Lake Street Dive @ The Fillmore
Thur – 1/10 | TICKETS
Lake Street Dive return to Charlotte in support of their sixth studio album Free Yourself Up. The self-produced LP finds the band gravitating towards a funkier, psychedelic pop sound versus their earlier work that incorporated neo-soul and jazz undertones.
“We had a lot of traction when the neo-soul movement was happening,” says guitarist Mike “McDuck” Olson. “But for people like us who are sort of musical omnivores, it was more exciting for us to say, ‘We’re capable of all these other things; let’s do all of them.”
They collectively decided to push into a different musical direction for this album while still holding on to their soul roots. With the addition of full time keyboardist Akie Bermiss on the album and the road, expect nothing but the best foot forward from this seasoned group.
Adding Bermiss to the process will free up the band members to explore a wider range of instrumental textures, construct more full-bodied arrangements, and build on their well-known background harmonies.
Jeff Austin Band w/Akita @ The Rabbit Hole
Thur – 1/17 | TICKETS
Jeff Austin is an unstoppable force. He is celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation on stage, but those qualities also speak volumes about how he chooses to live. This charismatic band leader is a hard driving player and fans will often find him playing in a possessed-like state on stage because he is so focused on dialing in his groove while in the moment.
Jeff Austin, who notes Waylon Jennings, the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, and Phish has his early musical influences, is a mandolinist and singer best known for being a part of the Yonder Mountain String Band.
From a vocal standpoint, Austin cites “When I’m writing a song, it’s not about the hot licks, it’s about the voice and how it can be showcased from song to song”
His focus is on transporting his audience by way of vocal.
Jeff will be joined by Grammy Award-winning fiddle virtuoso Nicky Sanders for the Charlotte show. Nicky is best known for his work with the band Steep Canyon Rangers. The Berklee College of Music alum has also sat in on a number of occasions with jam heavyweights Widespread Panic.
Charlotte funk act Akita will be in support.
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn @ Music In The Mill
Fri – 1/18 | TICKETS
The world-class husband and wife duo of Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn make their way into Hickory on Friday the 18th. The show is part of the live music series, Music In The Mill, which is produced by Charlotte’s Midwood Entertainment and Codex Sound Company from Hickory. Music In The Mill was developed as a way to promote The Crossing at Hollar Mill as Hickory’s home for live music.
Bela Fleck is one of the best banjo players on the planet and most will recognize his work with his band, Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones. Fleck has also worked with a artists ranging from Dave Matthews and Jean-Luc Ponty to Edgar Meyer, Chick Corea and Mark O’Connor.
Abigail Washburn a singer-songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who re-radicalized it by combining it with Far East culture and sounds.
Expect the duo to be performing from their self-titled outing, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, which won the Grammy Award for best folk album in 2016, as well as the follow-up Echo in the Valley.
Larry Keel @ Triple C Brewing Barrel Room
Sat – 1/19 | TICKETS
Larry Keel is described by music critics and reviewers as the most powerful, innovative and all-out exhilarating acoustic flatpicking guitarist performing today. He has absorbed the best lessons from his Bluegrass family upbringing, both sides deeply steeped in the rich mountain music culture and heritage of Southwest Virginia.
Keel’s fierce, high-spirited energy also appeals to young rockers, jammers and alt-country pickers and fans who are equally drawn to Keel’s blazing guitar power, the deep rumbling voice, and his earthy and expansive song-writing.
Over the years Keel has played alongside Greensky Bluegrass, Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller Williams, Jorma Kaukonen, David Nelson, Little Feat, Railroad Earth, String Cheese Incident, and more.
The Magic Beans w/The Kitchen Dwellers @ Heist Brewery
Fri – 1/25 | TICKETS
Colorado jam act The Magic Beans will start their 17-date winter tour on January 12th with a stop in Charlotte on Friday the 25th. They’ll be joined by The Kitchen Dwellers and is expected to include sit-ins and collaborations throughout the run.
The Kitchen Dwellers are a five piece, high energy psychedelic bluegrass band from Bozeman, Montana.
Hailing from Denver, the development of The Magic Beans has been aided by the warm hearth of the Colorado music scene, and quickly setting themselves apart from the pack as one of the state’s premier acts. If their musical influences are any indication of the type of show you can expect, well expect a heater:
- Scott Hachey (guitar – vocals): Santana, Jeff Beck, Jerry Garcia, Larry Carlton, Prince, John Scofield, Nile Rodgers
- Casey Russell (keys – vocals): Prince, Stevie Wonder, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Dr. John, Dr. Lonnie Smith, New Mastersounds
- Chris Duffy (bass – vocals): The New Deal, Disco Biscuits, LCD Soundsystem, Jaco Pastorius, Flea, Stanley Clark
- Cody Wales (drums): The Band, Levon Helm, Bernard Purdie, Adam Deitch, Stevie Wonder, Leftover Salmon, Dennis Chambers, Jeff Sipe
In support of their most recent LP Casino Cabaret, The Beans style is all encompassing and completely natural, using no pre-recorded tracks but rather live instruments that range from the electric mandolin to the synthesizer to the banjo to create a genre spanning musical experience that is sure to leave no one out.
Greensky Bluegrass @ The Fillmore
Sat – 1/26 | TICKETS
Greensky Bluegrass hit Charlotte in the midst of an extensive East coast run and on the heels their brand new LP All For Money.
The highly lauded quintet recorded the 12-song forthcoming release at Echo Mountain Recording in Asheville and on their own label Big Blue Zoo Records.
While the arrangement of Greensky Bluegrass is traditional in a setup sense, sonically they lean hard into jam and roots rock. It creates an interesting dynamic, one that makes the “bluegrass” in the band’s name slightly misleading.
“We’re not super bluegrass people,” says Anders Beck, dobro master for Greensky Bluegrass. “We’re a rock-and-roll band—we just happen to do it on bluegrass instruments.” — Relix magazine in 2017
Greensky Bluegrass has built a loyal following on the jam band circuit and met fans who’ve “come out for 100 shows.” Another highlight for the band will come in September — headlining three consecutive nights at the famed Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Morrison, CO with support from rising acts The ‘Lil Smokies, Rayland Baxter, and Billy Strings.
Ripe @ Visulite Theatre
Sat – 1/26 | TICKETS
Ripe bring their 7-piece funk dance party to the Visulite for the second time in the past 12 months.
Hailing from Boston, the Berklee-bred group continue to pick up new fans by the droves and pack venues all across the country while in support of their most recent album Joy In The Wild Unknown.
Ripe is an ensemble backed by a diverse array of musical influences and styles. Part jam band, part funk, part jazz and part soul, the band draws from everywhere to give fans a high-energy performance from start to finish.
“I want to appeal to Phish fans, and to D’Angelo fans,” — lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn.
When asked about the band’s genre, however, it’s all “dance music” at the end of the day. There’s an undeniable charisma that comes across in the band’s music, led by the dynamic presence of Robbie himself.
Writers On The Storm did an extensive interview in 2018 with the lead singer Robbie Wulfsohn that you can read: HERE
Other Notable Shows
Fruition @ Visulite Theatre – 1/8
John Nemeth @ Neighborhood Theatre – 1/9
Paris Monster @ Heist – 1/20
Popa Chubby @ Neighborhood Theatre – 1/25
The Fritz @ The Rabbit Hole – 1/26
Chris Bullock of Snarky Puppy @ Heist – 1/27
Marco Benevento @ Neighborhood Theatre – 1/28