By Jake Seaton, NBC-17

Years of planning and months of courting by the City culminated Wednesday with the announcement that the International Bluegrass Music Association‘s awards show, conference and festival will come to Raleigh in 2013.

With North Carolina’s own The Grass Cats setting the mood, Mayor Nancy McFarlane took the stage on the Astroturf area adjacent to City Plaza to announce what she called a “major cultural event.”

That event is the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, a week-long event that includes a four-day business conference, the International Bluegrass Music Awards and a three-day Bluegrass Fan Fest that features performance from more than 60 bluegrass bands.

The event is currently hosted in Nashville, Tenn., but will relocate to Raleigh Sept. 23-29, 2013. The City will also host the event Sept. 24 through Oct. 5, 2014, and Sept. 28 through Oct. 4, 2015.

“This is a monumental moment for Raleigh, Wake County and North Carolina,” said Denny Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This event really is the Super Bowl of bluegrass music, and we look forward to showcasing our area’s musical and cultural heritage to the thousands of fans, musicians and industry leaders coming to North Carolina’s capital city.”

IBMA board member and Kneedeep in Bluegrass radio host Cindy Baucom says Raleigh was a logical choice for the World of Bluegrass because of North Carolina’s bluegrass heritage that reaches far beyond the contemporary bluegrass music of the Steep Canyon Rangers, the Grass Cats, Jim Mills and David Holt.

“Some argue Bill Monroe might not have made it to the Opry to unveil this new genre of music had it not been for Raleigh, N.C.,” Baucom said. “That’s the place where he and his brother Charlie famously parted ways in 1938, which started a chain of events that would lead the younger brother, Bill Monroe, to form the Blue Grass Boys.”

She added, “My husband Terry Baucom and I are so proud to call North Carolina home, and we cannot wait to welcome our bluegrass friends from all over the world to enjoy IBMA World of Bluegrass in our beautiful capital city of Raleigh.”

As for the beautiful capital city, Jon Weisberger, vice chair of the IBMA board of directors, says the area surrounding the Raleigh Convention Center is the perfect venue for the IBMA’s events, saying it “looks like it was designed specifically for us to meet our needs.”

“If someone had designed a venue perfect for our events, the city of Raleigh could not have done a better job,” Chair Stan Zdonik said.

Weisberger, who served on the site selection committee, says he visited several cities and locations, including the World of Bluegrass’s current home in Nashville, but he says Raleigh’s Convention Center, the Performing Arts Center and “this meeting campus” seemed tailored fit for the IBMA’s needs.

The selection committee made its way to Raleigh in March, where a reception for the IBMA was hosted at the Marriott City Center with banjo player Jim Mills, mandolin player Tony Williamson, and Sugar Hill Records founders Barry Poss and Dave Freeman. But Edwards says plans to bring the IBMA to Raleigh date prior to the convention center’s opening in 2008.

“Our sales team has been working diligently on bringing this World of Bluegrass festival here to Raleigh for over five years,” Edwards pointed out. “We knew we had the perfect campus to host the event with the opening of the Raleigh Convention Center, the Raleigh Amphitheatre, City Plaza, [and] Fayetteville Street, along with the compliment of the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts.”

He added, “Combine our campus with North Carolina’s rich history of bluegrass music along with the strong support of our community, and we knew Raleigh was the ideal home of the World of Bluegrass festival and we’re thrilled the IBMA leadership agreed with us.”

When World of Bluegrass makes it way to Raleigh in 2013, Edwards says it is expected it will generate a direct economic impact of more than $9.9 million per year in Wake County. Along with that, he says the event will bring more 16,000 visitors to Raleigh, with more 8,500 from out of town.

“IBMA currently has blocked eight hotels just for the convention delegates alone, which will generate over 5,900 total room nights per year,” Edwards said.

In addition to highlighting the City and the accomplishments of former mayor Charles Meeker, McFarlane says the event will be an opportunity to showcase the arts and culture of the region.

“The rest of the world is going to start to discover what an incredible local music scene we have,” McFarlane said. “We have so much richness in arts and culture here, and so much of that is organic.”

IBMA Interim Executive Director Nancy Cardwell says the World of Bluegrass’s move to downtown Raleigh does not mean a complete move from Nashville. “The IBMA offices will continue to be located in Nashville, Tenn.,” she said.

Piedmont Council of Traditional Music Executive Director William Lewis was appointed to the IMBA Board of Directors during its spring 2012 meeting in Nashville. PineCone’s offices are located in downtown Raleigh, though its programs extend to more than 22 counties in the region.

With a reputation for highlighting some of the Triangle’s hottest talent, the Town of Chapel Hill and the Chapel Hill Downtown Partnership have announced this summer’s Locally Grown line-up.

Kicking off June 28, the Locally Grown series always features some of the best talent coming out of the area. In years past, that has included The Love Language, Lost in the Trees, Future Islands, The Old Ceremony and The Physics of Meaning.

This season will kick-off with Birds & Arrows along with Lizzy Ross Band and Mary Johnson Rockers & The Spark on June 28.

The music continues on July 26 with Mount Moriah, as well as Skylar Gudasz and the Ugly Girls.

And the series concludes Aug. 23 with Mipso Trio and Morning Brigade.

The series, which is held Thursday evenings in Wallace Plaza on top of the Wallace Parking Deck at 150 E. Rosemary Street, is a free event.

