SunQueen Kelcey and the Soular Flares: Bringing the Light to Shakori Hills

August 14, 2019 by Krysten Heberly Leave a Comment

Of all the voices to fill the hills of Shakori this fall, there is one that will shine as bright as the sun: SunQueen Kelcey and the Soular Flares.

SunQueen Kelcey has been gifted with a sensual voice that is drenched with vintage soul. Her phrasing dances on top of the Soular Flares’ jazz rhythms and the result makes you want to dance, just as much as it makes you want to hold onto someone that you love.

A staple of the Greensboro music scene, she won a 2017 Bloc Award as the Best R&B Artist of the Year. She explores issues of self love, social justice, and sexual freedom in her music that at once, will make you laugh, blush, and shake your head in affirmation.

We sat down and talked for a bit about her music, her life, and what we can expect from the band’s Shakori Hills debut. With new music in the works, SunQueen Kelcey is the kind of light that we need right now.

Get a taste of her soul with this 2019 submission to the NPR Tiny Desk Contest, or check out her website, and read below for some highlights from our conversation.

Krysten Heberly: How long have you been playing and creating music and what drew you to it?

SunQueen Kelcey: I’ve been playing guitar for maybe eight years now. I’ve been creating my own music for 8 years too. What drew me to it was my personal experiences. I’ve always loved music, I think music is the connection to everyone that we have.

Ever since I was young, it started off as me shouting, thinking that it sounded good when I was a little girl, but when I turned ten, it actually started to sound good. I started writing poems, and I was doing poetry, I wasn’t really performing or anything but I had journals full of it. Then I joined the choirs when I joined middle school and high school, and I fell in love with choral ensemble and just creating music on my own.

KH: Did you go to college, or did you start pursuing music after that?

SQK: Oh good question! So I went to college for 3 years, I was pursuing something so unrelated to music. I was majoring in BIology, I was on a track to do pre-med, and I started flunking out. I just couldn’t concentrate, I was going through a lot of things, I was in a very terrible relationship, and I was just not focused. Plus I think I was just in the wrong lane. So I went for three years, I got kicked out for six months, and then they told me I could come back and I was like nah, fuck it. I have been thrown into the real world and I’d just like to start working and doing music.

KH: It sounds like you’re in a lot better place because of it.

SQK: I am! Y’know, I struggled a lot, but I know that it was all for a great reason, because I never would have imagined that I would be right here. I’ve always loved and wanted to perform music, but I didn’t think it was possible until I started doing it. It’s been a long time coming and I have a ways to go, but shit I am loving it, and you are right.

KH: It’s inspiring, honestly.

SQK: Thank you! I think everyone has their stories about it too. Mine is a little tricky, but y’know.

KH: Where did you come up with the name SunQueen Kelcey and the Soular Flares?

SQK: So I wrote this song called Queen of the Sun which is on my first album. It talks about the power and the impact that Black women have on humanity. When I started to perform it, it was just me and my guitar, and it was a very intimate setting everywhere I would go. Then one time I performed it in front of this open mic, and one of my friends, he called me SunQueen after that. And when he started calling me SunQueen, everyone started calling me SunQueen. And I had been looking for a stage name for a long time. It just fit ya’know? When people caught on like that, I thought ‘maybe it should just be like that.’ I’m the epitome of that song, I am a Black woman, I do have an impact on some of the people in my life, and I know the struggle of being Black and being in the world today. So why not keep that name. The Soular Flares came from me just being so interested in how the sun works. The solar flare is like an eruption of energy, just a burst of energy. I think of it as the sun’s mood swing and the way that the sun expresses itself. When I formed the band for my music, I said ‘everyone has their own personality, we’re all full of fire, we’re all full of a dynamic energy that we bring to the stage.’ SunQueen and the Soular Flares seemed to fit so well.

KH: Who are the Soular Flares?

SQK: I have my homegirl Tai, she is the keyboardist, my friend Malcolm who is one of the guitarists, Darrien who is one of the bassists, Colin, he’s been with me since I started performing in Greensboro and we’ve known each other for about eight years. He’s one of the guitarists as well.

KH: Have you been performing with everyone for a couple of years now?

SQK: Yeah, collectively I think I’ve been performing with everyone for two years now. Other people I’ve known, we’ve done other bands together and performed in other shows, but yeah collectively as the Soular Flares, it’s been about two years.

KH: It sounds like you’ve become kind of a little family.
SQK: Yes! They are my brothers and my sister, and we definitely look out for each other. Like I said, it’s so many different personalities in this band, but when we’re together for shows and for practice, we’re inseparable. I definitely feed off of their energy and vice versa, and we just have fun together.

