By Jonny Golian
August 4, 2022
As summer heats up, so does the local music calendar for many bands and venues in Charlotte. From indie rock to pop to hip-hop, and beyond, here’s our monthly look at some of the best the city has to offer.
Soelle
August 5 at Neighborhood Theatre
Tickets: $12 plus
Soelle is an R&B/soul artist influenced by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys and John Legend. Soelle’s honest and emotional lyrics express herself thoughtfully through the riveting music production. Soelle’s latest single, “Flowers,” is loaded with sincere outrage and agony found in the words as she softly croons each verse. The instrumentals act in light contrast to the artist’s expressions, all the way to the end of the song, as the track closes off with her in tears.
The Wormholes
August 5 at Visulite Theatre
Tickets: $10 plus
Art-pop/psychedelic rock duo, The Wormholes, combines the talents of Ben Verner and Chris Walters. Both are multi-instrumentalists with shared visions in experimenting with fuzzy guitar solos, layered synths and harmonies, resulting in an otherworldly sound uniquely their own. Their latest album, 2021’s Light In The Dark, digs deep into the duo’s atmospheric dreamscape with eerily satisfying vocals throughout.
Paint Fumes
Wednesdays in August at Snug Harbor
Tickets: $10 plus
Paint Fumes are a garage-rock punk trio led by Elijah Von Cramon on vocals and guitar, and backed up by Josh Johnson on drums. Gritty and fast paced, Paint Fumes hit hard with vocals that resonate over fuzzy tracks, playing tightly together while keeping a rock ‘n’ roll DIY spirit. The band’s latest album, What A World, showcases Paint Fumes at their best, keeping close to the boisterous garage rock and frantic energy they are best known for.
It’s Snakes
August 11 at Petra’s
Tickets: $7 plus
It’s Snakes is a funk-rock quartet consisting of Hope Nicholls on vocals and standing-drums, Aaron Pitkin and Greg Walsh on dueling guitars, and Darrin Gray on bass. Upbeat and playful, the band pays homage to different eras of music, taking a little rock from the Rolling Stones and even some James Brown, infusing their influences into a style all their own. Their latest album, 2020’s LX, lives out loud and playfully, pulling in rockabilly twangs with “Snakes and Their Horses” and “Cricket Rider,” while inviting listeners onto the dance floor with clapping beats and stomps on tracks like “New Earbuds” and “13 ½.”
Ashlyn Uribe
August 11 at Petra’s
Tickets: $7 plus
Airy and light in her vocals and emotionally transparent in her lyrics, indie pop artist Ashlyn Uribe has a gift for creating and directing an atmosphere, a skill honed by her background in theater and through her work with Blumenthal Performing Arts. Her latest release, 2021’s “bleed & bloom,” is a track highlighted by soft synthesizers, laced with heartbreak, and doubling as a message of strength.
Jah-Monte
August 11 at Snug Harbor
Tickets: $10.00
Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon is a hip-hop artist and Ohio-native who has rooted himself in the Queen City. Quick on his deliveries yet measured in his writing, Ogbon is as much a storyteller as he is a musician, using his poetic approach to preserve moments in time alongside each production. 2022’s Here, There & Everywhere, sees the rapper delivering his signature style paired together with vintage hip-hop instrumentals. Ogbon also shares the platform with Raleigh’s Seph Dot on “Still For The Streets” and teams up with Charlotte’s Mike Digi and Simon SMTHNG on the production of the intro track “The Sneaky Link Part 2” and bonus joint, “Which One.”
Phaze Gawd
August 13 at The Milestone
Tickets: $10 plus
Antony Potts, better known by his stage name Phaze Gawd, is a hip-hop artist known for his grandiose performances around the Queen City. Phaze always aims to bring the highest level of energy to any stage he is on, and is often backed by Walt Boston III on drums and DJ Kyng Rash. His latest single, “Energy,” takes its name from the strength Phaze pushes to have in his work, mixing in doubts that stem from everyday conversations with his own positive mantra.
Faye
August 19 at Petra’s
Tickets: $7 plus
Faye is a pop-punk trio, fronted by Sarah Blumenthal on bass and Susan Plante on guitar while newcomer Thomas Berkau backs up the duo on drums. The band filters their sound through ‘90s indie rock aesthetics, all while taking on different themes for each of their songs, whether that is leaving the dead in peace with “Ancient Bones,” or just an unexcited day in the life on “Chow Chow,” both tracks from their self-titled EP. Their latest single, “Dream Punches,” uses insomnia as a catalyst for the writing and direction, with each band member thrashing on their respective instrument. Faye’s new album, You’re Better, is set to be released on August 12 through Self Aware Records.
Rapper Big Pooh
August 24 at Neighborhood Theatre
Tickets: $20 plus
A member of the seminal North Carolina hip-hop group, Little Brother, Pooh doesn’t waste time with his verses. He often reflects on the roads he’s traveled in life and delivers messages both to himself and the next generation of artists in his songwriting. Pooh’s latest single, “Changing Again,” speaks as a personal reflection on his journey in music with the lyrics sounding off like a highlight reel. Pooh juxtaposes his earliest moments of being elated in discovering what his art could do with learning hard lessons about the music industry: “Everybody’s screaming ‘Get a Lawyer’ / I’ll let the facts tell you if it was a bad one / No love lost / Call it the cost of doing business as a young’n with no OGs.” After dropping “LS400” in May, “Changing Again” is the second sneak peek at his forthcoming album, To Dream In Color.
Pluto Gang
August 26 at Visulite Theatre
Tickets: $12 plus
Pluto Gang is a six-piece jam band formed in the summer of 2019, combining the talents of Brennan Beck (vocals), Dillon Crawford (guitar, vocals), Wood Britton (guitar), Joe May (keys, vocals), Pat Rogers (bass), and Wilson Smith (drums). The band’s lively grooves keep audiences dancing, as they effortlessly string together tracks for an atmospheric experience. In their latest studio album, 2020’s Better Out Here, the gang keeps the energy balanced with an eclectic mix of groovy tracks that showcase their collective instrumental talents.
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