On July 12, the town will hold a screening of “The Muppets,” followed by “The Dark Knight” on July 19, “Back to the Future” on Aug. 2, “Gnomeo & Juliet” on Aug. 9 and “Vertigo” on Aug. 16.

Concert nights feature the New Belgium Brewing Company beer garden along with “a selection of food from some of Franklin Street’s favorite restaurants.”

Wiz Khalifa ran into more legal problems in North Carolina after a Winston-Salem police officer noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the rapper’s tour bus Tuesday night.

Khalifa, 24, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, performed Tuesday night before about 2,000 people at the Joel Coliseum.

Officer J.C. Renew of the Winston-Salem Police Department said in the search warrant that he had been assigned to the parking lot area of the Joel Coliseum where his job was to look out for people who might be selling or taking illegal drugs.

At 9:15 p.m., Renew approached Khalifa’s tour bus and “detected a strong odor of burnt or burning marijuana coming from the bus,” the search warrant said. No one was around the bus or within 40 feet of the bus, but Renew saw a man standing at the door of the bus. Renew asked the man to open the door, and when the door was opened, the smell got stronger, the search warrant said.

According to the search warrant, Renew seized a quantity of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

Khalifa was charged with possession of one-half ounce of marijuana or less. Lt. Tom Stevenson of the Winston-Salem Police Department declined to say how much marijuana police seized or what kind of other drug paraphernalia was found on the tour bus. He said that 18 to 19 people who either attended the concert or were part of Khalifa’s entourage were cited for marijuana possession.

One person was cited for felony possession of ecstasy, he said.

The incident is the second time in a week that Khalifa was cited for marijuana possession. The Nashville Tennessean reports that the rapper was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession after hotel staff received complaints about marijuana use in his hotel room.

In November 2010, Khalifa was arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana after performing at East Carolina University. ECU Police initially entered Wiz Khalifa’s bus after detecting a marijuana smell.

The bust yielded more than 60 grams of the drug.

“Due to that strong smell of odor of marijuana an investigation ensued in which, at the end of the concert, resulted in Wiz Khalifa as well as nine of his band members to be arrested for possession of marijuana,” ECU Police Chief Dawn Tevepaugh said.

A court date on the Winston-Salem case is set for July 27.

All I can say is, “It’s about time.”

Yep Roc Records today announced the signing of Triangle staples The Old Ceremony. The band will release its fifth studio album, Fairytales and Other Forms of Suicide, Aug. 21.

We are, of course, no stranger to The Old Ceremony, but Yep Roc aptly explains, “Through constantly evolving from album to album, The Old Ceremony has consistently carved out its own distinctive aesthetic, once described as ‘the Beatles meet the Bad Seeds.’”

Recently the band played at Kings alongside The Avett Brothers at the Racing the Cure benefit. On April 27, they will perform at Cat’s Cradle with blues legend John Dee Holeman.

Two years ago, along with the opening of the Raleigh Amphitheater, Deep South Entertainment ended its free summer concert series in Moore Square, saying the event had run its course.

“Downtown Live was created because what was needed was the bringing of population downtown for entertainment. The new amphitheater is filling that need right now,” Dave Rose, co-owner of Deep South Entertainment, said at the time.

While the amphitheater has certainly experienced some great successes in its two seasons, a void was left for a concert series during which downtown visitors could come and go as they pleased.

Enter Oak City 7, a seven-night series kicking off May 31 in City Plaza.

“Raleigh is a great place to live and work, and to attend concerts. This area is home to some of the most talented musicians in the world and Oak City 7 is a great showcase of this amazing talent,” Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane said. “Showcasing amazing local products, services, and artists is the foundation for Oak City 7, all the while providing the public with a comfortable and enjoyable free concert setting.”

Like Downtown Live, Oak City 7 will be completely free and is 100 percent sponsor-driven, meaning taxpayer money will not go into the productions. The event will live in City Plaza and be held every other Thursday through Labor Day.

Each of the seven shows will feature three bands, spanning genres from indie rock to bluegrass.

“We have some of most talented musicians and bands in the world right here in the Triangle,” Rose, a spokesman for the concert series, said. “Oak City 7 will feature the best of this amazing local talent pool.”

The full line-up of artists performing will be announced on April 30 at OakCity7.com.

Considering Hopscotch‘s first year saw the now-annual festival bring Public Enemy, Panda Bear and Broken Social Scene to City Plaza in downtown Raleigh, there really wasn’t much doubt that — three years later — the ante would be upped.

“Each year, we think we’re producing an event people want to attend, but we never know until we release the lineup and gauge reaction,” Hopscotch founder and director Greg Lowenhagen said. “We’re grateful for the support and look forward to doing this as long as the bands and fans keep coming.”

In its third year, Hopscotch will bring 175 bands to 15 venues throughout downtown Raleigh Sept. 6-8. While some 165 of those bands will take the stage at 14 venues, all eyes are on City Plaza and who curator Grayson Currin has lined up for the festival-defining shows on Friday and Saturday.

On Sept. 7, indie rock stalwarts Built to Spill will join a reunited Jesus and Mary Chain on the main stage. Meanwhile, on Sept. 8, the massive, 17-piece disco band Escort will open for the ultimate hip-hop band, The Roots.

Of course Hopscotch just wouldn’t be “Hopscotch” without the numerous unique opportunities to see musicians stepping outside of their normal routines. In 2010, Megafaun presented an improv night at Kings; while in 2011, Rhys Chatham invited 11 musicians on stage to perform his 30-minute “Guitar Trio.”

