Freight Train Blues: Brenda Evans, Gail Ceasar, & Kelley Breiding
Location
Carrboro Town Commons 301 W. Main Street, Carrboro, NC
Date & Time
May 15, 2026 — May 15, 2026
6:30 pm — 8:30 pm
Brenda Evans
We’re honored to kick off this year’s newly-renamed Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train Blues with a special performance by Cotten’s own great-great granddaughter, Brenda Evans!
Gail Ceasar
The roots of Gail Ceasar‘s music runs deep into the Virginia soil. After Music Maker met and began working with the great blues guitarist Boo Hanks in Virginia, we began doing more fieldwork in that state and soon met a blues player from Pittsylvania County named Pete Witcher. We returned several times to record Pete, and every time we visited, Pete made a point of taking us to see his niece Gail Ceasar. He was so proud of her guitar playing. She plays with incredible precision.
Kelley Breiding
Kelley Breiding is a dynamic multi-instrumentalist and singer hailed by many as “the new queen of country music.” A native of North Carolina, she is a sought-after artist whose music is deeply rooted in the traditional sounds of the Blue Ridge mountains. Whether she is showcasing her classic country chops with The Cowboys or performing old-time mountain music with her various ensembles, Kelley Breiding delivers an authentic and captivating performance.
Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train Blues 2026
Music Maker Foundation and the Town of Carrboro, N.C. proudly present Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train Blues series of live concerts every Friday evening between May 15 and June 12, 2026 at the Carrboro Town Commons, 301 W. Main Street. The series is made possible with support from The Forests at Duke, North Carolina Public Radio – WUNC, and the North Carolina Arts Council.
Bring your picnic, lawn chairs and blankets for a FREE evening of live music on the lawn. Public parking is available and free in downtown Carrboro.
Elizabeth Cotten’s Freight Train Blues series honors Elizabeth “Libba” Cotten’s legacy in the world of roots music by emphasizing the cultural diversity, complexity, and vitality of her music and the music of many other artists local to her community and all over the country.
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