Artsplosure announced today that Donna the Buffalo is scheduled to headline the 20th annual First Night Raleigh celebration on New Year’s Eve. The feel-good mountain-music infusion band will perform on the main stage at 10:30 pm Friday, December 31, 2010.

Their performance will lead up to the annual Acorn Drop and fireworks at midnight to ring in 2011.

Blending Cajun, rock, folk, reggae and country with traditional mountain music, Donna the Buffalo’s eclectic and often socially conscious music has made them one of the most respected brands in the world of touring roots acts. Their dedicated fan base, self-named The Herd, follows the band with zeal and has created a unique and supportive community online and at Donna the Buffalo shows across the nation. Together for over 20 years, the band released their seventh record, Silverlined in 2008 on Sugar Hill Records.  Previous releases include Life’s a Ride (2005) and Positive Friction (2000).

First Night Raleigh admission buttons will be available at Triangle-area Harris Teeter stores, as well as other local retailers, beginning December 1. Buttons are $9 in advance for adults and children ages 6-12. Children five and under are admitted free. At the event, buttons are $10 for children ages 6-12 and $12 for adults.

Since December 31, 1991, First Night Raleigh is annually held as a weather-proof New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts and community featuring performances in 25 indoor and outdoor venues throughout downtown Raleigh. The festival includes the early afternoon Children’s Celebration, early & late countdowns, the People’s Procession, music, dance, theatre, the giant Acorn Drop, and fireworks.

Experience Greek traditions and cuisine at the 29th Annual Greek Festival, September 17 – 19, 2010 at The Expo Center, NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC.sponsored by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church and portions of the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity. Live Greek music, traditional folk dancers perform, savory Greek entrees and pastries.

Greek Dance and Costumes

Times of the Festival are:

• Friday September 17, 5 – 10 pm
• Saturday September 18, 11 am – 10 pm
• Sunday September 19, 11 am – 7 pm

General Admission, $3; Seniors and Ages 13-18, $2; Children under 13 – Free.
For more information:
Penny Gallins 919-872-8787

www.holytrinityraleigh.org/greekfestival

Dick Spottswood's new book about NC-born banjo player Wade Mainer

North Carolina is known for its old-time stringband music and musicians, and Wade Mainer, a musician with a distinctive voice and precise two-finger banjo style, is a living legend in the stringband music community. Mainer and his band created a distinct sound that bridged the gap between old-time mountain music and bluegrass, and a new book about Mainer’s life was recently released by music scholar and Washington radio personality Dick Spottswood, who will talk about the book and have a signing at the tribute event at Wilson Library in Chapel Hill on September 21. This event is free and open to the public.

Born in 1907 in Buncombe County near Weaverville, North Carolina, Mainer became a popular recording and radio personality who influenced generations of great musicians, including Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and Doc Watson. Spottswood’s book, Banjo on the Mountain – Wade Mainer’s First Hundred Years, tells the story of the man who made a career in country music playing the banjo a few years before Bill Monroe’s first album became a hit.

The musical tribute to Mainer will feature Big Medicine (Jim Collier, Bob Head, Kenny Jackson, Joe Newberry); The Happy Valley Pals (Gail Gillespie and Margaret Martin, Dwight Rogers and Wayne Martin); The Lonesome Prairie Dogs (Steve Terrill, Molly Stouten, and Alan Teichman); Andy Cahan; and Joseph DeCosimo; along with other area musicians playing songs from Mainer’s catalog, which spans nearly six decades. The event will also include a reception, discussion and a Q&A session with Spottswood.

Mainer began performing professionally in 1932 with Mainer’s Mountaineers, his brother’s band, and later continued with his own group, The Sons of the Mountaineers. His heyday was during the popularity of “hillbilly music” in the 1930s and 1940s. Between 1935 and 1941, various Mainer brother combinations recorded more than 165 songs for RCA Victor, making them some of the most heavily recorded country artists of that era. But Wade left music to work for General Motors in 1953, along with many Appalachians of his generation. Since then, he has recorded a few gospel albums, and, during the 1970s, with the renewal of interest in old-time music, and with some persuasion from fans who were familiar with his early recordings, Wade began to perform in public again, accompanied by his wife, Julia Mae, a guitarist and a fine traditional singer.

