Larry & Joe to perform for Sails Original Music Series in Hickory

The City of Hickory's Sails Original Music Series, presented by Protection Products, Inc., will feature Larry & Joe this week. The free concert begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 13, at Union Square in downtown Hickory.

Larry & Joe were destined to make music together. Larry Bellorín hails from Monagas, Venezuela, and is a legend of Llanera music. Joe Troop is from North Carolina and is a GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and old-time musician. Larry was forced into exile and is an asylum seeker in North Carolina. Joe, after a decade in South America, got stranded back in his stomping grounds in the pandemic. Larry worked in construction to make ends meet. Joe's acclaimed "Latingrass" band Che Apalache was forced into hiatus, and he shifted into action working with asylum-seeking migrants. Then Larry met Joe.

Currently based in the Triangle of North Carolina, both men are versatile multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters on a mission to show that music has no borders. Larry & Joe combine Latin folk and bluegrass music to reimagine their two musical traditions. Their music showcases a unique combination of instruments and singing that inspires joy and unity. The program they offer features a distinct blend of their musical inheritances and traditions as well as storytelling about the ways that music and social movements coalesce.

“This duo performs a high energy fusion of Venezuelan and Appalachian music on harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, guitar, maracas, and whatever else they decide to throw in the van. Don’t think this is going to be some sleepy, folky performance – ‘cuz you’ll be wrong, and they’ll wake you up,” says Sails Music Coordinator Bob Sinclair. 

Started in 2012, the City of Hickory’s Sails Original Music Series showcases well-crafted, live music by bringing original music artists to The Sails on the Square. Original music is defined as music that is written or composed by the artist who performs it.

The Sails Original Music Series offers excellent musical entertainment from national and international touring acts with the help of numerous sponsors. Thanks to presenting sponsor Protection Products, Inc. and additional supporting sponsors Bob Sinclair Music, Larry’s Music & Sound, Pfahlert Creative Labs, Olde Hickory Brewery, and Crowne Plaza for contributing to the series.

In addition to the seating available at Union Square, audience members are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. A variety of bars and restaurants are close by and offer food and beverage choices.

ABC permitted businesses within the Hickory Downtown Social District will sell beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages in specially marked cups that may be consumed on Union Square, sidewalks, and other public areas within the designated boundaries of the social district. No outside alcohol may be brought into the social district. To review additional restrictions and a detailed map of the social district’s coverage area, visit www.hickorync.gov/downtown-social-district.

For more information about the Sails Original Music Series and upcoming bands, please visit www.hickorync.gov/SailsMusic and follow the Sails Original Music Series Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SailsMusic.