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Welcome to the home of Learned Place House Concerts! Here, you may check our concert schedule and ticket availability, or subscribe to our email list. We encourage you to share your comments about the concerts, recommend artists for us to host, and tell us about your favorite performers and recordings. We are pleased, with the support of many fans and friends, to be hosting a sixth season of acoustic music in our home.
This Year’s Concert Schedule:
Saturday, October 3, 7:30 (Doors Open 7:00), $30
Mike Craver, Bill Hicks, Jim Watson, with Joe Newberry
Three members of the original Red Clay Ramblers, some of the finest musicians ever from this region.
For more information, visit http://www.mikecraver.com/orcrpromo.html
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Saturday, November 14, 7:30 (Doors Open 7:00), $30
Krüger Brothers, with Pattie and Jack LeSueur and Cedar Creek
Jens, Uwe and Joel honor us once again for a magical evening, with Pattie, Jack, Mike and Rick opening. A sure sell-out.
For more information, visit: http://krugerbrothers.com
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Saturday, January 23, 7:30 (Doors Open 7:00), $30
***NO MORE SEATS AVAILABLE***
The New Agrarians
Outstanding singer-songwriters Kate Campbell, Tom Kimmel and Pierce Pettis performing together in a rare joint appearance.
For more information on these great musicians, visit:
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Saturday, February 27, 7:30 (Doors Open 7:00), $30
DOUBLE FEATURE!!!
This evening will continue our series of outstanding singer-songwriters, pairing two great musical performances, Roger Lucey and Dana and Susan Robinson.
Roger Lucey
Roger Lucey is a legendary South African songwriter and performer who has made Durham his part time home the last couple of years, both studying and teaching at Duke. A retrospective of his work, 21 Years Down the Road, was recently released in South Africa. Roger was at the forefront of the struggle for racial equality in South Africa, and he was systematically silenced by the apartheid government. His music speaks movingly to both the public and personal experience of living life in a society full of painful contradictions and hopeful possibilities. Roger performed for us in February 2008, a memorable, moving evening. Roger will be accompanied by Rick LaReno and Mike Foster of Cedar Creek fame.
For more information about Roger, see:
Dana and Susan Robinson
From our Western North Carolina hometown of Marshall in Madison County, Dana and Susan Robinson make a wonderful pair, playing “neo-traditional” music, combining old-time music with contemporary singer-songwriting. Dana’s vocal style is reminiscent of the early Cat Stevens, and he’s an exceptional guitarist and fiddler. Sue plays claw hammer banjo and sings harmony, with occasional lovely solos. They tour nationally and internationally. No strangers to the Triangle, they have performed at the American Tobacco Campus in the WUNC series and their music is included in the Best of Back Porch Music Series. After several years of conversation, we are delighted finally to be able to host them at Learned Place.
For more information on Dana and Susan, visit:
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Friday, April 2, 8:00 (Doors Open 7:30), $30 ***Special Student Price: $15***
Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth, with Drew Bowen and Trevor Hoyt Opening
Great musicians in their own right, when Laura Boosinger and Josh Goforth play together it is a special treat. The have played, recorded and toured together frequently over the last several years, and we are delighted to host them in our house concert series, joining performers like Tim O’Brien, the Krüger Brothers, Robin and Linda Williams, the Steep Canyon Rangers, Kate Campbell and Pierce Pettis.
Laura Boosinger is among the most accomplished contemporary performers rooted in the music of the Sothern Appalachians. She has a beautiful voice, a broad repertoire and an infectious sense of humor. Laura is a widely recognized master of the claw hammer style of banjo playing.
Josh Goforth has been playing and teaching traditional, bluegrass, and acoustic music professionally for 11 years. A multi-instrumentalist, Josh is especially well known as a fiddler. He has won the top award at the annual Union Grove fiddlers’ festival three times. Producer Hugh Sturgill has said that “Josh Goforth is a super star in waiting. He shows the same promise I saw in Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas and Vince Gill in the 70s.” In addition to leading his own band, Josh works frequently with other well known musicians. He performs regularly with Laura Boosinger, Carolina Road and David Holt, among others. His CD Cutting Loose with four time Grammy winner David Hold was nominated as the Best Traditional Folk Album in the 2010 Grammy competition.
Durham musicians Drew Bowen and Trevor Hoyt, faculty members at Durham Academy, will open the evening with original songs and fine playing.
For more information, visit:
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Saturday, May 22, 7:30 (Doors Open 7:00), $30
Clyde Edgerton and Mike Craver
Here is something wonderful and different. Clyde Edgerton, professor of creative writing at UNC Wilmington, is a North Carolina treasure. He is the author of nine novels, a memoir, short stories, and essays. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and five of his novels have been New York Times Notable Books; three have been made into movies and several have been adapted for the stage. He has Durham roots, and he is a great musician. Clyde teams up with Mike Craver, a member of the original Red Clay Ramblers, to perform musical adaptations of his fiction. This very special evening will include selections from the musical rendition of Clyde’s recent novel The Bible Salesman as well as readings and songs based on other stories. This evening will be fun and funny!
For more information visit:
Our Thanks to:
Pattie and Jack LeSueur, Rick La Reno and Mike Foster for musical inspiration and being our partners in this series; to Sean Aery for creating this website; to Deb Wong for design work; and to Tim Oates for providing concert-labeled bottled water for our events. And a big thanks too for the many supporters whose interest and contributions make these concerts possible.
Your Contributions:
This is listener supported music. Your contributions help support talented professional musicians and help defray the costs of producing the concerts, including stage and chair rentals, sound system support, and refreshments. We couldn’t do it without you!
Doug MacKenzie:
Jim and Debby,
14 October 2007, 1:41 amYou guys did it again!!! The Krugers were absolutely “on” this evening! What a fantastic evening!! It truly is an honor and a distinct privilege to be a part of your incredibly special events. Without a doubt, they are the best kept secret in the Triangle. Bless you both for being so gracious to open your home to us all to share your lovely presentations of finely crafted acoustic music. You are gems. And we are all the richer for your vision and committment to such an important endeavor. Thank you. Thank you.
Sarah Revels:
The concert this past weekend was great! Had to leave at intermission and was not able to hear Si Kahn, but I thoroughly enjoyed Roger Lucy and could have listened to him for another couple of hours. What a great story teller and so passionate! Having been very involved in South African history in my college years, I found his music to be very real and moving. Thanks for another great evening and am eagerly looking forward to the next one!
22 January 2008, 12:06 pmKatherine Gattis:
Thank you for hosting musical talents in your home. Your selfless act is a true gift to us all.
5 January 2009, 11:55 amTim O'Brien:
Thanks to Jim and Debbie and company for a fun concert last Friday. The sound was great and so was the audience. People sure were ready to listen, as well as ready to have a good time. Just before I left I even learned a new banjo tuning from Scott Ainslie. I hope I can come back soon.
2 March 2009, 11:40 amKelly Lyn Logue:
Thank you for opening your home to us. I travel extensively to hear Tim O’brien. But, it was a thrill to see him so close to home and in such an intimate atmosphere. It was an honor to be in such wonderful company. Your generous hospitality, the superb entertainment, and the fabulous evening with a dear friend amidst passionate music lovers will not be forgotten. I look forward to joining you for future events. Peace be with you!
2 March 2009, 6:05 pmMike Craver:
Jim and Deb - thanks for having Clyde Edgerton and I play your series. You treat musicians so splendidly. It is an honor and a pleasure to play Learned Place — the Cadillac of house shows! (& I am amassing a china cabinet full of specialty water bottles!)
23 May 2010, 7:49 pm