Durham summers immediately conjure up thoughts of iced tea, humid sunshine and melodious blues. And now in its sixth season, Duke Performances brings together the best of these for its popular summer concert series, Music in the Gardens.
The fundamental aim of Music in the Gardens is to bring together Triangle and North Carolina-based musicians who also have a national reputation. The series, in its current configuration, began in the summer of 2008.
“This was the first effort to consolidate the programming to specific genres, to draw directly from the community and to provide a showcase to some of the best groups that have made their home in North Carolina,” said Aaron Greenwald, Executive Director of Duke Performances.
One of the goals of the series is to highlight the local music scene’s strengths: indie rock and Americana. The success of the series has allowed Duke University and Duke Performances to connect with local communities in a novel fashion. Several runoff collaborations include past projects with psychedelic folk band Megafaun and orchestra indie group Lost in the Trees, as well as a project next year with the folk-pop Bombadil.
“Right about now, it’s really an especially vibrant music scene in the Triangle,” explained Greenwald. He described the series as a sort of platform to forge ties as the local scene continues to expand. “When we started this series, we had only a handful of bands that could draw a big audience. Last year, we’d be at capacity—850 people.”
Well-known lyrical folk acts like Mandolin Orange and Midtown Dickens brought in full audiences, reflecting the increasing appetite to rally around and support local musicians. The series’s progress and success with its audience speaks not only to the quality of local music but also to the heightened difficulty of selling records within the current industry.
Michael “MC” Taylor of the Durham and Brooklyn based band Hiss Golden Messenger, who will perform July 31, reinforced the characteristics of Durham that help the local scene continue to thrive. “There are very strong ties here. It’s nice to be a part of, to live here and make music here…Music in the Gardens is a good gig to get as a musician. The series is rooted in the broader term of ‘community’ in a really special way.”
The second founding goal of Music in the Gardens is the breezy ambience—the concert experience, for performers and listeners alike, has been the series’ distinguishing factor.
The venue at the Page-Rollins White Garden, located behind the visitor’s center within the Duke Gardens, is beautiful and expansive. More importantly, the venue allows for the best possible sound and technical experience for the artist while also providing a laid-back and family-centered environment for the audience.
“It provides a perfect platform for the individuals who grew up with indie rock in the Triangle here—by going to Cat’s Cradle, for instance,” explained Greenwald. “When they got older and had families, it was less convenient to go out on weekdays to see a late set.”
Music in the Gardens provides the perfect solution; the weekly Wednesday shows start earlier; children 12 and under are free and cozy picnics are welcome. The series only showcases one act, each show lasting no more than an hour and a half. It is intentionally not a massive production, but provides enough for the artists to put on a memorable show. Each concert veers away from sponsor-driven events or full-blown music festivals. Rather, there is a directness and conciseness, and the performance space becomes intimate.
“It’s a really nice venue to perform in,” said Taylor. “I never discount proximity—the gig is five minutes from my house as opposed to a thousand miles, and it’s a very special space to go and see a concert.”
Taylor, an artist familiar with Music in the Gardens, praises Greenwald’s work as director. “Greenwald has done well in curating [Music in the Gardens] and making it fly. It’s not only for Duke students, faculty, staff, and the broader Duke family. He also reaches out to those outside the world of Duke. It’s a big accomplishment.”
The vibe and consistency are primary factors in the curating of the series. It’s a search for enjoyable and top-notch live performances. There’s a winnowing down, as well, for the perfect fit; there are eight performances this year, fewer than in years past. Finally, the series tries not to host the same artists again and again, and instead takes advantage of the extensive local scene.
Although there is no specific directive, the series is carefully crafted to timelessly appeal to a diverse audience, from longtime fans to families looking for a pleasant evening in the gardens. Music in the Gardens covers the array of bright musicians who live locally and fit into the right feel of the series. It continues to be successful and well received, another music venture that Durham can look forward to each summer.
“It’s a good thing for folks,” said Greenwald. “We make sure it has that mellow, it’s-a-little-too-hot-out-here summertime feel.”
Music in the Gardens runs every Wednesday until July 31. Shows start at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit http://dukeperformances.duke.edu/artists-genre/music-in-the-gardens.
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