Thursday, July 2nd @ 8:00pm (Doors at 7pm)
Town Mountain (Winner 2005 Rockygrass Band Competition)
     w/ No Strings Attached
Marianne's Birthday Celebration!!!
Tickets: $8

Marianne has made it another year and hopes that you will come out to celebrate her birthday and enjoy a group that is standing firmly on the shoulders of Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, and Hank Williams, yet still manages to bring a unique, irresistibly infectious energy that rivals that of any modern rock and roll band.

Imagine the band that occupies the common ground between traditional bluegrass, outlaw country, and pure old time mountain music. A group that harnesses the frantic energy of the modern punk string band, yet still remains respectfully rooted in the tradition of Bill Monroe. Imagine a band with one foot proudly planted in the path of traditional bluegrass, and one foot stepping out into the unknown forefront of American string music.Great original songwriting, tight vocal harmonies, a charismatic stage presence, and instrumental expertise place this group in the upper tier of contemporary acoustic bands. But, in the end, despite these qualities, it's always the undeniable, irresistible energy of a live Town Mountain show that truly sets this group apart.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what it is that gives Town Mountain its unique, contagious energy. It could be the visual performance that accompanies their great music. The guys bob and weave around each other, to and from the microphones, in order to facilitate their surprisingly sophisticated vocal and instrumental arrangements. The result is a natural choreography, an exciting visual performance that makes the band almost as fun to watch as it is to listen to.

Town Mountain is monumentally fun to listen to. This is the hard-driving, no nonsense, slammin' bluegrass that makes you whoop and holler and stomp your feet. Yet it's mixed with just enough slow country crooning to keep it balanced. Just enough outlaw swagger to give it a honkytonk edge. Just enough contemporary, alt-whatever elements to make it equally appealing to non-bluegrass fans. And it's mostly original music. The variety offered, and the energy with which it's executed has audiences consistently cheering for more. In fact, it's not uncommon to hear new fans claiming that they didn't know they liked bluegrass until they heard Town Mountain.

No Strings Attached is an energetic bluegrass band based in Raleigh NC comprised of an all-star cast of local musicians specializing in a deep repertoire of original, contemporary songs, traditional favorites and blazing instrumentals. Their unique individual styles and profuse experience blend together into tight vocal harmonies, polished instrumental technique and an infectious, driving rhythm. No Strings Attached is on tour throughout the southeast in 2008, look for it in your area in the spring, summer and fall.

Saturday, July 4th
DJ Wally / Pish Posh
DnB Throwdown!

Innovative producer, DJ and composer Keef DeStefano (better known under his aliases DJ Wally or Pish Posh) is a multifaceted pioneer with his avant-garde styles of hip hop, drum & bass and jazz. His groundbreaking music has seen releases on Mo' Wax, Rawkus,Grand Royal, Liquid Sky, Sub Rosa, Ubiquity, and Thirsty Ear. As DJ Wally he has released 9 albums, and another 2 as Pish Posh. He has also remixed a myriad of artists from Alicia Keys to Black Star{Mos Def & Talib Kweli} to Nina Simone. Wally stormed the scene with the Mustard Plaster EP, the B-side of which later appeared on Mo' Wax's monumental beat compilation "Headz 2" in 1997. He became a regular contributor to DJ Soul Slinger's Liquid Sky imprint and his solo debut album "Genetic Flaw" dropped shortly after. The same year "Dog Leg Left" (Ubiquity) hit the streets to rave reviews. In 1997 he joined forces with Rawkus Records and was instrumental in creating Rawkuts, the dance imprint of the indie hip hop giant. As Rawkus faded into the background in 2001, he sought out other ways to share his abstract musical arsenal and has been hard at work producing underground hip hop acts, DJing, and scoring for film and television

Thursday, July 9th @ 7:15pm (Doors at 7pm)
Jeanne Jolly w/ Rebecca Loebe
Come early to see '09 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Contest Winner Rebecca Loebe at 7:15. Jeanne Jolly takes the stage at 8 PM.
Tickets: $10

Jeanne Jolly has taken her golden voice down a road to a sound we haven't heard yet - country. A Master of Vocal Performance in opera from the New England Conservatory in Boston and known to the public as a jazz artist, Jolly has taken a new and different direction entirely with her new EP – to us at least. Her performances as a guest singer with highly regarded trumpeter Chris Botti a few years ago proved that in a virtual sea of singers, she is more than a catch. But that was just jazz.

