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Published Thursday, June 23, 2011 Click Here to Return To Archive Contents |
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| Burlington Music Scene is Surging Company Shops adds its name to list of venues In the past year the Burlington area has seen a resurgence in live music opportunities as several new venues have opened their doors in the area. Located on the outer fringes of the eastern side of the Triad Burlington has a rich history in live music as quite a few of the most popular bands in the Triad are based out of Burlington and Alamance County. From bluegrass, country, blues, rock and heavy metal genres are all well represented by Burlington bands. Until recently though bands generally had limited opportunities to perform in thier hometown.
A few miles to the east of Burlington, Mebane has a thriving live music community with venues like Clay Street Tavern, Ground Zero, Stumblin' Pig and Huey's, all hosting live bands on most weekends. Brewballs on Church Street is one of the oldest continually operating venues in the Burlington area, though several new venues such as Slamerz, Outer Limits, Club Sensation and the Tap House are new incarnations of older establishments. There are however several brand new establishments where live music can be heard. The Fat Frogg in Elon has been open for a couple of years now playing host to bands as diverse as Sok Monkee (rock) and Back Porch Orchestra (bluegrass/country). In downtown Burlington the Front Street Public House occasionally has scheduled bands but is also a popular spot for musicians to come hang out and perform informal acoustic sets. One street over on Spring Street the Rusted Bucket is packed most Friday evenings for intimate shows with some of the best groups in the area. The latest addition to the venue list in Burlington is the Company Shops Market Co-op on Front St. The Co-op will be hosting a special 3rd of July Independence Celebration this Sunday, to introduce their brand new Music Series! The new Company Shops Music Series will bring free live entertainment to the co-op every Friday evening from 6-8pm, as well as a once-a-month day-long concert event, highlighting local music, art, and community. The event will feature three incredible local bands that you won't want to miss. Award-winning guitarist Justin Johnson will kick off the event from 3-4 pm with his unique fusion of gypsy jazz, blues, and bluegrass, that he has dubbed "Gypsy Bluejazz," followed by Steph Stewart and the Boyfriends' fusion of old Appalachia and modern Americana from 4-6 pm. The Doug Largent Trio will carry the event into the evening with their dynamic Jazz stylings, reminiscent of the classic Blue Note era. As the opportunities for live music to be performed on a regular basis in the Burlington area increases so too does the opportunitiy for fans to experience a broader range of music as bands from outside the area look to Burlington as a source of potential new fans and the promise of an increased fan base. In the past several months popular bands such as Greensboro based Children of Karma, Jody Lee Petty and Magazyne have stepped up their appearances in the area, playing at venues such as Stumblin' Pig, Outer Limits and Slamerz. As the economy continues to rebound, live music in the Burlington/Mebane area will certainly continue to grow in popularity and performers' desire to play the venues there will become much more competitive. -Charlton Wiggins | TriadLiveMusic.com
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