Wade’s music has always been noted for its traditional repertoire and for his distinctive melodic two-finger banjo picking style, which was a personal trademark. This style became the basis for the three-finger banjo styles developed by Snuffy Jenkins and Earl Scruggs. His music is an antecedent of modern bluegrass. In 1987, Wade was named a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment of the Arts.

In Spottswood’s book, Wade’s life is told through his personal reflections and the wealth of documents, memorabilia and photos he has preserved from his long career in music. Spottswood spent time with Wade and Julia in Michigan, where they opened their collection of treasured keepsakes for the book.

Banjo on The Mountain was released in both paper and ebook editions in August by the University Press of Mississippi.

The Southern Folklife Collection, The Old-Time Herald, PineCone-Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, and the North Carolina Folklife Institute, are co-sponsoring this event. More information is available at www.pinecone.org.

ABOUT Ebeneezer and the Hymnasters
Ebenezer And The Hymnasters are a “Folkestra” who can practically raise the dead with their electric and eclectic versions of old timey spirituals, murder ballads and story songs. Through their music they will introduce you to people and places from the not too distant past. Three part harmonies soar over the sounds of the fiddle, the singing saw, electric slide, washboard, autoharp, guitar, bass and drums. The Hymnasters hail from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Doc Watson & David Holt kick off the 2010-2011 Down Home Series with their Hills of Home program.

What happens when traditional music meets modern culture? That’s what PineCone hopes to show you in the 2010-2011 Down Home Concert Series. It’s an entire season of music that demonstrates North Carolina ‘s musical history and how it adapts to today’s influences.

From Western North Carolina favorites Doc Watson with David Holt and Richard Watson to modern bluegrass all-stars Daily & Vincent to the Hawaiian ukulele of Jake Shimabukuro and the Irish rock of The Chieftains, this year’s artists take the audience on an extraordinary musical journey that extends from the Hawaiian Islands around to Ireland, but always comes full-circle to the foothills that we call home.

The Chieftains, recognized as Ireland's Musical Ambassadors, have been bringing traditional Irish music to the world's attention for more than 40 years.

PineCone is honored this year to partner with Broadway Series South to present The Chieftains in MemorialAuditorium on March 13 to close out the Down Home Concert Series, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! In their 40 years together, these Grammy award winning musicians have continuously made the musical traditions of Ireland relevant and appealing around the world.

Other highlights of the series include:

November 12: North Carolina’s own Doc Watson returns to Raleigh with longtime friend and collaborator David Holt and his own grandson, Richard Watson, to share songs and stories of the mountains in Hills of Home. (sponsored by McCullers & Whitaker and Collegiate Capital Management)

January 7: A rare opportunity to see two musical virtuosos, Tim O’Brien & Bryan Sutton, perform as a duo.

January 26: Modern-day bluegrass all-stars Daily & Vincent return to Raleigh with an expanded repertoire that honors the original sound of bluegrass while pushing it in new directions.

Hawaiian ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro brings his unique sound back to Raleigh.

February 12: Jake Shimabukuro graces Fletcher Theater with his exciting, innovative ukulele playing and compositions.

February 17: Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush will share some classic bluegrass numbers and his own trademark sound, while Alaska-based Bearfoot returns to the PineCone stage with their signature harmonies and inventive, bluegrass-infused music.

March 13: Paddy Moloney, THE CHIEFTAINS, and special guests close out the Down Home Concert Series in Memorial Auditorium just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! In their 40 years together, these six-time Grammy award winning musicians have continuously made the musical traditions of Ireland relevant and appealing around the world. (sponsored by Collegiate Capital Management)

Tickets go on sale on August 9. PineCone members can take advantage of a week-long pre-sale beginning on August 2. Learn how to become a member, or get more details on each performance on PineCone’s website, www.pinecone.org.