After living in Los Angeles for a few years, Jolly has chosen to make the music she adores the most. Growing up cultivating her voice she says she "always loved country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, honky tonk, rock, and roots music". Within her initial five country songs - now accessible online but later part of an album - Jolly shares a piece of her conscience and the experience of a broken heart, maybe a heart that was smashed to smithereens, and quite possibly a reawakening into a fulfilling existence. "Desert of my Mind" draws from a truly solemn and forlorn place in her memory, while "Don't Say I'm Sorry" assures us that she won't be licking her wounds for long. But, it's not Hank Williams. It has a rock likeability which certainly leans toward the alternative country genre.

Rebecca Loebe is best known for her energetic live performances. Her songbird voice carries the show while her buoyant personality captivates audiences and has them laughing, shouting and singing along. Fans of the Americana/folk tradition identify with her breezy storytelling while audiences of mainstream pop/rock sing along to her catchy, confessional original songs.  In the past year she has performed 150 shows and shared the stage with Sophie B. Hawkins, Ellis Paul, Halcyon and classic rock legend America.

Saturday, July 18th @ 9:00pm (Doors at 8pm)
Pre-Getdown Festival Party!
Funkuponya, Zegg, Bug

This is the PARTY that you do not want to miss!!!

Come dance your shoes off and melt your face for the night as we showcase some of the great local talent that will be performing at The GETDOWN Music Festival & Campout!

Plus, special acoustic patio performances by Been Jammin’ & Friends.

$6 Admission includes: a raffle ticket for a FREE pair of GETDOWN Music Festival & Campout passes! 

In addition, other giveaways to be announced along with drink specials...

About The GETDOWN!

The first annual GETDOWN Music Festival & Campout will be held Labor Day Weekend on 30 beautiful wooded acres located 35 minutes north of Chapel Hill , NC . The GETDOWN will feature some of the region's most renowned jam, groove, funk and reggae artists. With over two dozen acts on two stages and no overlapping sets, surely everyone will get a chance to get down and discover new music!

This intimate three-day gathering will include on-site camping, food, arts & crafts and other activities including a disc golf course! In addition, late night jams, drum circles, bonfires and good vibes will shape this harmonious communal experience.

Come GET DOWN with your KIND of FAMILY at The GETDOWN!

About The BANDS

Funkuponya (www.funkuponya.com)
What's the meaning of life? Funkuponya doesn't care unless it involves chasing a stony jazz-funk groove through a thicket of spacey jams and meandering soul-blues. This Raleigh instrumental quartet isn't afraid to disappear into a haze of sativa. It's keyed by Brian Werner's swampy keyboard trill and bassist Leo Kishore's feral pops, with Doug Carter offering jazzy guitar swing and drummer Carl Blackwell holding it together with sturdy snare drum and cymbal snaps. - Chris Parker, Indyweek

"The four of us have gotten together on a united cause. Exploring funk for the good of the humankind. Funk has many forms, but what it all really comes down to is: does it make you groove? That is where we come in, there ain't no cure once da funkuponya!"

ZEGG (www.zegg.net)
Roll out some rock. Don't forget that jazz. Add a touch of bluegrass, shake in some R&B, and lay down a hunk of funk – hell, throw in the kitchen sink. That comes close to summing up this Raleigh-based quartet.

ZEGG counts Steely Dan, Phish, Talking Heads, and many others among their influences. The band's live shows are as varied as they are energetic. One minute they're playing Snoop Dogg's "Beautiful," and the next it's "Snowdrift Blues," a 9-minute multi-part original piece. Winner of the Relix Magazine's 2007 "JamOff!" competition, ZEGG has released one studio album, The Ride (2006), and is currently working on its second.

