Justin Robinson is best known as a founding member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, but tonight the multi-instrumentalist brings a more varied sound to the mountains as his latest project, Justin Robinson and the Mary Annettes, visits White Horse Black Mountain.
Photo by D.L. Anderson
Robinson parted ways with the Chocolate Drops last February after half a decade with the trio, citing the strain of heaving touring and the constant demands of being in a successful band. However, less than a year later, the N.C. native is back, fronting a new project and preparing the release of Bones for Tinder, due Jan. 17. It seems Robinson wasn’t ready to hang up his fiddle just yet.
His latest endeavor expands on the rootsy traditions of the Chocolate Drops, but in far less rigid form. Instrumentation ranges from banjo, autoharp and viola to drums, cello and electric bass, utilizing the Annettes’ five members for a broad and far-reaching sound that incorporates elements of hip-hop, classical, old-time, folk, country and pop. The result is unmistakably Appalachian, but with an intentionally modern slant.
7:30 p.m. $8.
Listen to “Bonfire,” from the band’s upcoming release, here:
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