For more than 25 years, PineCone, the largest, most active folk performing arts organization in North Carolina, has offered a wide assortment of music programs to the Triangle community. While the majority of PineCone’s annual programs focus expressly on the music and musicians of the Piedmont region, the Down Home Concert Series showcases artists from around the state, nation, and globe whose music finds connection and expression here. PineCone is a resident company at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts. PineCone members can begin reserving tickets for the 2010-2011 Down Home Series on August 2, and it’s easy to join – online, by phone or by mail. Visit www.pinecone.org or call the office at 919-664-8302 for complete details. The Irregardless Cafe and Boom! Magazine are in-kind sponsors of this year’s Down Home Concert Series.

In addition to the kickoff party, EMFfringe’s first week of summer concerts will also include performances by the New Riders of the Purple Sage and Anders Osborne. The New Riders of the Purple Sage are a spin-off from the Grateful Dead, formed in 1969 with the help of Jerry Garcia. They describe their sound as psychedelic cowboy rock ‘n roll which is sure to have crowds on their feet. New Riders of the Purple Sage will be performing on Thursday, July 8, 2010 at the Empire Ball Room at Elm Street Center (203 South Elm Street). Tickets are $25 and purchasing a ticket will also get concert-goers free entrance to the after party, sponsored by Level 2 (113 South Elm Street).

Anders Osborne himself hails from Sweden, but he and his 6-piece band currently call New Orleans, LA home. All Music Guide says, “Anders Osborne artfully blends blues, rock, soul and classic R&B to create his own synthesis and original style.”  Anders Osborne will be performing on Friday, July 9, 2010 at the Empire Ball Room at Elm Street Center. This show is sponsored by YES! Weekly, and tickets are available for $23. Tickets also provide free entry to the show’s after party which will be held at Churchill’s on Elm (213 South Elm Street).

About Eastern Music Festival
The Eastern Music Festival and School, founded in 1961 in Greensboro, North Carolina by Sheldon Morgenstern, is an internationally-renowned classical music festival of the performing arts and institute for young musicians that runs for five weeks during the summer. The institute accepts gifted students of ages 14 through 22 at an exclusive enrollment of 200. In 2009, there were over 800 applicants from around the world for the 200 spots. The faculty consists of outstanding musicians selected from leading orchestras and music schools with world-class performing artists serving as both faculty instructors and performers. The music director and principal conductor for the Festival is Gerard Schwarz, who also serves as music director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.

The music festival comprises a performing arts series that attracts over 60,000 audience members to more than 100 concerts and music-related events presented throughout the Piedmont Triad area. Participating artists for the 2010 season include cellist Lynn Harrell, pianists Barry Douglas and William Wolfram, violinists Tianwa Yang and Gil Shaham, among others.  These renowned artists are accompanied by the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra, which is composed of faculty members of the school who originate from many of the top music institutions and orchestras around the world. Other classical artists include trombonist Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, pianists-in-residence Marian Hahn, Joseph Kalichstein, Rebecca Penneys, and Tian Ying, resident conductor José-Luis Novo, and guest conductors Christopher Seaman, Chelsea Tipton II, James Ross, and Eric Garcia.

For music students, the five-week program provides a combination of classroom and performance experiences. A broad curriculum includes playing in an orchestra, individual lessons, master classes, and recitals. Guest artists in residence teach two master classes each week. Students have many performance opportunities in orchestra and chamber concerts, alongside faculty, and in piano recitals. The festival boasts a student to faculty ratio of 2:1.

Beginning in 2002, the festival introduced the highly popular and critically-acclaimed EMFfringe series offering the best of Americana, bluegrass, jazz, rock, blues, alt country, funk, world music and more. The 2010 season boasts Doc Severinsen, Mark O’Connor, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Anders Osborne, Tony Rice Unit, The Waybacks, Amelia’s Mechanics, Seth Walker, The Greencards, Joe Krown Trio, Bonerama, and more. Eastern Music Festival also produces the EMFsampler each spring as part of ArtBeat Greensboro, an EMFjazz&blues monthly series, and EMFfringe in the fall each autumn.

