Gabe Lee
Equal parts classic songwriter and modern-day storyteller, Gabe Lee has built his own bridge between country, folk and rock. Lee has been collecting stories for years, both onstage and off. “I used to bartend,” says the Nashville-based songwriter, “which means I was also a cheap therapist for whomever happened to be sitting on the barstool. Whether they were there to celebrate or drink away their problems, I heard about whatever they were going through. It was my job to have that face-to-face interaction —that connection. Being a full-time musician isn’t much different.”With critically-acclaimed albums like 2019’s farmland, 2020’s Honky-Tonk Hell, and 2022’s The Hometown Kid, Lee created that connection by delivering his own stories to an ever-growing audience. His fourth record, Drink the River, takes a different approach. This time, Lee isn’t offering listeners a peek into his internal world; he’s holding up a mirror to reflect their own.Storytelling has been an anchor of Lee’s music since the very beginning. Raised by Taiwanese parents in Nashville, TN, he left home during his teenage years and headed to Indiana, where he obtained college degrees in literature and journalism. Lee launched his career as a genre-bending musician after returning to Tennessee, quickly progressing from dive bar gigs to high-profile opening slots (including shows with Jason Isbell, Los Lobos, Molly Tuttle, and other artists who, like him, blurred the lines between roots-rock, country, and other forms of American folk music) to his own headlining shows. Throughout it all, he drew upon the narrative skills he’d sharpened as a student. If albums like Honky-Tonk Hell and The Hometown Kid often unfolded like autobiographical entries from his road journal, then Drink the River shows an even broader range of his storytelling abilities. Lee isn’t just writing songs about himself; he’s writing songs about all of us. And maybe, in doing so, he can bring us a little closer together.
The ‘Boro Sessions presents: Sasha Papernik and Justin Poindexter
The ‘Boro Sessions presents Sasha Papernik and Justin Poindexter at The Flat Iron on Sunday afternoon, July 13 at 3:00-5:00pm. Advanced Tickets are $20 plus tax and fees. Day of show tickets are $25 plus taxes and fees. This is a seated listening room concert. Sasha and Justin, formerly called “Our Band”, have previously performed for Triad audiences at The North Carolina Folk Festival, the Crown Theatre, and the Martha Bassett Show, among others. They have also performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincolnn Center, the Smithsonian, and have toured multiple countries for the U.S. State Department as ambassadors of American music. They perform a mixture of well loved covers and original music to delighted audiences and standing ovations. Please JOIN US at The ‘Boro Sessions for another amazing concert with Sasha and Justin! Sasha Papernik and Justin Poindexter bring their award-winning songwriting and bold interpretations to a rich Americana soundscape. With their air-tight harmonies, irreverent humor, and astounding instrumental virtuosity, the pair’s restless creativity knows no bounds, both in concert and in their unique music videos. Together, they have performed for audiences in some of the world’s greatest venues, from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center to the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. In 2018 and 2019 they toured Poland, Germany, and Estonia as ambassadors of American music for U.S. State Department. Their debut album, featuring American music legend David Amram, was released to critical acclaim in 2021. Songs in their new “Our Band: Live Studio Sessions” project featuring steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar have won finalist places in this year’s MerleFest and New Song songwriting competitions. ABOUT SASHA PAPERNIKVocalist and pianist/accordionist Sasha Papernik is a classically trained pianist and first generation Russian-American. The Washington Post calls her “uncommonly attractive and entertaining… managing a comfortable balance of the formal and the casual.” Drawing on her dual heritage, she uses her wide range of talents to present concerts spanning genres and continents. Her self-released bilingual album, Victory, has been hailed by reviewers as “unparalleled in its aesthetics and musical elegance” (Indiemunity). Her bilingual concert, “I Speak Music,” has toured New York City schools for The Center for Arts Education, Lincoln Center Education, and Carnegie Hall. Sasha is a graduate of Wellesley College and the Manhattan School of Music. ABOUT JUSTIN POINDEXTERGuitarist and vocalist Justin Poindexter was raised in North Carolina, the son of a country singer and a schoolteacher. Specializing in American Roots music, including folk, blues, country, and traditional jazz, his 2014 album with the Amigos, Diner in the Sky, won Americana Album of Year from the Independent Music Awards. Justin has performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, David Amram, Ken Peplowski, Bria Skonberg, Ranger Doug, Nellie McKay, Catherine Russell, and Jon Batiste among many others, and has traveled extensively overseas for the American Music Abroad program. He co-designed and leads Jazz at Lincoln Center’s global outreach concert initiative, “Let Freedom Swing,” which receives 600 performances annually.
