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May 28, 31 and June 1
Bar Cats Duo
As Bar Cats Duo, wife-and-husband Noelle and Mike Maloney seem to be working on the ultimate Baby Boomer-Generation X Spotify playlist.
With Noelle on vocals, bass and percussion and Mike on guitar and vocals, the Southern Shores-based band remakes tunes by ‘60s and ‘70s artists like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Grateful Dead, Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, The Band, Little Feat, the Everly Brothers, Crosby, Stills and Nash and The Eagles.
The duo also gets their early MTV repertoire on with covers of ‘80s classics by, among others, Hall and Oates, George Michael, Soft Cell (“Tainted Love”), Elvis Costello and the Cure.
“We just like playing songs we love,” says Noelle Maloney, noting she and her husband share lead vocals. “And we’re really into harmonies.”
The Cats, who have been on the local circuit since 2019, also have a sense of humor and adventure.
They’ve been known to knock off a punked-up version of Otis Redding’s “Dock of the Bay,” a high-spirited remake of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” and a faithful rendition of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.”
“We tend not to play the most recognizable songs (by the artists),” says Noelle Maloney. “There are a lot of what you would call B-sides.”
When and Where: 6 p.m. Sunday, May 28, at Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant, 7340 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head; 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 31, at Dare Arts, 300 Queen Elizabeth Ave., Manteo and 6 p.m. Thursday, June 1, at The Blue Point, 1240 Duck Road, Duck.
Cost: No cover
Info: Bar Cats Duo page on Facebook
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Tuesday, May 30
Open-Mic Night with Dee Thornley and Hugh Hammers
On a recent Tuesday night about two-dozen people were gathered at Fatboyz Ice Cream and Sweet Treats in Nags Head.
Most were enjoying ice cream cones, milkshakes, Fresh Fruit Flurries, hamburgers and hot dogs, among other items, at the spot in the historic Whalebone District, where it’s life in the slow lane (25 mph on the beach road).
And there was music in the air; Fatboyz serves up an open-mic night every Tuesday on their covered porch.
Participants included Jack Colgan, who performed tunes by Tom Petty and Stone Temple Pilots, and Bill Richardson, who played a song by the Eagles.
Hugh Hammers (guitar-vocals) and Dee Thornley (guitar-vocals), who host the free, weekly event, were grooving to the jams.
“It just gives people something to listen to while they’re waiting or eating,” said Thornley, who along with Hammers, is a member of the local band known as the Conch Shells.
“And Stacie (who owns Fatboyz) and her boyfriend (Dave, who plays guitar and sings) just love music.”
Hammers and Thornley, who provide the sound system, kick off the night and perform when there’s a break in the action.
Musicians should bring their own instruments, but acoustic and electric guitars are available.
When: 6 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday
Cost: Free
Where: Fatboyz Ice Cream and Sweet Treats, 7208 S. Virginia Dare Trail (the beach road), Nags Head
Info: fatboyzobx.com
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Fundraiser for Monte Hooker
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To show support for the man and his talent, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched for singer-guitarist Monte Hooker, a longtime fixture on the Outer Banks music scene and host of the legendary open mic night at Art’s Place in Kitty Hawk.
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Hooker, who last month received a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma on his vocal cords, has a high-deductible health insurance plan and probably will miss some gigs while undergoing 30 radiation treatments.
Though he’s been unable to sing recently, his guitar playing remains as solid as ever.
The fundraiser for the Kitty Hawk-based musician was organized by percussionist-vocalist Ali Shield, who with Hooker and bassist-vocalist Scott Nickens, forms the local trio the Mo-Rons.
“He’s always been there for other people,” says Shield. “Now, he needs some help.”
The goal for the fundraiser is $15,000.
To donate, visit GoFundMe.com and search for “Monte Hooker Cancer Relief Fund.”