Max Indian at The Pinhook, Oct. 1

Experience one of Chapel Hill’s infant bands at Durham venue The Pinhook this Thursday, Oct. 1. However, don’t expect novice musicianship as  members, like so many in the incestuous local music scene, dip their toes in multiple projects like Luego, Roman Candle, The Tomahawks and Mount Moriah, to name a select few.

Recent music fixture Max Indian (Nick Jarger, Carter Gaj, Jeff Crawford, James Wallace, Jamie McFarlane) combines the retro with current indie rock and catchy, not kitschy elements of pop-rock. OK and maybe a little bit of folk rock.

Check out a video of the band performing “Free as the Wind” from their “You Can Go Anywhere, Do Anything” release show at Local 506 last year.

Floridians Lighthouse Music open at 9 p.m. with the headliner at 10 p.m. Check out The Pinhook’s music calendar and blog. [map]

Where in Raleigh can I go see free music…

…and eat?

• The Irregardless Cafe on various nights. See the music calendar. [map]
• Margaux’s Restaurant on various nights. See the event calendar. [map]
• Hi 5 Saturdays until 2 a.m. No cover before 10 p.m. and $5 food menu. [map]

…and drink coffee?

• Java Divine Italian Cafe on various nights. See menu and event calendar. [map]
• Loco Lu’s Coffeehouse on various nights. Acoustic jams are on first and third Wednesdays and open mics are on Mondays. See menu. [map]

…at open mics?

• Deep South The Bar Tuesdays at 10 p.m. [map]
• Overtime Sports Pub Thursdays at 9 p.m. with host Travis Proctor. See the event calendar. [map]
• Sauced Pizze Tuesdays nights until midnight. [map]
• Varina Sports Bar Monday nights. [map]

…and sing karaoke?

• Micheal Dean’s Saturdays at 10:30 p.m. [map]
• Scooter’s Grill & Bar Thursdays from 8 p.m.-midnight with DJ Donald Alston. [map]

Expect an upcoming installment on Durham.

Curtains of Night, Black Skies at Local 506, Sept. 26

Introduce yourself to some local metal this Saturday, Sept. 26, when Chapel Hill venue Local 506 hosts a lineup that transcends the town’s milder toe-tapping indie rock reputation, but don’t expect it to sound anything like the more publicized hair-sprayed niche of metal that conjures Motley Crue.

Black Skies, Photo Credit: Alison Nickles

Chapel Hill’s Curtains of Night (Nora Rogers on guitar and Lauren Fitzpatrick on drums) take it slow and steady with aggressive distortion and punctuating screams on local label Holidays for Quince.

Carrboro’s Black Skies (Kevin Clark on guitars, vocals and Michelle Temple on bass) merge plentiful cymbal crashing and chugging guitars with a few southern rock-ish riffs to create stoner metal for those partial to head banging

(Want to get in on what you hear? Black Skies is currently looking for a new drummer.)

Doors open at 9:30 p.m. and Make kick off the show at 10 p.m. A Local 506 membership is required to attend shows, but it can be purchased at the door for $3 in addition to the show’s $10 admission. Be prepared to show you’re ID as all attendees must be at least 18 years old. Buy tickets on etix, CD Alley or at the venue.

Where in Chapel Hill/Carrborro can I go see free music…

…and eat?

• Big Fat Gap at Armadillo Grill Tuesdays 6-9 p.m., Carrboro. See a menu. [map]
• Jazz and More Brunch Sundays 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Weaver Street Market, Carrboro. [map]

…and drink coffee?

• Caffe Driade on various nights, Chapel Hill. See the beer/wine and baked goods menus and music calendar. [map]
• Open Eye Cafe on various nights, Carrboro. See the coffee menu and music calendar. [map]

…at open mics?

• Blue Horn Lounge Mondays 9 p.m.-1 a.m., Chapel Hill. [map]
• Jack Sprat Tuesdays 10 p.m., Chapel Hill. [map]

…and sing karaoke?

• Bub O’Malley’s Thursday nights, Chapel Hill. [map]
• Goodfellows Wednesdays nights, Chapel Hill. [map]

…before football games?

• Tailgate Party on the Front Porch at the Carolina Inn three hours before kick-off for every home game, Chapel Hill. See a menu and band schedule. [map]

Expect more in this series as I’ll cover free music in other areas of the Triangle.

12th annual Carrboro Music Festival

Once a year businesses in downtown Carrboro open their doors for the day-long festival that serves as a free sampler of the Carrboro-Chapel Hill music scene. This year 24 venues ranging from RBC Centura to Armadillo Grill will host more than 160 performances throughout the compact area with the earliest kicking off at 1 p.m. and the latest at 11 p.m.

There is something for almost anyone as featured genres range from Americana to hip-hop to improvisational jazz.

For fans of classic bluegrass, Big Fat Gap will play at Fifth Season Gardening/Glasshalfull at 6:15 p.m.

Folk rock duo Birds & Arrows, which has a similar sound to M. Ward and the milder ballads of The Avett Brothers, will perform at Open Eye Café at 7 p.m.

Listeners of Jucifer and Mastodon will find solace in Caltrop at the Rock Stage at Southern Rail at 9:15 p.m.

For a full performance schedule visit here.

As for traveling to the festival, UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus is a little over a half mile to the area and Chapel Hill Transit buses run regularly for free with Carrboro stops on routes. Triangle Transportation Authority bus routes run from anywhere else in the Triangle and a free bio-diesel shuttle will run from a park and ride lot at Carrboro Plaza from noon to 8 p.m.