The best of Raleigh’s 15th annual Hopscotch Music Fest
Another Hopscotch is in the books. It’s been 15 years since the music fest staked its claim as one of the most far-ranging fests in the Southeast, and it continues to hold its ground as a must-see for any indie music fan—local to Raleigh or not.
All too often festivals evolve into a mess of airport-level security, mountains of litter and sunbaked Porta Potties. But Hopscotch—after a decade and a half—has stayed humble, avoiding the drama of a large fest while still sporting a rival lineup. It consistently boasts the perfect combination of legacy sets (think Built to Spill, Superchunk and Godspeed You! Black Emperor) and fresher acts destined to be the next big thing (see: Geese, Geordie Greep and Florry). And it’s all right in our backyard.
The festival is built to be a choose-your-own-adventure with staggered acts at the main stages and club shows, but it’s not easy to see it all. Here are our fave moments you may have missed.
Earl Sweatshirt Did Not Care Earl Sweatshirt had his priorities in order: He strutted on stage, performed some of his recent releases live for the first time, then brought out the happy-go-lucky Charlotte rapper MAVI. And his background visuals reflected this nonchalant mood—a dog with sunglasses on a surfboard was the sole image of the set. “This is my mood board,” he said of the image. “I wanna feel like that.”
Fust or Bust What’s Hopscotch without a local folk mainstay? Durham-based Fust took a well-deserved main slot on the City Plaza stage Friday and didn’t disappoint with a laid-back set layered with easy-on-the-ears violin. NTM the slow set was a subtle start to a day full of loud alt tunes.
North Carolina! Underwater! Between 3D Country and Cameron Winter’s solo work, NYC-based Geese has built a big fan base, and the crowd was buzzing at their City Plaza set on Friday. New singles “Taxes” and “Trinidad” riled the crowd up even more, and unheard tastes of their new album (“Au Pays du Cocaine” was otherworldly) left unmatched anticipation for the upcoming release—and hopefully a return to Raleigh soon.
MMJ Are Gods Live My Morning Jacket has always held a top spot as one of the greatest live rock bands, and on Friday night they proved they are sound in that sentiment. City Plaza’s production upped the ante for the group—the colorful strobe lights were the finishing touch to their jam sesh.
City Plaza Artists Loved Shish Kabob Forget the Red Hat shimmerwall—artists loved City Plaza’s Shish Kabob sign. The simple name was peak entertainment: Earl Sweatshirt thanked (?) the restaurant for being there, and Geese’s Cameron Winter swore “lightning would strike him down” if the whole crowd didn’t receive Shish Kabob gift cards. What’s a festival without a running bit?
Crumb, Caught in the Rain Crumb’s music is destined for the dark, and the rain that crashed their Saturday night set at Moore Square added a grounding element to their groggy but calm dreamscape. Dry feet—and equipment—may have made for an easier set, but there was something liberating about live psych-rock in the rain, and the crowd wasn’t mad about getting a little wet.
Club Shows Are Unmatched Not only is all of Downtown involved—from churches to restaurants—but the music practically never ends, with club sets starting around noon and playing until the early hours of morning. These shows boasted an array of NC artists and beyond—some coming from as far as Cali—and ranged from mosh-worthy to cry-worthy, in the best way (hemlock at Pour House was very much the latter). Hopping club shows was easily worth the late nights.
RM chats up Tom Blankenship of MMJ ahead of their Hopscotch Set.
My Morning Jacket has been preaching worn-in rock ’n’ roll for over two decades. Rising from Louisville, Kentucky, in the late ’90s, their music managed to stay rooted in a slight Southern twang while still dipping into the sights and sounds of the rising rock scene. The group seemed to understand what was so compelling about both Drive-By Truckers and Green Day, and were able to stretch themselves to both ends of the spectrum.
Alongside their ten albums, MMJ established themselves as the rock institution to see live. And the proof is evident in various live albums, a 2004 Bonnaroo performance so iconic it’s still celebrated, and even a cameo from muppet and drumming icon Animal. So, Raleigh was rightfully buzzing when Hopscotch dropped its highly anticipated lineup and the MMJ name shone front and center as Friday’s headliner.
It won’t be the five-piece’s first time in Raleigh: According to bassist Tom Blankenship’s list of live shows—which he has kept since they began touring in ’99, ~1,100 shows ago—they’ve graced the city three times. “Traveling can feel like work, but actually playing songs and hanging out with the guys never loses its charm,” he muses.
Hopscotch lands just a month out from the 20th anniversary of Z, a record which Blankenship described as a turning point for MMJ—as coming and going band members lent to a change in sound. “From the opening track, it was definitely a departure from what we had done musically,” he affirms. “At the time, I don’t think we really thought of it as taking a risk, but we were just excited to be working on new music.”
