Join writer Mark Kemp as we turn up the volume on the quintessential sound of summer: beach music. In this episode, we meet the band The Embers, whose classic tunes inspire shag dancers across the state.
That Summer Sound
Since the late 1960s, a pioneering North Carolina beach-music band has returned to the coast year after year to perform classic tunes for shag dancers across the region.
Strumming Along With Honey Picks
Two brothers from Alexander County started a business that honors their hometown and turns plastic and wood into music-making art.
Remembering Roberta Flack
Before her voice captivated the world with pop hits like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” Roberta Flack — who was born in Black Mountain — began her career in eastern North Carolina, teaching and encouraging choral students at H.B. Sugg School.
The Choirmaster
Before her voice captivated the world, Roberta Flack — who was born in Black Mountain during Jim Crow — began her career in Pitt County, teaching and encouraging choral students.
Memories of Vinyl
Senior Editor Mark Kemp reflects on his earliest memories of vinyl records and how many faithful breakfasts of Post-brand cereal laid the foundation for an extensive record collection showcasing voices and sounds from across North Carolina and beyond.
For the Record
Our writer reflects on where his love of vinyl began, and how the snap, crackle, and pop of a needle sliding across a turntable will always satisfy his soul.
Art in the Wild
On a dozen rolling acres behind the former Patterson School in Caldwell County, the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center and Park has transformed a patch of nature into a vast gallery.
The Martha Bassett Show
On Thursday evenings at the historic Reeves Theater in Elkin, North Carolina, musician Martha Bassett transports live audiences back to simpler times with a variety show featuring talented local musicians and those who travel in from around the country.
