Wednesday, Aug. 2 and Thursday, Aug. 3
Bill Rea, a longtime figure on the Outer Banks music scene, is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
He’s played solo and in duos, trios, quartets and quintets, including the Sandy Mountain Boys, The Crowd, Partly Crowdy and The Other Brothers, over the last 25 years.
On Wednesday for the no-cover-charge gig at Dare Arts’ courtyard in downtown Manteo, the musician will do the former, accompanying himself on guitar and harmonica for “The Courthouse Sessions: Live at Lunch.”
The Manteo-based Rea (pronounced Ray), who also is music teacher, will focus on his original songs, but may throw in a couple of remakes.
“What comes up comes out,” he says of solo performances.
His melodies are rooted in bluegrass, folk and country.
And his lyrics?
“I write what I live,” says Rea. “The biggest theme is family.”
With his versatile guitar and harmonica playing and Southern drawl-infused voice, his songs feel lived-in.
They include the uptempo love song “Stay With Me,” the bluegrassy history lesson “The Class of ‘64,” and the folksy poke at social media called “Battle on Facebook.”
One of Rea’s favorites is “Just You and I,” a gentle ode to married life.
Over a soft guitar bed, he sings: “My dreams are your dreams/Your dreams are mine/We’ll be together, baby, ‘til the end of time.”
On Thursday, Rea (guitar, harmonica and vocals) and Doug Dino (ukulele and vocals), known as The Other Brothers, play a no-cover show at Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant in Nags Head.
Repertoire includes The Beatles’ “I Dig a Pony,” The Statler Brothers’ “Flowers on the Wall,” Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are” and Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.”
Rea also says the duo re-invents songs.
Case in point: An acoustic version of Chicago’s horn-heavy pop-rock classic “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is.”
Cost: No cover
When and Where: 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Dare Arts, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo and 6 p.m. Thursday at Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant, 7340 S. Virginia Dare Trail (Nags Head-Manteo causeway), Nags Head
Info: darearts.org, Bill Rea on Facebook
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Thursday, Aug. 3
Manteo Murphy
If you have a soft spot for harmony-rich country-rock bands like The Eagles, Poco and Pure Prairie League, Manteo Murphy should be just the ticket.
They play Thursday at Town Park in Duck, and it’s free as part of the summer concert series.
The group’s name is a nod to what teachers in North Carolina use as a frame of reference for students: the length of the state is 560 miles from east (Manteo) to west (Murphy).
Manteo Murphy is anchored by longtime friends and musical collaborators Clarence Munden (bass, vocals), Tommy Hartley (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and Kent Luten (vocals).
The three men are scattered around the state.
For the Duck gig, local musicians Monte Hooker (guitar) and Ali Shield (percussion, vocals) of The Mo-Rons will sit in.
So, expect some four-part harmonies and skillful instrumentation on covers like “Seven Bridges Road,” “Ramblin’ Man,” “Ohio,” “Ticket to Ride,” “What the World Needs Now” and “Amie.”
Among the band’s standout Americana originals are “Letter to You,” “World Turning ‘Round,” and “Tuxedo.”
“We’re quite diversified,” says Munden, who lives in Elizabeth City.
Cost: Free
When: 6:30 p.m.
Where: Town Park, 1200 Duck Road, Duck
Info: townofduck.com
It’s lawn seating, so bring a chair or blanket
