American Aquarium performance in Dorton is delayed but not denied

American Aquarium was set to open the 2018 N.C. State Fair, but severe threatening weather postponed the bands’ debut on the Dorton Arena stage. Jumping ahead to 2019, fairgoers can see the latest lineup of the Raleigh-based band on Thursday, Oct. 24, in Dorton Arena. The long-awaited show will feature the alternative country sound that has drawn critical praise and comparisons to Bruce Springsteen and a former Raleigh band, Whiskeytown. The following is adapted from a Deep Fried Blog post from 2018: “Tough times don’t last, but tough folks do.” BJ Barham, front man of American Aquarium, lives those words….

Continue Reading

Sounds from the Waterfall and Bluegrass Stages

Dorton Arena isn’t the only place to find amazing performances during the Fair. Music lovers will want to make sure they check out the free concerts at the Waterfall Stage and Bluegrass Stage during the Fair. Just outside Dorton Arena on the northwest lawn, Raleigh native Jeanne Jolly will play a mix of country, folk and Americana songs. The singer/songwriter, who has been compared to Alison Krauss, spent a lot of her youth in the Blue Ridge Moutains listening to its influential bluegrass sound. After moving to Los Angeles and traveling across North America in a jazz group, Jeanne is back in North…

Continue Reading