Abigail Dowd’s Singer-Songwriter Series: ft Wes Collins + Ordinary Elephant
Wes Collins – At age 44, Wes Collins and his wife Anita made a pact to become writers: she started writing fiction and Wes penned his first song. A few years later, they were both multi-award-winners in their fields. Wes writes songs that dig deep and go to uncertain, sometimes scary places. Come for a haunting melody and some intricate fingerpicking and stay for the wit and deep literary intelligence. There is always more to find in a Wes Collins song. A former librarian and avowed record nerd, Wes can imitate the sound of outmoded computer voice simulations. He hasn’t found a way to make that pay yet. Ordinary Elephant – Mesmerizing folk duo Ordinary Elephant has spent the better part of the last decade on a never-ending tour that’s earned married couple Crystal and Pete Damore widespread critical acclaim and made fans of luminaries like Tom Paxton and Mary Gauthier. In 2017, the pair took home the International Folk Music Award for Artist of the Year on the strength of their breakout album, Before I Go, and two years later, they returned with the similarly lauded Honest, which the Associated Press hailed as “one of the best Americana albums of the year.” The band’s new stripped-down, self-titled collection is the purest distillation of their sound yet, showcasing the arresting power of the couple’s gorgeous harmonies and intricate fretwork. The songs are timeless, rooted in rich, character-driven storytelling, and the performances are similarly transportive, fueled by delicately intertwined banjo, guitar, and octave mandolin. Though the songs were born out of a period of deep uncertainty, the record itself is a work of profound self-assurance, one delivered by a duo whose personal and professional lives embody the limitless possibility of honest, organic collaboration. Press play on Ordinary Elephant and you’ll hear more than just a husband and wife; you’ll hear the sound of sincerity and commitment, of patience and gratitude, of learning to let go of expectation and revel in the simple beauty of the moment. Abigail Dowd — Our fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, 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.
Organ Fairchild
OFFICIAL NCFF AFTER PARTY: The Slys w/ William Hinson
Abigail Dowd Songwriter Series w/ Demeanor & Scarlet Tantrum
Demeanor – Justin Harrington (aka Demeanor) is an MC, banjo and bones player from Greensboro, North Carolina. Justin studied at the College Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati before leaving school to join his aunt, Rhiannon Giddens, as part of her Freedom Highway Tour. He has been playing the banjo for several years, crafting an unconventional fusion of hip-hop and American roots music in an effort to break down the wall separating black Americans with their own ancestral tradition, while celebrating American folk music as an African American art form. Justin is dedicated to developing an impactful body of work, and curating empowering environments, striving to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors while establishing a new musical legacy. Scarlet Tantrum- Scarlet blends today’s pop with yesterday’s rock. Growing up, her family always had 90’s and 2000’s alt-rock playing, and its mark is heard in her music’s electric guitar riffs and catchy melodies. Also influenced by the likes of Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Halsey, the artist delivers bold, emotional statements with her lyrics. Music is Scarlet’s emotional outlet. Whether listening to her favorite artists or writing her own songs, it helps her heal. She hopes that her audience can find solace in her music, that she can give to others what other artists give to her. Abigail Dowd — bOur fearless host who still enjoys music most when it’s embedded in real life, sitting around a fire, singing harmonies around an old family piano, 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.
Dave Hill w/ BAL
Dave performs live comedy in theaters, prisons, and basements all over the world. He appears regularly with fellow comedians such as Janeane Garofalo, Tom Papa, and Gary Gulman and has opened for musical acts including Snoop Dogg, Tenacious D, Broken Social Scene, Down, Autopsy, Quicksand, and Rhett Miller. Dave also plays guitar and sings in his own rock band, Valley Lodge, whose song “Go” is the theme song for HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in addition to fronting Painted Doll with death metal legend Chris Reifert (Autopsy, Death). He is also the founding member of Witch Taint, most extremely extreme Norwegian Black Metal band from Gary, Indiana ever probably (go to www.theblackmetaldialogues.com for more info). He also composes music for TV and film.
Mostly Mesh, Violent Institution, and Sex is Violence
Mostly Mesh Bass heavy post-punk with references to campy 80’s horror, BDSM tinged lyrics, and processing trauma on the track. Mostly Mesh is the latest project from Zena Toxine, a fat Korean goth trans artist across various mediums. Sex Is Violence – Downtuned, loud, and fast electropunk. Violent Institution – Synth-driven anthems against the world of authoritarian misery doors at 8pm show at 9pm $10
RR Williams, Ryan Lockhart and Nathan James Hall
Chloe White w/ Too Phat Brass Band
Chloe White hails from North Carolina with a strong pull towards hard bop, fusion and traditional jazz repertoire. As a child she studied Suzuki piano and spent many evenings listening to bluegrass and jazz in Asheville, NC. After graduating from the School of Inquiry and Life Sciences she studied music performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program. Her time in school led to many opportunities including touring/leading her own quintet, arranging music for UNCG’s Big Band, producing content for UNCG’s college radio station; WUAG 103.1, and competing in the 2022 Jack Rudin Competition. Too Phat Brass Band is a high-energy New Orleans-style second-line band based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Blending traditional brass band roots with funk, soul, hip hop, and modern jazz, Too Phat brings infectious grooves and an unmistakable vibe to every performance. Whether parading through festivals, rocking club stages, or setting the vibe at private events, the band delivers an unforgettable experience with bold horns, driving rhythms, and a spirit that gets people moving.
Asher White, Hotspit, and Panes
As a multi-instrumentalist and producer, Asher White’s auteurish pop vision is vulgar and transcendent: marrying skittering noise with swooping strings, lively banjo with blasts of feedback, dissonant flutes with elegant bossa nova. Since the early 2010s she has developed a sprawling discography that spans experimental drone, tropicalia, noise rock, and folk. Her heartfelt and compulsively inclusive aesthetic is often informed by her transness, her Jewish spirituality, and her ongoing negotiations with hedonism. Her music runs in parallel to her work as a visual artist and writer; her first book was published by Atlantic Filtration Systems in 2024.
ILLPO & Friends
