The Avett Brothers to headline Hurricane Florence relief concert in Greenville

Carolina Panthers will sponsor The Avett Brothers' concert to benefit Hurricane Florence relief efforts.

With the aftermath of Hurricane Florence still present in many areas along the East Coast of the United States, several artists are set to join forces in Greenville next month to help the recovery efforts in the best way they know how — through music. Headlined as “The Concert for Hurricane Florence Relief,” the musical event will take place on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. in Williams Arena of Minges Coliseum and 100 percent of the proceeds made from the benefit concert will be donated back to people affected by Hurricane Florence, according to the event’s press release.

“The Concert for Hurricane Florence Relief” will be headlined by folk-rock band The Avett Brothers and will additionally feature synthpop band Future Islands and heavy metal band Valient Thorr, both of which have “connections to eastern North Carolina,” according to the benefit concert’s press release.

“We are honored by the opportunity to contribute to our friends and neighbors affected by Hurricane Florence,” Seth Avett, one of the lead singers and founding members of The Avett Brothers, said in a press release announcing the event. “We hope this performance not only provides some financial relief for victims of the storm but also is an occasion to celebrate the resilience of the people of North Carolina.”

Formed in 2000, The Avett Brothers are made up of sibling founding members Seth and Scott Avett, along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon. The band combines genres such as bluegrass, country, punk, folk, rock and roll, indie rock, honky tonk and ragtime to produce a “novel, unique sound of their own,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The band has been nominated for three Grammy awards and has released nine studio albums together. The Avett Brothers’ latest album, True Sadness, was released in 2016 and debuted No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 200 chart. When it comes to the headlining band’s ties to the greater eastern region of North Carolina, The Avett Brothers originated in Concord and often tours in cities across the state. As for its Greenville ties, Scott is an alumnus of East Carolina University, where the musician earned his bachelor of science degree in communication in 1999 and a bachelor of fine arts degree in painting the following year.

After finding out about “The Concert for Hurricane Florence Relief” via the events page on Facebook, ECU student Lauren Thornsbury said she was excited to attend, especially because she has been a long time fan of The Avett Brothers.

“The Avett Brothers are such a talented group of people and I can’t wait to see them live,” Thornsbury, a junior marketing major, said. “It’s awesome to know that they’re a band who hasn’t forgotten where they came from, even after making it big.”

Hurricane Florence officially made landfall near Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina on Sept. 14. It weakened from a Category 4 storm to a Category 1 storm at landfall, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

Hurricane Florence’s slow pace throughout the Tar Heel state created significant damage, with record-breaking amounts of heavy rainfall, areas of flash flooding, numerous power outages, evacuation orders and the demolishing of homes, businesses, trees and more. As of yesterday, three weeks after the storm made landfall, the North Carolina death toll rose to 40, according to the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

ECU student Brock Stewart, who currently resides in Wilmington, said he saw the magnitude of Hurricane Florence “firsthand.” The sophomore construction management major added he encourages the Greenville community to attend and contribute to the Concert for Hurricane Florence Relief for the cause rather than for the celebrity headliner.

“I like The Avett Brothers and Future Islands personally, but this event is bigger than the musical acts performing there,” Stewart said. “The music is a great bonus, but I just hope people who attend the benefit concert are more proud that their money will be going toward a forgotten cause.”

Tickets for the general public are set to go on sale today, with upper level tickets seats costing $65 and lower level tickets seats costing $75. Tickets can be purchased by phone by calling 800-DIAL-ECU (800-342-5328) or online at the official ECU Tickets’ website.