KH: That’s really what it’s all about. So you talk a lot about social justice being a big part of your music. Why is that?

SQK: I really like to write about my experience, the way I walk through life. When I was growing up, I would hear stories that my mom would tell about living in some of the very rural parts of NC like Candor, Bisko, those parts of Montgomery County. And her being a Black woman from a Black family, she used to experience a lot of racism out there. Even today, being Black in this world, we experience a lot of racism. And I just love to talk about it, and to give those voices of the people who have been highly marginalized out here. Just the chance to say what they want to say. Whether it’s my experience or someone else’s experience, I just want to make sure I give a voice to that. So that’s part of the whole social justice thing.

KH: You also talk a lot about body positivity. Why is that important to you?

SQK: The self love that comes from me…I think I’m talking about self love coming more from my experience of body positivity, and just learning to accept my body, learning to accept other bodies, and making this idea of body neutrality. I think that everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin and to be comfortable in who they are. I think weight is one of those stigmas that we struggle with. People are afraid to eat, people are afraid to wear certain things. People are afraid to even walk into a place because they think they are unworthy of taking up space. So I’ve tried to incorporate the self- love into every show that I do, and with everyone that I meet.

I want people to understand that they deserve and are worthy of love. You should be able to take care of yourself for free. We all need that equity, that equality. We should be able to wake up every day and have everything that we need to be successful and to live a happy and healthy life.

So that’s where the self-love comes from. I’ve struggled with my weight for most of my life, I’ve always been a thick girl, and y’know, when I was at my smallest, those would be the times when I was the most unhappy, the most depressed. Now I’m at one of my heavier weights, and I feel fucking great! I feel amazing, and i have this glow about me that people notice, and that really speaks a lot to how my journey was. It was rough, it took a lot out of me, but through the years when I just learned to accept the way things were and to just work on my mental health first, that’s when I really started to shine.

KH: Acceptance is such a thing to build towards.

SQK: It is. And I think that people get the whole body positivity thing mixed up with people just loving every bit about their body, and just being happy all the time, but it’s not like that. It’s about respect, and learning to be grateful for your body and to take care of your body. You can be a thick girl and work out, eat your greens, eat your vegetables, drink water, you can do all of that and still be thick, but everyone’s body is different. We all store and use nutrients differently. So we’re all gonna look different, and I think that the media pushes us to want to look like something that we just can’t look like without restriction and self-hate. I try to make sure that people understand that those things aren’t realistic…

KH: You mentioned body neutrality, what does that mean to you?

SQK: That means to accept the way that the body is, and that you should accept the way that other bodies look too, especially when you know what your body can do and what it’s capable of. We wake up every day, our heart never stops beating, we make it through the hardest parts of our life, and there is no point in judging someone for the way that they look. So body neutrality is more like accept and normalize that people’s bodies look different. There are fat people, there are tall people, there are small people, everyone looks different. There are skinny people, there are people with disabilities, and people with different skin tones and things that they may not love about themselves.

KH: So why is your music important to you?

SQK: It’s important to me because it’s the way that I connect to everyone around me. I feel like you could make a connection without music, but there’s just something about it that is like a metaphysical connection that you could have with somebody.

Music just has this kind of energy about it. It creates these kinds of bonds that when you see somebody in a bar and y’all start singing, you know all the words, you’re just like ‘Oh this is my soul sister, soul brother.’ Music just does that for people. You could be complete strangers, and because you know the same song you can relate to it, you can cry to it, it just brings people together. I think that I can make an even stronger connection when I perform. I think that’s why it’s important. I love making people feel good, I love seeing people enjoy themselves. You’re not harming anybody, so let’s make magic!

KH: As far as Shakori Hills, what can fans expect from you there?

SQK: They can expect a little bit of twerking, they can expect me to teach them some mantras about self love, and they can expect some new music, because we have some time to get that setlist tight and ready before we come out. I just can’t wait! God, I’m so excited!

MK Rodenbough: Songwriting From the Heart

August 8, 2019 by Krysten Heberly Leave a Comment

When it comes to singer-songwriter acts at Shakori Hills, one act not to miss will be MK Rodenbough, a recent graduate from UNC Chapel Hill. Rodenbough is a self-described Americana artist, who passionately tells her story through the strumming of a six-string, and a voice that feels completely honest, in a way that cuts to the soul.

Listening to MK Rodenbough’ soft, yet powerful, songs is like meeting a new friend and the feeling known them your whole life. Perhaps this is because all of her lyrics come from real events that have happened in her life, mostly during her time at UNC Chapel Hill. From the pits of heartbreak, to finally finding the self-confidence you’ve been looking for, Rodenbough really knows how to capture the more sensitive sides of life in a way that feels relatable and down to Earth.

