Hopscotch announces spring road shows in NC, VA

The Hopscotch Music Festival will announce the lineup for the big 2013 shindig on April 24 and they'll follow the announcement with six shows across North Carolina and Virginia.

The first shows will be right here in the Triangle on Thursday, April 25. There will be an early and a late show at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill. The early show will feature The Snails and The Art Department and the late show will feature Last Year's Men and The Dynamite Brothers. Tickets will be $5 at the door for each show (that goes for all of the Hopscotch road shows).

Check out the details for the rest of the road show below which includes shows in Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Charlotte and Richmond.

Moogfest 2011 adds even more bands, TV on the Radio, St. Vincent & more

TV on the Radio

The incredible music festival Moogfest in Asheville already had an impressive lineup for 2011 with acts like The Flaming Lips, Moby, Passion Pit and many more, but now they've added even more great bands.

The new bands include TV on the Radio, James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, St. Vincent, Flying Lotus, Zomby, SBTRKT, Yacht, John Maus, Childish Gambino (the hip-hop alter ego of actor/comedian Donald Glover), Beats Antique, The Drums, Baths, Savoy, Araabmuzik, Cloudland Canyon, Fareed Haque + MathGames, Grimes, Mimi Goese & Ben Neill, Moon Duo, Warm Ghost, EOTO and Fine Peduncle.

Check out the full updated lineup below.

Moogfest 2011 adds 11 new performers including Moby

Much like last year, Moogfest is rolling out their 2011 lineup in waves, and the second wave has just hit the shore.

11 performers have been added to the lineup, most notably, chrome domed electronic superstar Moby. Other additions are Amon Tobin, Dan Deacon, Kode9, The Antlers, Atlas Sound, Glasser, Beak>, Stickmen, Lunzproject (Tim Story and Hans Joachim-Roedelius) and Wham City Comedy Tour.

With all of those additions, the festival says that even more additions are still to come, so we'll keep you posted once the lineup grows again. Check out the full, updated lineup below.

Moogfest rolls out initial 2011 lineup, Flaming Lips, Passion Pit & more

One of the most exciting annual music festivals in North Carolina, other than the Hopscotch Music Festival right here in Ralegh, is Moogfest in Asheville, named after electronic music pioneer Robert Moog. The 2011 festival will take place on October 28, 29 and 30 across three primary venues, The Orange Peel, the Asheville Civic Center and the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.

The initial lineup will feature big names like The Flaming Lips, Passion Pit, Tangerine Dream, STS9, Ghostland Observatory, Suicide (performing their self-titled album) and Crystal Castles. 22 other bands have been announced so far. Check out the full list below.

Devo cancels tour due to injury, plan special Asheville performance

Those heading to Asheville this weekend for the excellent MoogFest may be in for a little disappointment. The legendary quirky pop group Devo have had to cancel all of their upcoming shows due to an injury sustained by guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh. A shard of glass sliced the guitarist's right thumb to the bone. That's a photo of him to the right there after undergoing surgery.

The canceled shows includes the band's set at MoogFest that was scheduled for Friday night, but founding members Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale will still be on hand to receive the first ever Moog Innovation Award.

[UPDATE: Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale are still going to perform. It may be a collaboration with another band at the festival or in some other form, but the duo have promised something "immensely entertaining."]

Avett Brothers announce New Year's shows in Asheville

Fresh off of their big show at Walnut Creek last weekend, The Avett Brothers have announced the details of their annual New Year's shows. This year, there will be two shows, both in Asheville at the Asheville Civic Center.

The shows will be on December 30 and 31. Truth and Salvage will open the show on the December 30 and David Mayfield Parade will open the December 31 show.

Pre-sale tickets will be made available on Tuesday, October 19. To be eligible for pre-sale tickets, you must be signed up for the Avetts email list by 5 p.m. Monday, October 18. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at noon on Friday, October 22.

Moogfest adds Cee-Lo, Sleigh Bells, Mutemath & more

Moogfest in Asheville this October, which you may have seen us talk about a few times, has added even more big performers to their already impressive line-up

The latest additions bolster the Sunday, Oct. 31 schedule, which was previously the only thin day. Cee-Lo, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian and Omar Souleyman have been added for that night. Also, Mutemath has been added to the Friday, Oct. 29 schedule.

Check out the updated complete schedule broken down by day below. Three-day passes or individual day tickets for Moogfest are available here.

Moogfest adds more performers including Devo & Bonobo

The lineup for Moogfest in Asheville on October 29-31keeps adding more and more great performers to their already impressive bill. Now there's a new batch of new performers including Devo, The Disco Biscuits, Ikonika, Bonobo, Van Dyke Parks and Clare and The Reasons.

Obviously, the most notable addition is iconic pop band Devo, who just released a new album titled Something For Everybody in June. It is the band's first new album in twenty years. Check out the first part of the "making of" series about the unique album below where you'll also find the updated Moogfest lineup broken down by individual days.

Tickets for the event are on sale now here for $149.50 for a 3-day pass or $75 for a single day ticket.

