Money Shot with Tiger Knives
Money Shot Facebook / Bandcamp Dirty Funky Disco Rock from Raleigh Tiger Knives Bandcamp / Instagram Darkwave & Post Punk from Raleigh / Durham. Jake Craven. Brandon Howell. Glenn Miller. Mark Bettger.
Kai & Clyde with Sharm and HVAC Tech
Kai & Clyde instagram / Bandcamp Kai & Clyde is an alternative rock band from chapel hill, consisting of Kai Bishop (vocals, guitar) Clyde Lambe (bass) and Jude Dasher (drums.) Their sound is reminiscent of slacker rock. Sharm Instagram / Bandcamp sharm is a drone-punk duo based in Durham NC with songs to delight and hearts to garner. HVAC Tech Instagram Here to replace your air conditioning is HVAC TECH, NC’s hottest (and coldest) band. Formed by a bunch of high school students from Carrboro and Chapel Hill, this band takes influence from punk and alt rock, while aiming to be as fun and loud as possible.
Burlap Circus with Bee Million and Larry.
Burlap Circus Bandcamp / Instagram Burlap Circus is a band from Greensboro NC. A group of college friends attempting to create a self named genre “Lake Rock”. Although deep down we know its just folk music. Bee Million Bandcamp / Instagram Larry. Bandcamp / Instagram
Jesse Fox with Roxanne Fortney and Sam Thorn
Jesse Fox Apple Music / Spotify / Youtube / TikTok / Instagram North Carolina–born singer-songwriter Jesse Fox is carving a space of his own in the modern Americana landscape. His upcoming album Magnolia (2026) captures the warmth and weight of Southern storytelling; songs that move between heartbreak, renewal, and quiet resilience. Even before its release, the record has surpassed 100,000 streams through early singles like “Leave” and “If I’m Warm,” which have resonated with listeners for their emotional depth and unguarded lyricism. Produced by longtime collaborator Phil Amalong, Magnolia features Emerson Swinford (Rod Stewart) on guitar, mixes by Audrey Whitfield, and contributions from a wide circle of North Carolina musicians. Blending folk intimacy, indie texture, and soulful craftsmanship, Magnolia stands as Fox’s most confident and cohesive work to date, a testament to his evolution as an artist and to the creative community that surrounds him. Roxanne Fortney Spotify / Apple Music / Instagram Roxanne Fortney is a local songwriter from Chapel Hill, NC who uses storytelling and intentional lyricism to sing softly about life’s nuances…love, loss, the everyday, and faith to relate to and inspire listeners. She has a folk/singer-songwriter style with soft rock influences. Sam Thorn Bandcamp / Instagram Sam Thorn makes music as an anchor for an increasingly wobbly world. His songs are time capsules of quiet moments, real and imagined, plucked from the past or fished out of the fuzzy future – often gentle, sometimes sad, always in search of some small shard of truth. Born in England and raised in California, he and his hound dog now roam North Carolina in a converted school bus, noses to the ground, instruments at the ready in case of a spontaneous jam. You might also find him sitting in on saxophone with Chapel Hill’s resident barroom bruisers The Rattletraps.
Ben Kenney
Ben Kenney Website / Instagram / Bandcamp / Spotify Ben Kenney is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, best known for his work as the bassist in the American rock band Incubus, as well as playing guitar in the American hip hop band The Roots.
Hazel Album Release Show with Reveri3 and Gavin Kelly
Owen & The Smokes with Dune Blue and Celler Dwellers
Owen & The Smokes An indie/alternative rock group based out Winston Salem, NC. Owen & The Smokes blends a heartfelt, meaningful sound, into a catchy delivery, a unique and memorable experience. Dune Blue Indie surf from Brooklyn, NY Celler Dwellers A Richmond based indie rock band, developed and bred down in a old disheveled basement. That place they all hold dear to their hearts inspired their name, the “Celler Dwellers”. 5 fellas on a mission to cover as much ground as possible in the short time we got. Hop on the wagon and lets see how far we go.
Pressley Laton with Van Meter
Pressley Laton Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Spotify Amazon Apple Bandcamp SoundCloud Winner of the 2026 MerleFest Band Contest, Pressley Laton is an independent alternative-country and roots-rock artist based in Boone, NC, whose music is shaped by Appalachian culture, small-town stories, and a lifelong love of outlaw country and rock and roll. She blends bold, soulful vocals with gritty music and unfiltered storytelling to create a hard-hitting sound that’s raw and real, which Terry Hudson of rBeatz Radio described as “Lynyrd Skynyrd meets Jo Dee Messina.” She and her band leave a lasting impression with high-energy performances that connect just as strongly at festivals as they do in intimate listening rooms. As a rising North Carolina artist, Pressley has performed at festivals and venues across the Southeast, including MerleFest, Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, Antlers & Acorns: The Boone Songwriters Festival, Amos’ Southend, The Evening Muse, Bird’s Nest Listening Room, and The Appalachian Theatre of the High Country.Van Meter Instagram / Spotify Led by powerhouse songwriter and Maryland native Jennifer Van Meter, this roots-rock outfit brings a sound where Tom Petty meets The Pretenders, with songs that roam freely across genres and influences. Jen’s been crafting heartfelt songs for over 20 years, sharing stages with the likes of The Lone Bellow and Kasey Chambers, and even landing a feature in American Songwriter. Her band consists of two veteran Raleigh players, Bruce Clark and Larry Woodard, and songwriter/drummer turned bassist, Braxton Lindsay. The brand new EP titled “Now What?”, was recorded by Armando Cruz in Clayton, NC, mixed and mastered by Ian Schreier, features Doug Pettibone on guitar, and will be available June 6th.
Wolf And Bear – ‘A Hill To Die On’ Tour
Lineup: WOLF & BEAR Coletta Origami All Ages. Under 21 subject to a surcharge, payable at the door. For all venue info & policies, visit www.local506.com
Make and Insomniac with Evil Eye
MAKE Bandcamp / Instagram Southern sludge/post-metal outfit Make are back after a 10-year absence and they’re back at playing weight, retooling and expanding their lineup for their fourth album, Exegesis at the End of Time. Arriving a decade after the last Make album, Exegesis sees new members John Crouch (drums) and Aaron Smithers (bass/synth/vocals) join the core duo of Scott Endres (guitar, vocals) and Spencer Lee (bass, guitar, vocals). The songs on Exegesis at the End of Time feel larger and more monumental than anything Make have crafted before, taking the highs of their last release (2016’s Pilgrimage of Loathing) and expanding them into larger, more flowing compositions. There are traces of Neurosis and Isis throughout Exegesis, plus influence from Rosetta, Rwake and their ilk. -Decibel Mag Insomniac Bandcamp / Instagram INSOMNIAC coalesce onto our plane like a third eye opening into the beyond. A bouncing ball on the rhythm of the universe. An aural guide past the edges of perception. Evil Eye Bandcamp / Instagram Formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in late 2023, Evil Eye is a powerhouse trio of heavy, fuzzed-out rock & roll owing to the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, Mountain, and naturally, Black Sabbath. Their debut album, Wizard War I is a love letter to heavy rock from the 1970s spanning territory from flat-out motorcycle rock to laid-back stoner grooves.