Backstreet Boys to Open Amphitheater
It was earlier presumed that the Paramore/Tegan & Sara show at Raleigh’s new downtown amphitheatre (which should be named the “Sir Walter Amphitheater”) would the venue’s first. Then news swirled this week about the Backstreet Boys coming to the facility. Sadly, the “band’s” website confirms this harsh new reality: the new facility will be christened by The Backstreet Boys on Sunday, June 6. Perhaps this kick-off event should be called the “Sir Walter Folly”.
Wouldn’t it be neat if another concert were slipped into that weekend so that it could be the kick-off event? Perhaps a local promoter ought to have a Raleigh Music Showcase on Friday featuring bands from all eras: Arrogance, Glass Moon, The Connells, Dillon Fence, Tift Merritt, Annuals. Just an idea.
So far there are 4 events on the venue’s schedule, but many more events will be named soon. Given that the facility is targeting the same supply and demand as Atlanta’s Chastain Park and Charlotte’s Uptown Amphitheatre, it doesn’t take too much creativity to figure we will also be getting acts like Hall & Oates with Todd Rundgren, The Gipsy Kings, ZZ Top, Jethro Tull, Jeff Beck, KC & The Sunshine Band with MC Hammer, Earth Wind & Fire, and the Bamboozle Roadshow. Some of those acts are hitting Atlanta and Charlotte earlier than “The Walt” will be ready, so the logistics may not work out the get them, but stay tuned!
Cuegrass Festival Brings a Dose of Southern Culture
Today is the 2nd annual Cuegrass Festival . Sponsored by The Pit restaurant, the afternoon festival will feature music, barbecue, and local beer. The day kicks off at 11 a.m. with live bluegrass music by the incredible Southern Culture on the Skids, Old Habits, Jackass Flats and Sons of Ralph Duo. The Pit’s famous barbecue, cooked by The Pit’s legendary pitmaster Ed Mitchell, and North Carolina beers from LoneRider, Mother Earth, Carolina Brewing Company and Big Boss, will be served throughout the event. The event takes place in the street in front of The Pit, so bring a folding chair.
Raleigh One of Top Census Winners
CNNMoney.com has named Raleigh as one of the early winners in population grown over the last decade. With a 41% growth in population, “Raleigh has benefited from Florida’s real estate bubble bust” and is “a sound alternative”. Only Provo, UT was a bigger grower (47%) .
Scenic Byways Site Gets Update
The NCDOT has just launched a new version of their website for the Scenic Byways program . The site is a complete guide to some of NC’s most enjoyable highways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway as well as the Outer Banks Scenic Byway. The site includes maps of the roads, a .PDF copy of the Scenic Byways book published by the state, and videos of many of the treasured roads.
Forbes Ranks Raleigh 3rd for Business
Forbes magazine has named Raleigh as 3rd in the nation for Business and Careers . The list considered factors such as cost of doing business, economic growth projection, education, income growth, anticipated job growth, and net migration.
Des Moines ranked 1st while Provo was 2nd. Charlotte ranked 17th, Asheville ranked 21st, Durham ranked #23, Wilmington ranked #32, Winston-Salem ranked #51, Greensboro ranked 90th, and Fayetteville ranked 159th in the survey.
Little Feat Coming to Lincoln Theatre
On Thursday, May 13, Little Feat will be making their way back to Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre. Swagger opens. Tickets are $24 in advance and $28 the day of the show.
NC Theatre Bringing Broadway Home
North Carolina Theatre is thrilled to announce “Bringing Broadway Home”, a benefit concert on Monday, June 21st at 8 PM in Raleigh’s Memorial Auditorium. The one-night-only event will celebrate 27 seasons of Broadway at North Carolina Theatre and stars Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann, and Quiana Parler.
Clay Aiken is a multi-platinum recording artist and is set to release his sixth album, Tried and True , this summer. Since his meteoric rise to fame on the hit TV show American Idol in 2003, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life , starred on Broadway in Monty Python’s Spamalot , and has guest starring roles in TV’s Scrubs, 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live . Before all of these accomplishments and more, Aiken performed on the North Carolina Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776 in 1996.
Lauren Kennedy has numerous Broadway credits to her name since she moved to New York from Raleigh, her hometown. She starred as Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot , appeared in Sunset Boulevard with Glenn Close, and received acclaim as Fantine in the final year of Les Miserables . Kennedy has dazzled audiences in a number of NC Theatre productions, most recently starring alongside Country music singer Larry Gatlin in Annie Get Your Gun .
Sharon Lawrence is a four-time Emmy nominated actress and is known for many roles on the hit TV shows NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Law & Order: SVU, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Grey’s Anatomy . In addition to film and Broadway work, Lawrence has performed a myriad of roles on the NC Theatre stage and starred alongside Terrence Mann in the theatre’s first production, Camelot , in 1984.
