Squirrel Nut Zippers bring holiday tunes to Raleigh, plus 4 more concerts this week
Christmas is in the air and on stage. There’s a holiday show, an alt-rock concert and a cool changeup, an edgy poet.
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The details: Dec. 12, 8 p.m., Lincoln Theater, 126 E. Cabarrus St., Raleigh. Tickets start at $20. 919-821-4111 or lincolntheatre.com
At the height of the swing revival 21 years ago, the Squirrel Nut Zippers released “Christmas Caravan,” a fun album filled with a number of yuletide originals, such as the clever “A Johnny Ace Christmas.” The Squirrel Nut Zippers are on their “Holiday Caravan” tour, so get ready for a number of cool seasonal songs.
Neil Hilborn
The details: Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Tickets start at $20. 919-967-9053 or catscradle.com
For much of Neil Hilborn’s life, the poet has dealt with depression and OCD. The Houston native was well on his way to a teacher’s existence.
“That was the plan,” Hilborn says while calling from Des Moines. “I was going to be a writing professor. I don’t know how that would have worked out since I don’t think it would have been the career for me. But I was going down that road.”
Hilborn, 28, opted for a detour. His life changed dramatically after a video of his poem “OCD” went viral in 2013. After the clip garnered a few million views, calls from publishers and promoters prompted a new career direction.
“It shocked me when it went viral,” Hilborn says. “People really connected and I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I went on the road and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Depression and bi-polar disorder are some of the topics that have inspired Hilborn’s poetry. “It’s been cool since people have come up to me after shows and told me that they don’t feel alone,” Hilborn says. “There is value in what I’ve written. I love that I’ve touched these people. A lot of people in all walks of life are battling depression. We all need to talk about it if we’re suffering from it.”
Southern Culture on the Skids
The details: Dec. 7, 9 p.m. Cat’s Cradle. Tickets start at $15.
Local heroes Southern Culture on the Skids will grace the Cat’s Cradle stage. The surf rock act is overdue for a new album. Vocalist-guitarist Rick Miller says the band is working on fresh material but the act isn’t there yet.
“We’re not really sure what direction the album’s going to go yet,” Miller told The Reading Eagle. “Every time we go into the studio, I treat it just like would any other job and work on it for four to eight hours every day.”
Twin Peaks
The details: Dec. 12, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle. The Avengers will open. Tickets start at $18.
It’s hard to believe that each of the members of alt-rockers Twin Peaks are just a few years into adulthood, considering that the band is touring behind its fourth album, “Lookout Low.”
“It’s easy to forget that we’re all just like 25 because we’ve been doing this for so long,” James Dolan told Nylon. “We’re all still super young. You’re always reminding yourself that, like, there’s so much more that’s left in the tank, appreciating how long we’ve been doing it without feeling like old heads.”
Kirk Franklin
The details: Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St., Durham. Tickets start at $44.50. 919-680-2787 or dpacnc.com
Kirk Franklin, a 13-time Grammy Award winner, is touring behind his 12th album, “Long, Live, Love.” The project is comprised of upbeat Christian pop and R&B.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 2:30 PM with the headline "Squirrel Nut Zippers bring holiday tunes to Raleigh, plus 4 more concerts this week."