Rodenbough told me, “I don’t write songs that are about a character, about someone else, I don’t really ever do a lot of storytelling in my music, which I would love to do more of. But when I sit down with a guitar, it is kind of therapeutic. It’s like, how am I feeling? How can I express that with the instrument that I have in front of me?”

Expressing herself through her guitar is what Rodenbough has become known for throughout the local music scene. With performances tightly scheduled between her two jobs, Rodenbough is like many musicians fresh out of college – trying to build a music career with a little bit of time, and a whole lot of heart. This also means working on her debut album, which she is hoping to release either this year, or next year, depending on what time allows.

She continued, “I’m in the process of recording some new material with some new musician pals and a new producer, and trying to find the direction I want to go in after college. Not necessarily a full 180. It’s kind of a cool experience because it feels a lot more intimate, and feels like you’re just with friends instead of a high pressure scenario.”

For the album itself, you can expect some Southern inspired Americana music, and some “sad-girl folk” music. Many of the songs will likely be focused on her experiences as a recent graduate, and all of the emotions that life brings during such a chaotic time. However, Rodenbough also had an opportunity to record her debut album somewhere that was as inspiring as it was beautiful.

“We went to a lake house in February, and recorded a couple of songs. It was just for a couple of days, but it was so serene and a great atmosphere for being creative and putting something together. It literally had a private view onto the lake. So while we were tracking, we were able to look at the lake and it was just really beautiful and inspiring. It was awesome,” she said.

Many of Rodenbough’s debut songs will be played this year at Shakori Hills. You can expect a smaller, more intimate performance from Rodenbough and two of her friends, including Justin Ellis from Happy Abandon on bass, and Daniel Faust on drums.

From the trio, she said we can expect, “A mix of high energy, as well as very mellow songs. This year [I’ve] stripped down the live performance to just me, a bass player, and drums. That’s been really great to make that feel bigger and feel full, even though we don’t have that second guitarist or a keys player or whatever it is. So yeah, people can expect to see me playing some really sad songs with some of my friends.”

Make sure to come check out MK Rodenbough at Shakori Hills this fall; the daily schedule will be coming out soon!

In the meantime, you can follow her page on Facebook, and listen to several of her songs on Soundcloud.

TerraBANG: A Band that Lives Up to the Name

August 1, 2019 by Krysten Heberly Leave a Comment

When it comes to groovy-funky-soul jams, it’s pretty hard to go wrong. With the smooth rhythms that keep the beat of your heart, to sultry lyrics that break us out of the prisons of our own design, a good R&B band is part of the recipe for a happy life (imho).

One of these rare bands happen to be right in our backyard, residing in the tall pines and cool breezes of Boone, North Carolina. Their name is TerraBANG, and they’re here to bring the vibe.

I met with Sergio Grossi who plays keys and contributes vocals to the band and he explained the band’s ethos, “What we’re trying to do is bring people together, to make people happy. We want to express ourselves to the fullest capability, and express the emotions we feel. People say that they like the album, like the songs, and different songs resonate with different people. We just want to create an experience for people when they hear our music. I want to make them happy, but I also want to make them cry.”

As far as their mission of bringing the feelings to your everyday R&B playlist, they are a massive success. TerraBANG dropped their first album, Seed, in 2018, which was an explosive first move onto the scene. With eleven songs that travel through the trials and tribulations of love and life, the songs are uncategorized by any big-named genres. One of the biggest reasons for the genre-defying sound is because of the varying musical interests of everyone in the band.

Grossi continued, “I would say that we have a bunch of different inspirations, and we take a little bit from everything. I feel like my solo music doesn’t really fall into just one category. I just released this album called Love Chronicles, which is like a hip hop album. I’m rapping on every song, but it’s not a great album to release on a hip hop or rap blog, because it’s unlike anything out there. TerraBANG is just like that, it’s unlike anything else out there.”

TerraBANG is comprised of a metal drummer, a couple of jazz musicians, an indie rocker, and a pop-driven vocalist who all know their way pretty well around just about any instrument you can put in front of them. Most of the members of the band were music majors at Appalachian State, and are putting those years of studying to good use.

Grossi said, “Everyone [has] high musical intelligence. So Hinton is pitch perfect, and Brady has relative pitch, and they all play about a thousand different instruments. They all play bass, trumpet, violin, mandolin, guitar, if you go on their Instagrams you’ll see them playing a bunch of different instruments. I would probably say that Aaron has relative pitch too, because he can transpose into any key at any time. If I wanted to sing a tune, he could just play it on his saxophone. Anything that he thinks of.”

