Music on the Porch: Rachel Baiman

As a Chicago native from a politically active family, Rachel Baiman moved to Nashville to focus on music and escape from “constant discussion of seemingly unsolvable problems.” She has since earned a reputation as an award-winning fiddler, versed in old-time, bluegrass, Scottish, and Canadian styles, as well as a notable singer/songwriter. Her 2017 album Shame was featured on NPR’s “Songs We Love” and Folk Alley praised it for “looking at reality rather than sugarcoating anything.”

With her latest album, Thanksgiving, Baiman returns to her roots as a socially conscious musician, singing about feeding the homeless and protecting indigenous rights during “times like these,” in which “the good gets you through the bad.” The album also allowed her a chance to stretch stylistically between bluegrass, folk, old-time, and country. “I love the political tradition of folk music, from Woody Guthrie to Tupac,” says Baiman, “and my hope is that this record adds another voice to it.” You can sample her work on SoundCloud and YouTube.

This event is free and open to the public, and parking is free after 5:00 pm in the Park Place parking lot. The Center is also located along free Chapel Hill Transit bus routes A, CL, D, F, NU, and U. Bring a picnic blanket and stay for a while!