at the Carolina Theatre of Durham
About the Evening
In 1966, the Eno River Association was formed by a small citizen-led resistance effort to confront the city of Durham’s plan to dam the Eno River and create a water supply reservoir. Public outreach and organized lobbying for environmental protections accompanied political action to put the Eno in the public eye. Through fundraising and land acquisition, the Eno River Association helped form the first boundaries of Eno River State Park as well as five other riverfront parks in Durham and Orange counties.
Six decades later, the Eno River Association continues to protect the robust conservation corridor directly adjacent to the river and its major tributaries. And as development pressure moves deeper into the Eno watershed, ERA continues to expand a protection footprint while also honoring the cultural and historical threads fundamental to our region’s woven narrative as a whole.
We invite you to join us for a special benefit concert celebrating sixty years of protecting the Eno River through informed advocacy, mindful stewardship, and community connection. As we honor six decades of bringing people together through music, art, nature, and conservation, we also reaffirm our commitment to evolving alongside the diverse needs of our community to help ensure a vibrant, accessible, nature-focused future for all. Before the concert begins, guests are invited to explore a Culture & History exhibit and connect with local community partners.
Featuring musical performances by Pura Fé & Cary Morin, Jake Xerxes Fussell, and Tre. Charles, plus a poetry/sound collaboration by Cortland Gilliam and Brian Howe, and other special guests (to be announced), this unforgettable night will bring music, storytelling, and community together in support of the river we all love.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Carolina Theatre
(309 W Morgan St, Durham, NC 27701)
Doors open 6:30 pm
Show starts 7:30 pm
*Tickets are purchasable from the Carolina Theatre Box Office online, via phone, and in person. Fees vary.
Meet the Artists
PURA FE & CARY MORIN
Pura Fé is a Tuscarora and Taino singer-songwriter known for her searing, sinewy acoustic lap-steel slide guitar work and dynamic vocal range. Frequently recording in Native languages, she also uses vocables—rhythmic, non-lexical syllables—instead of standard lyrics to convey empowerment and emotion. Pura Fé often explores the historical and musical “blood ties” between Indigenous and African American cultures using blues as a medium to tell stories of shared resilience and hidden history.
As the founding member of the internationally renowned Native Women’s a cappella trio Ulali, Pura Fé helped to create a movement throughout Indian Country, which not only empowered Native Women’s hand drum and harmony, but also built a bridge for Native music into the mainstream music scene. Pura Fé is the ninth generation of singers in her family who come from the North Carolina Tuscarora Blackman/Blackwell line (Deer Clan). She lived in Robeson County in the 1990s and worked with the North Carolina Indian Cultural Centre and Tuscarora Long Houses.
Beyond music, she is a dedicated social activist and educator in Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and community work. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with artists like Robbie Robertson and the Indigo Girls. She is part of the Silk Road Project, under the direction of North Carolina native, Rhiannon Giddens, started by Yo Yo Ma and currently touring with the performances American Railroad and Uplifted Voices.
Now based in rural Saskatchewan, Pura Fé will make a rare return to North Carolina accompanied by longtime collaborator Cary Morin. A member of the Crow Tribe, Morin is a masterful fingerstyle guitarist known for his “Native Americana” blending of blues, bluegrass, and folk traditions. Together, Pura Fé and Cary Morin offer a unique First Nations perspective rooted in raw, fearless blues and ancestral storytelling—with guest vocalist Celeste Di Iorio adding a third layer of rich-textured harmonies.
JAKE XERXES FUSSELL
Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. He has released five studio albums to-date, beginning with his self-titled debut album, released by Paradise of Bachelors in 2015.
His most recent studio album When I’m Called was produced by James Elkington and features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. In their review of the record, Pitchfork wrote: “No other American singer is repurposing our old folk scripts with so much authority or ingenuity.”
More recently, Fussell and Elkington collaborated on the music for Rebuilding – a feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O’Connor. A soundtrack of the same name was released on Fat Possum Records in November 2025.
TRE. CHARLES
Tre. Charles is an alternative/indie soul artist blending emotive vocals, introspective lyrics, and atmospheric, soul-rooted production. A nomadic, self-taught troubadour raised across the East Coast, his sound reflects a life shaped by constant movement, culture, and emotional searching—forever anchored in soul. Often compared to Sampha, Hozier, and James Blake, alongside classic influences like Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, and Lauryn Hill, his music is known for its immersive, reverb-rich “wave therapy” quality—cinematic, intimate, and emotionally grounding.
Rejecting the idea that formal accreditation defines artistic accomplishment, Charles has built his career through authenticity and impact—creating music centered on vulnerability, the process, and emotional truth. His work and stage presence have earned co-signs from GRAMMY-winning artists such as Son Little, Tank and the Bangas, and Cedric Burnside, as well as hip-hop legends Digable Planets and Arrested Development. Entering a new era of expanded vision and artistry—and on the heels of announcing his forthcoming project As of Now. (2026), Charles will perform in trio format for this event.