As far as the upcoming fall Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival, this is the group’s first venture down to Pittsboro for the event. After about two years performing together, TerraBANG has the kind of stage-presence that makes them impossible to miss. They plan to bring a couple of covers to get the crowd singing along, throw in a few of their own tunes from the 2018 album, and might even play a few from their upcoming release, due in September.

“They can expect us to blow their minds. For me it’s like every gig is a new chance to work as being a performer, and actually giving someone not just plenty of music, but getting them involved and to clap their hands and sing along, ” explained Grossi.

Make sure to come pay TerraBANG a visit this fall at Shakori Hills October 3 – 6, and watch out on their Facebook page for details on their upcoming new release.

You can stream Seed on their bandcamp page.

Check out their tune “Ambition & Affection” on YouTube:

School of Rock Chapel Hill: Where Kids Find Their Tribe

July 19, 2019 by Krysten Heberly Leave a Comment

When you walk up to the doors of School of Rock in Chapel Hill, the first thing that you’ll see is a smashed guitar. Hanging on by just a few pieces of wire and sheer determination, it proudly welcomes you to the establishment. It is the last of four guitars that were smashed at the grand opening of School of Rock two years ago. The other three lie somewhere in the boneyard, as sacrifices to the craft of Rock n’ Roll.

As you open the doors, you’re transported into an old rock n’ roll diner, complete with booths and a walk up bar. Posters signed by young and hopeful future rockstars line the walls, all boasting past shows and sweet memories. As I walk in to begin the interview with the owner, David Joseph, I am invited to sign the bathroom wall, which is a tradition for newcomers. As a massive fan of the 2003 Jack Black film ‘School of Rock,’ I decided to write, “Stick it to the man” with a hot pink sharpie. It quickly becomes obvious to me that this isn’t your everyday school of music.

School of Rock is a music school which teaches students how to play as a team. Much like the aforementioned 2003 Jack Black film, students create a rock band together to learn how to play music. The lessons consist of one private one-on-one lesson, and one band practice per week, to give students, as Joseph puts it, “ the good stuff, and then the broccoli and potatoes.”

Students range in age from 6-19, and are sectioned off by ability and interest. The beginners go into rookie lessons, where they can try out several different instruments to figure out where their interests lie. Once they’ve got their instrument and a little bit of experience, they upgrade to Rock 101. These students age from 8-13, and learn the meat and potatoes of playing music. Upon completion of Rock 101, they can enter the Performance Program, where they will have the opportunity to play on stage.

If you happened to catch School of Rock’s mind-blowing set last fall, you may not see the same kids playing this year. The traveling group that will be coming to rock the grounds of Shakori Hills are called the House Band, where students can be a “gigging musician in [their] community.” These students alternate based on talent, time-commitment, and of course aging in and out of the program. This year’s official House Band will be chosen in August from the nearly 200 students currently enrolled in School of Rock.

Until then, students will be honing their talents with a variety of showcases. Just recently, the House Band came back from a 6-city tour where they played alongside kids from other Schools of Rock around the Tarheel State. In the coming weeks, they will be performing pieces by some of the greats, such as Elton John, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Heart. They will also perform with the School of Rock AllStars, which is comprised of the top 1% School of Rock’s students internationally.

Yet, for the students of School of Rock, it’s not all about becoming the next David Bowie, at least not entirely. It’s about the community created within the school. Students come early and stay late to spend time with their bandmates, and many of these connections last long after the bands have gone their separate ways. Once they’ve aged out of the program, many of these students come back to teach, and thus the cycle begins again.

For School of Rock Chapel Hill owner, David Joseph, it’s the community aspect of School of Rock that really makes it worth doing. The most important part about the organization is its contribution to the community. From the community created in practice rooms, to the greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro community, it’s these connections that are the very foundation of School of Rock’s mission. In fact, this community-based environment was recognized by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce who named School of Rock Chapel Hill the 2019 New Business of the Year.

Previously, the school has auctioned off free months of lessons in schools throughout Carrboro and Chapel Hill, a donation which only becomes more important as school music programs are becoming increasingly defunded. Recently, the organization has partnered with the Ronald McDonald foundation to sponsor a room for one year. Joseph plans to continue to do this as long as he can.

Joseph said, “From day one, I felt that it was important to give back to the community. Anything that helps kids, [brings] a little joy to people’s lives, [shares] the healing power of music, I want to support.”

Come and learn with the School of Rock when they perform this fall at Shakori Hills, and check out their showcases and class information on their website, www.locations.schoolofrock.com/chapelhill.

