Another value the organizers had going into this year was making sure the talent and value of local artists was displayed. Poythress said that this is the second year that the festival is paying performers.
“The town prides itself on art and equity and looking out for people, and that was something that just needed to be done to make it fair for everyone,” he said.
There is no limit to the variety of artists and genres that will be performing — from country to rock to indie to punk, there is an array of styles for all attendees to enjoy.
Heat Preacher, a local indie rock band who draws inspiration from Wilco, Foo Fighters and Fallout Boy, will be playing at 5:30 p.m. at Cat’s Cradle on Sunday.
Nick Stroud, the lead guitarist, described the band as a “bowling league” — or an opportunity for him and his friends to play music together and enjoy life outside of their normal routines.
The group is going back to their roots this weekend, as majority of the members are from surrounding areas and this was one of the first gigs they ever played together.
Their commitment goes beyond performance, as Stroud is also one of the owners of the Belltree Cocktail Club, a venue hosting performances this weekend in their homey Green Room.
“The reason we built it is because I miss playing those small intimate shows where you can feel the energy because you’re just right there, so close to everybody and the room’s packed out,” Stroud said.
Matty Frank, another artist, will be playing at 6:15 p.m. at Pizzeria Mercato on Sunday, and audiences can expect a folky, forest-y style similar to the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Hozier and Mitski.
Frank’s set will be accompanied by his band, and in addition, he will be playing an omnichord, which is, in his words, an “electronic version of an autoharp that was made in the ’80s.”
In the spirit of supporting local, Frank will be collaborating with a local stained glass artist to make moth-shaped bolo ties out of stained glass to sell as merchandise at his show.
“I really like that and how people are very into supporting local people within their own community,” Frank said. “So I’m very excited to see just people doing that on a larger scale across different venues.”
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@dthlifestyle | lifestyle@dailytarheel.com
