The Vegabonds, Yarn and 4 more acts to check out this week
The weekend before Christmas offers a cool holiday show with some Cajun spice to it. There also are some shows featuring an under-the-radar rock act and a venerable folk duo.
The Vegabonds
The details: Dec. 21, 9 p.m. Pour House, 224 S. Blount St., Raleigh. Bennett Wales and the Relief will open. Tickets start at $10. 919-821-1120 or thepourhousemusichall.com
The Southern rock band is touring behind its latest album, “V.” Vocalist Daniel Allen recently provided some details to New Jersey Stage.”
“I hope fans hear stories in the album,” Allen said. “We are in a very unique time in history, and this album touches on the struggle of every day folks doing their best to navigate love work, beliefs and the ever-changing politics that flood our lives daily.”
Yarn
The details: Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Lincoln Theater, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh. The Dune Dogs will open. Tickets start at $14, 919-821-4111 or lincolntheatre.com
Yarn keeps rolling with its rich, deep harmonies and big hooks. The band is prepping for its hometown show. Vocalist-guitarist Blake Christiana told The News & Observer in 2018 that he has no regrets leaving Brooklyn for the Triangle.
“Raleigh has been the perfect place for me,” Christiana said then. “Not only has it been an inspiring place for a musician, it’s been great for quality of life. The first thing I did was buy patio furniture when I moved down here. I still love the fact that I have more space here and less chaos. It’s more manageable and affordable.”
Beausoleil with Michael Doucet
The details: Dec. 21, 8 p.m., The Arts Center, 300-G East Main St., Carrboro. Tickets start at $30. 919-929-2787 or artscenterlive.org
Michael Doucet will release a solo album next month, but his band Beausoleil continues to tour. Expect Beausoleil to deliver some of the new tunes, but the majority of the set will be comprised of Christmas songs and the act’s Cajun numbers.
“I love playing the songs of Beausoleil,” Doucet says while calling from his Lafayette, La., home. “Even though I have this new album out and I’m excited about the new songs, it doesn’t mean that I’m less enthusiastic about Beausoleil.”
Beausoleil, which means beautiful sun in French, isn’t taking a break after the Doucet album lands. “It’s been 44 years since the band formed,” Doucet said. “I might do a solo tour but I’m not sure about that yet. But what I am sure is that I’ll go out with Beausoleil next year to do our regular dates. Nothing is going to stop that. I still enjoy going out with the guys. There’s such a bond with the rest of the band and such a love of the music. We have so much to draw from.”
Robin and Linda Williams
The details: Dec. 22, 7:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Tickets start at $20. 919-967-9053 or catscradle.com
The husband-and-wife duo have quietly been making clever and catchy Americana since the mid ‘70s. Garrison Keillor used to feature them regularly on his popular syndicated radio program, “A Prairie Home Companion.”
The pair is working on a new album. “We called our friend (producer) Kevin McNoldy, who showed up with portable recording gear and two Townsend microphones and we recorded six songs,” Linda Williams told the Woodson.
“Our house in Staunton, (Virginia) is old and has high ceilings and the room sounds wonderful, better than some studios we’ve recorded in. We sat in our living room with those Townsend microphones and we got some really good stuff.”
Jon Stickley Trio
The details: Dec. 21, 8:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle. Tickets start at $10.
The progressive act from Asheville veers from bluegrass to jazz to folk.
Shane Gilles
The details: Dec. 19-21. Show times vary. Goodnights, 861 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. Tickets start at $21. 919-828-5233 or goodnightscomedy.com
The comic tells stories and delivers observational humor.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 11:00 AM.