If you happen to be in Chapel Hill during rush hour traffic, drive by the School of Rock itself. You might just get to hear their latest gig, if the garage door is open, or be invited to sign the bathroom wall.

The Fritz Returns!

June 18, 2019 by Krysten Heberly 1 Comment

Hailing from the high trees and low tones of Asheville, NC, a funky-fresh new kind of sound has been taking over the nation. For the past eight years, The Fritz has been bringing a fresh new take on funk and soul music to the Tar Heel State and beyond. The band will return this fall to the farm for their second performance at Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance. During a moment of rest for the band, we sat down with guitarist Jamie Hendrickson to learn more about what makes The Fritz so electric.

The Fritz specialize in live shows that are built for dancing, grooving and moving. A typical week for the band includes dates in multiple states and the band embraces the live experience in their writing.

“At the heart of our being, we’re a live band. So everything is kind of made for high energy dance music, and everything that we write is written for the stage rather than for…an album and heavily produced. All of our releases so far have been pretty much how we would do them live. We overdub a little bit, but for the most part it’s just us in a room playing.”

Though the live shows are what they are known for, simply sitting in a room and playing seems to be what really gave The Fritz their unique sound. The band members are masters at improvisation, which helps to keep the energy high. From unworldly keyboard solos that sound like something off of Parliament’s ‘Mothership’, to face-melting guitar solos which channel the very essence of Jimi Hendrix, The Fritz knows how to create the kind of sound that gains a reputation.

The band met while each member was studying music at the University of North Florida. It was here that the group began to hone in on exactly what kind of band they wanted to start, a process which continued through their move to Asheville, and the subsequent eight years. Hendrickson attributes the band’s unique sound to the different musical tastes that each person brings to the group.

“Every person in the band has drastically different influences. Jamar was a classical piano major in college, and then some of the other guys were jazz performance…our bass player loves acoustic, celtic and bluegrass. So we just kinda listen to so many different things. When we do The Fritz, we kind of try to put away our individual influences and just see what collectively works best for what we’re trying to do.”

The Fritz’s sound continues to evolve every year, always reaching bigger and better heights. ECHO, the band’s 2018 release, recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios, features a tight horn section comprised of Justin Stanton (trumpet) and Chris Bullock (sax) from Snarky Puppy and Natalie Cressman (trombone) from the Trey Anastasio Band.

Since the release of ECHO last fall, the band has been in “songwriting mode” and planning out the next release. According to Hendrickson, “we’ll hopefully have some more details in the near future about that.”

As for their upcoming Shakori Hills GrassRoots performance, Henderickson says that the festival feels more like a “hometown festival” for the band after several months of touring. Though the location is convenient to their hometown of Asheville, the best part about Shakori Hills for The Fritz, is the energy of the crowd.

“The energy of the Shakori crowd is amazing, [there are] some great music listeners who really pay attention, and at the same time they like to have fun and like to party. We love the people at Shakori, it was a blast!”

The Fritz will surely be an act not to miss this fall. Their music is available online through all of the major streaming sites, with videos of their incredible live performances up on their YouTube page.

Watch the video for ‘Nothing to Find’ below, which was recorded at Echo Mountain Studios and features Chris Bullock, Natalie Cressman, and Justin Stanton.

Guest Blog: Volunteer for the Tickets, Stay for the Magic

March 18, 2019 by David Dean 2 Comments

Written by Guest Blogger: Taari Coleman, longtime Shakori Hills GrassRoots Volunteer

The first time you volunteer for the festival it will likely be for the ticket. And no one faults you for that, it’s the same reason most of us did.

You’ll sign up to do set up, or work in the kid’s tent, or in one of the food booths and as you scroll through the application you’ll be casually thrown by how many ways you can offer your time, how many ways you can make a difference.

Because it’s your first time, when you arrive at the Festival Grounds, you might be a bit nervous. And no one faults you for that either. Most are nervous when faced with meeting new people and potentially embarking on a new task. But the nerves quickly fade as you realize that everyone around you is exactly where they want to be, and very happy to be there.

And then you’re put to work. You’re painting faces, scooping ice cream, directing drivers to parking spaces, checking wristbands, or riding around with the trash and recycling crew. And everyone is excited to see you, even if they’ve just met you a half hour ago. Maybe you weren’t aware that the spirit of Shakori exists not only in each individual person, but in the very ground itself, in the effort put in to make this thing happen and make it good, in the way people smile and cheer as they pull slowly up the gravel driveway, but you know that now, because you helped pull it off and you feel it the way you can feel the beginnings of rain on your skin.

