Attaining Growth and Establishing Goals for this Site
Each time a person opens a link to this site, my phone gets a notification that sounds like a doorbell. Oddly, this has become my favorite phone notification and delights me more when it rings back to back. I would have thought it would lose its appeal by now, but not at all. I hope it stays ringing all day when it’s all said and done. Perhaps it might wear thin then, but I doubt it because that sounds like my dreams coming true.
The goal is to create an informative site and grow it into a platform that keeps readers knowing where to go. I want to share live music news from around the state on one app. New releases, gigs, and upcoming content to keep readers ready for more music. Users can read about the bands and connect to them while finding new places to check out around our great state. We all benefit from more music in the community, so I wish to nurture that growth here, in my zone, with many lanes and room for other travelers! Do you love supporting bands in your area? Let me know, and we can make sure more people know.
After chasing content, I stay swamped on the back side of the site, researching the people I meet and the places. To keep things fair, I rarely plan my route on the weekends. Unless I have a job preschedule for promotions, I generally pick a direction and roll. I sometimes plot out my journey; other times, I stop as I come up on an area. I love that I can roam in any direction and find live music and other creatives like myself that support it. Given the beauty of technology and the ability to connect people quickly, I am excited about the future and the music zone we can build.
All bands are welcome to be a part of the build because, to be honest, this site is for you. All venues supporting live music are welcome to use this app and site to promote their live music schedules. Towns and communities… I want you! Please consider this space to share events.
If you want me to talk about you here, invite me out and sit down to tell me your news. I love getting the scoop right from the source. I am happy to meet with bands, club owners, community organizers, and local music lovers. The goal is to share your music journey here so more people can hop on the bus and enjoy the ride with you. The most significant problem people have when supporting live music is finding it. Effective promotions for any event have layers of information that build anticipation leading up to the event's occurrence.
The objective here is to offer another layer on a central site focused on live music.
How about you? Do you love taking pics of your favorite bands? Are you a writer, a video producer, a sound engineer, or a songwriter longing to share your skills or sounds? Please consider this your public invitation to become a creator here. Do you gather live music content regularly? Please share the content of the sights you see on the scene here, where readers are looking for more information about the bands around them. Are you a band with a social media presence? Expand it by building your presence here as well.
It will take teamwork to make this dream work, but I believe in my dreams for Tracey Stones Productions and the future of expanding local live music promotions throughout the beautiful state of North Carolina. We are here to help promote your music skills by using our marketing talents to connect more people to your fan base.
All are welcome to subscribe to receive email updates. All bands and creative music lovers are welcome to sign up and download the app. Go to the App Store on your iProduct or Google Play Store for your Android, download Spaces By Wix, and connect to NCMZ.LIVE. We can go live on the site and offer more news and information as it develops. I am happy to share this platform with all creatives throughout the state as long as the theme is local live music.
The general public can help keep this alive by supporting the efforts. Read, comment, share, and then show your friends your new phone app so they can be in the zone, too!
Bands and venues can advertise here or hire Tracey Stones Productions to help promote and share music information. Yes, I am for hire, and I am affordable. Do you need help with your calendar, want to start a live music rotation, or wish you had a better social media presence? Working together, we can help you attain these things. Need a website for your band or bar? We offer those services, too. Do you need promo materials to update your sites? Let's talk today.
While I am out and about, people often ask if I share my photos, and the answer is yes! I use these photos to tell the stories of my travels around the music scene here so that people know more about the bands playing near them. I am not a critic; I try to keep the posts positive and informative to build a more vital and uplifting local live music scene around the state.
Now that you know the bigger picture, let's zero in on the music around the region!
Bands that Rock
pure t mommicked live at Emerald Club
I caught pure t mommicked on my run through Emerald Isle earlier this month. The alternative rock quartet was on the outside stage of the Emerald Club.
The boys have been rocking the shorelines since banding together years ago. The last time I caught them, they were on the deck at Blackbeards Triple Play here in my hometown. A few interesting facts about that night: lead singer and backing guitar Jimmy Mahoney had just been released with a pick line from the hospital. He probably should not have even been jamming all night, but given it was the band’s debut in New Bern, NC, they all showed up and pulled it off, as I’m sure few noticed.
After the show, I contacted Mahoney and learned he had a severe infection that could have canceled shows indefinitely. Since that mid-April show here in town, the band has played a few great shows, including their set for the Seaside Arts Council's SwanFest 2024 on Sunday, June 2, 2024. They are known for their solid vocals and edgy guitars, which keep crowds returning for more. Be sure to watch for the latest news by following them on Facebook.
