American Tobacco Goes Backporch Music

For the first time this season, the American Tobacco Campus' Music on the Lawn series has given over their programming entirely to WUNC's Backporch Music. The series of 10 free shows from April to October, sponsored by WholeFoods, will feature some great musicians I want to see--Chatham County Line, Josh Goforth, Kickin' Grass, The Gravy Boys--and is sure to be tremendously popular with the area's legion fans of traditional music. But, may we respectfully say, it's a little disappointing when any free, public concert programming grows less diverse?

As if to address this, the series ends on October 8 with a blues showcase by the MusicMaker foundation. But is this too little, too late? A prime outdoor venue in the enlivened downtown district has closed the door on funk, gospel, jazz, Latin and World music.

Maybe it's time for a dedicated Azucar y Candela Summer Salsa Concert Series.

As great as that would be, I love the rainbow. Take Shakori Hills Festival, where you can hear koras and banjos and congas and rhythm guitars, all in the same place. It's the community of sound that makes it beautiful. You achieve outreach to audiences and creative exchanges between musicians.

I don't begrudge Backporch their concert series, they deserve it. But there's no reason we can't get some corporate donor to back other music, even at the same venue, perhaps. I wonder what it would take? I guess this is something to brainstorm about, Latin music fans...