WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM MAY 4 - MAY 10, 2022 UCW 19
e Carolina Country Music As-
sociation is hosting the two-day North
Carolina Songwriters Festival in
Fayetteville May 6 through 7.
Known as the "Longest Songwriter
Pub Crawl" in North Carolina, the fes-
tival features the independent singer-
songwriters behind some of country
music's greatest hits.
Unique in that it's not housed at a
single venue, the event encourages
those in attendance to sample the
wares and listen to music at several
different locations.
Starting at 6 p.m. on May 6, the fes-
tival, which will take place at around
a dozen different venues across
Fayetteville and surrounding areas, is a
way for fans to interact with indepen-
dent singers and songwriters up close.
Venues familiar to locals, such as
Dirtbag Ales, Fayetteville Bakery and
Café, Dirty Whiskey Cocktail Bar, and
their newest venue Gates Four Golf
and County Club are free and open
to the public. However, some private
events will come at a cost.
Host of Carolina Country on 100.1
WFAY in Fayetteville, and Execu-
tive Director of the Carolina Country
Music Association, Christy 'Sweet
Tea" Andrulonis, sees the festival as
an excellent opportunity for everyone
involved.
"is festival is a way to promote
independent artists and draw the com-
munity into multiple venues," she said.
"Live music will be happening all over
the city, bringing people together."
e festival will feature acoustic
music and allow singer-songwriters to
share the stories behind their greatest
hits before they play.
Some venues will feature one art-
ist, while others will have as many as
four performers on stage at a time in a
round table discussion of their work.
While there will be several indie
artists who have submitted applica-
tions to be a part of this event, the
festival is a draw for some big names
in the industry. Damien Horne, a
North Carolina native and member of
the MuzikMafia, will be in attendance
to share his music and his story with
festivalgoers.
According to their online bio, Caro-
lina Country Music Association is "an
industry trade group for
singers, songwriters, musi-
cians and country music
fans." In addition to "shar-
ing the stories of the Caro-
linas," the organization
prides itself on being the
most prominent supporter
of independent singers
and songwriters with roots
in the Carolinas.
North Carolina shares
a long, rich history with
country music and has
had a significant impact
on the genre over the last
90 years or so. Industry legends such as
George Hamilton IV and Randy Travis
call North Carolina home. is festival
is an opportunity to bring exposure to
the great artists of Carolina yet to be
discovered.
When the festival is over, Andrulo-
nis hopes attendees will leave with a
greater appreciation of these indie art-
ists and the incredible work they do to
bring music into people's lives.
"I hope they leave with an under-
standing of just how important it is
to support local art and music. ere's
much more going on behind the
scenes of your favorite No. 1 song on
the radio. ere's so much more than
meets the eye."
For more information and a com-
plete list of artists and venues, visit
www.carolinacountrymusicassocia-
tion.org/ncsongwritersfestival.
Multiple venues to host songwriter festival
by ASHLEY SHIRLEY
EVENT
ASHLEY SHIRLEY, Staff Writer.
COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin-
gweekly.com. 910-484-6200
e North Carolina Songwriters Festival offers performances at
a dozen venues in Fayetteville and surrounding areas. (Photo
courtesy of the North Carolina Songwriters Festival)
4104 Raeford Rd. Fayetteville, NC 28304 910.483.1234
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