So the first time you volunteer it’ll probably be for the ticket; but the second time you volunteer for the festival, it’ll be because you know that the magic is real and you want to be a part of that.

Click here to volunteer.

A Conversation With Ellis Dyson of Ellis Dyson & The Shambles

March 16, 2019 by David Dean Leave a Comment

Ellis Dyson & The Shambles are a rowdy bunch of swinging jazz cats harkening a sound of the past. They don’t just “try” to play like old-time jazz musicians—they create new material in a language in which few are currently fluent. Ellis Dyson & The Shambles live and breathe jazz styles many have abandoned. Swing, traditional New Orleans jazz, ragtime, old-time, gypsy jazz and other styles ring as real as if penned during the Prohibition Era in a shotgun shack on Frenchmen St.

They are preserving a nearly lost form of American music and bringing past into the present with a sound so authentic it will make you think you’ve stepped back in time. GrassRoots had a chat with Ellis Dyson & the Shambles’ banjo player and frontman, Ellis Dyson, where he talked about his in-depth exploration of sounds from the past and how he hopes to preserve them.

Dyson started listening to swing and old-time music and playing old-time banjo when he was 18. Once he started on the path, he went “down a rabbit hole,” devouring 19th and early 20th-century music. That voracity has never left Dyson, and he remains a serious student of old-time sounds. According to Dyson, “A lot of what I try to do is musicology. I try to keep a clear mind about where the music we are playing comes from and who created it. I want to preserve those traditions, but still exist in the modern realm of music.”

Roscoe Holcomb was the old-time banjo player that started it all for Dyson. Holcomb was a coal miner from the mountains of Kentucky who is known for his falsetto voice and his unique style of banjo playing. Dyson dove into old recordings and learned Holcomb’s repertoire, but was also led to old-time jazz via Louis Armstrong.

“My ear evolved, I started understanding the music more, and I started exploring more,” said Dyson. “There is so much old-time jazz, and I am trying to get to as much of it as I can. It never ends, and I have to accept that I can’t listen to it all.” It sounds like Dyson is trying to get it all in his ear, anyway, and that effort shines through his music. “A lot of the music I play is basic and direct at heart,” explained Dyson. “It’s the nuance of it I have had to work most on. The hardest part for me has been making these innately simple songs really swing. The more I listen to the greats, the more I understand how to do that.”

About six years ago, when Dyson felt he was getting better as a musician, he sought out other musicians playing in the styles he was pursuing. Slowly and surely, members of The Shambles stumbled in from the UNC-Chapel Hill Music Department. “Danny Abrahams and I were the first two,” shared Dyson. “We would rehearse in Kenan Music building on campus, and we were right there in the thick of it. There is a great jazz program at Carolina. Neither Danny nor I were majoring in music while in school, but Danny was minoring in it, and he was involved in all the jazz groups at school. I got lucky falling in with all these great musicians who had a much deeper understanding of music than I did.”

Dyson may have started this journey as a listener and a novice player, but he has evolved into a confident bandleader who can make a dance floor shimmy, sweat, and sin. His dedication to his craft and study of American music history, mostly through intense listening, has not only moved crowds but inspired listeners to dig deeper into these nearly long lost musical styles. “I hope the music pushes listeners to explore as I do,” revealed Dyson. “Of course, I want them to buy a ticket and see us again, and buy our CD, but ultimately I want to preserve these traditional forms of music. This is music that was built here in our country in a time when there was tremendous adversity. It shouldn’t just die out. It’s not fair to the music or the people who created it. It’s damn good music.”

You can join Ellis Dyson & The Shambles on their mission to preserve early forms of American music at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance in our Dance Tent on Friday, May 3rd. Ellis Dyson & The Shambles are also involved in our Roots in the Schools program, which you can learn more about here.

BUY TICKETS FOR SHAKORI GRASSROOTS FESTIVAL OF MUSIC & DANCE HERE

LEARN MORE ABOUT ELLIS DYSON & THE SHAMBLES HERE

Photos by Kendall Atwater

SPRING 2019 – FULL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

February 20, 2019 by David Dean 8 Comments

We are excited to announce the full lineup of performers for Spring 2019!

Our line-up is always carefully crafted to showcase national, regional, and local acts that span multiple genres. This spring Lukas Nelson and Promise of The Real will headline with their rocking Americana and country roots in what promises to be electrifying performance. We welcome back the West African and funk sounds of Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba and our bluegrass buddies Driftwood. Local rock favorites Arson Daily almost burned down the Grove Stage last year with their high energy set so you know we had to get them back.