This year is no different.

The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle will play two sets at Fletcher Opera Theater, including a set of rarities on acoustic guitar and a covers set featuring heavy metal numbers played on piano.

Megafaun will again present a unique set. This time the trio will premiere a new work at Long View Center with German composer Arnold Dreyblatt.

Guitarist Ben Greenberg, who performs as Hubble, will offer the world premiere of a piece called “Lag.”

Drummer Chris Corsano (Björk, Jandek, Kim Gordon, Nels Cline) will jump in on bands’ sets throughout Hopscotch, making several performances “once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

And Richmond songwriter Matthew E. White will give a one-time performance of his forthcoming record, complete with horns, strings and a full choir.

Also set to perform during the unforgettable — and no doubt exhausting — weekend are Bio Ritmo, Colin Stetson, Dan Deacon, Danny Brown, Deerhoof, Ducktails, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Lambchop, Samantha Crain, Sunn O))), Wye Oak and Yo La Tengo. And naturally, dozens of Triangle-area musicians will take the various stages — including Birds of Avalon, Corrosion of Conformity, Gross Ghost, Heads on Sticks, Left Outlet, Mac McCaughan (Superchunk), Midtown Dickens, Pipe, Shark Quest, T0W3RS, The dB’s and Valient Thorr .

Pre-lineup VIP wristbands sold-out after their December release, however 200 more VIP wristbands are available for $165. Three-day All-Show wristbands are still available for $110, and a limited number of single-day passes and Single City Plaza tickets will be available in July.

COMPLETE LINEUP:

Airstrip, Altar of Plagues, Altos, Alvarius B, Amen Dunes, Arnold Dreyblatt & Megafaun, Balam Acab, Baroness, Big Troubles, Bill Orcutt, Bio Ritmo, Birds of Avalon, Black Skies, Boy Friend, Built to Spill, Burglar Fucker, Calico Haunts, Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan, Carlos Giffoni, Charlie Parr, Charles Latham, Cheater Slicks, Chelsea Crowell, Chris Corsano, Chris Forsyth & Koen Holtkamp, Chuck Johnson, Cities Aviv, Class Actress, CO LA, Colin Stetson, Corrosion of Conformity, Curtis Eller, Damien Jurado, Dan Deacon, Danny Brown, David Pajo/Papa M, Death Grips, Deerhoof, Delicate Steve, Doldrums, Donovan Quinn, Dope Body, Drique London, Duchess Says, Ducktails, Elephant Micah, Escort, EXITmusic, feltbattery, Field Report, Flesh Wounds, Flosstradamus, Free Electric State, Frustrations, G-Side, Glenn Jones, Grohg, Gross Ghost, Guardian Alien, Guinea Worms, Hacienda, Heads on Sticks, High Wolf, Hiss Golden Messenger, Holograms, Hubble (Lag World Premiere), Hume, Hundred Waters, ITAL, J. Roddy Walston & the Business, Jacaszek, Jackie Chain, Jane Jane Pollock, Jason Kutchma & the 5 Fifths, Jenny Besetzt, Joint D≠, Jon Mueller’s Death Blues, Julia Holter, Kenny Roby, Kevin Drumm, Lambchop, Lazy Janes, Laurel Halo, Left Outlet, Liars, Lilac Shadows, Lizzy Ross Band, Little Hollow, Mac McCaughan, Marc McGuire, MAKE, Matthew E. White: One Incantation Under God, Mark Holland, Midtown Dickens, Minor Stars, Mirel Wagner, My Best Fiend, Nails, Naked Gods, Nerves Junior, Nests, Nick Catchdubs, No BS Brass Band, Nobunny, Odonis Odonis, Oneida, Oren Ambarchi, Paint Fumes, Pallbearer, Phil Cook & His Feat, Pipe, Pop. 1280, Quiet Evenings, Roman Candle, Roomrunner, Samantha Crain, Savage Knights, Say Brother, Screaming Females, Secret Cities, Secret Mountains, Shark Quest, Shirlette & the Dynamite Brothers, Shovels & Rope, Silver Swans, Sinful Savage Tigers, Sister Crayon, Some Army, STAG, Starlings, TN, Strand of Oaks, Sunn O))), Sutekh Hexen, T0W3RS, Tomas Phillips & Craig Hilton, Tom Maxwell, Tenement, Thee Oh Sees, The Atlas Moth, the band in Heaven, The Beast, The Beat Report, The Bronzed Chorus, The dB’s, The Future Kings of Nowhere, The Hot at Nights, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Mountain Goats, The Roots, The Spits, The Toddlers, Toon & The Real Laww, The Weather Station, Valient Thorr, Vattnet Viskar, Versus, Whatever Brains, White Hills, Withered, Wood Ear, Work Clothes, Wowser Bowser, Wye Oak, Wylie Hunter & the Cazadores, Yo La Tengo, Young and in the Way, Young Magic, Zack Mexico, Zammuto, Zeus, Zola Jesus

To re-live Hopscotch Festivals of past, click here.

We’re less than a month out from the full lineup announcement, which means we’ll be receiving bits and pieces of information about what to expect at Hopscotch ’12.

Just last week, Hopscotch announced that doom metal pioneers Sunn O))) will play their first announced North American tour date since September 2010 when they take the stage at Memorial Auditorium on Sept. 8.

