All photos by: Stephen Mullaney
I’m going to be upfront out of the gate: this show shouldn’t have happened. I thought this year would be focused on the benefit compilation, and we’d host something for our 2nd anniversary instead. But then Tropical Storm Chantal hit central NC in early July, causing the Eno River to reach its highest level ever and devastate the surrounding park.
Countless people, homes, and businesses were affected by the storm. One that hit hard as a Durham resident was Frog Hollow Outdoors, a vital resource for exploring our abundant local nature. They effectively canceled their summer season due to access closures and equipment losses. It was clear that trying to do something was better than hoping for the best.
That’s how Stephen and I got together with the owner, Banks Dixon, to plan a benefit show. As for the venue, we were fortunate to have support from Kit Linton, owner of Yonderlust Cafe in downtown Durham. He offered his parking for an afternoon in late October, and suddenly, we were set for a benefit show. We just needed the talent.
Fortunately, finding bands to play was made easy, thanks to some of the tremendous artists who contributed to our Mountains to Sea Vol. 1 compilation. Local Triangle acts like Chicken Ranch Road Show, Ol’ Joey Scrums, and The Wigg Report were all eager to perform. Both Eugenius and saturn is changing made the trek out from Greensboro and Winston-Salem, respectively. We even managed to fit in a short Ravary set from Slow Teeth singer/bassist, Justin Ellis, who pledged to come out after finishing a work shift and before another set that night.
But first, a curveball! My partner and I had to find somewhere else to live and promptly move (a whole story for another day), adding weeks of extra work and leaving us both feeling spread thin. With the show slated for October 25th, there was no other time to schedule our big move than 4 days beforehand. It felt like forces and lower back pain conspiring against us. “Maybe we’d be lucky to have a few folks come out,” I thought.
That was still my belief when we rolled up to Yonderlust in the early afternoon last Saturday. My buddy Michael Pham (of Husbandos and Late Night Lowlights) was gracious enough to manage our live audio for the afternoon. The artists started loading in and conferring with Michael, Stephen set up our DIY stage, and I drowned some impostor syndrome with a bottle of Diet Coke.
At 2:30, the “doors” opened for attendees to trickle into the parking lot. saturn is changing kicked things off with an inspired set of Midwestern emo. Drummer Trey Pavlik (of Fifth Floor) brought the rhythm all the way from Wilmington, attracting passersby and piquing the interest of a couple who lived above Yonderlust. (They even stuck around for most of the performances!)
And I can’t forget the amazing Drew Hutchins (of ColorMeKrazy!) covering the social media promotion by capturing stories for Instagram.
Adorably, my toddler-aged niece arrived in between sets for her first-ever live concert. Justin Ellis, aka Ravary, came and quickly set up, wasting little time between performances. His solo work deviates a bit from the post-rock soundscapes of Slow Teeth, but the acoustic, poppy folk songs were a perfect fit for the parking lot.
Another artist my niece was able to see and be transfixed by was Ol’ Joey Scrums, who provided a bit of an unplugged trio set without their drummer Martin Noffsinger. That didn’t keep them from turning in a set to remember, led by Joe Ralli’s powerful vocals and featuring some rare lead guitar from bassist Ian Klug.
At the halfway point, we announced over $700 in funds raised to the excited crowd who had gathered over the first two hours. With that, Timothy Peterson, aka Eugenius, turned in an infectious hip-hop set. Despite lacking an aux cable for his laptop, he simply pointed a mic towards his laptop speakers and rapped over the beats that came out. His flow was smooth, as was his approach to engaging the crowd through some call-and-response.
Next up was Raleigh’s own Chicken Ranch Road Show and their trademark cowgirl ragtime sound. Not only did they continue the show’s unexpected trend for superb musicianship (and sad or angry songs), but they also brought some much-needed anti-capitalist Americana to the parking lot. Lord knows I lost count of how many folks stopped by to hear about the unnatural nature of billionaires.
Before the final set, we tallied all cash and virtual donations for a final announcement of over $1,200 raised. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one whose mind was blown by the figure. Stephen took the mic to shout out Banks and Frog Hollow, then The Wigg Report tore into their brand of punky, sax-heavy rock.
The sun had set on our parking lot show when The Wigg Report wrapped up their set. I shot down hopes for an encore by calling out our audio engineer, who was working for free and needed to leave. With music done, folks slowly trickled out and into the rest of a beautiful night.
On the way out, one attendee and local musician summarized their experience as one that “felt like old Durham.” I couldn’t have imagined such high praise when in the throes of move-related exhaustion. It was a DIY show in a parking lot, with car trunks for merch tables, but the folks who came together to experience it left knowing their fun afternoon had raised money for a great cause.
I drove home and ate dinner while practically radiating with gratitude for everyone who came out. From the musicians and staff at Yonderlust to those who planned to come, and to each person who walked by, listened, gave some cash, and left. It was truly a surreal experience that left our whole team wanting to plan more shows that support community.
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