The Best of Our State at Pinehurst

The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars are looking forward to playing at the historic Pinehurst Resort on August 6, 2011 for Our State Magazine‘s “The Best of Our State,” an event that is “a celebration of North Carolina music, history, humor, art, and food.” Atomic is appearing as part of a weekend of special events at the Pinehurst Resort, featuring storyteller Donald Davis, author Michael Parker, historian Dr. Tom Hanchett, singer/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett, author Libby Bagby, author Diane Daniel, and artist/musician William McNeill. For more information on the weekend, visit the Our State Magazine website: http://www.ourstate.com/events/pinehurst

Rent Party: Bad Mofo Edition Featuring The New King Rippers and TCF Bake Sale, July 23, 2011

It’s time for another edition of RDU Rent Party, featuring Triangle trad jazz superstars The New King Rippers. Jason Sager and I will be teaching an intermediate swing dance lesson that will focus on enhancing your performance and inspirational skills on the dance floor. Come as your favorite Bad Mofo and throw down in the World Famous Jack Rabbit Slim’s Twist Contest. Can you dig it? Lesson from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Triangle Dance Studio, band plays from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Also, The Carolina Fascinators will be having one of their famous bake sales at the July 23 RDU Rent Party – come dance, buy some goodies, and support this local jazz dance performance troupe!

DJ at Hot Club of Durham, July 7, 2011

I’m getting the laptop warmed up for another DJ set at the Hot Club of Durham Thursday night swing dance. Hot Club hosts a swing dance every Thursday with DJ’ed music from 9 p.m. to midnight and a free-with-$7-admission beginner swing dance lesson at 8:00 p.m. All Hot Club dances are held at the Trotter Building, 410 W. Geer St., Durham, NC.

Atomic Rhythm All-Stars at Heavy Rebel Weekender 2011

This Sunday we’ll all pile in the bus and drive to Winston-Salem, NC for the biggest rockabilly festival in the state, Heavy Rebel Weekender. Over 90 bands will play on four stages at the beautiful Millennium Center, along with a vintage car show, burlesque performances, vendors, guitar and bass slapping contests, Krispy Kreme donut eating contest, mud wrestling, and more beer than you can shake a stick at. It’s an all ages event and the Millennium Center has a great wood dance floor! The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars will be the last band to play on the main stage to close out the event on Sunday night, July 3, at 10:00 p.m. – we’re excited to be invited to play this event and bring some hot, swinging jazz to this rockin’ festival. 🙂

Sound Situations Premiers

Sound Situations premieres this week, starting things off with a bang with two premiere parties, one on June 28 at Deep South the Bar in Raleigh, NC and a second at The Pinhook in Durham, NC on June 30. What is Sound Situations, you ask?

“Sound Situations is a 30 minute, bi-weekly television and web show that focuses its spotlight onto the local music happening in the Triangle area of North Carolina. The culturally rich and diverse cities of Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro are producing some of the finest musicians in the country and we thought you should know. We’ve lined up twelve bands into six episodes of interviews, live performances, a glimpse behind the stage lights and music and some intimate, impromtu, out-of-the-elemends live performances for your enjoyment.”

The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars are excited to have been selected as one of the bands featured on this show. We don’t know when our episode will air yet, but stay tuned to this show! The show airs Thursdays and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. on channel 10 in Raleigh.

Atomic Rhythm All-Stars Named Finalist for Independent Weekly’s Best of the Triangle 2011

Due to a typo naming the band “Atomic Heaters,” recognition was delayed, but we’re excited to announce that they discovered the mistake and the Atomic Rhythm All-Stars was a finalist for the Best Jazz Group in the Triangle in the Independent Weekly’s Best of the Triangle 2011! The title of Best Jazz Group went to Atomic’s saxophone player’s band, Peter Lamb and the Wolves, so there are winners all around! Thanks to everyone who voted in the reader’s choice poll for both of these groups without being prompted or choosing from a list!

Atomic Plays TSDS and TCF Perform at Summer Solstice Festival

There’s another busy weekend in the works, with The Atomic Rhythm All-Stars taking the stage at the Murphey School in Durham, NC this Saturday, June 18, 2011 for a night of swing dancing, thanks to the Triangle Swing Dance Society.

On Sunday, June 19, The Carolina Fascinators will be performing their Shortenin’ Bread routine at Greensboro, NC’s Summer Solstice Festival, around 4:30 p.m. TCF member Abigail Browning will also be performing social swing dancing with her dance partner and partner in crime, Adam Speen. Looking forward to being a part of this outdoor festival!

All Balboa Weekend 2011

This weekend I’m heading to Independence, OH for the eleventh annual All Balboa Weekend. I’ll be pulling triple duty at the event: DJ’ing for my favorite group of dancers, co-coordinating a fashion show based on whatever credibility the Lindy Shopper blog has given me, and two performances by The Carolina Fascinators. Needless to say, it will be a busy week! Looking forward to all the wonderful dances, old friends, and some serious vintage and repro shopping in Cleveland and from vendors at the event.

Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns at RDU Rent Party: Unbirthday Edition, June 3, 2011

This coming Friday, Jason Sager and I will play host to New Orleans’ female performer of the year, Meschiya Lake and her Little Big Horns for another fabulous edition of RDU Rent Party. We’ll also be having Andy Reid and Amy Johnson from New Orleans to teach an intermediate special topic lesson at 8:00, following by dancing to Meschiya Lake from 9:00 p.m. to midnight at Triangle Dance Studio, 2603 S. Miami Blvd, Durham, NC.

Tea, cakes, and frippery will also be served. For more information visit www.rdurentparty.com.

Videos of George Knott’s Square Trio at Southside Stomp in Norfolk, VA

During the Southside Stomp dance on May 21, 2011, Victor Celania took some video of George Knott’s Square Trio playing with me on vocals. Here are two videos Victor posted, one of us performing “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and the other is “Darktown Strutter’s Ball.” George on guitar and banjo, Mark Wells on piano, and Lucian Cobb on trombone. Thanks, Victor!