Colin Cutler and Hot Pepper Jam + Dashawn and Wendy Hickman
Colin Cutler and Hot Pepper JamFolk? Country? Blues? Rock and Roll? Sugar, vinegar, or spice? When Colin Cutler and Hot Pepper Jam show up, it’s all on the table.”…a juke joint energy coursing through it and a humidity that seems to sweat out the sins and the booze that these characters are often soaked in.” ~Paste”Wickedly funny.” ~Susquehanna Folk Music Society”Devastating.” ~Americana Highways”One magnificent tapestry of roots music.” ~No DepressionColin Cutler and Hot Pepper Jam’s music stretches across the American roots music world, from acoustic oldtime and alt country to electric blues and rock’n’roll, with touches of bluegrass and jam band energy.The last couple years have seen them playing at Merlefest, Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, the North Carolina Folk Festival, the Susquehanna Folk Festival, Antlers and Acorns Songwriters Festival, and the Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival, while touring for shows from Georgia to Canada, Virginia to Texas, and everywhere in between. Dashawn Hickman presents Sacred SteelWendy and DaShawn Hickman are a married couple of sweetheart musicians, rooted in gospel roots and soulful tradition. They share a home in Mt. Airy, North Carolina.DaShawn is one of today’s foremost players of Sacred Steel, a blues-gospel tradition started in the Pentecostal-Holiness churches of the 1930s. He grew up hearing the pedal steel in the tiny House of God church his family attended in Mt. Airy, and listening to his mother play lap steel at home. Hickman picked up the instrument at the age of five, and in his teens, formed a group with three of his cousins that found fame as The Allen Boys, North Carolina’s only touring Sacred Steel band. In August 2023 DaShawn was inducted into the Sacred Steel Hall of Fame, and he recently appeared on America’s Got Talent with Steve Ray LadsonChanneled by artists like Anita Baker and India Arie, Wendy’s voice shines with a splash of Tina Turner’s “raspiness” and reminds DaShawn of his most esteemed musical influence: his mother, Alice Hickman. “I grew up hearing a variety of styles and took from a lot of them and put my spin on it,” he explained. “But my mother is the one single individual that really influenced me. She’s the one that got me started playing Steel Guitar. She played lap steel, and one day she put it in my hands and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Everything Yes
Everything Yes is an American jazz fusion band spearheaded by the drummer Zack Graybeal, known famously as ZackGrooves on his platforms, Sean Reeser, prolific composer, producer and tenor sax master & Cole Sipe, composer, sound engineer and magistral bassist. This powerhouse of a band brings a fresh take on the style while staying true to the roots. Let’s meet the members! Zack Graybeal (DRUMS) : Born in Atlanta GA, there was no question that this man was destined for greatness. His unstoppable determination and discipline are a force to be reckoned with. He spent his entire education at East Carolina University in the top bands at the school. He is exactly as he presents himself on YouTube. There is no filter or mask that could ever cover his unique and raw personality. Sean Reeser (MAIN COMPOSER & TENOR SAX) : From York PA, this genius producer and tenor saxophone master first met Zack at East Carolina when they were both given the same audition slot. This was the beginning of Everything Yes. Just like Zack, Sean spent his time at ECU in all the top bands. Their styles and discipline heavily influenced each other during this crucial time. His vast knowledge of theory and composition are an integral part of the unique sound Everything Yes brings. Cole Sipe (BASS): Also from York PA, Cole and Sean have been playing together since they were fifteen. Having both attended the Inspire Studio of the Arts, an excellent school in York directed by Cole’s father Curt, they bring over a decade of musical kinship to Everything Yes that most bands would kill to have. Cole’s moves and grooves bring life to the room. His style and finesse on the bass is the perfect fit and a staple of the EY sound. Nathan Graybeal (ALTO SAX): A young artist from North Carolina, most well-known for his YouTube persona “Saxologic”. Originally an avid artist then animator, he has transferred his love for art to saxophone. He spreads his infectious passion to inspire others to find the joy of improving in music. Nathan obtained a bachelor’s degree in both jazz and classical saxophone performance from East Carolina University. He attended the Frost School of Music at University of Miami for his Masters and currently attends University of Memphis for his DMA.
When We’re Sober, General Purpose, and Watch Party
Abigail Dowd w/ Barry Gray and Carrie Morgan
Barry Gray – Barry Gray’s family band, Graymatter, is a Triad and Triangle, NC favorite, performing 60s and 70s covers in four-part harmony. Barry is also a member of the Wes Collins band (among other distinctions, Wes is a winner of Kerrville’s prestigious Grassy Hills New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters). In 2018, Barry was awarded a North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship in Songwriting, which led him to record his debut album, Footsteps. https://barryandisabel.com Carrie Morgan – Carrie Morgan was born in northeastern North Carolina, where, with beauty and blues all around, a girl can’t help but write. And then she picked up a guitar. One thing led to another and, having studied songwriting in Nashville and then classical and jazz voice in Chicago before settling in Greensboro, she has been writing songs for over two decades about finding home, love and *herself* in a world full of wonder and loss, and using every genre at her disposal to express it. She’s settled mostly into a folksy singer-songwriter path, but you’ll easily find blues, jazz and country influences between the lines. https://www.carriemorganmusic.com 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.
