Story by Hal Goodtree. Photos by Brooke Meyer.

Cary, NC – Last week, the B-52s headlined a Band Together benefit at Booth Amphitheatre that raised $552,000 for charity.

Band Together at Booth Amphitheatre

From Band Together:

Nearly 4,000 music lovers came together for good music, good times and a good cause at Band Together NC’s annual charity concert on May 12 at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre. Iconic cosmic rockers The-B-52s, also known as the World’s Greatest Party Band, headlined this year’s event which raised $552,000 for Urban Ministries of Wake County. All proceeds from the May 12 event go to fund Urban Ministry’s Open Door Clinic, which aims to provide physician visits, prescriptions and lab work for many of Wake County’s uninsured residents battling poverty.

This year marked record highs for the annual event, which featured headliner The B-52s along with regional favorites Southern Culture on the Skids and BIG Something, winner of Band Together’s 2012 Last Band Standing competition. Event highlights from this year included:

• $552,000 raised in 2012 – most money ever raised for a nonprofit partner
• Almost 4,000 attendees
• More than 190 sponsors
• Nearly $25,000 raised through a special silent auction, “wine grab,” autographed guitar raffle and text-to-donate option
• Almost 1,300 VIP attendees, who were treated to premier stage-front viewing, an artists’ village with live painting, a photo booth to capture the evening’s festivities, mobile device text-to-give and online silent auction bidding and a host of other VIP attractions.

Open Door Clinic

The $552,000 raised from this event will help Urban Ministries of Wake County’s Open Door Clinic treat an additional 420 new patients over the next two years, providing all physician visits, lab work and prescriptions. In 2011, the Open Door Clinic provided 7,000 medical visits and filled 52,000 prescriptions to Wake County residents in need.

The Clinic helps keep people healthy, working and better able to support their families. Their services keep patients out of emergency rooms and costly inpatient stays, which can save the community more than $6 million a year.

“In Band Together’s 10 years, we have been able to raise more than $2 million dollars for Triangle-area nonprofits,” said Matt Strickland, executive director of Band Together. “We are grateful for the generosity of businesses and individuals in the Triangle. Without their support, this year’s record-setting sum would not be possible.”

B-52s Rock Cary

Booth Amphitheatre in Cary may be the perfect place to see a concert. It certainly felt that way on Saturday, with perfect weather and an enthusiastic crowd.

The B-52s played for about an hour and a half, rocking the crowd with a set list of favorites:

1. Mesopatamia
2. Private Idaho
3. Lava
4. Give Me Back My Man
5. Funplex
6. Roam
7. 52 Girls
8. Love in the Year 3000
9. Too Much to Think About
10. Hot Corner
11. Whammy Kiss
12. Love Shack
13. Planet Claire (encore)
14. Party Out of Bounds (encore)
15. Rock Lobster (encore)

The B-52s released their first single in 1978. 34 years later, they still had it for their show in Cary.

Sparkling harmonies, call-and-response vocals and tight, danceable tunes – they put on a great show. It was a big sing-along, with the crowd on its collective feet for the entire show.

Fred Schneider still fronts the band, strutting and camping across the stage, engaging the audience and effortlessly blending with the smooth harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.

Keith Strickland, originally the drummer, now handles lead guitar for the band, backed by a small combo of bass, drums and keyboards. For a smallish ensemble, they still generate their signature big wall of sound.

A tongue-in-cheek homage to the Sixties still rings through in the music and the stage show – Kate wore fringe and Cindy sported leopard.

Fred continues to be a force of nature, but Kate’s vocal range and stage presence was the most riveting aspect of the show. Her solos on Roam and 52 Girls fired up the crowd. Her vocalese on Planet Claire and Party Out of Bounds still evokes chills with it’s cosmic inflections. At 64 years of age, Kate is still at her peak as a performer, looking and sounding 20 years younger. Maybe it was the red wig.

Cindy carried the vocals for one of her signature tunes, Give me Back My Man. Her husky voice still has magic and blends easily with Kate to create the iconic B-52s sound.

Southern Culture on the Skids

Southern Culture on the Skids warmed up for the B-52s, playing a long set of their ironic southern rock.

They were a good match for the B-52s, sharing Southerness, humor and songs rooted in strong hooks.

Warm-up bands have a hard task, but the crowd at Booth contained a large contingent of SCOTS fans.

Big Something

The first band on stage was BIG Something, winner of the Band Together talent contest.

