Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

Friday, February 6
7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Industries Theater (Duke Arts)
$25-35 | $10 NC State Students | 25% OFF Faculty/Staff

Take the jazz bus! We’ll be taking a bus from NC State to Duke and we have a few spots left. Learn more and sign up here.

“[Julia] gives me hope for the future of jazz.”

-Judy Carmichael, NPR Jazz Inspired

Meet the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band: a powerhouse ensemble, composed entirely of Native and Indigenous musicians, turning heads with swinging sets that revive and celebrate the deep connections between jazz and Native American culture.

Led by the celebrated vocalist and luminary Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), the band performs works by Indigenous jazz legends such as Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke), alongside exciting new contemporary composers. Every performance is infused with charisma, passion, and purpose—leaving audiences both educated and inspired.

This performance is co-presented by Duke Arts and NC State LIVE.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy
Feb. 19-21 at 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.
Titmus Theatre

In this inventive fusion of live performance and digital video sleight-of-hand, a single actor builds a cinematic sci-fi comedy in real time, transforming an 8’x4′ white box into a cosmic wonderland. The acclaimed physical theater company Sinking Ship and the Obie Award-winning Theater in Quarantine have reimagined their streaming hit The 7th Voyage of Egon Tichy as a mind-bending in-person experience—a slapstick adventure and poignant meditation on the tug-of-war between the versions of ourselves we can never escape.

Info and Tickets

FAMILY MATINEE
Lightwire Theater’s
Dino-Light
March 8 at 3 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

Step into a glow-in-the-dark world where dinosaurs come alive! Lightwire Theater, renowned for its innovative fusion of electroluminescent puppetry, dance and music has charmed audiences across the globe and was even a semi-finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Back by popular demand, Dino-Light, shares the story of a scientist who brings a friendly dinosaur to life. Recommended for all that have a sense of wonder, especially children 6 to 10 years-old and their grown ups!

Info and Tickets

John Pizzarelli
March 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Stewart Theatre

What better way to close out our 2025/26 mainstage series than with a beloved artist and friend John Pizzarelli.

Widely recognized as a premier contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook, Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been lauded by the Boston Globe for his “reinvigoration” of the genre. Pizzarelli’s expansive repertoire now includes the music of iconic artists such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. 

Info and Tickets

Accessibility

NC State LIVE strives to make our programming accessible to everyone. If you have an access need or an accommodation request, please email Liza Green, associate director at [email protected]. Learn more about accessibility at NC State LIVE.

It Takes a Village

NC State LIVE is supported in part by grants from the City of Raleigh based on recommendations of the Raleigh Arts Commission and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources. Our State Magazine is our official media sponsor.