On sale today: Moogfest & $10 KISS lawn seats

Tickets for the big Moogfest festival in Asheville we've been talking about that features an impressive lineup of great acts like MGMT, Massive Attack and Jónsi are going on sale today, Aug. 13, at 12 p.m. here. 3-day passes are $149.50 while single day tickets are $75.

Also, lawn tickets for KISS with The Academy Is... and The Envy are $10 again. You can pick those up here. So if you want to see the spectacle but are afraid of fire and the high cost of concert tickets, here's your chance to see the show.

08.29.10 - KISS w/ The Academy Is... & The Envy at Walnut Creek Amphitheater [Tickets]
10.29-31.10 - Moogfest [Tickets]

Full Moogfest lineup announced with Hot Chip, Panda Bear, Pretty Lights, more

The full lineup of Moogfest in Asheville on Oct. 29-31 has been announced and it's managed to get even better. Additions to the original batch of bands include Girl Talk, Panda Bear, EL-P, Pretty Lights, Hot Chip, Dan Deacon and more. Check out the full lineup below broken down by day.

The event will span three venues, the Asheville Civic Center Arena, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium and The Orange Peel.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Aug. 13 at 12 p.m. here. A three-day pass is $149.50 and tickets for individual days are $75. There will also be VIP passes for $349.50 that include priority access to venues, merchandise, access to lounges and other perks. You can see more info on that here.

Asheville Moogfest line-up includes Jónsi, MGMT, Massive Attack & more

Here is a good reason to plan a trip out to lovely Asheville, NC this fall. New bands have just been added to the line-up of the second Moogfest in Asheville, named for Robert Moog, inventor of the Moog synthesizer who was a research professor of music at the University of Asheville and lived in the city until his death in 2005.

This year's event will be held on Oct. 29, 30 and 31, and will feature a fantastic line-up including MGMT, Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, Big Boi, Jónsi and Caribou. More artists will be announced in the coming weeks, but that's a hell of a line-up already.

Tickets for the event will go on sale on Friday, Aug. 13. We'll keep you posted on new info as it is announced.

On sale today: Pixies in Charlotte, Asheville & Demetri Martin in Raleigh

It's Friday, which means tickets go on sale today. Check out the details of the interesting on sales below.

First, tickets for the Pixies two North Carolina dates are officially on sale to the public today (July 9) at 10 a.m. Tickets for the Charlotte show on Thursday, Sept. 9 will be on sale here for $39 to $48. Tickets for the Asheville show on Sunday, Sept. 19 will be on sale here for $39 to $48.

Also, Demetri Martin tickets are available to the general public today (July 9) at 10 a.m. here for $32.75. A lot of tickets were likely grabbed during the pre-sale, which is over now, so grab your tickets before they're gone.

Pixies announce new dates, coming to Charlotte, Asheville

True indie rock royalty, the Pixies, have stayed fairly active since their reformed in 2004, playing shows each year. The band have added some new U.S. dates to their schedule that will bring them to North Carolina in September. Sadly, they won't be coming to the Triangle, but will be heading to Charlotte and Asheville.

They'll play Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte on Thursday, Sept. 9. Pre-sale tickets are available now via the band's pre-sale for $57, but a general on sale date is not available yet.

Stream Vampire Weekend's new album 'Contra'

Vampire Weekend's highly anticipated sophomore album titled Contra is due out next Tuesday, January 12, but you can stream it in it's entirety right now. Head on over to the band's MySpace page to give it a listen.

Unfortunately, the band's upcoming North American tours do not stop in the Triangle, but for those willing to make the trip west, they will be playing The Orange Peel in Asheville on Tuesday, April 6. Tickets for the show go on sale on Friday, January 8 at noon for $25 here.

Check out the complete North American tour schedule below.

Avetts move New Year's Eve show to bigger venue

For all of you Avett Brothers fans hoping to spend New Year's eve with the band, you now have your chance. The band's Asheville show has been moved from the approximately 2,400 capacity Thomas Wolfe Auditorium to the 7,000+ capacity Asheville Civic Center.

Those who purchased tickets for the original venue will be allowed special entry to the show and all tickets will be honored. Tickets to fill out the new venue will go on sale Friday, November 20 here.

dBs, Superchunk, Ivan Howard and more to rally for Obama

Merge Records announced today that there will two shows in North Carolina before election day to rally support for Barack Obama. The first show is in Asheville at the Grey Eagle on October 28 and the second is in Chapel Hill at Graham Terrace at UNC on November 1.

The schedule for both shows is like a "who's who" of North Carolina bands including Tift Merritt, Superchunk, Bowerbirds, Ivan Howard (of The Rosebuds), The dBs, Megafaun and many more. Check out the full list below. It should be an awesome time.

The Chapel Hill show will mark the second time that Superchunk has rallied for Obama. The first time was during the primary with Arcade Fire. Check out the review and photos from that show.

Asheville tickets are available starting at 10AM on October 23 UNC-Asheville's Zeis Hall. You get a ticket when you early vote and they'll be given away until they're gone. The show at Grey Eagle starts at 8PM.

