This Saturday, Durham resident and GRAMMY-nominated musician Joe Troop is playing a special show with his band Joe Troop's Truth Machine at The Pinhook. The band is raising money for Siembra NC, the grassroots organization focused on protecting immigrant communities in our state. It's an organization that Troop says has been crucial since last week's immigration raids in Charlotte and the Triangle.
"Given the scope of the last week in North Carolina, that organization has been moving mountains," he said. "The least we can do is build awareness for them in our network and raise some money for them."
Troop says he formed the band about two years ago as a way to speak truth to power and to play social justice focused bluegrass.
Since 2021, Troop has been busy touring the country with his other project, the Latingrass duo Larry & Joe, with his partner Larry Bellorín. Bellorín is an asylum seeker from Venezuela. With the Truth Machine, Troop says he can get away with more political material. Since forming, the group has played events such as Durham's Earth Day festival and a No Kings protest in High Point.
For the show on Saturday, Troop says to expect a joyous celebration. "It's old-school bluegrass, so it's really thumping," he said. "It's a very theatrical show, and sometimes we address heavy issues, but there's also a lot of levity because so much of it is straight up satire."
Joe Troop's Truth Machine plays The Pinhook on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. 100% of ticket sales after venue expenses will go to Siembra NC.
