SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday is a weekly roundup of events in art, music, theater, comedy, pop-up markets and more.
READ MORE: Outdoor concert guide: More than 100 (mostly free) summer shows in tri-county region
All events featured were scheduled as of Thursday; however, it’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one. Inclement weather, changes in schedules and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, July 13
Riley Green
Live Oak Bank Pavilion, 10 Cowan St. • Tickets: $49.50 and up
The Alabama country music artist, Riley Green, is making a stop at downtown’s Live Oak Bank Pavilion on July 13. Joining him will be Wyatt McCubbin and Dylan Marlowe.
Green, once a part of the CMT reality show “Redneck Island,” has released a handful of EPs in the mid-aughts before his 2019 first album “Different ‘Round Here.” Included was the platinum single “There Was This Girl,” which charted number three on U.S. country airplay radio and number one on the country Billboard charts.
He also scored the Best New Male Artist by the Academy of Country Music in 2019.
Tickets to his show are on sale here.
OTHER THURSDAY HAPPENINGS
Galleries After Dark With Fritzi — Local paper artist Fritzi Huber hosts a conversation around the new exhibit, “Love,” at the Cameron Art Museum. “Love” is an adaptation of the 2022 exhibition, “What Is Left Unspoken, Love” from the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. It studies the variations of love: romantic, familial, platonic, forbidden and lost. Huber will discuss expressions of love through the written word and afterward guests can contribute to the community installation, “Little Love Stories,” designed by the artist. Register here; visitors under the age of 18 may find the exhibition content challenging.
Preservation Crawl — As part of a fundraiser for the Historic Wilmington Foundation, the annual Preservation Crawl features specialty made cocktails at multiple historic places along the Castle Street corridor from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Businesses on Castle will be serving libations from five area bars, such as Dram & Draught, End of Days Distillery, KGB, Prost, and Rebellion. The tickets are $50 each and can be picked up at the No. 5 Firehouse on Castle Street; pre-registration is required here. On July 27, the Historic Wilmington Foundation will host another crawl in the Cotton Exchange, with participating bars Banter, Dram Yard, The Eagle’s Dare, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, and Wilmington Distillery. Proceeds benefit the preservation and protection of historic resources in the Lower Cape Fear region.
Friday, July 14
Steve Gillespie
Dead Crow Comedy Room, 511 N. Third St. • Tickets: $18-$28
Wisconsin comedian Steve Gillespie will be stopping over at Dead Crow Comedy Room for four shows this weekend.
His self-deprecating humor tackles relationships and having a family.
“I can’t be having kids, I got nothing,” he said on “Conan” in 2016. “I got credit card debt and my friend’s Netflix password. That’s all I got.”
Gillespie also has appeared on Amazon Prime’s “Inside Joke” and FOX’s “Laughs – All Stars.” He has released three comedy albums, his second, “Alive on State,” in 2017 reached number one on iTunes comedy charts and was in the top 10 on the Billboard charts. 2022’s “Liminal Bliss” also charted number two on the iTunes Comedy Charts.
The comedian calls his act a “slaphappy balance of aggression and absurdity, coupled with a delightfully pushy persona.” He has performed the Bridgetown Comedy Festival, Boston Comedy Festival, and Colorado’s High Plains Comedy Festival.
Tickets to his shows are available here.
OTHER FRIDAY HAPPENINGS
Barenaked Ladies — The ‘90s pop band known for radio-charting hits like like “If I Had $1,000,000,” “Jane,” “It’s All Been Done,” “One Week” and “Pinch Me,” will be performing at Live Oak Bank Pavilion with openers Five For Fighting and Del Amitri. Barenaked Ladies have a new lineup with lead singer/guitarist Ed Robertson, including drummer Tyler Stewart, bassist Jim Creeggan and keyboardist/guitarist Kevin Hearn. Robertson founded the band in the early ‘90s with singer/guitarist Steven Page, who exited in 2009 to pursue a solar career. The band has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and in 2021 released “Detour de Force,” a 14-song album ranging from hooky rock-pop to ballads and horn-infused rock. Tickets can be purchased here, starting at $27. Read Port City Daily’s interview with the band here.
Saturday, July 15
Michael Franti and Spearhead
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Drive • Tickets: $50 and up
The soulrocker makes his annual sojourn to the Port City, bringing his well-known positive vibes and family-friendly setlist to two sold-out shows (though resale tickets may be available here).
Franti has been touring for more than two decades and released over a dozen albums, featuring hits like “Good Day for a Good Day,” “I’m Alive,” and “The Sound of Sunshine.” Franti and Spearhead have a positive approach to life and the human connection.
His live shows, he told Port City Daily earlier in an interview, are intended to hit a sweet spot with the audience, no matter how familiar they may be with the band’s material. Of course, many will be super-fans. Others will leave as fans.
“I do feel that the ultimate pinnacle of music, where the rubber meets the road, is when the music is played to an audience, and you see the reaction and feel the reaction,” Franti said. “It’s humbling.”
