Reminder: Black Congo NC says sayonara tonight

Eric Deines (left, shirtless) is leaving N.C. for Indiana, which means the dissolution of Black Congo NC, the band Deines (a sometime Shuffle contributor) fronts, and which was featured in our most recent issue. The band bids its final adieu tonight at Snug Harbor. The loss of BCNC is a bummer for Charlotte, for sure.

Also, if you're in the neighborhood early, check out Raleigh's Whatever Brains at Lunchbox Records around 8 p.m.

The Avett Brothers' Carolina Christmas

Newly signed American Records artists The Avett Brothers announced a series of holiday-time shows in North Carolina. First the band will hold a three-night stand at The Orange Peel in Asheville, Dec. 26-28, then the trio rings in the new year with a two-night stand at Charlotte's Belk Theatre Dec. 30 and 31. Tickets for all five shows are on sale Friday (Nov. 7) at 10 a.m. Seeing as The Avetts' recent N.C. shows have all sold out, a "good luck" is in order to anybody hoping to snag tickets.

More free political concerts

Merge Records, following the success of this spring's Superchunk/Arcade Fire double bills for Obama, has decided to help organize two more events for the Obama campaign. The shows will center on driving early voters to the polls, by luring them with the promise of live sets from acts including The dB's, Superchunk (acoustic, no less), The Reigning Sound, Tift Merritt, Portastatic, Bowerbirds, Megafaun, I Was Totally Destroying It, Greg Humphreys, Ivan Howard of The Rosebuds, etc...

Details, as per a Merge press release, are as follows:

With help from the Obama Campaign and a bunch of great North Carolina musicians, we've set up two concerts to promote voting and more specfically voting EARLY to help turn NC blue for Barack Obama.

NC ROCKS FOR CHANGE free concerts during the last week of EARLY VOTING in NC!

Asheville, NC

10/28 @ The Grey Eagle

Bands start at 8pm

The Reigning Sound

Tift Merritt

Chris Stamey (dBs)

Portastatic

Greg Humphreys (Hobex)

Electric Owls (ex Comas)

TICKETS FREE!

Pick them up when you vote this week outside UNC-Asheville's Zeis Hall, which is by the Quad at 1 University Heights. Tickets will be handed out beginning at 10 am on Thursday, October 23rd, and will remain there during voting hours until they are all given away- so from 10-6, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday.

*** AND ***

Chapel Hill, NC

11/1 @ Graham Terrace at UNC

(Adjacent to the Morehead Planetarium Early Voting Site)

VOTE on the LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING!

9 AM until 1 PM

Enjoy Coffee, Doughnuts and Rock while you vote!

The dBs

Superchunk (acoustic)

Ivan Rosebud

Megafaun

I Was Totally Destroying It

Bowerbirds

Greg Humphreys

Regina Hexaphone

Portastatic

Check www.NCForChange.com for updates and information.

UPDATE: Add BILLY BRAGG to the Chapel Hill show. Holy shit. (So says Raleigh News & Observer music critic David Menconi)

James Taylor shows and ticket distribution announced

By now you've probably heard that Grammy-winning singer/songwriter James Taylor is putting on five free shows in North Carolina in support of the Obama campaign. What you might not know is the where and when of all this.

Recently announced details--which are listed below--should remedy the situation.

Sunday, October 19th

Charlotte Concert for Change
Ovens Auditorium
2700 E. Independence Avenue
Doors Open 1:30pm

Charlotte Ticket Distribution Locations

South County Regional Library
5801 Rea Road
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

Plaza Midwood Regional Library
1623 Central Avenue
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

University City Library
301 E. W.T. Harris Boulevard
Friday Oct.17th
11am-7pm

Sunday October 19th

Asheville Concert for Change
Martin Luther King Park
50 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Doors Open 6:30pm

Asheville Ticket Distribution Locations:

UNC Asheville, Zeis Building
1 University Heights
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

West Asheville Library
942 Haywood Road
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

Asheville Senior Opportunity Center
36 Grove Street
Friday Oct.17th and Saturday Oct.18th
10am-6pm

Monday, October 20th

Chapel Hill Concert for Change
Fetzer Field – behind Carmichael Auditorium on South Road
UNC Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill NC
Doors Open 5:00 PM

Chapel Hill Ticket Distribution Locations

UNC Chapel Hill Planetarium
250 E. Franklin Street
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Carrboro Town Commons
301 W. Main Street
Carrboro, NC
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Orange County Public Library
300 W. Tryon Street
Hillsboro, NC
Friday Oct.17th, Saturday Oct.18th, and Monday Oct.20th
9am-4pm

Tuesday, October 21nd

Raleigh Concert for Change
Moore Square
200 South Blount Street
Raleigh NC
Doors Open 11:30 AM

Raleigh Ticket Distribution Locations

Raleigh for Change HQ
130 E. Morgan Street
Raleigh, NC
Friday, Oct. 17th, Saturday Oct.18th and Monday Oct. 20th
9am-6pm

Boleyn Heights for Change HQ
600 St. Mary’s Street
Raleigh, NC
Friday, Oct. 17th, Saturday Oct.18th and Monday Oct.20th
9am-6pm

Galaxy Theater
770 Cary Towne Boulevard
Cary, NC
12pm-6pm on Friday, Oct.17th, Sunday Oct.19th and Monday Oct.20th
9am-6pm on Saturday, Oct.18th

Tuesday, October 21st

Wilmington Event Location
Greenfield Lake Ampitheater
Third Street & Park Street
Wilmington NC
Doors Open 5:00 PM

Wilmington Ticket Distribution

In Government Center Plaza- Patio of Sombrero Azul
127 S College St
Wilmington, NC
Friday, Oct.17th and Monday Oct. 20th
2pm-5pm

Ornette Coleman to perform at UNC-Chapel Hill

In what will be only his fourth U.S. performance this year, free-jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman is slated to play at UNC-Chapel Hill's Memorial Hall Nov. 13. Tickets, on sale now, range in price from $30-65. Student tickets are $10.

Coleman, now in his 70s, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning saxophonist known to be one of the most controversial innovators in the early free jazz movement. His albums, The Shape of Jazz To Come and Free Jazz are canonical classics.

More David Byrne dates announced

David Byrne, as previously reported, is bringing his "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno" tour to Raleigh. But he'll also be playing in Charleston and Charlotte, as the tour extends into the winter. The Raleigh show is Dec. 8 at Meymandi Concert Hall. Byrne's bus will then head south to the North Charleston Performing Arts Center, Dec. 9, and then back up to the Old North State for a show at Charlotte's Ovens Auditorium Dec. 10.

This tour, which features no opening act, is in support of the latest Byrne/Eno collaboration, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. Tickets for the Raleigh and Charleston dates go on sale Friday.

David Byrne comes to Raleigh

Still promoting Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, his latest collaboration with Brian Eno, and following a Sept. 21 show in Asheville, rock legend David Byrne has added an appearance in Raleigh to his tour. David Menconi, of the Raleigh News & Observer reports a scheduled David Byrne performance Dec. 8 at Meymandi Concert Hall.

Tickets go on sale Friday.