And Detroit-based underground emcee Danny Brown was announced to be performing at the annual music festival.

Just today, festival co-founder Greg Lowenhagen revealed that Chicago’s Flosstradamus will among those making the trek to Raleigh Sept. 6 through 8.

“Formed by DJs J2K (Josh Young) and Autobot (Curt Cameruci) in 2005, they’ve maintained relevancy for what seems like an eternity by deftly blending styles — mash-ups, house, juke, hardstyle, and recently, techno-fueled trap anthems — and abiding by one simple rule: Have fun,” Lowenhagen writes of Flosstradamus.

“From their fabled Wednesday night sets at Chicago’s Town Hall Pub to college campuses to Coachella, Flosstradamus create an atmosphere where people want to sweat.”

As for what else is on tap for Hopscotch, that remains a mystery until the floodgates open April 18, or until more names slip through the cracks.

Meanwhile, Hopscotch will host Real Estate, Twerps and Old Bricks at Lincoln Theatre this Friday, April 6 for a free show benefiting The Coalition to Protect All North Carolina Families, a movement focused on defeating Amendment One.

Also, on April 20, Hopscotch brings the living, breathing dance party that is Gang Gang Dance to the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences for the grand opening of the museum’s new wing. Again, that show is free.

Pre-lineup VIP wristbands are sold out, however 200 more VIP wristbands will be released at midnight on April 18 for $165. Three-day All-Show wristbands are still available for $110, and a limited number of single-day passes and Single City Plaza tickets will be on sale in July.

To re-live Hopscotch Festivals of past, click here.

By Jake Seaton & Associated Press

RALEIGH — As news of bluegrass legend and banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs’ passing rippled through the music industry, North Carolina musicians were hit especially hard as they learned the Cleveland County native had died.

Scruggs’ son Gary said his father died of natural causes Wednesday morning at a Nashville, Tenn., hospital. He was 88 years old.

Scruggs was an innovator who pioneered the modern banjo sound. His use of three fingers rather than the clawhammer style elevated the banjo from a part of the rhythm section — or a comedian’s prop — to a lead instrument.

“Scruggs devised a new style of three-fingered picking that created an immediate sensation in the 1940s and became one of the defining characteristics of bluegrass music,” said Wayne Martin, folklife director of the N.C. Arts Council. “He brought an extraordinarily high level of creativity, precision and artistry to banjo playing and through his long recording and touring career carried the instrument to the forefront of American roots music.”

Martin added, “He transformed banjo playing and, in the process, transformed American popular culture.”

Scruggs’ string-bending and lead runs became known worldwide as “the Scruggs picking style” and the versatility it allowed has helped popularize the banjo in almost every genre of music.

As the Piedmont Council of Tradition Music (PineCone) aptly explained, “His innovative banjo playing left an indelible mark in bluegrass music and inspired musicians around the world.”

“Throughout his entire career, Earl Scruggs maintained a personal commitment to creativity and innovation in traditional music,” PineCone Executive Director William Lewis said in a statement. “Whether it was perfecting and propagating the rolling three-finger banjo picking technique, developing a tuning device to help players bend notes, or experimenting with country-rock-bluegrass fusion, Earl Scruggs approached traditional music with an open mind and gifted hand and was a bridge between genres and generations.”

Chandler Holt, picker for Raleigh-based bluegrass band Chatham County Line, says he owes much of his musical career to Scruggs and Lester Flatt.

“I can say that I owe thousands of hours of happiness to Earl Scruggs,” Holt explained. “I’ve had the privilege to travel to so many wonderful places and meet so many people.”

Holt added, “I don’t know that any of it would have happened if I never heard ‘Foggy Mountain Banjo’ by Flatt & Scruggs.”

Puritan Rodeo banjo player Sean Dowdall of Durham echoed Holt’s sentiments, saying, “I’ve been in awe of him [Earl Scruggs] since I was a little, little kid who couldn’t even reach the top frets on my banjo — a banjo legend.”

Scruggs was the recipient of a 1996 N.C. Heritage Award from the North Carolina Arts Council, honoring North Carolina’s most eminent folk artists.

He also was recognized with the National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the President’s National Medal of Arts, and membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame.

As Walnut Creek’s summer music series begins to flesh out with troves of country artists, the first rock bands have surfaced on the venue’s schedule.

Chicago and The Doobie Brothers will share the stage at the Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek on July 26 Aug. 5. Tickets for the show go on sale March 3 at 10 a.m. and start at $10.

Each band will perform their own array of chart-toppers, and then “will join together for a thrilling grand finale encore, playing each other’s songs.”

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By Bill Kaczor, Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — William Dillon was momentarily overcome with emotion in the Florida House gallery on Friday as the chamber passed a bill that would compensate him $1.35 million for spending 27 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.

The vote came about 10 months after the House failed to act on a similar measure as time ran out on the 2011 legislative session. The Senate, as it did last year, passed the legislation first and sent it to the House.

This year’s bill (SB 2) now goes back to the Senate for approval of changes made by the House, which did not alter the dollar amount or the measure’s effect.

“It’s definitely a closure to a great degree,” Dillon said, fighting back tears. “They’re admitting that something wrong did happen.”

Dillon, now 52, was cleared by DNA testing in the beating death of James Dvorak on a Brevard County beach in 1981. Dillon was freed in November 2008. A jailhouse informant also has since recanted his testimony against Dillon and authorities reopened the murder investigation.

