recycled materials before heading downtown for art and lunch.

* Raleigh World Beer Festival: The annual event is Saturday April 24, which breaks my heart because it conflicts with my other must-attend seasonal event — Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival (see below). So for the first time in three years, I will miss the festival. My beer gut will probably thank me, but I’m still bummed about it. Tickets are sold out, but if you must attend, you can always find some on Craigslist. I would not recommend spending more than $60 on a ticket — they cost about $50 if you order them online.

* Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance: This four day festival on a farmstead in Chatham County is the only event I can think of that would justify me ditching beer fest. The music — everything from Bela Fleck and Rusted Root to Bowerbirds and Midtown Dickens — the camping, the camaraderie, the yoga, the rock gardens, the Earth Day fair, the games … it’s a blast and worth every penny. Tickets are $90 for all four days, or you can pack up the kids (children 12 and under are free) and head out to the family-friendly festival for the day. Here are details on ticket prices if you’re only going for one day.

* It’s baseball season already! The Durham Bulls have eight home games this month.

* Wicked: The hit Broadway musical flies into Durham Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, April 21 and will stick around until May 16. I’ve always wanted to see this musical. Everyone I know who has seen it says it’s remarkable. You better believe I’m going to be there on opening night. Bonus: There will be a limited number of orchestra seats available for $25 before each performance.

Random free fun:

* New Deal and Barbie: The North Carolina Museum of History has a couple of neat exhibits right now. “In Search of a New Deal: Images of North Carolina, 1935-1941″ is a powerful photo exhibit documents rural North Carolina during the Great Depression. And no matter how the recession has impacted your life, I guarantee this exhibit will make you feel better about your circumstances. After you finish up that emotional exhibit, head downstairs to see the small display of Barbies. “Barbie — Simply Fabulous at 50″ features dolls and commercial from 1959 to present day.

And on a more practical note:

* Shred-It: Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Colony Tire in Cary. Shred boxes of documents for free! OK, it’s been six months since I quit NBC17 and believe me, I haven’t looked back. I didn’t enjoy volunteering for Shred-It, but employees are pretty much don’t have a choice but to sign up and work at this event. The only good thing I can say about it is that it truly is a great opportunity to shred those shoe boxes of bank statements and love letters from your ex in one single toss.

So with that, my dear readers, I shall leave you. I hope this is a true spring reemergence for me. We shall see.

I’ve always enjoyed Bluegrass, but I’ve really been getting into this banjo picking, fiddle wielding music lately. It’s probably because my weekend at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival was so lovely, that every time I hear Bluegrass now my mind wanders back to the music-filled campgrounds.

1. It’s easy to enjoy Bluegrass music in the Triangle. I recently discovered the Pinecone Bluegrass Show, which airs at 6 p.m. every Sunday on 94.7 WQDR. The three hour show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and provides a relaxing soundtrack to Sunday chores.

Pinecone is a local nonprofit dedicated to preserving, presenting and promoting traditional music. From their website:

Traditional music includes fiddle tunes, ballads, bluegrass, blues, gospel, swing, folk, and all the variations and derivations that our culture has nurtured. It is the folk product of community heritage and spirit. it is the musical spice that gives North Carolina its own taste. It is music that increases the attractivenes of our community and contributes a cohesive cultural identity. Its performers learned from their families or community or deliberately sought teachers from a traditional musical heritage.

2. PineCone presents several concert series around the Triangle. The next concert is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Joyner Park in Wake Forest. Big Fat Gap, a back porch bluegrass band, will christen the new town park.

Joyner Park sounds like a pretty cool spot for Wake Forest residents. The 117-acre park includes a 1,000 lawn seat amphitheatre, three miles of walking trails, and more. Big Fat Gap’s show will be the first concert in the park.

3. And I’m also looking forward to the Hoppin’ John Old Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers’ Convention on Sept. 18 and 19 in Chatham County.

Let me know if you have any other suggestions of how I can get my Bluegrass on in the Triangle.

I went to the Mountain Aid festival at Shakori Hills this weekend with little (OK, pretty much no) knowledge of mountaintop removal mining. I was just planning to listen to some live music, eating some smores and enjoying nature with my BF.

Instead I was moved to tears by the powerful documentary “Mountain Top Removal” by local director Michael Cusack O’Connell. The film outlines the mountaintop removal process and follows the efforts of West Virginia residents who are trying to get the government to halt the process. They also want to relocate Marsh Fork Elementary School, which sits near a sludge pond. Take a look at this Flickr photo from “ILoveMountains.org” to see where the school sits in relation to the sludge.

The documentary shows the black water pouring from residents faucets. For me the tear-jerking moment came when 16 people were arrested at the West Virginia Governor’s Office after demanding to speak to the governor about relocating the elementary school. Whether you support them or not, it’s hard not to feel their passion and plight as police hauled off their limp bodies. I’m posting the trailer for the documentary below, it recently won the Reel Current award, which was picked and presented by Al Gore at the Nashville Film Festival.

Mountaintop removal mining involves blasting summits to reveal coal, and then dumping all the extra rock and dirt. In some cases, the coal has to be washed, creating nasty sludge ponds that no one would want in their backyard.

