Saturday, October 26, everyone’s invited to Saxapahaw for the third annual Sleepy Fest, a celebration of local music hosted by Sleepy Cat Records!
Sleepy Fest launched in 2022 in a field east of Hillsborough, but this year it’s moving into the Haw River Ballroom. The festivities begin outdoors on the Haywagon Stage, starting at 10:00 a.m. with a free arts market; the music starts at 11:00 with the Sleepy House Band. Then at 2:00 the festival proceeds into the Haw River Ballroom for ten more hours of music from more than a dozen artists and bands – both established and new.
“That’ll be our first gig, our first true gig,” says Kamara Thomas, whose new band Aquarian Devils is making its debut on Saturday. “We’re excited.”
It’s all to spotlight the artists on the Sleepy Cat Records label. Already a staple of the Triangle music scene, Sleepy Cat Records was founded just five years ago by Gabriel Anderson and Saman Khoujinian of T. Gold. Today the label boasts 20 artists and counting – including bluegrass legend Alice Gerrard, Mipso’s Joseph Terrell and Libby Rodenbough, and country stalwarts Blue Cactus among many others.
Visit the Sleepy Cat Records website, SleepyCatRec.com.
“It started as just a bunch of friends who all played music,” says Joe MacPhail, whose solo project Sunsp.t will play Sleepy Fest at 3:00. “That ended up consolidating into a record label, that consolidated into a annual festival that’s had hundreds of people come each year, that now is taking over a small downtown area. So to me, just the fact that it’s happening at all is kind of incredible and special.”
“Sleepy Fest is really cool, and I see them growing every year,” says Tre. Charles – a rising star in his own right, who made his debut just three years ago and is now preparing for a European tour next year. “It’s really cool to see that they’re expanding the lineup and just elevating…and the Triangle (in general) is starting to really lean into music, with so many dope venues and spots to create different vibes. It’s going to be an eclectic lineup, and a different type of festival.”
Tre. Charles (TreCharles.com) stopped by 97.9 The Hill to chat with Aaron Keck about Sleepy Fest, his upcoming European tour, his monthlong residency at the RTP’s Boxyard – and his forthcoming album, which is due out next year. He also played two songs live in the studio, “Memory” and “Lately.”Listen:
Kamara Thomas (KamaraThomas.com) also stopped by to discuss Aquarian Devils – as well as her own solo work, including her 2022 concept album “Tularosa: An American Dreamtime,” which led to a two-year Princeton fellowship and a multimedia theatrical project in Denver. She also played two songs live in the studio, “Soth Photo 7” and “Living from the Heart.” Listen:
Finally, Joe MacPhail (JoeMacPhailMusic.com) stopped by to promote Sleepy Fest and discuss his own work – not only with Sunsp.t, which put out a pair of EPs last year, but also with other bands ranging from Diali Cissokho to XOXOK to Oblations. He also played three unreleased tracks: “Scottish Hip Hop,” “Let’s Make Memories,” and an Oblations track, “Coping Mechanism.” Listen:
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