Their eclectic funk-rock reminded me of The Dave Matthews Band. Although they were an unknown act to most of the crowd, their performance drew an enthusiastic response and a big ovation when their set was over.

Faces in the Crowd

Half of the fun at Booth Amphitheatre is the crowd. All photos by Brooke Meyer.

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Music coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Booth Amphitheatre.

Photo by Erik van Roekel.

Cary, NC – Adults and children ages 12+ are invited to make a move for those who can’t on Thursday, May 17. Life Time Fitness Cary is partnering with the Booth Amphitheatre in Cary to lead a two-hour, heart-pumping ZUMBA® Jam fundraising event. Guests will be treated to a live DJ and an after-party. Concessions will also be available.

Zumba Jam at Booth Amphitheatre

The event is free to the public and participants are encouraged to make a suggested donation of $10, with all proceeds benefiting Augie’s Quest and Life Time Foundation.

Augie’s Quest is a non-profit research initiative dedicated to finding treatments and cures for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a progressive motor neurone disease that robs people of the ability to move their muscles.

Life Time Foundation is about inspiring healthy people and a healthy planet one mission at a time. The current mission is improving children’s nutrition – One School Lunch Program to ensure every child has a healthy start in life, beginning with proper nutrition and exercise.

Event Details

Zumba Jam
Thursday, May 17, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 PM

Booth Amphitheatre
8003 Regency Parkway
Cary, NC 27518

Suggested donation: $10

Lindsey Chester edits the CaryCitizen Calendar of Events. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – April in Cary is a splendid thing, with scores of events on the Cary Citizen Calendar. This week, we’re highlighting strawberries, grapes and the blues.

Strawberry Season – Get Your Taste

Supermarkets tend to sell strawberries all year. But strawberry season in North Carolina is right now.

And when it comes to fresh, local and delicious, you must try the Pick-Your-Own strawberry field right off Davis Drive at Salem Church Road. It’s called DJs Berry Patch.

It’s as much an experience as it is shopping for food. When we were there last weekend, it seemed like everyone had a camera or a cell phone. The field is pretty vast, and everybody came out carrying buckets of berries, the faces of the children smeared red. Some of the adults, too.

Don’t like to pick your own? DJ’s has ready-picked strawberries along with a fine assortment of fruits and vegetables. DJ’s is open 7 days a week.

Strawberry Picking
Saturday 8 AM – 7 PM
Sunday 12 PM – 7 PM

DJ’s Berry Patch
1223 Salem Church Road
just off Davis Drive
Map

The New Napa – Here in Cary This Weekend

Two years ago, we talked about the New Napa, a community of wineries growing up right here in North Carolina. NC has become one of the fastest growing and best respected wine regions in the entire U.S.

And it’s not just your mother-in-law’s scuppernong and muscadine anymore – it’s Cabernets and Merlots, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. We’re talking vintage wines, barrel blends and bubbly beverages to tantalize any winer-lover’s palette. People pay good money for this wines across the country.

Saturday, you can sample all the best NC’s New Napa has to offer at the Great Grapes Festival at Booth Amphitheatre. 220 wines, 24 wineries, food, entertainment, wine seminars and kids activities headline a full day of fun on the shores of Regency Lake in Cary.

It’s a great opportunity to taste the some of the best wines in the U.S., grown right here at home.

Great Grapes Festival
Saturday, April 21, 2012
11 AM – 7 PM
Booth Amphitheatre
Cary, NC
More Info & Tickets

Saturday Night – A Fifth of Blues

And now, a shameless plug for Hal’s band, A Fifth of Blues. They will be appearing Saturday night at Rally Point in Cary, the second stop on their ten-week Spring tour.

A Fifth of Blues brings the fun back to roadhouse music with Etta James, Ray Charles, B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf. Put on your dancing shoes and straighten out your wig because it’s going to be a party on the patio this Saturday night at Rally Point.

A Fifth of Blues
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Rally Point
1837 N. Harrison Ave., Cary, NC
Music starts at 8 PM

More Weekend Events in Cary

The Calendar is packed with fun things to do in Cary this weekend, including original theater, live jazz, poetry, a table tennis tournament, two games for the Cary Invasion and much more.

Visit the CaryCitizen Calendar of Events for all your weekend entertainment needs.

Cary, NC – Is there anything more sublime than watching a movie under the stars and the cool pines? It’s become a summer tradition in Cary, and Movies by Moonlight returns to Booth Amphitheatre on Friday, May 19 for a full season of cinematic hits and classics.

