By Susannah Richardson

Driving down Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, you’ll pass more than a few time-honored spectacles. Of course there’s the state fairgrounds and the Carter Finley tailgating lots that welcome loyal fans of fried food and football each season. 

But drive a little farther down the road, and the entrance of the North Carolina Museum of Art beckons. It may feel mysterious from the road since most of the buildings and the sweeping grounds are situated past the parking lot. That’s how I felt, at least, when I visited recently for an outdoor concert at the venue that is seemingly hidden in the park. 

I’ve visited the NCMA many times before and somehow missed the sprawling amphitheater that seats 2,400 people between its lawn and tiered seating. Like lots of the other architecture and outdoor sculptures at the museum, the site is expansive and full of character. It envelops the audience with intrigue and literally promises a show.

Performances by Lake Street Dive and The Dip are what brought me to the museum last Wednesday night. Both bands have released plenty of new music in the past two years, and while they have a retro, rhythm-and-blues sound in common, each group’s set brought its own exceptional twist to the sold out crowd.

Atlas and Real Contender were my standout tunes from The Dip, but don’t miss When You Lose Someone or Sure Don’t Miss You if you’re looking to craft a new playlist. Shortly after the seven members of The Dip played their last brass-fueled riff, the Lake Street Dive crew came onto stage.

Lake Street Dive, or LSD, opened with songs from their 2021 record called Obviously. Lead singer Rachael Price’s sassy, sweet, and irresistibly smooth vocals cast the crowd into a trance I don’t think I can adequately describe. In short, by the end of the show when the band played covers from their most recent project, Fun Machine 2.0, I was crying and an audience member in front of me was jolting her body in every direction. Hypotheticals and So Far Away were my favorites from this set, but once you hear those two, you’ll want to review LSD’s entire discography. 

On October 1st, Watchouse, formerly Mandolin Orange, will bring a fiery contemporary folk sound to the park. Will you be there? I will, obviously.