Through its interactive EMFkids and EMFexplorers summer camps and musical programming, Eastern Music Festival introduces young children to musical experiences of the highest quality. Other special events this season include Music of Remembrance, preserving the musical legacy of Holocaust musicians; Peter and the Wolf in collaboration with the Greensboro Ballet and narrated by Fox8’s Neill McNeill; A Date with Oscar and Tony, in collaboration with Greensboro Opera, featuring songs from award-winning films and musicals; and the Piano and Concerto Competitions. Alumni of the EMF include many notable musicians from around the country, including Wynton Marsalis, who refers to his studies there as “one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.”

Discounted season tickets for Eastern Music Festival of up to 72% off are on sale through June 26 from the Festival’s Box Office at Triad Stage. Call weekdays in Greensboro: 336.272.0160 or toll-free 866.579.TIXX.  Season subscribers are invited to meet the artists at Post-Concert Receptions following Saturday evening performances on July 3, 17, 24, and 31.  At each Saturday Festival Orchestra performance, there will be a hotel package drawing for an overnight stay at either the O.Henry or Proximity Hotels.

The 2010 season is sponsored in part by the United Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, the North Carolina Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, Piedmont Music Center (Steinway Pianos), Continental Airways – the official travel sponsor of EMF, News & Record, the O.Henry and Proximity Hotels – the official hotels of EMF, Print Works Bistro, and WFDD-FM.

For more information about EMF or its programs or to download the 2010 Season Brochure, please visit www.EasternMusicFestival.org, or call toll-free: 1-877-833-6753

Tickets

EMFfringe season tickets are on sale now through June 26 and are priced at $220. Individual tickets for all EMFfringe events are on sale now through the EMF Box Office at Triad Stage. The Triad Stage Box Office can be reached weekdays from 10am to 6pm locally at 336.272.0160 or toll free at 866.579.TIXX. The box office is conveniently located in downtown Greensboro at 232 S. Elm Street.

Single ticket sales for EMFfringe and all other EMF events are available now online via www.EasternMusicFestival.org.

Through their website, www.the-garage.ws/boxoffice, The Garage is also directly selling tickets to the show on Friday, July 2, and similarly, The Grove Winery is also selling tickets to Kevn Kinney on July 17 by calling 336.584.4060.

Service fees for season tickets will apply. EMFfringe single ticket prices include service fees and will be the same in advance or at the door. Online orders have an additional fee associated.

Dates, programs, artists, and venues are subject to change. * No gift certificates or discounts are accepted for Special Events.

Eastern Music Festival would like to thank EMFfringe series and EMFfringe Kickoff Party sponsors Audio & Light, Cemala Foundation, Natty Greene’s, and YES! Weekly (who is also sponsoring Anders Osborne); event sponsors News & Record (Doc Severinsen), Go Triad (The Waybacks and Amelia’s Mechanics), Alamance County Arts Council (Seth Walker), Piedmont Blues Preservation Society (Seth Walker and Joe Krown Trio); MUSEP sponsors Greensboro Parks and Recreation, The Music Center, The Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, FOX8, Friendly Center, and The Shops at Friendly (Amelia’s Mechanics); and all of the venues and After-Party restaurants mentioned above. Eastern Music Festival is also sponsored in part by Continental Airlines, Lincoln Financial, National Endowment for the Arts, News & Record, North Carolina Arts Council, O.Henry Hotel, Piedmont Music Center, Proximity Hotel, Print Works Bistro, Steinway, United Arts Council, and WFDD-FM. Continental Airlines is the official travel sponsor of the Eastern Music Festival. O.Henry and Proximity Hotels are the official hotels of the Eastern Music Festival.

For more information about EMF or its programs, please visit www.EasternMusicFestival.org, or call toll-free: 1-877-833-6753.

The Eastern Music Festival’s mission is to promote musical enrichment, excellence, professional collaboration, innovation and diversity through a nationally-recognized teaching program, music festival, concerts and other programs which will enhance the quality of life, health and vitality of our region.

EMF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.