BUG (www.bugtheband.com)
BUG is a Raleigh-based band formed in early 2009. Chris Bagley (Bass, Keys, & Vocals), Phil Rollinson (Guitar & Vocals) and Patrick Neilson (Percussion &Vocals) are in constant evolution as songwriters and musicians. BUG's distinctive live performances are the platform for a unique style that ranges from soft electronica to heavy jam-rock. Their music appeals to a wide variety of listeners as it defies definition and pulls from numerous influences.

Sunday, July 19th @ 8:00pm (Doors at 7pm)
Jim Weider's ProJECT PERCoLAToR
Lead Guitarist For "THE BAND" For 15 Years
Tickets: $15 Advance / $15 Day Of Show

JIM WEIDER, former member of the legendary group "THE BAND" is a Master of classic Telecaster Guitar. ProJECT PERCoLAToR represents Jim's newest musical venture into a powerful groove & atmospheric guitar driven band. The All Star Line up Featuring "RODNEY HOLMES"- Drums (Santana & Steve Kimock Band ), "MITCH STEIN"- Guitar (Steve Kimock Band ) & "STEVE LUCAS"- on Bass.

Jim blends rock & blues, with funk & jazz groove's combining modern drum loops and samples, to playing beautiful melodic ballads .The band's amazing improvisation and chemistry from worldwide touring, makes a show both exciting and mesmerizing!

Born and raised in the famed arts colony of Woodstock, NY, Jim received great acclaim during his long tenure (1985-2000) as lead guitarist (replacing Robbie Robertson) for Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Band. During 15 years of international touring with original members Levon Helm, Garth Hudson and Rick Danko, Jim was featured on numerous albums, films, videos and television appearances. Highlights included a 1990 performance with The Band and Ronnie Hawkins at The Berlin Wall concert produced by Roger Waters of Pink Floyd; several cable TV specials (notably "The Bob Dylan Tribute" at Madison Square Garden; "The Road," and "This Country's Rocking"); a performance and recording at the "Unofficial Blue Jean Bash" for President Clinton's 1993 Inaugural Ball, with special guests Bob Dylan, Steven Stills and Dr. John; a 1994 pay-per-view concert telecast from the Woodstock '94 Festival; and a 1995 appearance on the A&E Biography documentary "The Authorized Video Biography The Band" for cable TV and video, released by ABC Video.

Jim furthered his reputation as a versatile and talented guitarist in performances and recordings with Scotty Moore, Keith Richards, Los Lobos, Graham Parker, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Hot Tuna, Bob Weir/Rat Dog, Johnny Paycheck, James Talley, Kim Wilson, Paul Butterfield, Robbie Dupree, among many others.

Jim is currently on tour playing guitar for Levon Helm. The Berkeley show will be part of a 3-show tour during a break for Levon.

Monday, July 20th @ 8:00pm (Doors at 7pm)
The Belleville Outfit
Tickets: $10

In 2009 alone, The Belleville Outfit has played Merlefest, Bonnaroo, Kerrville Folk Festival, Old Settler's, Mountain Stage, and will be playing Floydfest. They are nominated for Americana Music Association's 2009 Emerging Artist Of The Year. Not bad for a band that has been together for just two years.

Gigs connected by long winding roads through North Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and on to Colorado and California, via the many places in between, have helped weave the charm and energy that defines The Belleville Outfit’s second album, TIME TO STAND. The album, released on May 12, showcases the young band’s signature style of gypsy swing, jazz, big band, country and Americana roots music, highlighted by songs including “Sunday Morning,” “Nothing’s Too Good for My Baby” and “Once and For All.” The new record comes on the heels of the band’s successful 2008 self-released debut, WANDERIN’, which spent more than 20 weeks on the Americana radio chart, rising to #10.

