During my four-hour trek to the Carolina Mountains to see The Band, a somewhat heated discussion took place in my head. “Maybe this isn’t a good idea. What if they’re terrible? Maybe you should just remember them from The Last Waltz,” a voice suggested. “We’re talking about a chance to see Levon Helm, Rick Danko [...]

For two mild winter nights, S.P.I.T.T.L.E. Fest (that’s Southern Plunge Into Trailer Trash Leisure and Entertainment, folks) transformed Raleigh’s premier frills-free nightspot, the Brewery, into a dance held at the grange hall on the other side of Mayberry’s tracks. Loosely based on Chapel Hill’s annual Sleazefest (a weekend of beer, barbecue and all-purpose garage-rock-fueled debauchery), [...]