Earlier this fall, ECL PhD student Brennan Jones joined forces with fellow Duke PhD student Spencer George, co-creator of Good Folk, to launch LANDMARKS, a new live folk music series. Produced in collaboration with Good Folk, WXYC, and Fatwood Studio, LANDMARKS aims to connect with and celebrate the vibrant folk and traditional music communities in the Triangle area.
This project is partially funded by a Maynard Adams Fellowship from Carolina Public Humanities, which was awarded to Jones earlier this fall in recognition of his active advocacy for the value of the humanities in public culture.
When describing how this new series started, Jones said:
“The series initially started as an impulse to bring together and facilitate discourse among various local creative and critical communities, particularly centering folk music in the conversation. I started talking with WXYC—whose student DJs are really starting to build their relationships to music in a serious and beautiful way—and Good Folk—a project committed to highlighting rural and southern artistry—about putting together an event together with these values in mind. The idea was to involve a critical introduction, a live performance, and an interview with the artist. This format has enabled us to turn the project into the series now in progress–entitled LANDMARKS in hopes it opens a space where disparate communities can form connections around shared aesthetic experiences and cultural touchstones.”
Jones and George then reached out to Chris Allen at Fatwood Studio to request space for hosting, and they were offered a long-term residency.
The semester’s first LANDMARKS event featured a performance by artist Nathan Bowles, followed by a conversation led by Spencer George. Reflecting on the success of the event, Jones shared, “The first event went well—good people, perfect music, and a beautiful evening.”
For future events, the primary mode of LANDMARKS events will remain in the format described previously and “ideally with one happening every other month.” Between these events, the organization plans on “engaging other local artists working in media that consider the traditional in some way, with workshops, showings, etc.”
Please join the ECL in congratulating Jones and George for their award and for a successful first event! We look forward to seeing future events from LANDMARKS!