Kicking Things off Close to Home
I stopped by Blackbeard’s Triple Play last Thursday night to meet up with my friends Big Jim and Kathy Kohler. They jam each Thursday from 7-9 PM. I had wandered out to Oriental last week just in time to catch their last two songs on stage. That was just enough to leave me thirsty for more. When I found them they were joined by rhythm man Tom Parker with his upright bass and kick snare set up. If you have a song to share feel free to join the fun. Just stop out and tell Jim you're there to jam.
Pause the Cause in Pamlico On Saturday
The Southern Hellcats rocked the Red Rooster stage to raise funds for the weekend fall, Ol' Front Porch Music Festival on Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Oriental, NC. This annual event shines a light on NC-grown talents and showcases them throughout the weekend. This year's festival will take place on October 4 and 5, 2024. The committee has been working hard already selling merchandise and raising funds that help support this grand effort.
On Saturday, The Silo's Restaurant, welcomed everyone to their backyard as they hosted a party at The Red Rooster. Dinner plates were sold, a 50/50 raffle was held, event merchandise was sold and a filled night of rockabilly music played. The festival committee will be releasing the lineup in the coming weeks, so be sure to bookmark their site and check back as we grow closer to the event.
Friends and fans looking to support the band this weekend can find them rocking a couple of early gigs at the coast. Carolina Home & Garden is on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 6-9 PM, and on Saturday they will be on stage at Willy Nilly Warehouse, also grooving from 6-9 PM.
I stopped downtown when I got back to New Bern and had a chance to rock out with the famed Will & Tony Show. They always have a fun mix of music to share with the audience, and Saturday was no exception. The band calls Swansboro home base and although they have played in town before, it’s been a few years since anyone has seen them here.
Since those early days, the band has doubled in size to include a bass player and saxophone. Now the lineup includes Will Baker, guitar and vocal, Tony Johnston, keeping the beats and singing, Andy Allen plays bass and sings, and the final addition of Garth Hass on saxophone rounds out the dynamics. They sounded great under the stars with the moon above as they jammed on the deck of the Double Tree by Hilton in New Bern on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
These guys keep a busy schedule rocking around the area. I’ll include their schedule below but be sure to visit their page by clicking their name Will and Tony Show.
Sharks Can Swim On Rooftops
Swimming with Sharks came to town last weekend. The duo jammed from the rooftop of Captain Ratty’s restaurant. They sounded good when I was parking the car. Sadly, I only caught a part of their last song for the night. This acoustic duo hails from Greenville, NC, but covers the Downeast region with their schedule of events.
The music makers for this duo, are good buddies, Jay Thigpen, who plays the electric guitar., and band creator Hardy Wetherington, who manipulates the acoustic strings, and sings. They offer various music genres and a large playlist of popular songs.
If you missed them in New Bern last weekend and have the hankering to hit the road, you can find the group giving up the grooves this Friday, May 10, 2024, at Parle' Riverfront Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant is now located on the Washington, NC waterfront with a great patio that offers live music from 7-10 PM. On Saturday the pair will perform live at River Forest Manor in Belhaven, NC with tunes being shared from 5:30 until 8:30 PM.
When Your Pals Play the Pelican
On my way home from Tap That, (more about who was on stage at the new Tap That New Bern tomorrow today) I stopped in to see my friends, The Dust Parade who were rocking The Brown Pelican on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
The last time I saw the band was in February (live video below) at The Old Theater in Oriental, NC where they rocked the room for two shows. Things went so well that the Theater invited them back for a couple more shows next month. Get your tickets now by clicking on the picture below.
Back in February, they brought a new show each night. On the first night, the band featured their music with two sets of songs composed by Hank Barbee for the second show the band featured the music of Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. Below is my live clip from the first night.
A little flashback in time, I recall the group offered such a show in New Bern, at the Bank of The Arts. The popular At The Gallery series has been a feature in town for years and a monthly tradition presented by the Craven Arts Council. The Dust Parade was called upon in 2022 to put together a great show featuring the story and music of Mark Knopfler. It was a crazy good night of music. I'm sure the same will be true of this month's show on Saturday, May 25, 2024, featuring the music of British Pop Rocker, Petula Clark performed by New Bern's talented Wren. Doors open at 6 PM and music plays at 7 PM
Above Craven Arts Council, Director, Jon Burger, welcomes members and guests to a night of music featuring songs composed by Mark Knopfler and performed by The Dust Parade on Saturday, February 27, 2022.
I love those intimate shows that our local arts councils create for us music lovers. Since we are on the subject, the same can be said for the music being featured in downtown Oriental. The Old Theater Board of Directors opened the doors to more music this year and they have been bringing great shows to their stage.
The venue has two shows. Tonight, The Foreign Landers will perform at 7:30 PM, and on Sunday they are offering a special Mother's Day show featuring Dee Dee King and Friends. But it's not just a concert at the theater at 5 pm. It's a full afternoon and evening visit with Mom to Oriental NC. The day kicks off after church with a free music workshop with Dee Dee King for the kids at 1 PM. Click here to see the Facebook event Dee Dee King and Friends.
The Calendar at a Glance
Plus A Look At The Days Ahead
One of the features I like about this site is the calendar of events found in the footer of this site. I use Facebook and email invitations to build this calendar. I click interested on the Facebook event and then add it to my Google Calendar and sometimes I create events based on emails from various groups. Depending upon the location of the event will depend on the color it is assigned. RED events are located in New Bern, NC. BLUE events are located along the Crystal Coast and throughout the plains region of North Carolina. YELLOW events highlight the Piedmont Region which covers many of the big cities, including Raliegh, Durham, and Charlotte to name a few. GRAY events cover the westernmost regions of our state.
When I ask Facebook Who is Playing Where
For my readers looking for the jams, my friend on Facebook, David Edwards, wanted everyone to know, "It is gonna be HOT this week on the Pebble Beach stage at Backwater Jack's Tiki Bar & Grill,"
Brian Burke the Back Pocket Buddha is hosting our Thursday open mic at 6:30 PM.
Cuz'n Kirk is bringing the blues on Friday at 6 PM.
J.D. & CLAY are returning on Saturday at 6 PM.
RAGTAGS on Sunday at 2 PM.
He also reminded me and readers, "Music makes the world go 'round!" Thanks, Dave!
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New Bern's Sam Lewis brings his show to the beach this weekend. Be sure to catch him tomorrow at Taps & Tackle for his late show this week with music from 8-11 PM. On Saturday he will share his acoustic experience with those at