What really made the Mountain Aid festival hit home was seeing the same people from the documentary camping beside. Several of the folks whose lives have been reshaped by mountaintop removal were at the festival, which featured performances by Kathy Mattea, the fabulous Ben Sollee and Donna the Buffalo. Proceeds from the festival went to Pennies for Promise, which is trying to relocate Marsh Fork Elementary School.

Today I read that about 200 people gathered Tuesday at a Massey Energy operation in West Virginia (the same company that the documentary references) to protest mountaintop removal. Thirty people were arrested including actress and activist Darryl Hannah. The article by Triangle writer Sue Sturgis outlines the issue and what folks protesting mountaintop removal in West Virginia would like to see happen:

Concerned citizens of Coal River Valley, as the area is known, are also pressing for the construction of a wind farm on Coal River Mountain, which is located across the river from the elementary school. A study has found that it would be possible to build more than 300 megawatts of wind energy capacity on the mountain — enough to power 70,000 homes and put $1.7 million in tax revenues in the county’s coffers annually. However, Massey — the fourth-largest coal company in the U.S. — is seeking permits to blast off the mountaintop, which is the last one left standing in the area. That would destroy the site’s wind potential.

On Thursday, the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife will hold a hearing about “the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on water quality in the Appalachia.”

So if you’re not already familiar with mountainaid removal, take the time to do some research. You can see what your connection to mountaintop coal removal here.

I’m giving you a little over a week to plan for a weekend event that I predict will be the most fun and the best value: Mountain Aid 2009.

The weekend concert at Shakori Hills aims to bring awareness to mountaintop removal and creating a clean energy future. Gates open at noon Friday June 19 and the two-day series climaxes with Donna the Buffalo. Then you can wake up in your tent Sunday morning and leave.

If you haven’t been to the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Chatham County before, then Mountain Aid is a good way to ease yourself into it. You can camp on the beautiful grounds (the Shakori Hills festival farm is a little less than an hour from downtown Raleigh and Durham) and take turns dancing to about a dozen bands over the course of the two day event.

I’m a big fan of Shakori Hills after camping out there for the spring grassroots festival.

Tickets for Mountain Aid 2009 are $22.50 in advance or $30 at the gate. There’s a $10 tent camping fee, but I highly recommend spending the extra dough to spend some time out in the woods. Kids 12 and under are free. The money will benefit “Pennies for Promise.” Here’s an explanation of the campaign:

To build a new school for the children of Marsh Fork Elementary. Located in Raleigh County, West Virginia, the school is threatened daily by a 2.8 billion gallon coal sludge impoundment in the hills above them.

Here are a few bits of advice if you plan to camp there:

* Bring closed-toe shoes. There’s a gravel road and rocks in the campsite. It gets very dark at night. You’ll thank me later.

* Bring a cooler of beer if you plan to drink. Coolers are allowed and you’ll be happy you brought your own.

* Bring bug spray and have your camping partner check you for ticks often. Trust me on this one.

Finally, the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival happens twice a year. Tickets for the fall festival go on sale June 22 and are $20 cheaper if you buy them early, so it might be worth marking your calendar if you plan to buy a festival pass this year.

Sometimes you just have to ditch your laptop and your phone and get in touch with music and nature. But since I can never seem to afford and/or get the time off for Bonnaroo, I have to look for options closer to home. That’s why I’m trilled about this weekend’s Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival.

The four-day family-friendly festival in Chatham County features 40 bands performing on 4 stages and BEST OF ALL you can campout there. The festival holds a special place in my heart because in 2005, it’s where I was first introduced to the Avett Brothers.

There are children’s activities — ranging from crafts, story time and skits — and plenty for us big kids to do too. From dance workshops (maybe I’ll finally learn how to hoop like Brandy) … to music workshops (maybe I’ll learn the art of West African drumming) … to movement workshops (finally time for some yoga). There are even plans for a grown-up game of Capture the Flag, basketmaking, pottery and more. You can see all the wonderful random happenings here. Photos courtesy of Todd E. Gaul and Shakori Hills website.

There will also be a sustainability fair, featuring all sorts of lectures and forums.

But best of all, the festival will be packed with incredible performers. I had Jake, the MyNC music guru, look over the list of bands to let me know who I needed to be sure to see, here’s how he responded:

Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Justin Townes Earle, Lunch Money, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Horse Flies, Todd Snider

Locals:
Big Fat Gap*
Birds and Arrows
Butterflies*
Colors of Flying
Des Ark (solo)*
Firehouse Rhythm Kings
Greg Humphreys*
Hobex (a Greg Humphreys band)*
Lafcadio*
Lost in the Trees*
Midtown Dickens*
Northwood Jazz Ensemble
Old 86
Orquesta GarDel
Rootzie
Sweet By & By
The Beast
The Old Ceremony*

*best of the best locals

Lafcadio album release party slideshow:
http://music.mync.com/2009/01/slideshow-chapel-hills-lafcadio-opens-for-sunfold-at-506/

Lost in the Trees performance video from DBB6:
http://music.mync.com/2009/03/lost-in-the-trees-performs-at-double-barrel-benefit-6/

The Old Ceremony on Sessions at Studio B:
http://music.mync.com/2009/02/sessions-at-studio-b-with-the-old-ceremony/

Greg Humphrey’s will be on Sessions at Studio B on April 23 at 4 p.m.

So with Jake’s musical advice in hand and a weekend weather forecast that seems too good to be true, you can bet you’ll see me disappear into the woods for a while.