Note: Authored by David Menconi, this piece has been produced in partnership with Raleigh Arts. Menconi’s latest book, “Oh, Didn’t They Ramble: Rounder Records and the Transformation of American Roots Music,” was published in the fall of 2023 by University of North Carolina Press. His podcast, Carolina Calling, explores the history of the Tar Heel State through music.
In a typical year, the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr. Theater at Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of Art would be in the midst of a busy concert season during the warm-weather summer months. But that’s not happening this year (or possibly next). The 1,800-capacity outdoor venue is on hiatus for 2025 and probably 2026 as it undergoes some long-overdue renovations.
Nevertheless, the museum—which annually plays host to more than a million visitors—is anything but quiet during this period. Live performances have moved indoors with dance and music programs designed to “interpret form, story and silence” in the museum galleries…