The Legislature must pass a claims bill for Dillon to receive compensation because he does not qualify for automatic payment due to a prior drug conviction when he was 19 years old.

The House applauded when Dillon was introduced and after debate by Rep. Will Weatherford, a Wesley Chapel Republican who is in line to become speaker in November.

“The thought of me living my entire life, my lifespan, in a prison for a crime I did not commit is beyond my comprehension,” the 32-year-old Weatherford said.

“There’s no price tag you can put on that,” he added. “There is no dollar amount that can give this man his 27 years. It will not happen.”

Weatherford said the bill would give Dillon, his family and others harmed by his wrongful conviction “something precious, right and humane.”

The roll call was 107-5. Opponents said the claims bill process is flawed because it rewards those who have the best lobbyists.

“We are not here to be judge and jury,” said Rep. John Wood, R-Winter Haven. “I for one resent having to determine these kinds of matters when we should be focusing on what’s important for the people of Florida.”

Dillon now lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., where he writes and performs music. He recently released a CD titled “Black Robes and Lawyers” that draws on his experience with the justice system. He said he’s not bitter.

“You can either be real glum and sad and have ulcers about it, or you can just put it in the past and say ‘I’m going to be positive about it and keep moving forward,’” he said.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, a Merritt Island Republican, sponsored the bill and made it a top priority this year and last. The Senate passed this year’s bill on Jan. 10, the first day of the 60 day legislative session. Haridopolos said that he wanted to make sure the House had plenty of time to consider it after what happened last year.

Dillon thanked the Florida Innocence Project that helped him win his freedom along with his lawyer, former Florida State University President Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, and lobbyist Guy Spearman, both of whom worked on his case without fee.

The Senate is expected to send the bill to Gov. Rick Scott who has not taken a position on it yet. D’Alemberte said he has spoken to Scott’s chief of staff, Steve MacNamara, a longtime friend whom he said has an interest in the bill. MacNamara also was Haridopolos’ chief of staff before moving to the governor’s office.

“I’m not worried about the governor vetoing it,” D’Alemberte said.

Grammy Award nominees Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers will return to the Durham Performing Arts Center for a “special encore evening of bluegrass music and comedy.”

Martin — yes, THAT Steve Martin — and the UNC alums will perform at DPAC June 3. Tickets start at $58 and go on sale Feb. 24.

The pairing previously sold out the venue in May 2011, and DPAC General Manager Bob Klaus says the performance was “one of our highlight shows, a rare treat.”

“To have this virtuoso group return to our venue is a testament to the intimate personality of the DPAC stage,” Klaus said. “Musicians love it here, and that translates directly to a great audience experience.”

DPAC will produce the show in association with the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music.

“Steve Martin’s music has introduced bluegrass to new audiences around the world, and his work with North Carolina’s own Steep Canyon Rangers is a tribute to the vibrant traditional music scene right here in our state,” PineCone Executive Director William Lewis said.

“We are excited to partner with DPAC to bring these fantastic musicians back to the Triangle and to share the story of some of North Carolina’s heritage music with people who may not be as familiar with it, as well as with those who are already passionate about it.”

In 2011, Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers’ collaborative LP Rare Bird Alert was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category “Best Bluegrass Album.”

To add this show to your mobile calendar, scan the QR Code with your mobile device below.

In its first two seasons, the Raleigh Amphitheater has established a reputation for quality booking. And the venue’s third season is already shaping up to rival years past.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the surviving original members of The Beach Boys are hitting the road for a tour that will make its way to more than 40 cities.

Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks — who have not toured together in 20 years — will perform at the Raleigh Amphitheater April 29. Tickets start at $29.50 and go on sale Feb. 25 at 10 a.m.

In addition to celebrating 50 incredible years, The Beach Boys plan to release a new studio album as well as a commemorative 50th Anniversary catalog.

Of course it should be noted that the band finally released their long-delayed and widely bootlegged follow-up to Pet Sounds, the Smile sessions. The album saw The Beach Boys pushing their famous harmonizations to a point that blurred the line between vocals and instrumentation — often resembling scat singing.

In 2008, Legacy Recording released a 30th anniversary, two-disc edition of Pacific Ocean Blue, the only solo album from former Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, who drowned in 1983.

To add this concert to your mobile calendar, scan the QR Code below with your mobile device.

Empire Eats plans to purchase the building that used to house Hideaway BBQ – once a staple Roots music venue – on Capital Blvd.

Samantha Hatem, with Empire Eats, confirmed Tuesday that the company will purchase the venue, and plans to use the facility for the company’s catering business.

The opening date for the catering facility has not yet been set.

After Hideaway BBQ closed in 2008, the building sat empty until being purchased in 2010 and transformed into Olde Raleigh Chinese Buffet.

While the building saw a change in fare, the exterior remained very much a barbecue restaurant.

After Hideaway shuttered its doors, Marianne Taylor, the restaurant’s booking agent, moved to Berkeley Cafe on Martin Street, where she has helped establish the venue as the new go-to place for Americana music.

Empire Eats owns several restaurants in Downtown Raleigh, including Raleigh Times Bar and The Pit.

Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding will make her way to the Carolina Theatre in Durham.

Spalding, who was the first jazz musician to win a Grammy in the category “Best New Artist,” will perform at the recently renovated venue May 9. Tickets start at $42 and go on sale Feb. 17 at 10 a.m.