He performs two shows, both Saturday and Sunday, at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater.
OTHER SATURDAY HAPPENINGS
Summertime Market — The Brooklyn Arts Center on Fourth Street is hosting a market with more than 50 crafters and artisans both Saturday and Sunday this week. It’s a $10 entry, good for both days and includes a raffle ticket. There will be food trucks also parked on site, and the coffee and BAC bar will be open; parking in the area is free. BAC is located at 520 N. Fourth St.
Kenny G — The Grammy-winning saxophonist last performed in the Port City in fall 2019. His concert at Wilson Center will take place July 15 at 7:30 p.m. The artist developed his love for the alto tenor sax at age 10 and today plays Selmer Mark VI soprano, alto and tenor. He first started his music career with the Barry White’s Love Unlimited Orchestra in the early ’70s. The instrumentalist won a Grammy in 1992 for his platinum-selling album “Breathless,” nominated 15 times. Kenny G also holds the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest sustained note ever recorded on the saxophone. He released his 19th studio album, “New Standards,” in 2021. Tickets are $36 and up here.
Flamango Cider Release Party — Bull City Ciderworks is having a release party in the Cargo District this Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. The sipper contains flavors of mango and hibiscus, to be celebrated with DJ Rob Starr spinning from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Frenchy’s food truck and pink flamingos decorating the space. Also on special will be a cider cocktail — Shark Week slushie tropical shirts and outfits encouraged. Bull City is located at 615 S. 17th St.
Carlos Rising feat. Holy Heat and The Graes — Soul, R&B and pop will marry at Bourgie Nights’ live show Saturday, taking place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Carlos Rising — a contestant on Season 23 of NBC’s “The Voice” — will perform with his band Holy Heat; pop-folk duo The Graes are also on the bill. Both are based out of Wilmington, with Rising pulling inspiration from the ‘70s and ‘80s with Holy Heat, consisting of Christian Black (drums) and Jonathan Damico (bass). They released their first album, “Get Over It,” in 2022. The Graes are made up of CJ and Cassie Grae, performing songs about life and the human connection. Bourgie Nights is located at 127 Princess St.; tickets are $10.
Tracy Shedd — The Place in the Cargo District (615 S. 15th St.) is hosting three bands at 7 p.m. One includes local musician Tracy Shedd, backed by Brian Weeks on guitar (Summer Set, De La Noche, Feather) and Sean Thomas Gerard on keyboards (Onward, Soldiers). Shedd has a new single, “Let It Ride,” dropping Aug. 18, a late ‘80s-early ‘90s heavy indie-pop vibe, a bassline at its forefront and some synthetic sounds slightly backing the echoing harmonies of Shedd. Tickets are $10, available at the door.
Sunday, July 16
Artist Billy Cone Book Signing
Art in Bloom, 6866 Main St., Mayfaire • Free
Local photographer Billy Cone has published a new book, “Well Heeled in Paris,” a coffee table collection of photos featuring women going about their daily lives wearing heels in the City of Enlightenment.
“Emotion is what it’s all about,” Cone said in a press release.
A book signing is slated to take place at Art in Bloom Gallery in Mayfaire from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Cone conceived the idea for the book more than a decade ago. He took photographs for 15 years of women moving through Paris at school, in cafes, riding bikes, and other modern takes on city life, through the lens of what decorated their feet. Short quotes accompany the images, foregoing overly wordy text so at the center of the book are fun and lively images left to be unpacked by the viewer’s perception.
The book is printed on 100-pound glossy paper, with images captured digitally; it’s Cone’s first, though he has released four photography books captured with film.
OTHER SUNDAY HAPPENINGS
Digging Deep into the History of St. Paul’s — St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 16 N. 16th Street is hosting a summer information session called “Summer Faith Formation.” It will take place on Fridays at 9:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall and illuminate the history of the church, which was founded by Rt. Rev. Thomas Atkinson, bishop of the diocese of North Carolina in 1858. The July 16 event goes into the back history of Bishop Atkinson. Archivist Ellen Weig will lead the conversation, which explores the church’s history at the intersection of race and the church’s spiritual DNA. Other topics addressed during future Friday meetups include: July 23, The Church on Fourth and Orange; July 30, St. Paul’s and the Civil War; Aug. 6, A New Vision for St. Paul’s; Aug. 13, Streetcar Suburbs; and Aug. 20, From Troubled Times to Hospitality.
Hippie Fest and Relay Relay — Waterline Brewing has a packed Sunday planned for those looking at ways to turn the seventh day of rest into a funday. An “All Things Groovy” market will take place at 721 Surry St., featuring craft beverages, food trucks, live music and a curated collection of hippie vendors. Relay Relay out of Raleigh is the latest musical outfit from husband-and-wife team Hannah and Jamie Rowen, better known locally for their Americana act Stray Local. This iteration of music leans heavily into pop music, featuring “powerful vocal melodies, vibey guitar riffs, dreamy synths, and rich harmonies,” according to the group. The event and live music is free, though vendors are individually priced and tips are welcome for the musicians.
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