Future Islands announce their 1,000th show in Carrboro

Breakout Baltimore band Future Islands, who used to call Greenville home, have just announced their 1,000th show and they have decided to make it a big shindig right here in the Triangle.

The band will play Carrboro Town Commons on Sunday, July 26. Support has not yet been announced, but the show will be all day event starting at 2:30 p.m. so special guests should be plentiful. Tickets will be distributed through a lottery type system. Head HERE to request tickets. The folks lucky enough to get tickets will be selected and their credit cards charged on Monday, June 8.

Check out Future Islands performing their new single "The Chase" during the final weeks of the Late Show with David Letterman earlier this spring below.

Best of 2014: Kevin's Favorites

To a lot of folks watching new music in 2014, especially in the Triangle but all over the country and the world too, this was the year of Sylvan Esso, and I would include myself in that group. After first seeing the duo at the Hopscotch Music Festival in 2013 it was easy to tell that the group was special.

In 2014 their debut album hit shelves and it did not disappoint, blending the electronic grooves of Nick Sanborn with the amazing melodies and vocals of Amelia Meath. Not only did I pick their self-titled album as my favorite album of the year but their song "Coffee" made my top songs list as well.

Future Islands announces new album 'Singles,' new spring dates

Regional favorites Future Islands will be in the Triangle this Wednesday (March 5) to play a sold out show with Wye Oak and Haw River Ballroom and they'll release their new album, Singles, on March 25. The band has added some new dates to their spring tour, which will bring them to the Triangle again.

The band will play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, April 27. Ed Shrader's Music Beat and The Lollipops will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $16.

[UPDATE: The first show sold out quite quickly and the band have added a second show at the Cradle on Monday, April 28. Ed Shrader's Music Beat and Human Pippi Armstrong will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $16.]

Future Islands & Wye Oak announce March 2014 tour

Baltimore indie rock bands Future Islands and Wye Oak are teaming up for a short, weeklong tour in March that will bring the bands to an increasingly popular venue in the western reaches of the Triangle.

They'll play the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw on Wednesday, March 5. Ed Shrader's Music Beat will open. Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 13 via Ticketfly for $16.

Both Future Islands and Wye Oak are expected to release two new albums in 2014. For now, though, check out the two bands team up for a performance of "Little Dreamer" at the 2011 Pickathon Festival in Portland below.

Hopscotch 2013 Night 2: Gross Ghost, Future Islands

Photos by Kevin Norris

Friday night at Hopscotch kicked off with a local band taking the next step.

With Gross Ghost, there’s always been a trade-off between their live shows and the recorded music. On record, the catchy melodies come through loud any clear, but the live energy is lack. On stage, they’ve rarely played in places with sound systems good enough to add juice to the guitars and keep the vocal melodies clear. In City Plaza, the band finally captured both.

Moss of Aura, Jonny Alright added to Hopscotch lineup

The Hopscotch Music Festival kicks off in just a few hours, and we have a couple of final schedule replacements to share.

• Tonight at 9:30 p.m. at the Pour House Music Hall, Future Islands member Gerrit Welmers will perform as Moss of Aura replacing Dauwd.
• Saturday at midnight at the Berkeley Cafe, Jonny Alright will replace UBT. 

Check out our updated, printable schedule HERE, and a day parties schedule HERE.

Happy Hopscotching!

The Dirty Projectors playing Chapel Hill this fall

After coming to the Triangle earlier this year to play the Red Hat Amphitheater supporting The National, indie favorites The Dirty Projectors will be coming back our way for a headlining show this fall.

They'll play Memorial Hall on UNC's campus on Saturday, October 5. Future Islands will open the show. Ticket information has not been made available yet, but typically students get first crack at tickets before it's opened up to the pubic. We'll keep you posted once we know more.

[Tickets for UNC students will go on sale on Tuesday, September 5 for $15 HERE. Tickets for UNC faculty and staff will be $20 and $35 for the general public but an on-sale date has not been announced and are on sale now.]

Win tickets to Future Islands at Lincoln Theatre

Baltimore trio Future Islands will return to their North Carolina roots this weekend with a show at Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre, kicking off a tour that will take them through the East Coast and Midwest.

For a chance to win a pair of tickets to the show, email trianglemusiccontests at gmail dot com with "Future Islands tickets" in the subject line no later than 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31. We will select and notify a winner that afternoon. One entry per person, please.

Tickets to the show are $14 and available via etix. Talk Normal and Airstrip will open.

Future Islands coming to Chapel Hill on Friday

Triangle regulars Future Islands were set to open for Passion Pit on a run of dates ahead of the release of their new album, but the those July dates were canceled yesterday (the Passion Pit show in Raleigh as well as other fall dates are still on). These cancellations left Future Islands with some time on their hands which is good news for the Triangle.

The band will play an intimate show at Local 506 in Chapel Hill this Friday, July 20. Lilac Shadows will open. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketfly for $8.

