Mic Check

Ryan PitkinApril 22, 2022
Shannon and the Clams Frontwoman Shannon Shaw Goes Coast to Coast
When I spoke with Shannon Shaw over the phone on April 19, she was enjoying a short respite between tours…
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Lamont LillySeptember 23, 2021
Charlotte Rap Dad Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon Counts His Blessings
For Charlotte rapper Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon, everything is about growth. When Queen City Nerve spoke to the always-evolving wordsmith in…
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Ryan PitkinMay 29, 2020
PREMIERE: Charles Walker Is a Man Torn in New “Passenger Side” Video
At one point in Charles Walker’s new video for “Passenger Side,” he hangs up a picture of Nashville next to…
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Lamont LillyMarch 11, 2020
Jamla Records Songbird Heather Victoria Lands in Charlotte
Born in Fayetteville and brought up in Wilson, R&B singer Heather Victoria was raised on soul music, but there’s plenty…
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Pat MoranFebruary 7, 2020
Phil Pucci and Pullover Go Sunny Side Up on ‘Forever’
Phil Pucci is a happy guy, but that hasn’t always been the case. The former front man and guitarist for…
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Jeff HahneAugust 12, 2019
Weekend in Music Photos: Ben Folds, Violent Femmes, KISS
Ben Folds & Violent Femmes CMCU Ampitheatre; Aug. 8, 2019 As Ben Folds himself said, one of his songs that’s…
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Ryan PitkinJune 6, 2019
Madison Lucas Attacks Self-Doubt with Modern Moxie Debut
As a college student living in the dorms of Coastal Carolina University near Myrtle Beach, Madison Lucas used to wait…
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Pat MoranJune 4, 2019
Alfred Sergel Marches to his Own Beat
Alfred Sergel was driving home from a Charlotte jazz show in 2015, feeling stuck in his career, when he had…
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Ryan PitkinMay 23, 2019
ReeCee Raps Builds Budding Career, Stomps Out Domestic Violence
It took five years for Shauna Respass to fully realize she needed to get out. Respass had been living in…
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Pat MoranMay 9, 2019
Anthony Hamilton is Home to Drop Soul on SHOUT!
Anthony Hamilton’s gravel-voiced country soul has music writers reaching for their cookbooks instead of their thesauruses. Down-home cooking metaphors —…
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Ryan PitkinApril 26, 2019
Local Producer Axnt Reintroduces Himself with ‘Double Image’
In 2017, Aaron Bell came back from Moogfest, the annual multi-day arts, tech and electronic music festival held in Durham,…
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Pat MoranApril 9, 2019
Former Pullman Strike Sideman Takes the Lead with Wes & the Railroaders
Music doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective, according to Wes Hamilton. The 33-year-old guitarist and songwriter should know.…
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Veronica CoxApril 8, 2019
Lee McCorkle Goes Experimental with The Electronic Park
Lee McCorkle is no stranger to alternative music. He’s spent a significant part of his life performing as Leisure McCorkle,…
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Pat MoranMarch 26, 2019
McColl Alumnus Pamela Z Returns to Sound Off
The first time Pamela Z was at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, the whole world came tumbling…
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Ryan PitkinFebruary 26, 2019
Leone’s Debut EP is the Throwback We All Needed
Growing up in Orangeburg, South Carolina, D’Amontae Breland hated the music his mom played around the house. Or at least…
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Ryan PitkinFebruary 22, 2019
Kyle Petty in the Driver’s Seat After Resurrecting Music Career
Growing up as the son of legendary NASCAR driver Richard “The King” Petty, it was expected that Kyle Petty would…
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