Hopscotch Music Festival: 9-11 September 2010 – Raleigh, North Carolina

When you think of American cities that are known for their live music scenes, Raleigh, North Carolina probably isn’t the first place that comes to mind. But that might just change if the organizers behind this year’s inaugural Hopscotch Music Festival have their way. Showcasing the city’s surplus of both local talent and music venues, the festival brought 130 performers spanning a wide variety of genres to nine clubs and an outdoor stage over the course of three days, transforming downtown Raleigh into a massive game of musical speed dating. Local favorites like the Rosebuds, the Love Language and Megafaun performed alongside national acts like Public Enemy, Panda Bear and Broken Social Scene, lending an air of legitimacy not only to the venues but to the Triangle’s thriving indie-rock scene. From the 5,000 fans pogoing in the rain during Public Enemy’s set to the roomful of beard-stroking noise enthusiasts that packed into King’s Barcade on Saturday night, it was clear that as a destination for live music, Raleigh had finally arrived.

Atlas Sound

Bear in Heaven

Broken Social Scene

Hopscotch crowd

The Love Language

Jon Mueller

9th Wonder and Chuck D.

No Age

Panda Bear

Public Enemy