Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
March 10, 2014
Critics and peers agree: Brian Regan has distinguished himself as one of the premier comedians in the country. The perfect balance of sophisticated writing and physicality, Brian fills theaters nationwide with fervent fans that span generations.
With his first appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1995, Brian solidified his place on the show, and in 2012 he made his 25th appearance, the most of any comedian on the CBS show. Brian has starred in two hour-long Comedy Central specials and released three DVDs and two CDs. His non-stop theater tour has visited more than 80 cities each year since 2005, and in August Brian sold out the legendary 8600-seat Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver. It is the quality of his material, relatable to a wide audience and revered by his peers, which continues to grow Brian’s fan base.
Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
April 6, 2014
“The American Led Zeppelin,” Get The Led Out will present a two hour set at DPAC on April 6 that spans the mythic career of the legendary British supergroup. It’s been their mission to bring the studio recordings of “the mighty Zep” to life on the concert stage. This is not an impersonator act but rather a group of musicians who were fans first, striving to do justice to one of the greatest bands in rock history!
For those that did not get to see Led Zeppelin live, Get the Led Out is the closest thing you will ever get. The six-piece band consists of Paul Sinclair on vocals, Paul Hammond and Jimmy Marchiano on guitars, Billy Childs on bass, Adam Ferraioli on drums, and Andrew Lipke on keyboards and guitars
Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC)
March 18, 2014
After two previous soldout concerts at DPAC, The Moody Blues return for one night only March 18 as part of their Timeless Flight-The Voyage Continues Tour.
The band just recently celebrated the 45th Anniversary of their monumental 1967 album, “Days of Future Passed,” which features “Nights in White Satin,” one of the first four minute songs played on the radio, becoming one of the biggest selling singles in history, and hitting #1 three separate times on Billboard.
Since they first hit the rock scene The Moody Blues have continued to produce music that bridges the gap between rock, classical and pop-rock genres without ever wavering in their integrity and commitment. Featuring the altruistic inflections of guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward, bassist/vocalist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge, The Moody Blues’ sound has held its ground with exquisite harmonies over and over again, in a genre of music that is ever-changing.
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E004B5F874D666D?brand=durham&camefrom=CFC_DPAC_MOODY
On October 20, 1977 one of the greatest bands in the history of our country came to abrupt end. That was the day the plane that was chartered to transport Lynyrd Skynyrd to Louisiana crashed in Mississippi killing founder Ronnie Van Zant and band members Steve and Cassie Gaines.
Fast-forward to 1987, original band-members Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Artimus Pyle and Leon Wilkeson brought in Ed King and Ronnie’s little brother Johnny and decided that Lynyrd Skynyrd should make a return. What was originally supposed to be a short-term tribute to the original line-up has turned into almost 30 years of sold out shows and southern rock greatness.
On Thursday night the current incarnation of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band made a stop at the Durham Performing Arts center for a night of classic southern rock.
Lead Singer: Johnny Van Zant
Guitar: Gary Rossington
Guitar: Rickey Medlocke
Guitar: Mark Matejka
Bass Guitar: Johnny Colt
Piano: Peter Keys
Drums: Michael Cartellone
The show opened with a 30 second intro cartoon from the Adult Swim show Squidbillies that really made me a bit curious as to what was coming. Following the short, the band took the stage to a roar from the crowd and started their set with “That Smell.” For the nest 90 minutes we were taken on a trip through the greatest hits of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The set included:
“Call Me the Breeze”
“Comin Home”
“Down South Jukin’”
“Gimme Back my Bullets”
“Gimme Three Steps”
“I Know a Little”
“I Ain’t the One”
“Saturday Night Special”
“Tuesday’s Gone”
“What’s Your Name”
“You Got That Right”
About halfway through the show Johnny stopped the show to speak to the crowd. He spoke poignantly and sincerely about the men and women serving in the armed forces. He offered them thanks and dedicated their next song, “Simple Man”, to all of them. This seemed to really resonate with this crowd as there was excellent crowd participation in the sing-along portions of the song.
