Explore Raleigh’s Guide to The Upcoming Concert Season: Gorgeous Venues, Great Value, and above all, Good Vibes!
If you’re like me, you listen to all types of music, but something about summer suggests reggae-inspired recordings should be at the top of any party playlist. Summer is also a great time to check out live music in the Raleigh area. Raleigh has some of the best outdoor venues and lively line-ups for 2019 tout talented touring artists who bring sun and smiles to every single stage upon which they step.
Now through May 7, LiveNation is selling certain concert tickets for only $20 each! Grab yours while you can at www.livenation.com.
Check out Explore Raleigh’s recommendations below!
June 22
How I spent My Summer Vacation Tour
Slightly Stoopid, Matisyahoo, Tribal Seeds, and HIRIE
Red Hat Amphitheatre
Raleigh, NC
Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheatre again hosts Slightly Stoopid, a San Diego band that describes their music as “a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, metal and punk.” I’ve seen Slightly Stoopid at Red Hat, and while, at the time I saw them, I was unfamiliar with the music from the band’s thirteen albums, it was a fantastic show! The 2019 tour includes Matisyahu (an American Jewish reggae singer, rapper, beatboxer, and alternative rock musician), Tribal Seeds (a San Diego-based reggae-rock band), and HIRIE (a reggae band featuring the female vocal stylings of frontwoman, Hirie).
Find Out More:
https://www.slightlystoopid.
http://matisyahuworld.com/
http://tribalseeds.net/
http://www.hiriemusic.com/
https://www.
July 28
Dirty Heads and 311
Coastal Credit Union Music Park (formerly, Walnut Creek Amphitheatre)
Raleigh, NC
Normally not a fan of this venue, my summer concert season includes a trip to the Coastal Credit Union Amphitheatre at Walnut Creek. The Dirty Heads and 311 are co-headlining this show and have several supporting acts. It is sure to be a party! While I am unfamiliar with any of the openers, I’m drawn for the headliners: 311, an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska (really? Omaha?) with music is infused with hints of by reggae, hip-hop, ska, and other genres, and the Dirty Heads, a California alternative band of similar influences. A Dirty Heads concert is one giant sing-a-long. The catchy melodies are easy to learn and fun to sing. By the end of the night, audience members may know many works from the Dirty Heads’ six album discography.
Find Out More
www.311.com
www.dirtyheads.com
http://www.
July 21
Sublime with Rome, SOJA & Special Guest Common Kings
Koka Booth Amphitheatre
Cary, NC
Most people who are familiar with Sublime recall the band’s eponymous album released in 1996. This five-time platinum album featured Bradley Nowell as lead singer and guitarist. Sadly, Nowell died two months before the album’s release. Nonetheless, the band with southern California roots, lives on in Sublime with Rome, and Nowell leaves a living musical legacy influenced by reggae, punk rock, ska, dancehall, hip hop, and dub music. Sublime with Rome gives an energetic show and this concert is bolstered by awesome openers, including the Grammy-nominated reggae bands, SOJA (Soldiers of Jah Army) and Common Kings. The show should not disappoint in the picturesque Koka Booth Amphitheatre, which has graced the Triangle since it opened in 2001. Koka Booth Amphitheatre presents popular performers in its 7,000 person venue situated on 14 acres with green grass and tall trees. I imagine this show will be one of the best of the summer, as artists often comment from the stage that, not only is the venue’s view beautiful, but that Koka Booth crowds at offer the warmest welcome.
Find Out More:
http://www.sublimewithrome.
http://www.sojamusic.com/
https://commonkings.com/
https://www.boothamphitheatre.
August 9
Good Vibes Summer Tour – Rebelution, Collie Buddz, and Ballyhoo
Red Hat Amphitheatre
Raleigh NC
Once I heard the band, Rebelution, it quickly became one of my favorites. I’ve seen this talented band perform in at least 6 different venues and twice at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheatre, which will again host the band for its summer tour. Rebelution is a Grammy nominated reggae rock band with its origins in the UCSB college community of Isla Vista, California (GAUCHOS!). The band’s catalog is strong and features, among other works, seven studio albums and amazing recording of their 2016 concert live at Red Rocks in Colorado. The concert experience is always positive, with lead singer, Erich Rachmany always smiling. The entire band and its touring members exude energy carrying concert-goers through an entire evening on a high. Good Vibes Raleigh 2019 features Collie Budddz, a New Orleans born, Bermuda raised reggae artist with Jamaican heritage, as well as Maryland based, alternative, reggae rock band Ballyhoo!
Find Out More:
http://rebelutionmusic.com/
http://www.colliebuddz.com/
https://www.ballyhoorocks.com/
https://www.
Ponder: Reggae has broad popular appeal. Some insist that modern reggae and its derivative forms are deeply flawed with cultural appropriation and the exploitation of Rastafari culture and that reggae’s current form is dominated by people too far removed from the rebellion and religion of Jamaica where reggae originated. In researching some of the music for this post, I learned that reggae itself presents elements borrowed from other genres, including American jazz, funk, and rhythm and blues. From its earliest forms, reggae has also featured African rhythms and hinted at European folk music. Today’s world of travel and technology allow global exposure for music of all genres as well as a connection for curious and open-minded people. My experience has been that music brings people together.
Artists in Raleigh’s lineup for 2019 are people of broad and various cultural and national heritages. Several have paid homage to their Jamaican influences from the stage and have promoted Jamaican artists in their tours and through their independent record labels. Many have supported the Jamaican community through charitable foundations. Is it enough? The music may hold the answer. One Love.