Spalding is touring in support of Radio Music Society, the follow-up to 2010’s Chamber Music Society, which earned the singer attention from the Grammy’s and a top spot on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.

“Originally I thought it would be fun to release a double album,” she said of Chamber Music. “One disc with an intimate, subtle exploration of chamber works and a second one in which jazz musicians explore song forms and melodies that are formatted more along the lines of what we would categorize as ‘pop songs.’”

Spalding continued, “On the pop song side, I think about listeners who aren’t into jazz, but I also think about the people within my musical community who can interpret each idea best.”

Radio Music Society will see a release through Heads Up International March 20.

To add this concert to your mobile calendar, scan the QR Code below with your mobile device.

By Megan Hahn & Jake Seaton, NBC-17

Ten minutes. That’s the time it took tickets to sell out for a concert benefiting a two-year-old boy suffering from a tumor on the base of his tailbone.

“Racing the Cure” — scheduled to span three Downtown Raleigh clubs on March 23 — is a benefit concert in honor of Oliver Gant featuring some of North Carolina’s hottest talent, including The Avett Brothers and The Love Language.

Oliver, the son of Jed and Stacy Gant, was diagnosed with a sacrococcygeal teratoma a year ago and is continuing his fight against the cancer. Funds raised through the benefit concert will pay a portion of Oliver’s medical bills, as well as aid several charity organizations, including Caringbridge, that assisted the Gant family throughout Oliver’s illness.

The benefit will feature 15 North Carolina bands, including the Annuals, The Avett Brothers, Birds of Avalon, Filthybird, Gross Ghost, Hammer No More the Fingers, Ivan Rosebud & Jon Yu, Jack the Radio, Lonnie Walker, The Love Language, The Old Ceremony, Patty Hurst Shifter, Schooner, Spider Bags and Whatever Brains.

Hooking Up from Harrisonburg, Va. is also set to perform during the benefit.

Tickets sold out in less than 10 minutes at a cost of $25, already raising $25,000 in initial ticket sales for the Gant family. Organizers say they set an initial goal to raise $30,000 for Oliver’s cause.

Benefit organizer Grayson Currin credits the public’s overwhelming response of support to the inspirational Gant family. Currin has known the Gant’s personally for several years and felt compelled to organize the benefit after Oliver’s diagnosis.

“The Gant family is inspiring with their general spirit in the face of a tragic circumstance,” Currin explained. “They spent weeks on end at UNC Hospitals as Oliver underwent chemotherapy. They also travelled to New York for Oliver’s surgery.”

Oliver’s father, Jed, says he and his wife have known bits and pieces of information about the benefit for several weeks, but he said he wanted to reserve the surprise of the lineup until Wednesday at 10 a.m., when the rest of the world learned of the event.

“Yesterday, I got very excited about the prospect of the announcement but this morning I initially forgot because we got up with Oliver, gave him his morning meds and it was our first day back from the hospital … since Saturday,” Jed recalled.

“I walked into the bedroom, where my wife Stacy was, and I told her the lineup and started reading her Jordan Lawrence’s post. We both teared up at the enormity of the lineup, and I said to Stacy, ‘This will be all over the social networks today, get ready.’”

In 10 minutes the tickets were gone, and Jed says his inbox and phone were “full of messages asking for details about the event and how to get tickets.”

“It’s all overwhelming and amazing,” Jed said. “At the heart of all of this is the concept of caring for friends and helping someone else out while you can spare a hand, a dollar, or a song or two.

“If this whole thing has taught me anything, it’s that I will spend the rest of my life doing very similar things that Grayson — and everyone else who helped on this benefit and the others — has done: lending a hand to a friend in need.”

Not only was the public compelled to action by Oliver’s struggle, but several bands were personally touched by Oliver’s story.

Brian Corum, frontman for Lonnie Walker, explained that keyboardist Justin Flythe also battled cancer.  He says Lonnie Walker’s participation in the benefit honors both Oliver and Flythe.

Benefit tickets will be exchanged March 23 for a wristband that allows entrance to each of the three show venues – The Pour House, Kings Barcade and Tir Na Nog. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

Organizers say another venue may be added to the line-up to allow for additional ticket sales.

Six-time Grammy Award winner Elton John will return to the RBC Center in Raleigh after a nine-year absence.

“We are pleased to welcome Elton John back to Raleigh after more than nine years,” RBC Center GM Dave Olsen said in a statement. “Few artists transcend the genres like he has.”

Tickets for the March 16 performance go on sale Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. and start at $37.

Billed “Elton John & His Band,” the show will feature John playing hits from his five-decade career, which includes 35 gold and 25 platinum albums, and 29 consecutive Top 40 hits.

“It is though his live performances that Elton John reminds us why he is one of the most successful artists of all time,” Olsen said.

In addition to six Grammy Awards, John has earned four Brit Awards, and Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Tony. John was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

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The Triangle must be some sort of tour saboteur, because another highly anticipated gig is getting the kibosh — at least for the time being.

Red Hot Chili Peppers, who was scheduled to perform at the RBC Center on Jan. 27, announced Wednesday that it would have to postpone the start of its up-coming U.S. tour.

The band says frontman Anthony Keidis sustained multiple foot injuries, and “recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot.”

Barring any further complications with Keidis’ recovery, the tour should kick-off April 2. It was originally scheduled to start Jan. 20.