While in attendance at ptm’s gig, I ran into Joshua Litscher, frontman, singer and keyboard player for Head On Collion, which was helpful because it was just the week before that I caught these guys rocking the deck at Blackbeards Triple Play New Bern, NC.
The rock band features manager David McCaffity on drums, Joshua Litscher on vocals and keys, Phil Cole on lead guitar, Chris Powell on bass, and Andrew Duffin on rhythm guitar. When I asked their drummer about the band, he told me, “We play a variety of 90s/2000s rock with our overall sound rooted in 90s Grunge.”
As for some history of the band, Head On Collision has gone through several lineup changes over the four years they have been jamming. The rhythm section has the only two original members, and the current lineup has been together for roughly 16 months.
As for goals, we hope to continue playing together, learning new music, and having fun doing it. Our main goal is to ensure people have a good time singing along and having fun. McCaffity said, “We stand out by the songs we cover. We try to pick songs that not everyone does yet, songs that people know and enjoy. We're working on the stage show aspect, and I believe we're getting better at that regard with every gig. We try to have fun on stage, which helps make a band stand out.”
Due to work schedules and other commitments, the band can only play on a limited schedule. Next on the docket is their show at The Garage in James City on Saturday, July 27, 2024, sharing jams from 7:30-11 pm. On Saturday, August 17, 2024, they return to rock the downtown area from Blackbeard's Triple Play deck. Showtime is 7:30 pm.
They are interested in bringing their show to the coast, so maybe we can help them make those connections. McCarffity says, “We may be looking to get into The E Club in Emerald Isle and/or Jack's Waterfront Bar in Morehead City.” Anyone interested in a solid band offering strong rock grooves can contact David McCaffity at 252 675 1178 or message the band on Facebook; someone will respond as soon as possible.
Open Mic Night Offers More Local NC Live Music
I always enjoy open mic and jam nights. One of my favorite midweek stops is The Silos Restaurant in Oriental. They have an energetic and attentive staff serving fresh food and cold beer. They offer BOGO pizza each Tuesday. But Wednesday grabs my attention because that’s when the music makers and their families gather for fun and food. When I was last there, I enjoyed several local acts.
Opening the night is our host and co-owner of The Silos Restaurant, Chris Daniels. Daniels opened the pizza restaurant with his wife Kim’s support and direction. Most of the artifacts and instruments that decorate the interior of the unique building are from Chris’ collection. Since opening their doors in 2010, they have become a staple to their little harbor town of Oriental, NC. Hosting several stages and events for the community to gather and participate in weekly and annually.
The hardworking duo runs the bar and restaurant and offers an on-site private outdoor venue, the Red Rooster Music Pavilion, for your next large gathering. Kim heads up Daniel’s Sound, a production company that mixes most of the community’s festive celebrations, while her husband is the leader of the rockabilly band Southern Hellcats.
One of the events the creative couple came up with years ago was an annual concert. They called it the SiloPalooza Music Festival, and this coming week marks its 11th year. The festival brings the community together for a day of great NC-based music on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
The lineup highlights North Carolina music. The Stagger Brothers from Orange and Pamlico counties will also feature a special guest performance by famed drummer Bernard Purdie, opening the day at 3 pm. Following their brand of N.C. flavored folk jams, Carteret County’s classic rockers Heart Stop will have you dancing when they take the stage at 5 pm. Headling the event and showcasing this year’s music spotlight is the beach folk jams of Lua Flora out of Asheville, NC. They have been to Oriental for Ol Front Porch Music Festival and now SilosPalooza 2024! Come enjoy the mystical music experience at 7:30 pm. Closing things out for the night will be the hometown players representing Craven and Pamlico Counties Southern Hellcats, who will rock the night to a close with their rockabilly beats.
The gates open at 2 PM. Everyone should bring chairs, children, blankets, sunblock, and bug repellent. However, we are asked to please leave all coolers and pets at home.
Great Jams For Jim
Eddie Big Leg’s Martin carried on with many of the Big Jim Jams while the legendary blues man Big Jim Kohler took some much-needed time off to recover and heal from some severe health issues. After a bout with AFib while in his Doctor’s office, the big guy was sent to the hospital just before the holiday weekend in late May. He has spent most of that time in the hospital but returned home earlier this week, where he’s been resting up in his recovery.
Many of the blues man’s health concerns stem from his love of whiskey. Many readers might recall the community effort exuded for the Kolhers after Big Jim fell ill in 2017. We had great success pulling them through that difficult season, only to find a healthy and sober Kohler playing better than ever! Today, I am hoping for a similar result. One thing that will help the blues man beat his bout with the bottle is if people brought him $ for the tip jug, not booze from a bottle, yeah, not even a beer. I want to keep him around here as long as I can, so please help me by supporting his sobriety.