We have partnered with Music Maker Relief Foundation to present a special Blues Revue featuring Cool John Ferguson, Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen, and Harvey Dalton Arnold. Fans of the Squirrel Nut Zippers and old-time Swing will not want to miss Ellis Dyson and The Shambles featuring special guest Katharine Whalen.

From the Meadow Stage to the Dance Tent, and everywhere in-between, each of the 50 + performers has been thoughtfully curated to create the perfect soundtrack to your Shakori Hills GrassRoots experience.

4-Day Passes, youth tickets, and camping spots are on sale now!

Early Bird ticket rates end Thursday, February 28.

Day passes go on sale Friday, March 1.

Purchase tickets online here!

Visit these fine locally-owned businesses starting March 1 to get 4-Day or Single Day Passes:

Townsend Bertram & Co, Carrboro, NC
Circle City Books, Pittsboro, NC
The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC
Redix Store, Wilmington and Wrightsville
All Schoolkids Records locations

FULL LIST OF PERFORMERS

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Donna The Buffalo, Turkuaz, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Zach Deputy, Preston Frank, Driftwood, Kat Wright, Sophistafunk, Megan Jean and the KFB

Travers Brothership, Otto Von Schirach, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, The Tan and Sober Gentlemen, Young Bull, Ellis Dyson & The Shambles w/ Katharine Whalen, West End Blend, Gaslight Tinkers, Bella’s Bartok, The Broadcast

Niito, DJ Rang & Brevan Hampden, Ecstatic Dance Music Maker Blues Revue featuring Cool John Ferguson, Pat ‘Mother Blues’ Cohen and Harvey Dalton Arnold, Maj Deeka, The Oblations w/ Dino Horns, The Materials, Sirius B, RK III, Victoria Victoria, jphono1, Bulltown Strutters, Honey Magpie, James Davy, Chris Frisina, Local Flora, Laura Boswell

Creative Music Performance, Casey’s Laugh & Learn, Compost Theatre, Tanglewood Puppets, The Holland Brothers, Strung Together, Big Wonderful Variety Show, Wyld Fern

Shakori is Family

February 17, 2019 by David Dean 2 Comments

The Shakori Hills family lost one of our most beloved members on Saturday, February 16.

James Olin Oden has been a festival regular for the past ten years. He first came as a fan and quickly got involved as a performer and even as a staff member for a short time.

His uniquely uplifting musical sound, a blend of his Irish and American roots, wisdom of all manner of subjects, and love of the GrassRoots family will be missed dearly.

Details of a memorial being planned for the Spring 2019 festival will be announced once they have been finalized.

In the meantime, we felt James’ words and music were the best way to honor the man. Below, enjoy a piece he wrote for the Spring 2018 program followed by some clips we thought helped capture his spirit.

slán leat, James

Shakori is Family

Originally printed in the Spring 2018 Festival Program.

written by James Olin Oden

When I first came to Shakori 10 years ago, I really had no idea what I was getting into. I knew that I was going to a music festival and there would be campfires, with lots of musicians, music lovers and artists all over the grounds. Well, in between all the fun and camaraderie, what I found was family.

We’re a peculiar family to be sure. Made of all kinds of different camps, many with names like Camp Sparkle, No Hope (and Know Hope), Rivendale, Frabjous, and Wayward Way to just name a few. There’s no rule that this should be; it just happens in a Grassroots kind of way. Each camp has its own peculiarities and proclivities, and we intermingle quite a bit, cross pollinating ideas and moments of utter silliness. Also, the camp decorations are something to behold. In Fall one of my favorites is the Festivarians site, where they have I think a 100 or so jack-o-lanterns hung in a grove.

The fires at each camp have always been a very central thing. We gather round and conversations flow freely as does music. Sometimes in the wee hours of the morning we just sit and stare and breathe together. Not that we can’t do a Shakori without fire (we just did; it was hard, but we did it, together!), but they have always proven to be a central part of the event. Amongst the fires, rocks and trees of Shakori we live freely enjoying one another’s self-expression and our corporate expression as a group. We learn hard lessons about living with each other and allowing each other to breathe freely within the group. This is not to say there are no boundaries, we just work really hard to uphold the real boundaries and allow freedom wherever we possibly can. Because of this, we have all grown as one big Shakori family.

Every family has a vision, and at Shakori you see the music and dance flowing from the camps like many vibrant streams down to the stages forming a great river of music and dance. We gather at the stages forming a unity of both musicians and dancers flowing as one big pool of united humanity. It’s really amazing to observe. There are, also, workshops covering all kinds of things musical and cultural. Even these ultimately stem from the camps. Over the years I’ve seen many a person young and immature in their art (whether it be music, dance or those other media (-;) become strong leaders and find their way to stages and workshops. It’s a beautiful thing seeing your family grow.