Check out the rest of the new dates below which includes new shows in Asheville, Atlanta and Richmond.

Hopscotch 2011: Interview with Future Islands

Greenville natives Future Islands may have relocated to Baltimore for the long term, but their move doesn't mean they've lost their love for the Old North State. They return to the Triangle this Saturday, performing at the Lincoln Theater as a part of the Hopscotch Music Festival. Frontman and vocalist Sam Herring took the time to talk to Triangle Music about the band and its upcoming new album.

Triangle Music: The big reason why we’re doing this is in preparation of the Hopscotch festival. Who are you looking forward to seeing there?

Sam Herring: Oh, man. I kind of need to pull up the whole list. Of course, I’m really excited about seeing The Flaming Lips. I’ve never gotten to see them play. William has been a big fan since he was maybe in the eleventh grade or so, so he’s seen them four or five times, and Gerrit has seen them once before. Him, his girlfriend, and William took a trip to Raleigh to see them. They played The Ritz, I don’t know if that’s even there anymore. Or maybe it was the Disco Rodeo or something that they played. They went and saw them play, but I’ve never seen them. I’m really excited, I also get to be on a panel with Wayne Coyne to speak about music. I guess I don’t know exactly what we’re going to be talking about. I’m excited to meet him.

Future Islands announce new album & fall tour, coming to Carrboro

Future Islands are certainly not shy about playing the Triangle. The band played a two-night stand at Kings in Raleigh in March, the Locally Grown Concert Series in Chapel Hill last week and are playing the Hopscotch Festival again this year (at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, September 10).

The band will release their third album, On the Water, on October 11 via Thrill Jockey Records and will hit the road on an extensive fall tour to support it. They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Sunday, November 27. Ed Schrader's Music Beat and Lonnie Walker will open the show. Tickets go on sale on Friday, September 2, via etix for $12.

Hopscotch announces speaker series with big names

As September draws closer, more Hopscotch special events are being finalized, and now we know the details of the Artist and Author speaker series.

The event is held each day of the festival, September 8-10, from the 3 to 5 p.m. at the Raleigh City Museum. Speakers featured over the the three days include Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips), Patterson Hood (of Drive-By Truckers), John Vanderslice, Peter Holsapple and many more.

Check out the full lineup of speakers below. For more details on the topics of each event, head HERE.

Locally Grown music and movies series announces summer schedule

Chapel Hill's Locally Grown Rooftop Music and Movies series will return for another season of free music and movies on June 23. The event is held every Thursday on top of the Wallace parking deck at 150 E. Franklin St., behind Jack Sprat Cafe and other businesses on Franklin Street.

This year's series features three concerts and six movies. Mandolin Orange and Big Fat Gap will kick things off on June 23, Holy Ghost Tent Revival and The Big Picture will perform on July 28, and Future Islands and Motor Skills will wrap up the series on August 18.

Concerts will start at 6 p.m. and movies will begin at sundown, about 8 p.m. Check out the full schedule, including the movies, below.

Okkervil River announces 2011 tour, coming to Carrboro

Photo by Alexandra Valenti

Will Sheff and his gang of musicians known as Okkervil River are gearing up for the release of their new album I Am Very Far on May 10. A tour will follow in June and will bring the group to the Triangle.

They'll play the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro on Wednesday, June 1. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, March 4 via etix for $16.

[UPDATE: Titus Andronicus and Future Islands will open the show. That's a hell of a lineup.]

Future Islands announces two-night stand in Raleigh

Photo by Abram Sanders

Kings in downtown Raleigh is really digging booking bands for two-night stands right now. We told you a few weeks ago about Megafaun's two nights there on January 21 and 22 and American Aquarium will follow with shows on January 28 and 29.

Now former North Carolina band Future Islands who now call Baltimore home, will play two nights at Kings on March 3 and 4. Ed Schrader’s Music Beat will open both shows and tickets will be $10 in advance via etix. They should be on sale soon.

Future Islands' latest album In Evening Air landed at number fifteen on our 2010 readers' poll best albums list. Download the song "Walking Through That Door" from the album below.

2009 Troika Festival line-up revealed, 56 bands so far

Though it's still three months away, buzz for the 2009 Troika Festival is already building with the release of the bulk of the line-up. 56 bands are on the bill so far, and they run the gamut. It includes local heavy-hitters such as Bowerbirds, Dex Romweber Duo, Birds of Avalon and Hammer No More the Fingers as well as up-and-coming groups like The Huguenots, The Tender Fruit and Gray Young. Check out the full list of 56 bands below.

Troika will be going down on November 5, 6 and 7 in Durham. Specific venues and schedules will be released in due time.

Meanwhile, sample some mp3s of some of the bands playing the festival below. Any bands on the list who want an mp3 of your band added, just drop it to us via email at triangle_ music@hotmail.com.