After Matt Brown, a beloved figure in the Durham, NC music community, tragically passed away from a heart attack in 2012, his wife Laura Brown and his friend and bandmate Jefferson Hart began to bond over his loss. As Hart grew closer to Brown and her two daughters, their friendship turned into love. The two married in 2015, and Hart started teaching music to his new stepdaughters, Ella and Lila Brown-Hart. What started out as jam sessions where he would show the girls how to play his favorite rock songs—Ella on bass and Lila on drums—soon evolved into a real band. Deriving its name from a Tiger Beat article, Secret Monkey Weekend began playing shows around town and eventually released its debut album, All the Time in the World, in 2022. Now the band is following up with its Don Dixon-produced sophomore album, Lemon Drop Hammer, which is currently a favorite on indie and noncommercial radio and has sent the family on a Southeastern U.S. tour. Local pop band Dog Person will open its show in Athens.
WHO: Secret Monkey Weekend
WHEN: Friday, August 22, 8 p.m.
WHERE: Normal Bar
HOW MUCH: $10
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