Singer/songwriter Ingrid Michaelson will be heading out this summer on a national headlining tour. After finishing up dates with Mat Kearney and Barenaked Ladies, Ingrid will kick off her headlining tour in Toronto on June 7th at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. Michaelson will also appear at both Lilith Fair and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

Michaelson’s new single, “Everybody,” off her latest album, took off after Ingrid’s announcement of a fan video contest and a performance on the Rachael Ray Show on March 26th. The “Everybody” video contest, which received over 160 entries and over 1,000,000 views, asked fans to perform the song in a new and creative way, film it and upload their video to YouTube. The grand prize winner will be performing their version of “Everybody” on stage with Ingrid at an upcoming concert.

Michaelson’s hit single, “The Way I Am,” was recently performed on American Idol by contestant Didi Benami and the ensuing public demand for the track pushed sales over 1 million, certifying it platinum. Ingrid’s work is just as sought after across the pond where, “Parachute,” the hit single she wrote for UK sensation Cheryl Cole, is now #1 airplay and #4 on the single sales chart.

Ingrid has appeared on Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Rachael Ray Show, Late Night With Conan O’Brien and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and her music has been featured on numerous TV programs. All of Ingrid’s music is released via her own Cabin 24 label which has sold nearly 500,000 albums and over 1.5 million singles to date. Cabin 24 Records has released “Everybody” as part of a unique marketing and distribution arrangement via Original Signal/Universal Motown.

Lincoln Theatre http://www.lincolntheatre.com/

• On August 25th, 2009, Ingrid released her new album Everybody, which immediately hit #1 on iTunes Top Albums sales chart.
• “Maybe,” the first single off of Everybody, was the #1 most added single at Hot AC radio tying Madonna and Kelly Clarkson, reached #2 on Triple A charts and Top 20 at Hot AC.   Current single, “Everybody,” just released at Triple A.
• SOLD OUT fall 2009 North American tour August 31st in Massachusetts—26 states and 3 Canadian territories.  Winter 2010 co-headline tour with Mat Kearney, followed by a week with Barenaked Ladies, headline tour of UK, Bonnaroo, Lilith and more headline North American dates.
• Recent and upcoming TVs include: Good Morning America on October 19, 2009, Ellen Jan 21, 2010 and CBS Early Show Feb 20, 2010, Rachael Ray March 26, 2010.
• Has toured with both Dave Matthews Band and Jason Mraz and performed on Good Morning America, Live with Regis & Kelly, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and Last Call With Carson Daly, graced the cover of Billboard magazine and has been featured in People, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Paste, and The New Yorker.
• Has had 10 songs featured on Grey’s Anatomy as well as other TV shows, films and national ad campaigns for Old Navy, Chrysler and Hallmark.  “The Way I Am” has recently been featured twice during the current 2010 season of American Idol.
• Has sold 500,000 albums and over 2.3 million singles to date via her own Cabin 24 label.  Platinum single – “The Way I Am”.

Media Reaction to Everybody

“Ingrid Michaelson returns with a new batch of lovably quirky tunes… while the joyful title track should delight fans of her breakout single “The Way I Am,” introspective songs like “The Chain” channel the soft-spoken power of Joni Mitchell over swelling arrangements.”
-Billboard Magazine

“A heartfelt folk-ballad… an unusually breezy breakup song.”
-People Magazine on Maybe

“Cheerful lounge-pop ode to our universal need for love.”
-Elle Magazine on Everybody

“Everybody is truly everybody’s.”
-Paste

“Building a following by placing songs on TV, Michaelson has channeled the folk-lounge pop… into MySpace-era success.”
-Entertainment Weekly on Everybody

“She’s back with the just-released album “Everybody,” which ruminates on the dark side of love in songs that are undeniably pop but stretch mainstream boundaries… the poster child for indie success.”
-Washington Post

For additional media and up-to-the-minute tour information visit:

http://www.ingridmichaelson.com
http://www.myspace.com/ingridmichaelson
https://twitter.com/ingridmusic

at Booth Amphitheatre

Biography

The music of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash is a cornerstone of rock ‘n roll.  As Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN), this trio of legendary singer-songwriters has been actively collaborating since 1969, when they first harmonized in either Joni Mitchell’s living room or Mama Cass Elliot’s dining room, depending on which member you ask (Crosby and Nash ascribe to the former, Stills is adamant about the latter). Wherever its point of origin, the connection they forged from day one-as artists and as friends-was profound and unbreakable. Essential elements of our pop culture experience, their songs are just as durable, conveying emotional truths and social consciousness in equal measure.