The Chapel Hill show is outside at Graham Terrace (adjacent to the Morehead Planetarium early voting site) and there are no tickets. The show at UNC will start at 9AM and run to 1PM.

Asheville, October 28 line-up:
The Reigning Sound
Tift Merritt
Chris Stamey (dBs)
Portastatic
Greg Humphreys (of Hobex)
Electric Owls (ex Comas)

Chapel Hill, November 1 line-up:
The dBs
Superchunk (acoustic)
Ivan Rosebud
Megafaun
I Was Totally Destroying It
Bowerbirds
Greg Humphreys
Regina Hexaphone
Portastatic

James Taylor shows for Obama, now with details

We now have the info on those James Taylor shows for Barack Obama next week. I'll keep the chatter sparse and get right to the details, because there's a lot of them.

Here's the schedule:
Sunday, October 19 - Charlotte - Ovens Auditorium - 1:30 PM doors
Sunday, October 19 - Asheville - Martin Luther King Park - 6:30 PM doors
Monday, October 20 - Chapel Hill - Fetzer Field (UNC) - 5:00 PM doors
Tuesday, October 21 - Raleigh - Moore Square - 11:30 AM doors
Tuesday, October 21 - Wilmington - Greenfield Lake Amphitheater - 5:00PM doors

Venue details:
Ovens Auditorium - 2700 E. Independence Ave., Charlotte
Martin Luther King Park - 50 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Asheville
Fetzer Field - UNC (behind Carmichael Auditorium on South Road), Chapel Hill
Moore Square - 200 South Blount St., Raleigh
Greenfield Lake Ampitheater - at 3rd St. & Park St., Wilmington

Ticket distribution:

Charlotte tickets available on Friday, October 17 from 11 AM to 7 PM at:

• South County Regional Library - 5801 Rea Rd., Charlotte
• Plaza Midwood Regional Library - 1623 Central Ave., Charlotte
• University City Library - 301 E. W.T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte

Asheville tickets available on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18 from 10 AM to 6 PM at:

• UNC Asheville, Zeis Building - 1 University Heights, Asheville
• West Asheville Library - 942 Haywood Rd., Asheville
• Asheville Senior Opportunity Center - 36 Grove St., Asheville

Chapel Hill tickets available Friday thru Sunday, October 17-19 from 9 AM to 4 PM at:

• UNC Chapel Hill Planetarium - 250 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
• Carrboro Town Commons - 301 W. Main St., Carrboro
• Orange County Public Library - 300 W. Tryon St., Hillsborough

Raleigh tickets available Friday thru Sunday, October 17-19 from 9 AM to 6 PM at:

• Raleigh for Change HQ - 130 E. Morgan St., Raleigh
• Boleyn Heights for Change HQ - 600 St. Mary’s St., Raleigh
• Galaxy Theater - 770 Cary Towne Blvd., Cary (9AM-6PM Sat., 12PM-6PM Fri. & Sun.)

Wilmington tickets available Friday and Monday, October 17 and 20 from 2 PM to 5 PM at:

• Government Center Plaza (Patio of Sombrero Azul) - 127 S College St., Wilmington

Smashing Pumpkins tickets re-announced

If you're like us and spent a good part of yesterday afternoon wondering if all the Smashing Pumpkins tickets for the band's residency at The Orange Peel were sold out, don't worry. Thanks to some technical difficulties, not many people were able to purchase tickets.

Apparently, putting nine shows on sale all at once isn't as easy as the folks at Ticketweb thought. According to The Orange Peel there was "a major crash with the ticketing services server."

Tickets will now be sold through Ticketmaster beginning TONIGHT at 7 p.m., so get your clicking fingers ready. And your wallet ready, of course, for Ticketmaster's exorbitant fees. (Just kidding. Ticketmaster has agreed to charge the same fees that Ticketweb would have. One redemption point to Ticketmaster.)

One positive thing to note is that all tickets will only be available through will call, so anyone hoping to scalp tickets is going to have a rougher time than usual. Check here for some FAQs on the shows.

So are any of you planning to trek out to Asheville for one (or several) of these shows?

UPDATE: By our rough estimate, all nine shows sold out in 5-10 minutes. Were any of you successful in snagging tickets?

Smashing Pumpkins set-up residency in Asheville

The newly "reformed" Smashing Pumpkins will play a string of residency gigs at of all places, The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC. The new Pumpkins tour will include original members Billy Corgan and Jimmy Chamberlin but will not include James Iha or D'Arcy Wretzky.

The Pumpkins will play nine shows at The Orange Peel (June 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30 and July 2, 3 and 5). After the residency, the band will play Al Gore's LiveEarth event in East Rutherford, NJ before heading to San Francisco for an eight-show residency at The Fillmore.

The Smashing Pumpkins new album Zeitgeist will be out on July 10. Tickets for The Orange Peel residency go on sale May 20 at 1:00 PM via ticketweb.com. Tickets will only be $20. Not bad.