In the two decades since, their sound has (naturally) taken some twists and turns, but even their newest record, Is, echoes back to the scope of their early days. Produced by Brendan O’Brien,who cemented his name working with the likes of Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, the more-focused-than-usual album gives just a taste of the group’s live sphere. “Brendan trimmed the fat off of all of them—‘Squid Ink’ was two or three times longer than the album version,” says Blankenship.
But holding up to their live show legacy, the trimmings were saved and the group plans to play all the songs in full live. For MMJ, albums come second: Most of their discography was played at shows for years before it was ever released. Read: “One Big Holiday” was played live for three years before it ever saw the light of the studio.
And like any good fest setlist, MMJ’s Hopscotch performance will cater to fans of all capacities. “We joke that it’s a greatest hits set,” quips Blankenship. “We don’t necessarily have any radio hits, but [we play] songs like ‘Wordless Chorus’ that we know resonate with folks who aren’t super familiar with us.” Rest assured, deep cuts—which Blankenship refers to as “nuggets”—are still sprinkled in for the longtime MMJers. All in all, their headlining set will certainly be worth a listen. hopscotchmusicfest.com; mymorningjacket.com
Skate Raleigh is returning to Hopscotch Music Fest for its third spin—this time ramping things up on Martin Street. Kicking off the weekend with a BMX show Thursday night, BMX celeb and professional park builder John Saxton takes on pro-level ramps with a crew of top-tier riders in tow. Friday dials up the energy with a BMX jam and street disco, with a classic skateboarding competition on Saturday rounding out the weekend—complete with a Red Bull-sponsored cash prize for best trick. With Oak City Soul spinning tunes and New Belgium pouring bevs, Martin Street has your Hopscotch weekend bucket list on lock. skateraleigh.com
Anthropologie’s first-ever Maeve storefront—right here in Raleigh
Village District has long been a go-to for both local gems and national names—but now it’s adding something entirely new to the mix. This fall, Anthropologie is debuting its first-ever standalone store for in-house brand Maeve—and handpicked Raleigh to launch it.
Photo courtesy Anthropologie
Known for its statement-making, joy-inducing pieces and cult following, Maeve has built a massive fanbase through Anthropologie stores and online. The label’s popularity—and strong performance—set the stage for something bigger.
“We have so many communities that celebrate the Maeve style and sentiment, and the Raleigh-Durham market is at the top of our list,” says Mindy Massey, Anthropologie’s global executive director of retail. Village District, she tells RM, offers the perfect place to tell the Maeve story—with a loyal customer base to match.
Now, slated to bow in the former Coastal Urge space, the new standalone storefront gives Maeve room to grow beyond the Anthropologie racks—and officially step out on its own.
The concept marks the latest evolution for the URBN brand portfolio, Anthropologie’s parent company (also behind Free People, Urban Outfitters and more), which has been steadily spinning off its house brands into standalone destinations—and has long had eyes on Raleigh. Village District already hosts URBN’s FP Movement—and is now primed to add another national first to its lineup.
It’s a major get for the district—and for the city as a whole. When international brands start testing fresh concepts in Raleigh, you know it’s a market worth watching. And Raleigh is ready. anthropologie.com
NC DMV audits call out failures and proposal fixes.
DMV frustrations just got receipts: Two audits released in August validate long-standing concerns, prompting NC State Auditor Dave Boliek to recommend splitting the DMV from the Department of Transportation entirely.
Giving new context to the department’s well-documented challenges, the audits found the average DMV visit clocks in at one hour and 15 minutes, and ~13% taking over two-and-a-half hours. And to try to sidestep those waits, nearly half skip their local office for a farther one.
Boliek emphasized that the economic toll of such inefficiencies—including missed work and school days—calls for immediate intervention. So, what exactly would a DMV/DOT breakup fix?
The audit cites “structural challenges” tied to the DMV’s current status as a DOT division: no financial autonomy, little say in statewide decisions and a lack of performance tracking.
“DOT needs the DMV, not the other way around,” said Boliek, noting that while the DMV reins in 30% of NCDOT revenue, it receives just 3% of that funding in return.
Despite NC’s population growing by 2.5 mill over the last 15 years, the state has only added 52 license examiner positions—160 still sit vacant.* Boliek proposed the General Assembly add 40 more examiners and introduce market-based salaries to combat chronic staffing shortages and employee burnout.
Meanwhile, a new law signed by Gov. Josh Stein suspends the expiration of Class C driver’s licenses, allowing them to remain valid for driving purposes for up to two years post-expiration date. That said, the law does not address ID requirements for air travel, alcohol purchases or loan applications—meaning a haul to the DMV may still be in your future.