Blue Cactus w/ Fancy Gap
Rooted in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Blue Cactus got their start among the active honky-tonk circuit, developing an electrified twang that now branches out effortlessly into folk, alt-country, and psychedelic-tinged rock. Having released three records to critical acclaim, they have grown a cult following in the South and beyond, their introspective lyricism and blistering guitar techniques making the band potent in the studio and on stage. Their songs are currently featured in NPR Live Sessions and Billboard with albums reviewed in Paste, American Songwriter, and No Depression who praised their ability to paint “beautiful pictures of limitless possibility” in roots music. Their third studio album, Believer, is out now via Sleepy Cat Records. Fancy Gap, the debut album by Stuart McLamb (The Love Language) and Charles Crossingham, captures life’s essence in a country-tinged, radio-ready sound. From poignant reflections on life, death, and love to celebrations of joy and triumph, each track delves into universal themes. Their heartfelt songwriting, honed through their experiences, takes center stage. During the pandemic, McLamb and Crossingham retreated to Crossingham’s cabin in Fancy Gap, Virginia, where they nurtured their musical collaboration. Inspired by ’90s radio rock and classic country, they crafted the album over two years, blending their influences into a cohesive sound.
An Evening With Jim Lauderdale
Singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale helped lay out the blueprint for the Americana movement of the ’90s and has since continued to earn high critical marks for an eclectic series of albums that have spanned hard country, slick pop, rootsy rock & roll, blues, folk, R&B, and bluegrass. Stylistically restless, Lauderdale’s roots were in hard country and bluegrass, but his first album to be released, 1991’s Planet of Love, was a savvy blend of rock, blues, and traditional country influences. It scored rave reviews, but with 1999’s I Feel Like Singing Today, a collaboration with Dr. Ralph Stanley, he revealed he was also a first-rate bluegrass vocalist. Over the next two decades, Lauderdale would move back and forth between electric and acoustic projects, always steeped in roots music (such as on the eclectic 2021 LP Hope, 2023’s bluegrass themed The Long and Lonesome Letting Go, and 2024’s moody and heartfelt My Favorite Place), while he also built an estimable reputation as a songwriter, as his compositions were recorded — often with considerable success — by a number of country stars, including George Strait, Patty Loveless, Vince Gill, Mark Chesnutt, Kathy Mattea, and George Jones.
Jack Blocker w/ Charles Walker
Jack Blocker is an Americana singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in sincerity, storytelling,and a deep love for his home state of Texas. Drawing inspiration from Texan legends likeTownes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, Jack describes his music as “friendly,honest, and Texan”— a reflection of both his lyrical style and the atmosphere of his live shows.Whether he’s jumping around on stage with a full band or singing solo with just an acousticguitar, Jack’s performances are captivating and compelling. “My goal is to give some new life toeach song that only exists in that moment,” he says. One particularly memorable show inNashville was performed completely unplugged after lightning took out the power at the venue.The crowd stayed, lit the room with phone lights, and Jack played the full hour-long set withoutany mics or production. “It was a really special evening,” he says.After releasing his debut single “Big Jefe” in August 2023, Jack competed as a contestant onseason 22 of American Idol. First appearing on the show with a memorable performance of hisoriginal song “I Was Wong,” Jack continued to impress the judges and delight audiences,ultimately placing third on the nationally televised show.With a much-anticipated debut album coming this fall, Jack is focused on building a lastingcommunity around his music, staying true to his voice, and writing songs that will beremembered when people look back on folk/country music from this era. “I feel like we’re at thestarting line of a race and we’re about to jump off the blocks,” Jack says. “I’m really excited.” Charles Walker With roots in North Carolina and now calling Nashville home, Charles Walker embodies the essence of the modern singer/songwriter. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Noah Kahan, Ryan Adams, and James Taylor, he has quickly carved out a niche for himself in the Americana scene. To promote the release of his most popular single Caught In The Current in August of 2023, Charles headlined two sold out dates at The Evening Muse in his hometown of Charlotte NC. These led to support slots for national acts A Thousand Horses, Caroline Jones, Kashus Culpepper, and more. Charles has played over 400 shows in North Carolina and Tennessee since 2020.
Chloe Kimes w/ Wild Roots
Chloe Kimes is a Michigan born singer, songwriter and bandleader currently based in Nashville, TN. In 2022 Kimes independently released her self titled debut album — voted “Listener’s Choice Album of the Year” by WYCE Radio as well as landing her a spot on NPR Music’s Top Ten Nashville Artists on the Rise. In 2024 she released her latest single “Coors Light” following its immense viral popularity. Kimes’ spirited alt-country outfit offers a striking live show with a timeless sound, her tireless voice leading the way, her sentiments forging their own new space in the country americana scene. Wild Roots is an independent, women-led band based in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.
