Steve Earle

Thursday, July 1 • 7:30 p.m.

Steve Earle’s career has gone through many incarnations – rockabilly artist, young gun in the neo-traditional country movement, outlaw rocker, Grammy-winning artist and political activist. But before all of that, Earle was a teenager in thrall of country folk singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. His most recent album Townes is a tribune to his late teacher, hero and friend, often considered one of the greatest artists of his generation. Townes captures Earle’s memory of the man he knew – a man of glorious contradictions, fearsome abilities and head-spinning complexity. The album won Earle the 2010 Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. 

For more information, visit http://www.steveearle.com/

Carolina Chocolate Drops

In the summer of 2005, Don Felmons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson traveled every Thursday night to the home of old-time fiddler Joe Thompson for a musical jam session. When the trio later formed a band in tribute to Thompson and the lessons he had taught them, they quickly captured enthusiastic audiences, and were taken under the wing of other traditional musicians. They made history when they took the stage at the Grand Old Opry in 2008. Rolling Stone described the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ style as “dirt-floor-dance electricity.”

For more information, visit http://www.carolinachocolatedrops.com/