The sights and sounds of soulful roads traveled influenced the music the band has performed for thousands upon thousands of people. While sharing stages with Lyle Lovett, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, and the Del McCoury Band, The Belleville Outfit soaked up both nuance and energy. Brought together less than two years ago, the six band members’ personal stories also helped contribute to a distinctive swing and often sassy sound that defines TIME TO STAND. New songs have emerged from the band, which includes members Marshall Hood (acoustic and electric guitar, harmony vocals); Rob Teter (acoustic and electric guitar and lead vocals), Jeff Brown (upright and electric bass), Jonathan Konya (drums and percussion), Connor Forsyth (piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3, Rhodes, vocals), and Phoebe Hunt (violin, lead and harmony vocals). This merger of talent and experience has firmly established the band within the fabric of its genre.

TIME TO STAND introduces bodacious harmonies, creating glorious new tunes that outshine the sun. Each song inspires comfort, like neighbors chatting across the fence on a warm spring day. TIME TO STAND will follow the listener long after the band has headed out on the road to its next gig.

Wednesday, July 22nd @ 7:00pm (Doors at 6pm)
The Waybacks
Early Show - Must Start On Time!
Tickets: $12 Advance / $15 Day Of Show

They draw freely from the old school and the old world, but The Waybacks are no throwback. They've been erroneously pigeonholed as a bluegrass band and celebrated as purveyors of 'acoustic mayhem.' They are as uninhibited and unpredictable as the eclectic San Francisco Bay area that claims them, and for nearly a decade, their experiments have always proven sharp-witted and musically dazzling. They're living proof that in music anyway, evolution and intelligent design are entirely compatible.

'The whole spirit of improvisation - that's always been the cornerstone of this band for me,' says founding singer, songwriter and guitarist James Nash. 'Through all the stylistic changes and regardless of the instruments we're playing, to me the fun of this band has always been that in some ways I can do whatever I feel like doing at any moment.'

They've been through changes for sure. Now a four-piece with a full arsenal of acoustic and electric instruments, The Waybacks are releasing Loaded, the boldest, rangiest and most exciting album of their career. Produced by Nashville bassist, composer and consummate sideman Byron House, it's a musical rebuke to anyone who would typecast true artistry.

The folk and roots underpinnings that have long been a Waybacks hallmark are still there, but after years of playing a huge range of venues and festivals, touring with Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir, and reconfiguring themselves around the hot guitar of James Nash and the fiddle virtuosity of Warren Hood, The Waybacks are enjoying a refreshed repertoire - one that's touched by Memphis soul, honky-tonk, Parisian swing, classical music, vintage blue pop and much more besides. Nash and Hood have stepped forward as songwriters, allowing The Waybacks to assemble their first project of entirely original music. They're finding a new collective voice, right before our ears.

Besides Nash, the Waybacks include drummer Chuck Hamilton, bass player Joe Kyle Jr. and the newest member, fiddler and mandolinist Warren Hood. Those who have followed the band's progress over the past five years have had to bid good-bye to two long-time members, finger-stylist and singer Stevie Coyle and multi-instrumentalist Chojo Jacques. But in welcoming Hood (who sometimes refers to the revamped band as a power trio plus fiddle) and focusing around a more rhythmic, far-reaching sound. You might say The Waybacks have grown by shrinking.

Saturday, August 1st @ 9:00pm (Doors at 8pm)
Unknown Hinson
Tickets: $17 Advance / $20 Day Of Show

Looking somewhat like Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working as a carnival barker for a second-rate freak show, Unknown Hinson translates that vibe to his style of country and western-tinged psychobilly. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, this red-necked crooner gained regional popularity with a self-produced television show in 1992 and soon was touring nationwide, wowing audiences with his outrageous and campy, white-trash persona and freewheeling, sleazy tone. Hinson's most recent CD release, "Target Practice", melds weepy twang and searing guitar riffs and lyrics that speak of love-gone-bad and the dark side of the honky-tonk lifestyle. Raucous, theatrical and over-the-top, Unknown Hinson isn't just for the trailer park set anymore!