Big Fur w/ Fescue
BIG FUR cultivates an original sound that takes southern rock, country, and bluegrass to its highest dynamic peaks, and most electrifying psychedelic edges. The quintet formed in late 2023 and have since performed at many celebrated venues and events including The Orange Peel, Salvage Station, The Pour House, The Grey Eagle; North Carolina Folk Festival, AVLFest, and Shakori Hills Festival of Music and Dance. ** fescue is a folk trio from Danville, Virginia. Comprised of Nick Johnson (guitar, banjo, vocals), Hunter Applegate (mandolin, vocals), and Chris Stockard (bass, vocals), they create a new take on an old classic. Inspired by bluegrass and old time Appalachian music, mixed with rock, jazz, and R&B, they create a sound that is uniquely their own.
Woody Woodworth & The Piners w/ Nathan James Hall
Woody Woodworth & The Piners hail from Richmond, VA. Established in 2016, the Piners are named for the bygone expression to Pine – a deep longing for something or someone. Influenced by Virginia’s deep musical history and Appalachian culture, Woody Woodworth & The Piners fuse country, bluegrass, and rock and roll with traditional storytelling to create a powerful and timeless sound. One part Waylon, another part Springsteen, Woodworth’s honest vocals are backed by a no-holds-bar orchestration of sawing fiddles, electric guitars, and driving rhythm. Woody Woodworth released his first full length solo LP in 2018 titled Virginia. Two singles in 2020, Cherokee Maggie and Long Way Down, and a live record titled live at Richmond Music Hall. Woody Woodworth & The Piners most recent releases include two full-length LPs titled Outlaws & Saints (2023) & Rebels & Dreamers (2024). Woody Woodworth & The Piners have supported and shared the stage with major artists such as Patterson Hood (Drive By Truckers), 49 Winchester, Red Clay Strays, Town Mountain, Lost Dog Street Band, Matt Heckler, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Model Citizen, JD McPherson, Melissa Carper, William Elliot Whitmore and Many others.
Cordovas w/ Time Sawyer (solo) and Dave Brewer
The story of Cordovas is one of rock ’n’ roll seekers, hammering away in search not just for a platonic ideal of their freewheeling sound, but also for some greater truth about our experience as humans. The band is fueled by the long strange trip of frontman Joe Firstman, who had a circuitous path through his young adulthood — spat out from the major label system, a stint as a bandleader on Last Call With Carson Daly, and finally finding his way back to himself, a mystic classicist who has guided Cordovas through their own series of twists and turns. That includes their new record The Rose of Aces, which finds them returning with their finest collection of music yet. Cordovas’ origins go all the way back the early ‘10s, when Firstman decided he was best with a band around him. After releasing a self-titled debut and undergoing various iterations, things really started cooking when guitarist Lucca Soria joined the fold. Soon the band’s vision cohered further, and they signed to ATO, releasing the quick one-two of That Santa Fe Channel in 2018 and Destiny Hotel in 2020. Cordovas is a state of constant flow: Firstman, Soria, and their various co-conspirators gathering in their twin outposts — a farm in Nashville, and a hideout in the artist community of the Baja California town Todos Santos. Before the dust remotely began to settle on Destiny Hotel, Cordovas were already back in the shop, working up a trove of songs from which The Rose of Aces would emerge.
Lou Hazel
Lou Hazel grew up along the Allegheny River, where New York meets Pennsylvania andNorthern Appalachia slips into quiet obscurity. In a landscape of cold towns, blue-collar fatigue,and early brushes with hardship, music wasn’t inherited—it was uncovered. There were novenues, no mentors, no real sense of a scene… only what you could scrape together withcuriosity and a cassette deck.That absence—of direction, of mentors, of art—shaped Lou’s songs as much as any influence.His music echoes the loneliness of those forgotten towns and the strange resilience it takes tocreate something where nothing was planted. Blending folk, indie, and an eye for the overlooked,Lou writes like someone who’s learned to pay attention. His songs are spare, vivid, andweathered with warmth. After years of solo touring and home recording, Lou found grounding in Durham, NorthCarolina, where a vibrant music scene and chosen community have helped shape his recentwork. His latest record, Riot of the Red, captures the urge to get away from all of it—the news,the noise, the weight of a world gone sideways—and find stillness in the simplest things: a longdrive, a bare sky, a familiar chord. Lou Hazel makes music for those who had to teachthemselves how to listen.