Fingers Woven Together, Sesame, Emily Grimm, and Harvester
Haunted Like Human + Couldn’t Be Happiers
Mythology evokes images of gods, titans, demons, and beasts of every kind. Yet, it’s the spark of humanity that keeps us telling and retelling myths. It’s these stories of seduction, inheritance, and hubris that Nashville-based folk duo Haunted Like Human rekindle in the 14 songs on their third album American Mythology. Since the release of 2021’s Tall Tales & Fables, Dale Chapman and Cody Clark have been refining their sound rather than departing from it. With a background in poetry and prose, Dale Chapman’s granular focus on language is simpatico with Cody Clark’s background in classical guitar, where each note carries its own weight. The result is a shapely set of songs that borrow from universal lore in order to reveal intimate truths. The pair prove they write songs like novelists write their books, using careful detail and well-shaped characters to tell even the heaviest of stories. Whatever the topic, the songs shine with restrained arrangements and entwined harmonies. This duo tells stories so well that there’s no need to cloak them with heavy-handed production or vocal processing. Instead, Haunted Like Human lets the humanity shine through.
Willingdon, Scoby, and Adrian and the Bees
An alternative rock band from Charlotte, NC, Willingdon is known for their dynamic sound that blends raw emotion with melodic hooks and anthemic guitar riffs. With a reputation for high-energy live performances and a growing local following, they’re ready to bring their authentic, modern take on rock to stages across the Southeast. A burgeoning alt-grunge outfit from Boone, NC, Adrian and the Bees showcases an experienced sideman bringing his own music centerstage for the first time. With an energetic live show and emotional, all-consuming guitar riffs, Adrian (and the Bees) invite you to enter the hazy atmosphere of love and loss.
Hustle Souls
Hustle Souls, based in Asheville, NC, masterfully blend Retro-Soul, New Orleans Brass, and Singer-Songwriter Americana into a unique and captivating sound. Lauded by American Blues Scene as a “generation-jumping mashup of new school second line funk with old school vintage soul, ” and described by Bluestown Music as “intimate soul…with a Curtis Mayfield like warmth,” the band has earned a spot as one of Music Connection Magazine’s “Hot 100 Live Unsigned Artists & Bands” and No Treble shared the band saying “I hadn’t heard them before, but I’m glad I have now… Must See”Overflowing with energy and spontaneity, Hustle Souls features roaring B3 organ and jubilant trumpet and trombone, balanced with three-part vocal harmonies and a passion for songwriting. Their music has been praised by Aldora Britian Records as “worthy of being included in that brilliant soul music canon, a heritage that features some of the greatest performers and writers that have ever graced this earth.
Riley Rae & The Carolina Jazz Ensemble
Show description: Fresh off a six-month residency at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, Riley Rae & The Carolina Jazz Ensemble return home for their first North Carolina performance. Riley Rae is a jazz and R&B vocalist from Raleigh whose sound fuses elements of jazz, soul, and funk. The group will perform their full EP Forever in the Making for the first time in the United States, alongside a selection of R&B and jazz covers. Join us for an intimate evening of smooth grooves, good vibes, and special guests.
Laurelyn Dossett + Caroline Cotter
Singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives and writes in Stokes County, NC. Her songs have appeared in film and television (Hell on Wheels, Ain’t In it for My Health) and have been recorded by many artists including Grammy-winning Levon Helm (Anna Lee) and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Leaving Eden). She is currently finishing an album of new songs, with M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger producing. She has written the songs for seven plays, staged at Triad Stage and Playmaker’s Repertory. Her song cycle, The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs was commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony and premiered in Raleigh in 2011. She will be a featured artist with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra December 2025, performing some of the songs from The Gathering and Beautiful Star. Laurelyn has written songs for various protest movements in North Carolina including My Beloved Enemy and Vote Against Amendment One. She remains a voice for social justice and environmental activism in North Carolina and beyond. The River’s Lament is her testament to the devastation of the Dan River coal ash spill. She founded the annual “Songs of Hope and Justice” at the North Carolina Folk Festival. Laurelyn teaches songwriting in the UNCG School of Music. Caroline’s sunlit, heartfelt songs explore themes of connection, nostalgia, and gratitude—rooted in a life of travel and deep listening. She’s played over 1,000 shows across 45 states and 16 countries, and her three albums reflect her unique voice and emotional depth.