None of this could happen without the staff, and they are a beautiful and integral part of this family we call Shakori. There is the board of directors that set the vision, the staff that handle the operations and booking, the rangers that look out for everyone’s safety, and the security that is there to ensure everyone has a good time. They all work in unison to make sure the festival keeps going. Add to that all the volunteers that put in so much hard work to make this thing come together (tents don’t raise themselves). It really is much like someone preparing a beautiful feast for all their friends. Great hospitality requires a great amount of work, and they do all this work selflessly for one big happy Shakori family.

So please do enjoy your time here. The land and the people of Shakori greet you with open arms.

Welcome to the family!

James Olin Oden Videos

James performs “Friend of the Devil” and “Uncle John’s Band” with his longtime playing partner Joey Arcuri on the Meadow Stage at the Fall 2013 festival.

Here James performs “Dance Right Out of My Grave”, a song he wrote about a performance by Driftwood, another Shakori Hills GrassRoots regular. This clip is from the DooDad Farm, our Greensboro friends down the road.

James would narrate a video of his arrival at Shakori Hills GrassRoots every year. His Spring 2016 video has the added bonus of his album “Deeper Dance” as the soundtrack and a glimpse into his horticulture knowledge.

’Twas the Night Before Shakori

October 3, 2018 by Sarah Cullen

’Twas the night before Shakori, when all through the ‘ground
Not a performer was playing, not even a sound;
The Ticket Booth was stocked by volunteers with care,
In hopes that all our Shakori friends soon would be there;
The Early Campers were snuggled all warm in their tent;
While dreaming of music and a weekend well spent.

The stages were set, the Dance Tent was ready;
How is it here? Shakori Season already?
And up in Middle Earth and down in Creekside;
Both children and adults all sit starry-eyed;
And all through the festival and all through the air;
You could feel GrassRoots coming, we’re practically there!

The moonlight was shining on all of Peace Park;
The night before it shares it’s magic in the dark;
And the banners are dancing, and the trees they are shining;
Leave all complaints on the road – It’s Shakori! No whining!
So pack up the campers, fill the coolers with beer;
We finally made it, Shakori is here!

The Grove Stage will be rocking, the Meadow enchanting;
After all the building and painting and planting;
All of us here at Shakori, we have waited since last fall;
We welcome you back – oldies, newbies, and all;
Take it all in, all the sound, smell, and sight;
‘Happy Shakori to all, and to all a good night!’

by: Sarah Cullen, Spring 2018

SunQueen Kelcey and the Soular Flares: Bringing the Light to Shakori Hills

MK Rodenbough: Songwriting From the Heart

TerraBANG: A Band that Lives Up to the Name

School of Rock Chapel Hill: Where Kids Find Their Tribe

The Fritz Returns!

Guest Blog: Volunteer for the Tickets, Stay for the Magic

Click here to volunteer.

A Conversation With Ellis Dyson of Ellis Dyson & The Shambles

SPRING 2019 – FULL LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

FULL LIST OF PERFORMERS

Shakori is Family

slán leat, James

Shakori is Family

James Olin Oden Videos

James performs “Friend of the Devil” and “Uncle John’s Band” with his longtime playing partner Joey Arcuri on the Meadow Stage at the Fall 2013 festival.

Here James performs “Dance Right Out of My Grave”, a song he wrote about a performance by Driftwood, another Shakori Hills GrassRoots regular. This clip is from the DooDad Farm, our Greensboro friends down the road.

James would narrate a video of his arrival at Shakori Hills GrassRoots every year. His Spring 2016 video has the added bonus of his album “Deeper Dance” as the soundtrack and a glimpse into his horticulture knowledge.

’Twas the Night Before Shakori

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Click here to volunteer.

FULL LIST OF PERFORMERS

slán leat, James

Shakori is Family

James Olin Oden Videos

James performs “Friend of the Devil” and “Uncle John’s Band” with his longtime playing partner Joey Arcuri on the Meadow Stage at the Fall 2013 festival.

Here James performs “Dance Right Out of My Grave”, a song he wrote about a performance by Driftwood, another Shakori Hills GrassRoots regular. This clip is from the DooDad Farm, our Greensboro friends down the road.

James would narrate a video of his arrival at Shakori Hills GrassRoots every year. His Spring 2016 video has the added bonus of his album “Deeper Dance” as the soundtrack and a glimpse into his horticulture knowledge.

Contact

Connect

Latest Tweets

Latest Photos