🎸 So. Much. Music. - May 21st

Happy Wednesday folks! It’s a music heavy edition today (my personal favorite if I am being honest) so let’s get to the main events, shall we?

• Live After 5 returns today! Weekend Excursion & Tre. Charles will take the stage from 6-9PM in City Plaza today — see the list of vendors/food for each event here.

• Tomorrow is the last Live @ Lake Raleigh event featuring the band ‘Boulevards’. The event will have food trucks, drinks, & more. Parking is FREE after 5PM on campus and music starts at 6PM — bring a blanket or chair!

• Need more music? Beats and Eats, Raleigh’s newest local concert series has its first event “Country and BBQ” Friday from 6-9PM at John Chavis Memorial Park — the event is FREE, info here.

• On May 30th, check out the Artist Notes series on Centennial at The Corner, featuring local artists in a setting where they speak more about their careers between sets. Parking is once again FREE, food trucks are onsite, and chairs and dogs are welcome.

• Raleigh Wide Open has officially set its dates for October 3-4th, this festival of bluegrass will announce full lineups next week and best of all — it’s FREE! Learn more about the festival and its history by clicking on this link here.

• Today through December on every 3rd Wednesday, Tap Yard has a FREE Open Mic for Poetry, Prose, & Spoken Word. Signups begin at 6:30PM — more details here.

• Bring a craft to Blackbird! Every Wednesday bring your crochet, knit, or other craft from 4-7PM and get a discount on your drink (just tell the barista) — more here.

• Trophy Brewing has partnered with the Run for Love 5K on the 31st. This 5k route circles Dix Park, winners will receive gift cards, and everyone will get a medal + a Trophy Beer at the end — sign up here if interested.

• 3 emails a week, every week! If that’s worth a coffee each month, consider joining. Your support help us remain free, local, and ad-light (plus you get our community calendar).

• Just a reminder, the Sunset Social Pop-up is tomorrow from 4-8PM — details below:

• Marbles IMAX downtown (next to Moore Square) is hosting a screening of the new Mission Impossible movie before it’s official release, tomorrow at 2PM — more here.

• There were still a few spots when I checked but Irregardless is having their 1985 Dinner to celebrate 50 years in business! The 3 course meal starts at $75 and features optional wine and beverage pairings — click for more info.

• Hartwell is hosting a Pizza & Pasta event this Friday from 5-9PM featuring Pizza, Italian Ice, Live Music, and more — details here.

• Teets announced their 4th anniversary party is set for May 31st! There will be a FREE cookout, raffles, DJs, drink specials, & more — see flyer below:

May 21st - Wednesday

• Jazz Jam Session [open jam] @ Moon Room | 8PM - FREE

• Coldplay Tribute (Candlelight) [quartet/covers] @ All Saints Chapel | 8:45PM - $40+

May 22nd - Thursday

• Gennie Faye [soul/covers] @ The Raleigh Times | 7PM - FREE

• Gary Lowder & Smokin' Hot [beach] @ Midtown Park | 6PM - $5+

• Nordista Freeze, Astrocat, Ooze Box [indie/rock/psych] @ The Pour House | 7PM - $12+

This weeks local artist is Christian, from Good Christian Art! He has worked with a variety of local businesses (Ajja, Left Hook, etc.) and works with hand painted clothes, stickers, painted art, and other pieces on his page below.

Catch more of Christian (below) over at State of Beer on June 6th!

• NC FC: One correction from Monday, I did miss a game (it was correct on the calendar) but the FC play away in the USL Cup against Richmond, Saturday at 7PM.

• NC Courage: The Courage have their next on the 25th, away in San Diego at 10PM.

• Hurricanes: Last time it was no caps, now its no cats. The Canes took on the Panthers last night in an ECF rematch, where they unfortunately fell 2-5 in Game 1. They look to bounce back again on home ice for Game 2 of Round 3, Thursday at 8PM.

• Misc (Soccer): Brass Tap is hosting a watch party for the final of the UEFA Europa League, featuring Manchester United vs Tottenham, tomorrow at 3PM — event here.

• Are you a huge Nic Cage fan? We get it. Join Durham County Library June 3rd for a film viewing and discussion (snacks provided) that is family friendly! — details below:

• Tomorrow is the Live in the District event at Park West in Morrisville, featuring the band Blackwater. The event goes from 6:30-9PM and will have food and drink onsite — details here.

• The Durham Night Market, located by the Lucky Strike Tower in the Tobacco Campus, is tomorrow night from 5-9PM — event details here.

• Just a reminder that today is the last day to see “The Really Terrible Orchestra of the Triangle” over in Cary (at least according to their posted schedule) — tickets here.

• Taylor’s Wine Shop on Six Forks Rd is handing out FREE hot dogs from 11AM-1PM tomorrow in honor of their 45th year in business, stop by on lunch if in the area!

• The NC Museum of History is hiring a new full time graphic designer, check out the posting at the link here.

• Raleigh City Council held their meeting for the 2025-26 Fiscal Year budget yesterday, including highlights such as no property tax increase, investments in Dix Park, and even more towards citywide cybersecurity — see the full write-up here and post here.

May. 21st - Wednesday - Heavy rain, High 80°F, Low 62°F

• Sunrise: 06:05 AM, Sunset: 08:18 PM - Moon: Waning Crescent 🌘

May. 22nd - Thursday - Patchy rain nearby, High 69°F, Low 57°F

• Sunrise: 06:04 AM, Sunset: 08:18 PM - Moon: Waning Crescent 🌘

• Did you know that Wake County officials are making sure the water is safe? Each season before recreational waters open, team test the waters to make sure they are safe to swim in — view and learn to read the displays at these locations, info here.

• Thanks to the community at Brewgaloo, shoplocalraleigh has been able to donate $25k to the Western NC Craft Brewers Foundation to help rebuild taprooms, supply chain, breweries and more — see the post here.

• Join the ScoutingBSA for an Alumni event at the Carolina Exotic Car Club right off Glenwood Avenue. This event is open to all supporters of scouting and will feature guest speakers, sim racing time, and door prizes — more on facebook at this link.

Thanks for reading folks! If you made it this far, here’s a little sneak peak for the newsletter: In June our newsletter design gets an overhaul featuring some retro shades of summer. With the new designs, come possible Raleighwood merch… so stay tuned.

See you Friday!

— Mason at The Raleighwood Inbox