Cherry Bounce Festival 2010: Lit, flicks & beats

So the legend goes, back in the late 1700s the father of Raleigh, Joel Lane, served the influential powers that be potent “Cherry Bounce” cocktails the night prior to their voting session to determine Raleigh as the new state capital city.  Perhaps the spirited libation played a persuasive part in the decision making process, as folklore would have it. 

Now this legendary, lively cocktail also serves as the namesake for the locally organized annual festival celebrating the creative scene within the capital city’s midst.  What began in 2008 as an event focused on the area’s talented musical community is taking a broader direction this year, curating three days of specific events incorporating literary and cinematic offerings ranging from the provocative to the irreverent.  And yes, there’s still music on the final day. Furthermore, it’s all free.

If you currently have Saturday, July 31 circled with downtown Raleigh as your destination for Raleigh Wide Open 5, then you’re already on your way to experiencing one third of the Cherry Bounce activities.  Running simultaneously with RWO, Saturday is the finale for the three day Cherry Bounce fest, where six hours of music from seven bands will be showcased on the Big Bounce stage along Hargett St. and the first Cherry Bounce wrestling bouts presented by GOUGE (www.gougewrestling.com).  The over-the-top wrestling will culminate in a Battle Royale (7:30pm), featuring 12 heavyweights in the ring with the last man standing earning the title and the championship belt designed by local artist Matt McConnell. 

The musical stage is saturated with local and international flavor throughout the day cranking up at 12:30pm.  But no music fest is complete without a dance party, and the headliners will deliver.  The word is out on the infectious grooves courtesy of Colombian electro-pop group Bomba Estereo (8:15pm) in the middle of a major city tour, followed by hyped Brooklyn duo Javelin (9:45pm).

The Saturday music is ripe for the picking, but the prelude on Thurs. July 29 and Fri. July 30 is where Cherry Bounce introduces the innovative literary and cinematic side of this year’s fun.

Here's an opportunity to see some of the country’s best spoken word artists for free on Thurs. night.  Grab a friend or someone you'd like to make "more than your friend" and head to Extra Gravy (the upstairs space above Gravy) for a playfully sexy evening of cabaret and slam poetry presented by nationally recognized award-winning performers headed by notable sensation Dasan Ahanu.  Beginning at 8:30pm, the literary artists will compete with Ode to Love vs. Ode to Lust spoken word performances, with the audience determining the ultimate winners.  Interspersed throughout the animated evening will be burlesque dancers, musical interludes, the PBaRt show curated by Paul Friedrich, and even a caricature artist on hand to capture you in your most amorous light. 

For the vintage, campy personality budding inside of you, Fri. July 30, Beach Bounce, is your night (8pm).  Find your way to Sitti’s outdoor courtyard and take in the first outdoor Cherry Bounce flick fest courtesy of A/V Geeks (www.avgeeks.com). Themed a “summer-y soiree”, expect tropical drinks, hokey tunes like Kokomo, and the original ‘60s black and white version of Lord of the Flies projected along with other 16mm film reels from the Geeks library of over 22,000 wacky, instructionally dated vignettes and films on social guidance and public awareness topics in addition to other obscure material.

Cherry Bounce Festival 2010 live music Film Cinema Raleigh Wide Open downtown Raleigh NC outdoor festival PBR PBaRt show Paul Friedrich Sitti Gravy Dasan Ahanu slam poetry spoken word AV Geeks Bomba Estereo Javelin Raleigh Times Bar July 29 Raleigh July 30 Raleigh July 31 Raleigh GOUGE wrestling Hargett St. Wilmington St. Fayetteville St. Cherry Bounce Stage Big Bounce Stage Hayti Heritage Center Recess for Restless Minds