Carrboro Music Festival

The Carrboro Music Festival may not be the largest, best known or most prestigious festival in the Triangle, but there’s a good chance it’s got the most interesting history.

Now in its 13th year, the free, day-long event has taken an unusual path to reach its current incarnation.

The first festival occurred as a result of a Carrboro Arts Committee member’s overseas inspiration.

“One of the members had lived in France for awhile and had observed the summer solstice celebration they did in Paris, which was called the Fête de la Musique,” festival coordinator Gerry Williams said. “We thought it would be a cool idea if we joined the American cities that were doing a similar thing.”

Years down the road, it’s been moved from June to September, transformed from a European homage to a homegrown event dedicated to showcasing local music.

This year, the festival boasts over 170 acts and 25 venues, and its line-up is more diverse than years past — a fact on which Williams prides himself.

“I think half of the 180 or so performers we have this year, some of those are solo performers and some are four- or five-piece bands. The other half are performers who have exhibited maybe five, 10 or all 13 years,” he said. “It’s not the same 150 or 180 performers every year. There’s a lot of new blood every year.”

Mimi McLaughlin, bassist for The Pneurotics, will return to play the event for the third time this Sunday.

“I really loved the first year we played,” she recalled. “We played on the patio at Milltown, and we played at something like 9 o’clock. People had been out and really into music and were a little tipsy, and they were so into it. We had people dancing and dancing and dancing, which is funny because we don’t really have dancers at our shows. It was awesome, and it really mixed a bunch of people too — it was a really diverse crowd.”

And in the midst of a slew of other festivals and venues, the Carrboro Music Festival still maintains a distinct foothold in the local music community.

“We try to keep the focus here in the Triangle and some of the close neighbors of the Triangle, and everything here is free,” Williams said. “All the music that’s presented at the Carrboro Music Festival you can see for free. You can walk all over town and hear different musicians as you walk around the corner.”

Despite the changes that have taken place since its conception, Williams insists that the festival’s mission has remained the same since day one.

“I think it’s probably still the same as it was in the early days of the event. It’s primarily a way to showcase the range of talented musicians that we have here in the Triangle,” he said.

“Almost all the musicians come from somewhere here in the triangle, and I guess that’s the main goal of the event is to showcase and celebrate that talent as a musical community.”

Equally integral to the event’s success is the town’s valuation of culture and music.

“It says a lot about Carrboro. It’s a town that has a lot of respect for arts of all sorts,” Williams said.

“It’s a small town that does its best to support the arts.”

For McLaughlin, the festival represents a welcome respite from the typical late-night bar format to which she’s accustomed.

“I was looking at the festival this year and I probably only know half the bands. This points to the huge wealth of music that we have in the area,” she said.

“I think that Carrboro Music Festival opens up an opportunity for a lot of other musicians than the ones I usually hear in the bar scene —indie rock or whatever —the usual scene that I hang out in.”

With a multitude of artists, venues and volunteers, it’s difficult for Williams to determine his favorite part of the festival.

Ultimately, it’s a labor of love.

“I’m really proud of the event,” he said. “I enjoy coordinating it. If I could afford to do it for free, I’d do it anyway.”

Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.