Country Soul Songbook is a high-energy community celebration that spotlights alternative voices in country-soul-Americana music-- a quarterly, seasonal, Durham-centric concert series (and Potluck!) featuring local musicians, AND an online episodic documentary series highlighting artists, Durham culture, and the places (venues, restaurants, etc.) where our community gathers.

The larger intent of the project is to explore, discuss, and demonstrate how the country, soul, and Americana genres, and the Durham community itself, are rooted in the same history, and the same multi-race/multi-identity American soup. We want to build community bridges, and celebrate our unity-in-diversity through the irresistible power of music, food, and the good times that gather people together.

Our first concert will take place at North Star Church of the Arts on Sunday, November 24th, 2019. Featured artists include Kamara Thomas, Rissi Palmer, Phil Cook, Kym Register, and Shana Tucker.

Additional concerts will take place seasonally starting in March 2020. Each concert will feature a combination of artists' original tunes, and curated songs from the existing country-soul-Americana canon.

The pilot episode of the web series will complete filming in 2019 and begin airing online in Spring 2020, with regular episodes to follow.

The Pinhook Presents a benefit for Women's Birth and Wellness Center, A Labor of Love Concert to benefit Women's Birth & Wellness Center Sylvan Esso (DJ SET!!) Emily Frantz (of Mandolin Orange) + Big Fat Gap Molly Sarlé Loamlands Katharine Whalen Kamara Thomas Music Rissi Palmer

Presented by The Pinhook in Celebration of WBWC's 25th Year of Operation in Chapel Hill. The concert will include a DJ set by Sylvan Esso, as well as performances by Emily Frantz and Big Fat Gap, Kamara Thomas, Loamlands, Molly Sarlé, Katharine Whalen, and Rissi Palmer. All musicians have generously donated their time, and all proceeds will directly benefit WBWC's patient care services. The event is produced by The Pinhook and will kick-off WBWC's 25th year in operation.

"This event is especially meaningful to us because it springs directly from the clients we serve", said Wendy Fields, Nurse Practitioner at Women's Birth and Wellness Center. "The care that we provide is special. We treat people with dignity, respect, and individualized care. People tell me every day that they've never experienced health care like this before, and they want to support it and make it accessible to others. Clients came to us and said, 'This place is incredible. How can we support it?' That desire has led to this amazing event, which brings together some of the best musicians in the area and will have a tremendous impact on our ability to serve the community."

NC’s Oldest Freestanding Birth Center meets Gender-Affirming Care

Women’s Birth & Wellness Center was incorporated on October 13, 2003 as a not-for-profit independent free-standing birth center in 2003, after operating since 1995 as Piedmont Women's Health Center. The original founder, Maureen Darcey, CNM, retired last year after being awarded the Order of the Longleaf Pine in recognition of her service to North Carolina. The Center is staffed by a team of certified nurse-midwives and nurse practitioners, as well as lactation consultants and nurses. WBWC provides gynecologic, prenatal, birth, postpartum and lactation services for low-risk patients. In recent years, they have also expanded their services in primary care and are now bringing the midwifery model of care (which focuses on holistic, relationship-based care) to serve women, transgender, and gender non-conforming patients from puberty through menopause and beyond. They are proud to provide gender-affirming care for adult patients as well as family planning and sexual healthcare for the LGBTQIA community.

“I’m so thankful for The Birth Center and the gender affirming space they create,” says Kym Register, owner of The Pinhook and producer of the event. “I identify as nonbinary and have struggled to feel safe and comfortable being open in health care spaces. Because of their work, I’m able to get the care I need and ask the questions that I have in a super supportive / affirming environment. So so thankful!”

For More information about WBWC: www.ncbirthcenter.org 919-933-3301