The Red Hat Amphitheater is hosting (and PNC is sponsoring) a nice fall mini-festival this Saturday. Admission is FREE, so you might want to get there early. Weather forecast (clear, 70F) should be just warm enough to comfortably sit on a blanket; for running and tumbling around it is warm enough for sure. (But bring a warm jacket and hat; by the time Michael Franti hits the stage, the temperature will drop below 60 despite the funky reggae sound). But first things first – here the line-up:
- 2p (gates open)
- 3p Sandbox
- 4:30 Mommie
- 6:15 Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba
- 8:00 Michael Franti & Spearhead
- 10:00 (end)
Sandbox is the band that I wrote about a few weeks back, when they were supposed to play in Fletcher Park. (A threat of rain cancelled that concert.)
Mommie is what happens when rock stars become dads: It is the kiddie music project of Doug McMillan of The Connells fame. Songs like “Dumptruck” or “Mama’s Pajamas” meander between Connells guitar pop and punk rock. Hear (and buy) their album on CD Baby.
Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba are based in Durham and Orange County, but they sound like West Africa; indeed, Diali is from Senegal, while his bandmates grew up in places like Pittsboro or Saxapahaw. I didn’t know them until researching this article, but their music is beautiful.
Michael Franti & Spearhead, the headliner, will hit the stage at 8p (I hope we’ll last that long!) with their mix of funk, hip-hop and reggae. Like most, I only knew the up-beat “Say Hey! [I be gone today, but I be back around the way]”, but some previews on iTunes promise equally cheerful (and also politically conscious) music.
All in all, an outstanding way to end the festival season 2012!
The image is Michael Franti and Spearhead by Rich Anderson, used under the CC BY-SA license