Fun fact: In ancient Rome, birds were used to predict the future. That omen proved to be prophetic after humorously striking then-UGA student Carter King in a poultry evaluation class—and the band name was hatched. Enter Southern rock group Futurebirds—a mishmash of musicians born in Athens in 2008.
Nearly two decades later, that old college try has paid off. Futurebirds have graduated from dive-bar band to a stacked résumé of five studio albums, a handful of EPs and nationwide tours—including a stop at Raleigh’s Lincoln Theatre Dec. 13.
Jumping straight into the scene after college, the band didn’t want to save their true ambitions for retirement. “Music beats trying to be an intern somewhere,” vocalist and guitarist Thomas Johnson told RM. “We’re just grateful for any amount of time we get to do this—it’s awesome.”
Futurebirds’ cosmic country-rock reeks of Southern roots—and loves a good metaphor. Think Drive-By Truckers-esque reverbed riffs fused with the hollering Houndmouth melodies—plus the occasional gut-punch lyric that launches your spleen straight into your throat. The rich, ambiguous sound translates seamlessly to a kinetic stage presence, with plenty of ops for hair-flipping and trucker-hat head-banging.
Two decades of tracks don’t fit easily on one setlist, but the band makes it work—pulling songs from every Futurebirds era, from fan faves like “College Try” and “Trippin’” to deep cuts from when they first sprouted their wings. “We know a lot more about making music now,” reminisces vocalist and guitarist King. “But those songs are a snapshot of that time—and the great part about being a live band is reimaging.” If you’re down for a dive bar-meets-cosmic country kind of night, map your way to Lincoln Theatre. futurebirdsmusic.com; lincolntheatre.com
Like Hopscotch’s less edgy, flowy-skirted and flowery sister, Iron Blossom Music Festival continues to shine a spotlight on local indie and folk bands while always tapping a few bigtime acts to end the night—and it reigns as a must-attend for any indie or folk fans in the Southeast.
At just three years old, this RM pick for fests worth traveling for has already blossomed into a one-of-a-kind event, avoiding the long lines, drama and price point of a bigger op while still hosting big names worth drama—NTM it’s just a 2.5-hour drive from the Cap City. Here are some festival highlights to browse while you pen your wishlist for next year’s lineup.
Rain, Rain, Here to Stay Guests were evacuated not once, but twice from the fest on Saturday, with Medium Build sneaking in a set between the two delays. But true to the festival’s happy-go-lucky nature, guests were unfazed and danced in the rain, some barefoot. Even after both evacuations, the energy didn’t end, it just moved—breweries and bars surrounding Midtown Green were buzzing with damp and smiling festival goers.
Indie Sleaze Is So Back Vampire Weekend showed out to headline Saturday night with a greatest hits setlist, oozing the sleazy aesthetics of their heyday ~15 years ago. The undeniable charm of Ezra Koenig plus the nostalgia of “A-Punk” live? Unmatched.
Vampire Weekend
…And Indie Folk Never Left Folk had a field day with the rest of the lineup. From The Lumineers to Boone-based Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Chapel Hill-based Watchhouse, it was an indie fanatic’s dream. Athens-based Futurebirds lead the fest towards alt-country horizons while Improvement Movement slung dad rock with a touch of soul. In short, a wide range of boxes were checked when it came to genre. And the sole lineup lowlight? Alt trio Khruangbin’s cancellation. Maybe next year…
A Hop, Skip and a Jump The aptly-named Iron and Blossom stages were in perfect proximity to each other—if you camped out between the side-by-side stages, you could catch every set. And even so, fest goers hopped between the stages, so sets were never overly congested. Sticking with the drama-free nature, you could wrangle a spot close to the barricade at both stages, so long as you rolled up by 2 or 3pm.
Futurebirds
Hometown Heroes Leaning into local, Richmond and Virginia artists reigned. Richmond-based Holy Roller lit up the stage with grooves and a Western aesthetic. And hailing from Shenandoah Valley just north, folk trio Palmyra garnered a huge crowd at the smaller stage—one that didn’t shy away from singing along. In true Iron Blossom fashion, the group’s Mānoa Bell tapped barefoot along to the beat as he strummed the double bass. Overall, the songs of the Southeast shined.