He's toured with Hank3 and Rev. Horton Heat. Billy Bob Thornton names Unknown as one of his favorite songwriters and a genius picker. Matt Groening (the Simpsons) labels Unknown as a guitar maniac (and funny as hell to boot!) Hank3 has Unknown's face tatooed on his bicep! Marty Stuart introduced him as his illegitimate brother at the Ryman in Nashville, and is placing Unknown on the front cover of his upcoming book of personal photographs. Tom Petty came backstage at a Hollywood event to ask Unknown how he gets his "sound". The Rolling Stones invited him to participate in the soundcheck session for their latest show in Charlotte, NC.

Unknown is also gaining notoriety (and fans) as the voice of lead character "Early Cuyler" in the popular new show from Cartoon Network "The Squidbillies". The first season was so well-received that an immediate green light was given to two more seasons.

What do ventriloquism, hoola hoop contests, target practice, monster sideburns, and hellacious guitar solos have in common? Come see Unknown Hinson and find out!

Sunday, August 23rd @ 8:00pm (Doors at 7pm)
Cadillac Sky
Tickets: $15 Advance / $15 Day Of Show

"Blind Man Walking" introduced Cadillac Sky as one of bluegrass music's bands to watch. Back with their stellar sophomore release on Skaggs Family Records, "Gravity's Our Enemy," Cadillac Sky takes one creative leap after another, proving that they are not only an impressive bluegrass band, but also true innovators of the genre. "We use our instruments like a chemistry set, playing around and trying to conjure up sounds that create the right atmosphere for each song's lyric," says lead singer and principal songwriter Bryan Simpson, one-fifth of acoustic quintet Cadillac Sky. The band looks as much to Radiohead and Gnarls Barkley for inspiration as it does to Earl Scruggs or Alison Krauss, admiring the way they're able to mix, blend, and stand outside of genres to produce quality music.

Cadillac Sky first came together in Texas in 2002 when burgeoning country songwriter Bryan Simpson (mandolin, vocals) teamed up with banjo prodigy Matt Menefee. They soon began collaborating with Mike Jump, Ross Holmes (fiddle, vocals), and Houston native Andy "Panda" Moritz (bass, vocals). Combining hearts and hooks, the traditional and the revolutionary, and pulling sounds from all genres, Cadillac Sky's sound is the fruition of bandleader Bryan Simpson's groundbreaking vision to create a bluegrass band built for the 21st Century. With the recent addition of David Mayfield, whose guitar playing and vocals have shared the stage with such musical luminaries as The Avett Brothers and The Black Keys, and whose stage persona is perhaps quantified best as a poetic-demolition derby, the band has pushed past the boiling point. Cadillac Sky is a musical unit that strives with every note recorded, every show performed, to create moments that will be remembered and music that will last.

Friday, August 28th @ 9:00pm (Doors at 8pm)
Bottle Rockets
Tickets: $15 Advance / $15 Day Of Show

In a country where interstates don't take you to new places, but to the same places, where everywhere you go you've already been or you've just left, The Bottle Rockets' new album absolutely nails a sound and a vibe with a palpable sense of place. Lean Forward is suffused with the determination and resilience of their distinctly midwestern roots; theirs is a celebration of pragmatism and tempered optimism, not the delusions and exhortations of glassy eyed zealots—they aren't going to fall for that. Oh, it's a flat out, smoking rock record, too.

Lean Forward continues the Rockets' creative resurgence ignited by 2006's Zoysia. Reunited with producer Eric "Roscoe" Ambel (who ran the knobs on the Bottle Rockets' seminal albums The Brooklyn Side and 24 Hours A Day), the Bottle Rockets do what no other band does better — look into the hearts and minds and faces of the dying small towns in America and crafts populist anthems with the sympathetic eye of Woody Guthrie and sonic stomp of Crazy Horse. They are songs that demand the windows be rolled down and the volume turned up. And with the hooks, you'll wonder how they make such problems sound so good …

Lean Forward is stacked with a sharp lyricism and gritty fatalism that looks off the front porch for inspiration, and has the locked down groove of a band on top of its game. With their 15th anniversary now in the rear view mirror, the Bottle Rockets show no signs of letting up. Lean Forward is an album that celebrates the forces of erosion not earthquakes, of the marathon not the sprint. Honed in their towns and on their back roads, it is distinctly the Bottle Rockets. Rather than be confining, this identity broadens the appeal and strength of their music far from their backyards into our own. Their specificity speaks universally and the message is a simple one: Lean forward, man, because it beats falling back.