One the two high-points of the show should come as no surprise, it was the second to last song of the night. Everyone in the building joined the band in an over-the-top performance of “Sweet Home Alabama.” From the way the crowd was “in it” you would have thought DPAC was in Birmingham and not Durham.
The night ended with a performance of “Free Bird” that really exceeded my expectations. The song itself doesn’t really lend itself to be a “close-out the night” type of song. Hearing it live and seeing the performance on stage seemed to amplify the magnitude of the song 4-5 times over making it fit perfectly. I was completely sucked in as they broke the song down into each of its instrumental parts; piano, guitar and bass guitar. As each musician played his part, an image of the original band-member playing the same part from 1977 was shown on the big screen as a wonderful tribute. The song was given the respect and energy it deserved as it took well over 15-20 minutes for the complete performance all while keeping the crowd completely hooked throughout.
As the band exited the stage, the crowd gave them the ovation and cheers you would expect for a performance as impressive as the one that was delivered. For anyone who thinks that Lynyrd Skynyrd died in 1977, you are very wrong.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is alive and well!
From The News and Observer
http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/11/01/3331423/decock-why-nc-states-new-midfield.html
By Luke DeCock — ldecock@newsobserver.com
For Saturday’s homecoming game against UNC-Chapel Hill, N.C. State will debut a new midfield logo with Wolfpack imagery inside the outline of the state of North Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium.
If that sounds vaguely familiar, it’s because East Carolina debuted an unavoidably similar midfield logo with a Pirate head in 2009 and has used it the past four seasons. Over that time, it has become one of the signature elements of Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, instantly recognizable on television broadcasts.
“The people making the decision have seen East Carolina’s, yes,” N.C. State athletic department spokewoman Annabelle Myers said. “That concept was not new to N.C. State. It’s just not been done in the middle of the field.”
N.C. State has used variations of the wolf-inside-the-state logo before on bumper stickers and billboards and in publications.
It’s certainly standard practice to borrow promotional concepts from schools elsewhere – such as Mississippi State’s “Our State” campaign or the LSU football intro video, which is how PNC Arena ended up “rising defiantly from the Triangle.”
While the logo was specifically installed for homecoming, there is no timetable for its removal. The Pirates visit Carter-Finley on Nov. 23.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” East Carolina spokesman Tom McClellan said.
DeCock: ldecock@newsobserver.com, @LukeDeCock, 919-829-8947
Tickets for the 2014 Casino Night and Wine Tasting presented by PNC Arena are $200 each ($115 is tax deductible), and will be available via Ticketmaster, at the PNC Arena Box Office, or by calling (919) 861-5474. All proceeds from the fundraiser benefit the Kids ‘N Community Foundation.
The 2014 Casino Night and Wine Tasting presented by PNC will include wine tasting stations from local wine vendors, and non-cash prize casino games such as poker, blackjack, roulette and craps. Carolina Hurricanes players will act as dealers at the tables during the event, and the team’s coaches and front-office executives will also take part in the evening. The fundraiser includes a full-service food buffet and open bar, and the night will also feature silent and live auctions. The silent auction will include nearly 100 items, highlighted by the popular “player baskets,” which are made by individual players and include their “favorite things.” The live auction will include as many as 10 items and will be headlined by the “Trip with the Team.” The 2013 Casino Night and Wine Tasting raised more than $276,000 for local children’s charities.
The Kids ‘N Community Foundation provides much-needed funding to children’s charities and educational initiatives throughout North Carolina. The Foundation has funded scholarship programs, youth hockey, educational and literacy efforts, children’s health programs, the arts and other youth-related initiatives. In the 2012-13 season, the Kids ‘N Community Foundation donated $436,600 to 26 different children’s charitable organizations in North Carolina. Annually, the Foundation provides cash and in-kind contributions of more than $1 million to charitable and educational programs in North Carolina. Each member of the Hurricanes organization is actively involved in the community, and the Hurricanes take great pride in the ability to have a positive impact in the state. For more information on the Kids ‘N Community Foundation, please visit www.CarolinaHurricanes.com/foundation.
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