Ben Danaher + Mark Catalano
For singer/songwriter Ben Danaher, carrying on a family tradition of storytelling has often led him down darkened roads to haunting, painful reflection on his journey thus far. But Danaher is no longer standing in shadows. The Texas-native is back in a glorious new season of self-reflection with a brand-new, astute and sincere lease on life and love Multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter, producer, and award-winning composer Mark Catalano was born and raised in Youngstown, OH. The last 25 years of his music career have taken him many places, including Los Angeles, CA for 14 years, to touring nationally, to now settling in Greensboro, NC in 2022. He’s worked with Grammy award-winning producers, performed on radio and TV, and created 6 albums of his own original music.
Jacoozy
Jacoozy is a band that thrives on connection, both with their audience and each other. Formed in 2021, the band emerged from the underground house show scene in Boone, North Carolina, blending Southern rock, jam traditions, and modern sensibilities. Their sound is built on live energy, with each performance capturing the raw spirit of their music—no studio tricks or polished layers. Jacoozy’s songwriting is deeply rooted in introspection, capturing moments of time and self-reflection while celebrating their Southern roots and the communities that have shaped them. The band’s approach to music is collaborative, shaped by their basement jams and experimental spirit. With a unique blend of influences and a clear mission to create authentic, live-driven music, Jacoozy’s future looks as promising as the stories they are telling.
Official NCFF after party w/ Fonville x Fribush
Fonville x Fribush is the brand new musical collaboration from acclaimed drummer Corey Fonville (Butcher Brown) and in-demand organist Sam Fribush. Like a hip-hop link up from the 90s, the pair’s collective ear, musical talents and friendship pushes the limits of the R&B organ trio sound into a more youthful, tasty style of blue collar jazz. Fonville x Fribush features a rotating cast of guitarists both in studio and live in concert, including Charlie Hunter, Alan Good Parker and Morgan Burrs. Songs like “I Couldn’t Love You More” and “Blue Chips” immerse audiences in Atlantic Coast soundscapes of their hometown roots in North Carolina and Virginia. Listen to the debut Fonville x Fribush EP ‘R&B Organ Trio’ featuring Charlie Hunter out now everywhere.
Jimmy Murray and the Walnut Circle Band
Jack Romano (& The Romanaires) Jodi Jones, and Mason Winfree
Sam Morrow w/ Sam Tayloe
Sam Morrow has sound that exists outside of genre and geography. It’s his own version of modern-day American roots music: a mix of roadhouse rock & roll, bluesy R&B, and country-fried funky-tonk, driven forward by groove, grease, and guitars.“A sinewy, head-nodding listen…demands to be played loud at parties.” – Rolling Stone “The record is buttressed by two strong singles: the keyboard-heavy opener “By Your Side” and the driving, twangy “Medicine Man,” both perfectly showcasing Morrow’s whiskey-soaked, rich vocals, bringing to mind the ghost of Leon Russell, offering a powerful one-two Tyson-worthy punch opening the record.” – GLIDE”It’s certainly the best rock album this year.” – Farce the Music Time Sawyer’s name reflects the pull between the past and the future. The character Tom Sawyer evokes the rural background and love of home that the band shares. Time is a muse for songwriting; it’s the thread that runs through life, bringing new experiences and giving us a sense of urgency, while still connecting us with our past. The folk-rock band has performed on the stages of some of the Southeast’s most iconic festivals, including Merlefest, Floydfest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, Albino Skunk Music Festival, and Carolina in the Fall. They’ve shared bills with American Aquarium, John Craigie, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim, John Moreland, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Wood Brothers, Susto, and many more.
Karla Davis
Karla Davis is a soulful singer/songwriter originally from Monroe, North Carolina. Having performed on the stages of NBC’s The Voice, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Grand Ole Opry, and the Ryman, Karla has certainly found her voice. Often described as having a “country blue-eyed soul” sound, it’s no surprise that Davis’ inspiration is rooted in artists like Roberta Flak, James Taylor, and Bonnie Rait. You can find Karla’s recently released unique cover of the Bruce Spring-steen classic “Dancing in the Dark” on all platforms now.
Abigail Dowd, Sam Tayloe, and Kray Kirk
Sam Tayloe Through his full band vehicle, Time Sawyer, Sam Tayloe is interested in “real people and real songs” and that’s just what the listener finds in his music – a sense of realness. Blending a grassroots feel with heart-felt lyrics, Tayloe pulls the listener in with introspective ballads that land in that rootsy sweet spot where folk, alt-country, and rock gather for a good time. Kray Van Kirk is a gifted songwriter whose allegorical weave of contemporary and mythological themes is both remarkable and tremendously relevant. He backs that up with deft guitar work and a voice that embodies power and genuine tenderness. A steller and meticulous musician, equally rooted in the mind and the heart.” Abigail Dowd Our fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire or every third Tuesday night at the Flat Iron. Each month Abigail invites musician friends to fall into space with her and the audience for what she describes as an evening in her adopted living room. They collaborate, share new songs, play old favorites, make things up, make you cry, make you laugh and most of all make you glad you came
Turkey Buzzards + Stripmall Ballads
“Much like the duo themselves, the songs range near and far, from the sticky humidity of the Carolinas to the arid and dusty cellars of the West, telling stories of simplistic beauty that unravel through gritty vocals and thoughtful harmonies. The bare authenticity of each song sweeps up the listener for a ride that might wander but will certainly not end in the same place where it began.” Dylan Nicholson (Greensboro, NC) and Eric Patterson (Lodi, CA) formed the The Turkey Buzzards in Morro Bay, CA and have shared stages with John R. Miller, Robert Earl Keen, Jeffery Martin, The Deslondes, Dawes, White Buffalo, Brothers Comatose, and frequently join Willy Tea Taylor as members of The Fellership. Stripmall Ballads is the starkly poetic project of Phillips Saylor Wisor, and Everybody Wins is his most fully realized statement yet—a raw, cinematic folk record mapping the forgotten corners of America with grit and grace. Produced by J. Tom Hnatow and recorded at Small Blue Studio in Lexington, Kentucky, the album features John R. Miller and The Engine Lights, with guest appearances from Lydia Loveless, Willy Tea Taylor, and Bob Sumner. Drawing comparisons to Neil Young, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and the lineage of Townes Van Zandt, Gillian Welch, and Jason Molina, Wisor writes slow-burning ballads set in flood zones, mill towns, and long-empty bedrooms, tracing survival, loss, and fleeting connection on the margins. With a lived-in voice and piercing lyrical empathy, Stripmall Ballads delivers songs that honor overlooked lives—and hit with the kind of emotional weight that resonates deeply on stages and festival grounds.
Ben Danaher + Mark Catalano
Ben Danaher-“Soulful, arena-friendly country-rock with one foot in the honky-tonk and another in church, Saturday-night-to-Sunday-morning hanging in the balance”-Rolling Stone “An earthy voice in the Ray LaMontagne mould”- The Guardian “Ben Danaher is a wealth of insight, experience, and the dictation of a songwriter twice his age.” -Wide Open Country “Avett Brothers intimate, Chris Stapleton nuanced, and Will Hoge Engaging.” – The Shotgun Seat” Mark Catalano “Multi-instrumentalist singer, songwriter, producer, and award-winning composer Mark Catalano was born and raised in Youngstown, OH. The last 25 years of his music career have taken him many places, including Los Angeles, CA for 14 years, to touring nationally, to now settling in Greensboro, NC in 2022. He’s worked with Grammy award-winning producers, performed on radio and TV, and created 6 albums of his own original music.”