Sunday, September 27th @ 8:00pm (Doors at 7pm)
Cowboy Jack Clement and Marley's Ghost
Tickets: $14

Any rational discussion of Cowboy Jack must start with the requisite reading of one highly abridged history: Born in Memphis in 1931, by his twenties had formed bluegrass and Hawaiian bands, recorded rockabilly pioneer Billy Lee Riley, and had a teenaged Elvis open shows for him. Hired by Sam Phillips in 1956 as right-hand man at Sun Records, where he produced groundbreaking rock & roll tracks by Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis – including Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On – and Johnny Cash.

Cowboy Jack moved to Nashville in 1959 as Chet Atkins' assistant at RCA and soon became one of the first independent producers to work for a major label. In 1965, he broke country's color barrier when he discovered Charley Pride and went on to produce Pride's first 20 albums and biggest hits. Along the way, Clement would also produce landmark records by Cash, Sheb Wooley, John Hartford, Doc Watson, Townes Van Zandt, Don Williams, Waylon Jennings, Louis Armstrong and polka king Frankie Yankovic. In 1988, U2 asked him to produce tracks for their RATTLE AND HUM album. Jack had never heard of the band but enjoyed the sessions nonetheless.

A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame, his songs have been recorded by Hank Snow, John Prine, Cliff Richard, Ray Charles, Gram Parsons, Tom Jones, George Jones, Porter & Dolly, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves and Foghat. He formed publishing companies, launched his own label, built his own studios, produced a cult horror film, has mentored many of Nashville's top writers and producers, and is currently 'Executive Tour Guide and Scenic Consultant' for The Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum.

There's plenty more, but you get the picture: Cowboy Jack Clement is arguably the greatest combination of musician, producer, songwriter, publisher, performer, engineer, executive, entrepreneur, cockeyed visionary and certified raconteur in modern music history.

Marley's Ghost

Known for its irrepressible humor and lively stage presence, MARLEY'S GHOST is one of the most popular and well-loved folk roots band on the club, festival and community concert scene. Renowned for inspired four-part harmonies, the group is as much English folk roots (Jacob) as Jamaican reggae (Bob), plus Gospel, Country, R&B, Cajun and even Scottish bagpipe tunes. The group features former John Denver band member and Tony nominated Broadway star Danny Wheetman on guitar, fiddle, bass, banjo, and blues harp; Folk Legacy, Sierra/Briar and Sage Arts recording artist Jon Wilcox on mandolin, guitar and bouzouki; Ed Littlefield, Jr., formerly of the legendary Northwest swing band Lance Romance, on guitars, dobro, pedal steel guitar and Highland bagpipes; and honey voiced Michael Phelan on guitars, dobro and fiddle.

Friday, October 30th @ 9:00pm (Doors at 8pm)
Southern Culture On The Skids
Tickets: $15 Advance / $18 Day Of Show

Southern Culture on the Skids was founded by guitarist/singer Rick Miller in the college town of Chapel Hill, NC, in 1985.True to their name, North Carolina's Southern Culture on the Skids offers an affectionate parody of local white-trash trailer-park culture, matching their skewed outlook with a wild, careening brand of rock & roll. SCOTS' music is a quintessentially Southern-fried amalgam of rockabilly, boogie, country, blues, swamp pop, and chitlin circuit R&B, plus a liberal dose of California surf guitar, a hint of punk attitude, and the occasional mariachi horns. Following an early incarnation as a relatively straightforward roots rock outfit, they morphed into a raucous, sleazy, tongue-in-cheek party band obsessed with sex and food; in fact, fried chicken became a crucial part of their live performances, whether it was used in eating contests or tossed into the audience. Southern Culture may play chiefly to an underground rock audience, but their gonzo tributes to the South aren't as smug as some of their peers working similar territory, since the band has genuine roots in the area.