Katei Cranford

Happy Fourth of July, Triad music lovers! Independence Day is a somewhat loaded concept — but the sweet summer tradition of firing up grills and lighting up stages remains near and dear to my heart. As the years roll on, the Fourth of July and traditions take on new meaning — with some fading like fireworks into the night, while others burst anew, fresh and fiery as a poolside sunburn. With that, Winston-Salem rockers will once again raise a can of PBR to the memory of Heavy Rebel Weekender.

Move over Christmas in July — Summerween is apparently upon us — tweaking the heat of summer festival season into something more spooky — like a creepy little tropical treat for the weird and wild among us to accent the season of “Jaws,” “Sleepaway Camp,” and other summertime horror selections. Here in the Triad, the glamrockers in Sorta Spooky are putting on a big ol’ Summerween Carnival at the Back Table on June 26.

As Historic Preservation Month comes to a close, there’s a real rad wave of weird girl energy swelling around the region, pushing boundaries to explore time and space with unique reflection. Those looking to take a glimpse into N.C. oddities don’t need to look far: award-winning storyteller and authority on North Carolina’s strange and unusual, Liz Z. Pardue, will be making several stops around the Triad on her “Keep N.C. Weird” library tour.