As Chatham Park continues to develop its community, they remain dedicated to supporting local art in Chatham County. As part of that commitment, Chatham Park is powering our Go See This series. They join us in inviting you to Go See This . . .
As the weather gets warmer and patios begin to open up, more options become available to hear live music outside. We’d love for you to check out the Siler City Downtown Music Series, which went on hiatus during the last two summers, but is back in its full glory, bringing music to downtown Siler City every third Saturday from April to October. The series is run by a partnership between the NC Arts Incubator (NCAI) and the Chatham Rabbit coffee shop.
NCAI Executive Director Michael Feezor, Board Chair Lisa Fedele, and Brooke Simmons of the Chatham Rabbit have worked hard behind the scenes to get the series back up and running. They’re excited about getting it under way, helping draw people to downtown Siler City. The first concert of the series was held on April 16, featuring the band Checkerboard Suede, with a wood-fired pizza truck, a boxed picnic, and Hugger Mugger beer on hand. “The turnout was great for the first event, even though it was Easter weekend, and the first such event in two-and-a-half years,” says Michael.
“We think the word will continue to get out and participation will be huge. We just applied for a Spark the Arts Grant from the NC Arts Council to help us grow and sustain the music series into the future. In alignment with our mission, we want to continue to create paid performance opportunities for local musicians and artists.”
Lisa, Michael, and Brooke began the process of organizing the series by reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships. The town responded with an amazing level of support and generosity. “This music series is for the people and by the people,” notes Lisa. “We truly believe that the pandemic taught everyone the power of community and connections. Our sponsors wanted to be part of this effort to bring people together. There is so much pride in the rebirth of downtown Siler City. We believe that people were so willing to contribute to the effort because they could see their money working right here in their community.”
The trio have planned an incredible line-up of talented musicians spanning many genres, including The Radio in May; Siler City’s own THC in June; The Simon Quartet in July; KooDayTah, the annual celebration hosted by The Incubator’s own Terry McInturff, the founder of TCM Custom Guitars in August; an all-day Hispanic Heritage Event featuring the music of Saludos Company in September; and Impulse Machine band in October to finish out the series.
“We chose bands that represented the broad range of music found here in North Carolina,” says Lisa. “As we like to say, we are featuring homegrown, locally sourced bands. We searched for musicians that represented the heart and soul of North Carolina. We have a mix of bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, rock and everything in between — music that celebrates the traditions of the past and also a vision for the future.”
One of the unique elements of the music series is the partnership that Lisa forged with Leslie Chartier of The Travelling Café Culinary Studio. The pair came up with the idea to do pre-packaged meals that align with the theme of that month’s music. “It’s historically been a challenge to attract food trucks to events in downtown Siler City, so we decided to get creative,” says Lisa, who also used to be a chef and restaurateur in New Orleans. “Partnering with Leslie has given us the opportunity to create beautiful themed meals that align with the music. It’s a celebration of the culinary and performing arts combined!”
We encourage you to put these concerts on your calendar so you can enjoy some live music in downtown Siler City this summer!
- What: 2022 Siler City Downtown Music Series
- Where: The Chatham Rabbit, 223 B N Chatham Ave, Siler City
- When: The third Saturday of each month from April-October, from 6-8pm
- Cost: Free!
David David says
Can you supply an email address where I can send you links to a promo pack to perform for the arts council in Siler City. I perform and promote our band “Somewhere Between”. As our name implies we do what we call cover grass and consist of banjo, mandolin , female vocalist, guitar and bass. We do everything from The Band, Traditional bluegrass tunes , Suzzy Bogguss, Bros Comotose, Patty Loveless to name a few. We would love the opportunity to share our music with you.
Rachel Flanagan says
Yes, please email hello@chathamartscouncil.org. Thanks!