As for the band’s appearance at the RBC Center, the Red Hot Chili Peppers will make the trek to Raleigh on April 4. Tickets for the show, which the band says is sold-out, will be honored at the rescheduled date.

The band is touring in support of its Grammy-nominated 10th studio album, I’m With You.

Some of the other tours scheduled to pass through the areas that were forced to either be cancelled or postponed were The Monkees, Adele, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and Loretta Lynn.

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While the world was introduced to Ari Picker’s folk orchestra with All Alone in an Empty House‘s 2010 re-release through ANTI-, it’s been nearly four years since Lost in the Trees originally released the album through Trekky Records.

“Of course a lot of this stuff is new to most of the people in the world because we’ve been pretty much been an East Coast band,” Picker said of All Alone in an Empty House‘s re-release.

On March 20, Picker’s next great opus, A Church That Fits Our Needs, will see the light of day through ANTI- and Trekky Records.

Described by Trekky as “devastating and beautiful,” A Church That Fits Our Needs is a tribute to Picker’s mother, who took her own life in the summer of 2009.

Picker composed the album with his mother’s picture above his desk — the same photo that will grace the cover of Church.

“I wanted to give her a space, in the music, to be, and to become all the things she didn’t get a chance to be when she was alive,” Picker said.

The album’s lead single, Picker says, is a backlash against his “continuous struggle to capture the emotions of my family’s story.”

“I’ve never really been into the idea of making art for the sake of art, but lately I’ve become more attracted to its spontaneity,” Picker said. “‘Red’ was a victim of this experiment.

“Red” by Lost in the Trees

“Lyrics like ‘color for my eyes’ come from this same spontaneous space. But they are mixed with truer moments, such as ‘your love carried me through today,’ which is what my mom had entered in her journal on the day she discovered she had cancer. Powerful stuff like that.

“So it is a Frankenstein — a collage of images that spawn from daydreams and acute moments of life-changing memories.”

If you missed Lost in the Trees on Sessions at Studio B, you can catch the performance on the video’s landing page.

Raleigh metal legends Corrosion of Conformity is gearing up to release its first studio album in seven years; and with it, a U.S. tour that will bring the band to Lincoln Theatre.

Recorded at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Los Angeles with producer John Custer, the self-titled album will see a release Feb. 28, with the tour kicking off March 1 at Gramercy Theatre in New York.

Joined by Torche, Valient Thorr and A Storm of Light, Corrosion of Conformity will perform at Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on March 3. Tickets are available for $15 in advance or $18 the day of the show.

“We think the lineup of music on this tour is really compatible without every band doing the same thing. We’re really proud to be on this bill and touring on a new album,” vocalist Mike Dean said.

The reassembled CoC features the band’s 1985 Animosity lineup of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin.

“Mike, Woody and I essentially learned how to play music together and cultivated our own style, sound, and unspoken language,” Mullin explained. “Re-bonding with them musically has been the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

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Country music legend Loretta Lynn has again been forced to postpone her performance at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Lynn, who underwent a total-knee replacement in the Fall, said she needed a few more weeks of physical therapy before the start of her 2012 tour. What that means for fans in North Carolina is they’ll have to wait until April — hopefully! — to catch the famed “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Once set to play DPAC Jan. 8, the 76-year-old will now perform on April 7. Lynn was originally scheduled to perform in Durham in October, however she fell ill and was forced to postpone that performance.

Tickets to the original show date will be honored for her rescheduled performance at DPAC.

In October, Lynn was admitted to a Kentucky hospital after awakening on her tour bus complaining of difficulty breathing.

Doctors said Lynn was suffering from the beginning stages of Bacterial Pneumonia, which forced her to cancel her shows in Ashland, Ky. and Durham.

In August, Lynn underwent knee replacement surgery, forcing her to cancel several performances in September. Before that, she returned to live performances with a show at the Grand Ole Opry after being forced to cancel shows in Ohio and Connecticut because she was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.

Omaha-based quartet Cursive has a new LP on its way, and by the sound of the first single, the band has long-departed its post-hardcore roots.

With the poppier single, “The Sun and Moon,” in tow, Cursive will hit the road for an expansive three-month tour, which is set to bring them to the Triangle in April.

The band will perform at Kings Barcade April 7; Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits are set to open. Tickets go on sale Jan. 6 at noon for $15 in advance.

Ironically, Durham’s Mount Moriah will join Cursive on tour April 14 and 15, just missing a “hometown” show at Kings.

Cursive will release I Am Gemini, their seventh full-length album, Feb. 21 through Saddle Creek.

The label explains that frontman Tim Kasher wrote the album’s lyrics in a linear fashion, telling the story of “Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth.”

“One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head.”

While Saddle Creek describes I Am Gemini as Cursive’s “musically heaviest in years,” lead single “The Sun and Moon” is catchier than most of the band’s expansive catalog. Take a listen to the single below.

“The Sun and Moon” by Cursive

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By Erica Bustamante, NBC-17

MEBANE, N.C. – Although the “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin has canceled four shows in the Triangle, she did make a stop at the Cracker Barrel in Mebane.

Twitter was all a buzz after the singer ate at the restaurant on Tuesday between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

“My neighbor just met Aretha Franklin at the local Cracker Barrel. Has pictures and everything. In this teeny N.C. town?” stated one tweet from Jennifer Shelton.

A manager at the restaurant confirms that she indeed stop by for a meal and to do some shopping. The manager says she came in with her fiance and four body guards.