Forty years into their creative partnership, CSN is expanding its recorded repertoire with two album projects, one spotlighting its enduring creative spark, the other its legendary roots. David, Stephen and Graham are currently recording a new album for Columbia Records with ten-time GRAMMY®-winning producer Rick Rubin at the helm. This June, Rhino Records will release Crosby, Stills & Nash Demos,  a single-disc collection of rare and previously unheard demos of destined-to-be-classic signature songs reaching back to the group’s earliest days.

CSN will also take to the road once again, as they have done on a recurrent basis ever since their very first gig together-before more than 500,000 people-at Woodstock four decades ago. The tour’s launch coincides with CSN’s June 2009 induction into the New York City-based Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. The honor-which follows their 1997 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-recognizes David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash as individual solo artists and as three together with CSN. It also acknowledges the groundbreaking music each was instrumental in creating with landmark groups prior to forming CSN: The Byrds (Crosby), Buffalo Springfield (Stills) and The Hollies (Nash).

The fact that each principal came from another hugely successful band caused CSN to be known as the world’s first “supergroup.” The threesome more than lived up to the term with their ’69 debut LP, a ten-song tour de force that hit #6 on Billboard‘s pop albums chart, earned CSN a GRAMMY® for Best New Artist and delivered classic tracks including “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” “Marrakesh Express,” “Guinnevere” and “Wooden Ships.” In naming the disc one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Rolling Stone quoted another rock immortal in its salute: “‘I’ve Seen Crosby, Stills and Nash burnin’ ass,’ Jimi Hendrix declared in 1969. ‘They’re groovy, Western-sky music.’ Hendrix knew what he was talking about.”

1970′s Déjà Vu came next, the first album from the group’s four-man configuration with Neil Young, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSN&Y). Another notch on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, Déjà Vu was a #1 LP that introduced timeless hits including “Teach Your Children,” “Our House,” “Helpless,” “Carry On” and “Almost Cut My Hair.” 4 Way Street, a double live LP, followed in 1971, showcasing CSN&Y’s live mojo on a set of songs as personal as it was political. Its success further built their reputation as the only American band of the original Woodstock era to have a societal impact rivaling that of the Beatles.

CSN survived the turbulent times in which they existed as well as the often volatile climate of their own inner-workings to continue to make music that connected with fans across America and around the world. So Far, the group’s 1974 retrospective-to-date, topped the charts at #1 in Billboard. The 1977 studio album CSN climbed to #2 and delivered their first multiplatinum single (and, at #7, their all-time highest charting track), “Just A Song Before I Go.” 1982′s Daylight Again added two more hits to the CSN songbook with “Southern Cross” and “Wasted On The Way.”

Highlights from the also-ongoing CSN&Y partnership include the 1999 Top 40 album Looking Forward, which led to the quartet’s landmark 2000 reunion tour-and subsequent outings in 2003 and 2006. The latter, CSN&Y’s controversial “Freedom Of Speech Tour,” spun off the documentary feature CSNY/Déjà Vu (a film by Neil Young), examining the group’s connection to its audience in both political and musical terms.