Terrence Mann currently stars on Broadway in The Addams Family . He made his Broadway debut in 1982 in the Tony Award-winning musical, Barnum , and has been a fixture on the Great White Way ever since. In 1987, his portrayal of Javert in Les Miserables earned him his first Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role, which he reprised years later. He originated the role of the Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast , earning another Tony nomination. Other Broadway credits include Rags, Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, Getting Away with Murder, The Rocky Horror Show . Mann served as an actor, artistic director and director for many NC Theatre productions throughout the years.
Quiana Parler has shared the stage with an array of national artists, from Keith Sweat to Clay Aiken; Miranda Lambert to Kelly Clarkson. Her performances have been seen on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The View, The Tyra Banks Show, Good Morning America, The Academy of Country Music Awards and Saturday Night Live . Additionally, her vocal talents have been sought out by recording industry leaders such as David Novik, Walter Afanasieff and David Foster. Her debut in 2008, as Effie, in NC Theatre’s Dreamgirls became one of the most talked about performances of NC Theatre’s 27 year history.
Tickets
Ticket prices range from $50 to $100 with a VIP option of $150 that includes an exclusive, one hour pre-show reception and complimentary parking.
- Week of April 12th: On sale to NC Theatre subscribers only
- Week of April 19th: All tickets open to the general public
To purchase, call the NC Theatre Box Office at 919-831-6941 x6943 OR x6944.
Downtown Farmers Market Kicks Off with Pig Pickin’
The Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market season will kick off with a Pig Pickin’ event on Wednesday, April 28 from 10 am-2pm in the City Plaza. The event will feature festivities that showcase eastern North Carolina’s culture, cuisine, and agriculture. Enjoy authentic whole-hog, pit-cooked barbeque prepared by legendary Chef Ed Mitchell and fellow staffers from The Pit, learn barbeque secrets during Pitmaster Mitchell’s chef demonstration, listen to bluegrass music by Old Habits, and enjoy a kid-friendly gardening activity. The market opens at 10 am, but the official inauguration will begin at 11:15 am when Mayor Meeker rings the market’s opening bell.
The Pit’s barbeque sandwiches, prepared with pork from market vendor Poplar Creek Farm, will be available for $5. The Pit’s pork is made from free-range, hormone-free pigs that meet the rigorous standards of Animal Welfare Institute.
The new market is a reinvention of its predecessor, the Moore Square Farmers Market. Its relocation to City Plaza on Fayetteville Street places the market in the heart of downtown activity. In addition to the new location, the market has a new name, new look, and new website, RaleighEatLocal.com . Featuring the highest quality farmers and food artisans, the 2010 season will feature food festivals, chef demonstrations, tastings, and weekly entertainment. Farmers’ market veteran, Hallie Mittleman, will oversee the direction and management of the market. She has over eight years experience managing and founding urban farmers markets, including the award winning Portland Farmers Market in Oregon. Mittleman says, “This season’s lineup of vendors offers a wide array of fantastic farm fresh products. We look forward to the community’s support.”
Lilith Fair Coming to Raleigh
After an 11-year hiatus, The Lilith Fair is back on, and hitting Raleigh’s Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek on August 4. Headlining, as always, is the incomparable Sarah McLachlan. The lineup for the tour will rotate, and the exact lineup for Raleigh is not finalized. Some artists already confirmed for some dates on the tour are Beth Orton, Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Chantal Kreviazuk, Colbie Caillat, Corinne Bailey Rae, Court Yard Hounds, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, Gossip, Heart, Indigo Girls, Jenni Rivera, Jill Scott, Kelly Clarkson, Loretta Lynn, Martina McBride, Mary J. Blige, Metric, Miranda Lambert, Norah Jones, Sara Bareilles, Selena Gomez, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Suzanne Vega, Tegan and Sara, The Bangles, and The Go-Go’s, to name some of the bigger acts. However there are 55 other lesser-known acts that also appear on the list . Wow!
Harris Teeter at North Hills Making Changes
The new Harris Teeter at North Hills East opened a month ago and the customers’ responses to the 2-story fiasco have been extremely negative. According to Sue Stock , Harris Teeter is responding by moving some stock around. Soon, the store will swap the Floor 2 locations for cereal, juice, and baking with the Floor 1 locations for wine and flowers.
Unfortunately there is no word on changes to the parking garage, parking surface lot, lack of an escalator, small elevator, and placement of cafe tables adjacent to feminine hygiene. Howevver this is a start.
N.C. Museum of Art Announces Outdoor Entertainment Series
The North Carolina Museum of Art today announced their concert and film season for the upcoming summer. All events take place at the museum’s outdoor amphitheater.
4/12 Update: Now with Google goodness! Click on the Google Calendar button beside each event to add it to your Google Calendar. Another option is to click the “Calendars” tab at the top of the page and subscribe to the gogoraleigh DoIt Calendar.
CONCERTS
MOVIES
Canes To Host All-Star Game
Just for the sake of completeness, as reported earlier , the NHL did announce that Raleigh will host the 2011 All-Star Game. Read more about the story at the Hurricanes’ site. In the meantime, here is the link to add the event you your calendar.
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