Caroline Atkinson says the group was seated at the table right next to theirs. Atkinson said her husband asked them what group they were with and according to Atkinson, one of the men said, “This is Ms. Franklin.”

“I couldn’t believe what he said. Of all places, for the ‘Queen of Soul’ to stop, the last place we would have expected would be Mebane,” said Atkinson.

Atkinson said the singer stood in front of the fireplace to take pictures with diners.

“She was very gracious with everyone. It was a very unexpected and cool experience to have in Mebane,” said Atkinson.

The manager says this isn’t the first time a celebrity has stopped to eat at his restaurant. He says Bon Jovi, members of Alabama and race car drivers have eaten there, to name a few.

In October, Franklin announced she was cancelling her Oct. 16 show in Durham. She later sent a letter to fans saying the show has been rescheduled for Feb. 9, 2012, at the Durham Performing Arts Center.

Makes us wonder where she’ll eat when she’s in town in a few weeks.

It’s been two years since Bowerbirds gave us the gift of Upper Air, their gorgeous Dead Oceans debut.

Now the band is set to return with The Clearing, an album Dead Oceans says is “bigger” with “bolder sounds and a broader scope.”

Scheduled to drop March 6, The Clearing was recorded with Brian Joseph at Justin Vernon’s April Base studio.

As Dead Oceans explains, The Clearing is more than just a third record for Bowerbirds, it “represents the perfect realization of a fresh, timely outlook.”

“Between 2009′s Upper Air and this one, Beth nearly died after a mysterious illness that put her in the hospital. They rescued and adopted a dog that ran beneath their tour van’s tires. Beth and Phil even ended their long relationship but began it again after realizing that, despite their own shortcomings, they didn’t want to be with anyone else.”

“Tuck The Darkness In” by Bowerbirds

The band will celebrate the album’s release March 17 at Cat’s Cradle. Tickets are available for $12 in advance or $15 the day of the show.

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With his new album in tow, Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox will kickoff an East Coast tour at Motorco in Durham.

Better known as Atlas Sound, Cox will perform at Motorco on Wednesday, Dec. 14 along with Balkans and Carnivore. Tickets are available for $15 in advance.

Atlas Sound released Parallax, his third studio album, Nov. 7 through 4AD.

“Terra Incognita” by Atlas Sound

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No stranger to the Triangle, Sharon Van Etten is set to return to the area in support of her new album, Tramp.

The siren — who in the past two years has performed at Kings Barcade, the inaugural year of the Hopscotch Music Festival, and the Hayti Heritage Center with Megafaun, Justin Vernon and Fight the Big Bull — will take the stage at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro on Feb. 12 with Austin-based Shearwater. Tickets are available for $13 in advance or $15 the day of the show.

Van Etten will release her Jagjaguwar debut Tramp Feb. 7. The album’s release is preceded by the single “Serpents,” featuring The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner, The Walkmen’s Matt Barrick, Doveman’s Thomas Bartlett, and Wye Oak’s Jenn Wasner.

“Serpents” by Sharon Van Etten

Tramp is the follow-up to 2010′s Epic.

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Marking the 45th anniversary of their landmark album Days of Future Passed, The Moody Blues will return to the Durham Performing Arts Center in March.

The Moody Blues will perform at DPAC March 25. Tickets go on sale Dec. 9 at 10 a.m.

“DPAC is excited to have been selected to be part of The Moody Blues Spring tour, DPAC General Manager Bob Klaus said. “Their last performance at DPAC was fantastic trip down rock and roll memory lane. To have a second chance to see them up close in the intimate setting of DPAC will be such a treat.”

The Moody Blues previously performed at DPAC March 24, 2010.

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There’s a new venue in town and it has already played host to The Love Language, Megafaun, The Old Ceremony, Gillian Welch and Bowerbirds. In February, we can add The Mountain Goats to that impressive lineup.

In support of their Merge debut All Eternals Deck, the Goats are hitting the road with Nurses in January for a tour that will bring them to the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw Feb. 4. Tickets go on sale Dec. 2 at 7 a.m. for $19.

The Durham-based trio says fans can look forward to hearing some new tunes on this tour.

“[W]e got together and decided to tour the new songs before we even record them,” frontman John Darnielle said.

“I don’t guess that we’ll be touring all 10 of the new songs I’ve written for the next album, but be advised that if you’re the sort of person who wants as many surprises as possible when you hear a new album, you should tread lightly around recordings of these shows, because we’re not going to be holding the best ones back for the album release like people tend to do now.”

“Damn These Vampires” by The Mountain Goats

The Haw River Ballroom is a gorgeous 700-capacity venue situated in the Dye House of Saxapahaw’s Historic Cotton Mill.

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No doubt, the two shows I’m most asked about are Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers. When are either of these bands coming to Raleigh?

While I wish I had an answer for Foo Fighters — I guess their Nov. 8 concert in Charlotte will have to do, for now — I’m happy to report that Red Hot Chili Peppers is only two months away.

The Chili Peppers, who are on the road in support of its 10th studio album I’m With You, will perform at the RBC Center on Jan. 27. Tickets for the show go on sale Dec. 3 at 10 a.m.

Santigold is set to open.

Making things extra cool is the fact the band is recording all of its shows and releasing them a few days later online.

Produced by the infallible Rick Rubin, I’m With You was released Aug. 26 through Warner Bros. Records.

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