3 Bucks, Kids Free

From Booth Amphitheatre:

For a mere $3, kids under 12 are free, patrons can bring a blanket or chair as the spacious lawn at Booth Amphitheatre is transformed in to an outdoor movie theatre. A portion of the Movies By Moonlight proceeds will benefit the WakeMed Children’s hospital.

Movies By Moonlight Schedule

Dates are subject to change. Check before you go.

• MAY 19th – Saturday – Puss in Boots – PG
• MAY 25th– Friday - Crazy Stupid Love – PG13
• MAY 31st – Thursday - Moneyball – PG 13
• JUNE 8th – Friday - Sound of Music Sing-A-Long  – NR (Special Event pricing for this show)
• JUNE 15th – Friday – Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 – PG13
• JUNE 21st – Thursday – The Help – PG13
• JUNE 29th – Friday – Drive – R
• JULY 5th – Thursday – To Kill a Mockingbird – NR
• JULY 13st– Friday – Bridesmaids – R
• JULY 20th –Friday – Secretariat – PG
• JULY 27th –Friday – Madagascar 2 – PG
• AUGUST 10th –Friday – The Big Chill – R

For more info, visit Booth Amphitheatre. See you under the stars!

Cary, NC – The concert season continues to take shape at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary with the addition of “ABBA – The Concert” on Saturday, August 11, 2012. Tickets go on sale this Friday, March 30.

ABBA

For a decade beginning in 1972, ABBA topped the pop charts, selling over 375 million records worldwide. It’s safe to say they are the biggest band to ever come out of Sweden, maybe the biggest band ever from a non-English speaking country. The band’s name is an acronym of its members: Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Anni. ABBA was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Bigest hits in the U.S. include Waterloo, Dancing Queen and S.O.S. 

Dancing Queen

If you can’t see the video here, you go view it on YouTube.

Show Details

ABBA
Booth Amphitheatre
Cary, NC
Saturday, August 11, 2012

Tickets on Sale This Friday

Tickets for ABBA go on sale this Friday, March 30, 2012 at noon.

For more information, visit BoothAmphitheatre.com.

Cary, NC – Booth Amphitheatre has announced that the B-52s wil headline the line-up for Band Together NC, a benefit on Saturday May 12. 

B-52s Coming to Cary

The B-52s might be America’s most popular party band, with hits including “Rock Lobster,” “Love Shack” and “Private Idaho.”

Complex harmonies, witty lyrics, catchy tunes and a good beat – the B-52s put on a great show.

BTW – What’s B-52s? Why, slang for a big ole’ bouffant hairdo, of course!

Southern Culture on the Skids

Also appearing on the bill is Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS). From the website:

Long the bards of downward mobility, Southern Culture on the Skids have always embodied a sleazy, raucous, good-natured, good-time take on the culture of the South.

Since 1983, when they formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, SCOTS have played their unique hybrid of Americana, surf, R&B, rockabilly, and swamp pop (the band describes their sound as “toe sucking geek rock – kinda weird, but it feels good when you’re doing it”), all the while driving fans into ecstatic, sweat-drenched paroxysms of joy.

Big Something

The opening act is Greensboro band Big Something, winner of Last Band Standing.

Big Something has been compared to Widespread Panic, Springsteen and Rush – hard driving rock with a jazzy edge. The synth, guitar and sax are upfront with a strong beat and drawling lyrics.

Band Together

Band Together raises money for select Triangle non-profits including Urban Ministries, Special Olympics, NC Food Bank and the Boys & Girls Clubs.

Since 2001, they have raised more than $1,478,000.

Event Details

Band Together featuring The B-52s
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Booth Amphitheatre
Cary NC

Get tickets

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photo by Joshua Steadman for CaryCitizen.

Cary, NC – We heard this news a few days ago but forgot to post it. Garrison Keillor and A Prairie Home Companion will be returning to Booth Amphtheatre in Cary this summer. Who knows – maybe they’ll tape the show for a national radio broadcast.

Saturday, June 2, 2012 is the date. Tickets are not on sale yet, but check BoothAmphitheatre.com.

The last time Keillor and Co. were in Cary, it was a rainy night in September 2010. Here’s some of what we wrote at the time:

One of the most popular parts of the show is a bit of crazy sketch comedy between Keillor and Fred Newman, the sound effects guy.

 

Keillor plays the straight man, rambling on about some topic or another while Newman punctuates the narrative with seemingly spontaneous explosions of sound. One moment he’s a helicopter and the next a baby being born.

