RTP-area local music and culture

[Heather LaGarde <heather AT barnstarvintage.com>]

Saxapahaw Rivermill Farmers' Market & Music Series -
Saturdays in Saxaphaw  - June 23rd, 2007 Market 5-8 pm  Music 6-8pm

This week it's BIG MEDICINE playing string band music of the rural  
South: old-time melodies and mountain harmonies, ancient ballads and  
archaic fiddle tunes, heart songs, hollers, hymns, and a touch of  
early bluegrass—a music with remarkable power, nuance, and timeless  
appeal, a balm for the modern maladies of the soul. These amazing  
musicians  learned the roots of their music by ear and by heart at  
the wellspring, from old folks who grew up playing old-time music,  
from relatives and friends, from field recordings made in the depths  
of the Great Depression, and old commercial “hillbilly” records— 
including early exponents of that kind of Southern string band music  
which came to be called bluegrass. With rugged beauty, strength and  
grace BIG MEDICINE plays music that can tickle your feet, make you  
cry, move the heart,  and lift the spirits. Come on out and hear this  
wonderful group.

Though we will have arts and crafts for kids this week and sprinklers  
set up if it's hot we won't have the zipboat and the slip-n-slide as  
the wonderful CERES folks are on a well deserved vacation - this will  
be their only week away for the whole summer - we'll have the slide  
and zipboat and lots of other creative inventions back in action next  
week and through the end of the season.

The Farmers' Market,  is adding several new farmers this week with  
great produce and ready-to-eat delicious goods,  strawberries,   
heirloom pork, cheese, foccacia, cookies, breads, and treats, eggs,  
fresh veggies and produce and delicious jellies, chutneys, honey and  
more! The Barbecue Joint has set up shop and will be with us EVERY  
WEEK this summer selling a wide variety of dinners including  
vegetarian options AND this year we have a growing artisan market  
with beautiful handcrafted items including pottery, jewelry, wooden  
toys, birdhouses and furniture.

Festivities take place in central Saxapahaw next to the Post Office  
and across from the Saxapahaw Rivermill every Saturday from 5pm-8pm  
through the end of August.  Admission is free though donations are  
appreciated, organizers pass around a "Swan Bucket" each week for the  
band.

The series is sponsored by the Saxapahaw Rivermill and by local  
businesses including Anderson Homes' Haw Village,  Open Eye Cafe,   
Fifth Season Gardening, Townsend Bertram and The Barbecue Joint.

Saturday events take place outside in downtown Saxapahaw next to the  
Post Office.  The Farmers Market and Children's Activities run from  
5-8 and bands play on the Haywagon Stage at the Meadow Amphitheater  
from 6-8.  For more information, a schedule of bands and farmers,  
directions, pictures and more please visit www.rivermillvillage.com  
or call 336 376 5694.  COME ON OVER TO SAXAPAHAW!


SUMMER BAND SCHEDULE:
June

23  Big Medicine

30  The Jonathan Byrd Band

July

7       The Maudlin Brothers

14      The Two Dollar Pistols

21      Wood & Steel

28      Memphis

August

4       Randy Whitt & The Grits

11      Django Haskins

18      Tommy Edwards & Friends

25      The Kickin Grass Band


Oktoberfest - October 20th: The Parsons, SouthPaw, Memphis, Wood & Steel