In addition to making music together, Crosby, Stills and Nash have always pursued parallel solo careers (Crosby and Nash also have a decades-long legacy as a duo). Crosby’s highly regarded 1971 solo debut If Only I Could Remember My Name was deemed a, “one-of-a-kind freak-folk apogee” in Rolling Stone; highlights from his entire career were recently compiled in the 2006 3-CD box Voyages. Stills’ 1970 self-titled solo debut was called, “a jaw-dropping experience, the musical equal to Crosby, Stills & Nash or Déjà Vu” by allmusic.com. His latest studio set was 2006′s Man Alive!, and 2007 saw the release of Just Roll Tape – April 26^th 1968, a collection of previously unissued acoustic demos that were missing for almost 40 years. Graham Nash’s latest-and fourth-solo effort, 2002′s Songs For Survivors, bookended his acclaimed 1971 solo debut Songs For Beginners, which chronicled his break-up from Joni Mitchell (it was just reissued as an expanded DVD-A title). Nash’s work is the subject of the 2009 3-CD retrospective box Reflections.

A complete list of the collaborations, solo efforts and side projects of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash would produce a massive discography and touring history. It is a concise and simple truth, however, that the convergence of their voices in 1969-somewhere in Laurel Canyon-did indeed change the world. It’s a sound that has lived on ever since, both as a positive agent of change and a welcome compass point of reassurance through times that could use more of each.

Booth Amphitheatre: www.boothamphitheatre.com

DATE: Wednesday, September 22nd
TIME: 7:30pm
DOORS OPEN:6:30pm
SEATING: Gold Circle, General Admission Lawn and Tables

TICKETS/PRICES:
$43.50 Lawn
Day of Show Lawn Price – $46
$76 reserved
$176 VIP Package Hot Ticket
(Package Includes: Premium Ticket (or General Admission Ticket with early entry to venue), Exclusive merchandise item & Collectible laminate – VIP Package sales end on 8/23 at 5pm and are available via

AVAILABILITY: On Sale Now
CAMERA POLICY: TBA
PARKING: Included in price of the ticket
ADDITIONAL INFO: No outside food/beverage allowed inside venue for this event.
ITEMS ALLOWED: Lawn chairs, blankets, small umbrellas, strollers and 1 bottle of factory sealed water (1 per person) are allowed.

The concert takes place at Meymandi Concert Hall in downtown Raleigh’s Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, March 13, at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Jennifer Chang — Gu Zheng Master

Designed for families and children ages 4-12, the hour-long Young People’s Concerts are a perfect introduction to music as an interdisciplinary art form. In “Let’s Dance,” the Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble, Asheville dancers Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau and celebrated guzheng soloist Jennifer Chang join the Symphony to perform works ranging from Tchaikovsky to country and western. The result is an unrivaled opportunity to bring children to live music through an original and fun family outing.

Before both performances, families can join Symphony members and the Marbles Kids Museum for the Marbles Learn Your Notes and Be the Conductor activities. The Symphony also hosts the hands-on Instrument Zoo, giving children the chance to try out orchestra instruments and learn from the pros.

Tickets to this Young People’s Concert Series performance are $15. Meymandi Concert Hall is located in the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., Raleigh, NC 27601.

For tickets and more information, visit the North Carolina Symphony Web site at ncsymphony.org or call 919.733.2750.

Concert/Event Listing:

North Carolina Symphony
Young People’s Concert: Let’s Dance
Grant Llewellyn, Music Director
March 13, 2010, 11am and 2pm
Meymandi Concert Hall, Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh, N.C.

Program Listing:

North Carolina Symphony
Young People’s Concert: Let’s Dance
Grant Llewellyn, Music Director
March 13, 2010

African Welcome Dance
Traditional
Chuck Davis African American Dance Ensemble

Minuets I and II from Platee
Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683–1764)
Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau, dancers

Waltz from Serenade for Strings, Op. 48
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840–1893)
Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau, dancers

The “Butterfly Lovers” Concerto
Chen Gang / Ho Zhanhao
Jennifer Chang, guzheng

Blue Tango
Leroy Anderson (1908–1975)
Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau, dancers

La Boutique fantasque
Ottorino Respighi (1879–1936)
Tarentella
Mazurka
Can Can
Galop

Duke Ellington Fantasy
Ralph Hermann (1914‑1994)
Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau, dancers

Foggy Mountain Breakdown from Country and Western Hits
Arr. William Holcombe
Heidi Kulas and Tyler Mercereau, dancers

May 22 Event to Benefit StepUP Ministry

Band Together NC, a nonprofit organization that uses musical events to raise funds and awareness for select Triangle charities, has announced that acclaimed reggae, hip hop fusion artist Michael Franti & Spearhead will top the bill for this year’s charity concert May 22 outside Lincoln Theatre in downtown Raleigh. Visit www.bandtogethernc.org to purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 19.

