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The NCMA presents The Wood Brothers with Shovels & Rope

The Wood Brothers are Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, reaching far beyond the genre’s borders to connect across all audiences through visceral storytelling and songwriting. An acoustic-driven album that electrifies, the Wood Brothers’ eighth studio release, Heart Is the Hero, is stocked with songs that target not only the heart but the head and hips too.

“We love records that come from the era of less tracks and more care,” explains cofounder Oliver Wood.

Opening for the Wood Brothers is Shovels & Rope, an American folk duo from Charleston, South Carolina, who blends traditional folk, rock and roll, and country rock.

About the Wood Brothers
Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” by Paste magazine, the Wood Brothers have learned to trust their hearts. After two decades, they’ve cemented their reputation as freethinking songwriters, road warriors, and community builders with a catalog of diverse music and a loyal audience who’ve grown alongside them. The band’s eighth studio album, Heart is the Hero, recorded analog to 16-track tape, finds its three creators embracing the chemistry of their acclaimed live shows by capturing their performances in real-time direct from the studio floor with nary a computer in sight. An acoustic-driven album that electrifies, Heart is the Hero is stocked with songs that target not only the heart but the head and hips too.

“We love records that come from the era of less tracks and more care,” explains cofounder Oliver Wood. “When you use a computer during the tracking process, you have an infinite number of tracks at your disposal, which implies that nothing is permanent, and everything can be fixed. Tape gives you limitations that force you to be creative and intentional. You don’t look at the music on a screen; you listen to it, and you learn to focus on the feeling of the performance.”

Throughout Heart is the Hero, those performances are matched by the visceral storytelling and songwriting chops that have turned the Wood Brothers into Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, even as their music reaches far beyond the genre’s borders.

That sense of exploration pumps its way through Heart is the Hero like lifeblood. Arriving on the heels of 2019’s Live at the Fillmore, 2020’s Kingdom in My Mind, and Oliver Wood’s solo album Always Smilin’—all of which were released on Honey Jar Records, the band’s independent label—Heart is the Hero is bold, bright, and singularly creative, a fully realized collective effort ultimately greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps that’s to be expected from a group whose willingness to experiment has earned acclaim from Rolling Stone and NPR as well as an annual touring schedule of sold-out music halls and theaters on both sides of the Atlantic. Ask the Wood Brothers, though, and they’ll tell you to expect the unexpected.

“We are never satisfied if we are not searching for new musical recipes,” says Jano Rix, nodding to the uncharted territory that Heart is the Hero covers. Chris Wood agrees, adding, “We are one of those bands that isn’t easily categorized. We know what our strengths are, but we can’t help but push the envelope as well. It’s too much fun.”

About Shovels & Rope
“It’s not heavy metal, but in our guts, it feels a bit like heavy metal,” says Michael Trent of the band’s most recent album, Manticore. The year 2022 marked ten years since Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent released their debut album, O’ Be Joyful, the first formally billed as Shovels & Rope. That decade included the release of six full-length albums, three collaborative covers albums (Busted Jukebox Volumes 1–3), a music festival in their hometown of Charleston, SC (High Water), a musical film (Shovels & Rope: The Movie), and countless dynamic live performances all over the planet. But it was in the rear courtyard suite of the Decatur St. house belonging to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans where Michael and Cary Ann began polishing up the songs that became Manticore. There was a piano in the room and a little desk. There were piles of scattered and folded papers lying on the bed, and copious digital ideas in the form of voice memos. And despite the pounding parades in the surrounding streets, it was quiet in the afternoon.

The songs and stories that make up Manticore are visceral, bold, and at times deeply personal. And while all those adjectives could be used to describe the duo, this time around it rings true in a way that hits differently—or at least harder. It takes aim at the human experience and does so without pulling a single punch. Reflections on idol worship, homelessness, social justice, the experience of fierce parental love and marital strife are all on the menu here, and in true American fashion, the helpings are plentiful.

Musician Photo and Recording Policy

No flash or professional photography allowed. No video recording or commercial audio recording of any kind allowed. No audio recording of any kind during opening set.

No smoking allowed inside venue gates.

Do you or a family member need a general accommodation for your visit? Contact the visitor experience team at help@ncmuseum.org.

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Presented by

Photo of The Wood Brothers: Shervin Lainez
Photo of Shovels & Rope: Leslie Ryan McKellar


Picnic in the Park
Preorder picnic boxes for Park Theater events. Picnics are individual boxes filled with sandwiches, salads, sides, and bottled water. Additional beverages, including beer, wine, cocktails, soft drinks, and kombucha, are available on-site for purchase. Members save 10% on applicable food and beverage items with code MEMBER.

No time to order? No worries! We have a full concession menu in the Park Theater featuring a variety of hot and cold items. Cold drinks, beer, wine, snacks, and popcorn are also available.

Picnic boxes are ready for pickup on-site when gates open for concerts and films.

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Date

May 19, 2023

Time

7:30 PM

Cost

Tickets starting from $33 Members, $37 Nonmembers general admission

Location

Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park

View the map

Special Instructions:
Gates open at 6:30 pm.
Show starts at 7:30 pm.
For More Information:
(919) 715-5923
Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm
Special Instructions:
Gates open at 6:30 pm.
Show starts at 7:30 pm.
For More Information:
(919) 715-5923
Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm
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