 

Keillor’s radio show is strictly G-rated, but his live act is (slightly) more blue. He and Newman had the crowd at Booth Amphitheatre in stitches with Newman’s impersonation of…

Well you’ll have to read the rest to find out what Fred Newman was impersonating: Garrison Keillor Likes Ashworths (September 15, 2010).

See you at the show!

Cary, NC – The 5th Annual NC Eid Festival was this past weekend at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. Contributing photographer Brooke Meyer was there.

What is Eid?

Eid, or festival, marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

NC Eid uses the celebration as the springboard for a cross-cultural event, including music and dance from many countries. This year, the Cary Concert Singers and the Green Hope High School Orchestra joined in the festivities, along with the Egypt Magic Carpet Dancers, Chinese Instrumental Ensemble, and performers from Peru, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

The full day program ran from 11 am to after 8 pm.

Pictures

See all the pictures from the 5th Annual NC Eid Festival in a gallery by photographer Brooke Meyer.

Photo by Boris Tikhomirov.

Cary, NC – What with Groucho & Golf, we almost forgot to mention two other great events this weekend in Cary.

Baby Fair Meetup

Meet other new or expecting parents in Cary at the Baby Fair Meetup this Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon. Great prizes including a car seat, baby gates, all kinds of baby gear, books and a Bright Horizons package that includes $150 off registration fees for child care.

Baby Fair Meetup
Saturday, September 24, 10 a.m.-noon
Bright Horizons at Harrison Park
800 Weston Parkway Cary, NC 27513
Free

Maripalozza

Locally based Mariposa School for Children with Autism is celebrating their 10th birthday with MARIPOLOOZA at Booth Amphitheatre in Cary. The festival is a a family-friendly event featuring performances by local musical and performing arts groups, great food, tons of children’s activities, a silent auction, various local vendors and more.

Event is free and open to all. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Mariposa School for Children with Autism’s Scholarship Fund.

Tickets: Free
Children Activity wristbands – $5

Maripalooza
Where: Booth Amphitheatre
Regency Park, Cary
Time: 12pm – 6pm
Doors Open: Noon

Visit www.maripolooza.org for more details.

Concert Notes by Cris Cohen.

Cary, NC – Alison Krauss could sing selections from the US Tax Code and it would sound good. Her voice is that amazing.

She and her band, Union Station, performed Thursday night at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, playing a mix of older tunes and songs from their new album, “Paper Airplane”. Their country / bluegrass music and their friendly demeanor made for a relaxed, you-are-hanging-out-with-friends feel.

Krauss’ Vocals Soar

One of the things that made the concert enchanting, though, was Krauss’ voice. And this is not to take away from Dan Tyminski’s singing. His own voice is filled with character. It has a great strength to it, which is why he was a great choice to handle the vocals for George Clooney in the movie “Oh Brother Where Art Thou?”. His singing brings an extra realism to his songs of struggle and hardship.

But Krauss’ voice is otherworldly. It is a special effect, the likes of which Hollywood has yet to even come close to. And as incredible as it is to hear on their albums, it is even more amazing to witness live. In these days of advanced technology where many recording artists improve their vocals with a few clicks of a mouse, you sometimes wonder what the reality is.

That is why it is something special to see this band live, to see Krauss casually step up to a microphone and let her voice soar. Sometimes it is a whisper and sometimes it is filled with power. Yet it always has this unbelievable tone. It’s like her vocal chords resonate at a frequency that has not been discovered (or at least recreated) by anything else in this universe.

Artists and Their Instruments Meld As One

There is also something magical about the dexterity of all of these musicians. Their fingers fly over guitars, banjos, fiddles, and stand-up basses. It is just as impressive to watch as it is to hear. And even when there are moving at a fast clip, massive collections of notes emanating from each instrument, they never musically step on one another. Instead each player intertwines his work with the others’.

Barry Bales and his acoustic bass serves as a kind of anchor that they all tether to. Tyminski coaxes great rhythms from the guitar and the mandolin. To borrow a line from Krauss herself, Ron Block shows the banjo who’s boss. And Jerry Douglas makes the dobro seem like one of the coolest instruments ever created.

Krauss joked about the band’s tendency to play sad songs. And in the hands of lesser musicians, the tales of loss and heartache might get tiring. But with Alison Krauss & Union Station, you find yourself wanting more. More of that incredible playing. And more of that amazing voice.