Last year’s Band Together NC concert featuring Rusted Root, the Rosebuds, Chatham County Line and HOBEX attracted more than 2,700 music lovers and raised more than $141,000 for the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood. Supporting acts and activities for 2010 will be announced as the event date approaches.

Music with a Message
Throughout his musical career spanning nearly 25 years, Franti has combined political and social themes with diverse musical influences such as hip hop, funk, reggae, jazz, folk and rock. After playing with the Beatnigs and Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, Franti formed Spearhead in 1994. The band has released numerous albums including “Home,” “Chocolate Supa Highway,” “Stay Human,” “Yell Fire!” and the recent “All Rebel Rockers,” which marked their highest Billboard Top 200 Album Chart debut ever. The band’s song “Say Hey (I Love You)” was a hit in multiple formats last year. It was one of the most added recordings on multiple radio formats (Top 40, Hot AC and Alternative) and its music video has already exceeded 1 million views on YouTube.

Known for energetic live shows and Franti’s penchant for going shoeless, the band has gained a passionate worldwide audience through extensive touring and appearances in alternative media. As advocates for peace and social justice, Michael Franti & Spearhead have played numerous benefit concerts worldwide, including their own Power to the Peaceful Festivals in San Francisco that have recently drawn more than 50,000 attendees.

“As a musician and a man, I more than anything else want to be a unifier,” Franti explains. “I want to bring people together through music and its unique power. And I hope that somehow that sense of unity extends beyond the music.”

Benefitting StepUP Ministry
In October 2009, Band Together NC’s Board of Directors announced that the charity recipient for 2010 would be StepUP Ministry, an interfaith nonprofit organization that teaches low-income and homeless people to become self-sufficient. Founded in 1988, StepUP annually helps empower nearly 600 individuals in Wake County through two life-giving programs: job training/placement and life skills training.

“Our goal this year is to raise $150,000 for our charity partner,” said Danny Rosin, president and co-founder of Band Together NC. “But that’s not all. Amazingly, StepUP Ministry has pledged to match our fundraising efforts dollar for dollar, so there is a potential that we could generate up to $300,000 for this wonderful and deserving organization.”

Through corporate and individual donations, Band Together has already raised more than $70,000. Commitments have come from Cargill, S&A Cherokee, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, Davenport Investments, Duke Realty Corporation, Lincoln Theatre, Synergy Commercial Advisors, RPG Solutions, Brand Fuel, Trisure, Capstrat, Prometheus, Hosted Solutions and Manning, Fulton & Skinner, PA.

Tickets for the event will be $22 in advance or $25 day of the show. VIP tickets are $150. Sponsorships begin at the $150 level. Event attendees must be 21 years or older.

For more information about Band Together NC, please visit www.bandtogethernc.org, become a fan or follow @BandTogetherNC. For more information about StepUP Ministry, go to www.step-up.us. Additional information on Michael Franti & Spearhead can be found at www.michaelfranti.com.

About Band Together NC

Band Together NC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of business and community leaders and volunteers from across the Triangle. Since its inception in 2001, the organization has helped raise more than $700,000 for philanthropic organizations through one mission: using music to raise funds and awareness for local charities. Band Together is run entirely by volunteer efforts. For more information, please visit www.bandtogethernc.org.

About StepUP Ministry
StepUP Ministry is an interfaith nonprofit organization that teaches low-income and homeless people to become self-sufficient (stable job, stable home, stable family). Founded in 1988, StepUP annually helps empower, not enable, nearly 600 individuals in Wake County. StepUP accomplishes this through life-skills preparation with volunteer partners and job training/placement. More than 800 Wake County adults, many of them in crisis or in need, have been placed in jobs over the last five years because of StepUP Ministry. For more information, visit www.step-up.us or call (919) 781-0156.