]
]
This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Archival processing of the Craig Zearfoss Collection was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Expand/collapse
Collection Overview
| Size | 18.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1450 items) |
| Abstract | The Craig Zearfoss Collection consists of live video recordings, audio recordings, posters, photographs, and papers affiliated with the Triangle's indie rock music scene from 1988 to 2008. The majority of the collection consists of live video recordings created and compiled by videographer and documentarian, Craig Zearfoss, from 1993 to 2005. The videotapes, which feature live performances and interviews from local and touring musicians, were recorded at various concert venues in the Triangle, including the Brewery in Raleigh, N.C., the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, N.C., the Cave in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham, N.C., and Pine Hill Farm in Durham, N.C. Notable musicians and bands featured on the live video recordings include, Ben Folds Five, Peter Case, Drive By Truckers, Alice Gerrard, Man or Astro-man?, Tift Merritt, Old 97's, Pipe, Southern Culture on the Skids, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Superchunk, Two Dollar Pistols, and Whiskeytown. Many of the materials found in the collection correspond to Sleazefest, an annual local music festival that Zearfoss documented from 1994 to 2004. These materials consist of live video recordings, papers, photographs, and posters. The collection also contains music videos, 1992-1998, privately released and commercial audio recordings, 1988-2004, as well as broadcast video material, 1994-1999, related to the Triangle based public access shows Live Around Town, Wide Angle, and Radiovision. Also included are posters and papers related to Zearfoss' live video recordings and the Triangle music scene at large, including concert posters and flyers, letters, press clippings, video tape logs, video release forms, and zines. |
| Creator | Zearfoss, Craig. |
| Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Folklife Collection. |
| Language | English |
Expand/collapse
Information For Users
Expand/collapse
Processing Information
Processed by: Brad San Martin and Anne Wells, September 2016
Encoded by: Amanda Loeb, July 2015
Updated by: Anne Wells, September 2016, March 2019
Archival processing of the Craig Zearfoss Collection was made possible through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Diacritics and other special characters have been omitted from this finding aid to facilitate keyword searching in web browsers.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Expand/collapse
Related Collections
Expand/collapse
Biographical Information
Craig Zearfoss (1964-) was born in Fort Dix, N.J., but grew up in York, Pa. Upon graduating from the Penn State University in 1992 he moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., where he soon became immersed in the local music scene, not as a musician but as a fan. After purchasing his first video camera later that year he became a fixture at area clubs and house concerts where he videotaped hundreds of live shows over the next decade. He started with only a single camera and progressed to more elaborate live multiple camera productions.
While the video recordings Zearfoss made were only for personal, non-commercial, reasons, he did help create several public access television shows that aired in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. The shows included the local live music shows, Live Around Town, Wide Angle, Live @ the Cave, and Radiovision, as well as Z-TV, a variety show hosted by Mr Mouse and Bandelirum, a music trivia game show hosted by Chris Bess.
Zearfoss also organized the video production of Southern Culture on the Skids' annual Sleazefest music festival from 1994 to 2004. An album and full length video of the first Sleazefest was released in 1995.
The public access television shows and other video productions created or compiled by Zearfoss were largely D.I.Y., or "Do-It-Yourself," affairs that were made possible by volunteers who contributed their time, talent, and equipment. While he taped many regional and national musicians, the vast majority of musicians were local. Some of his personal local favorites include Zen Frisbee, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Ben Folds Five, Superchunk, Southern Culture on the Skids, Trailer Bride, Pipe and Dexter Romweber.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Scope and Content
The Craig Zearfoss Collection consists of live video recordings, audio recordings, posters, photographs, and papers affiliated with the Triangle's indie rock music scene from 1993 to 2008. The majority of the collection consists of approximately 600 live video recordings on VHS, Hi8, Betacam SP, MiniDV and DVD. Shot and compiled by Zearfoss, the video recordings feature live indie rock music and interviews recorded at various concert venues in the Triangle, including the Brewery in Raleigh, N.C., the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, N.C., the Cave in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham, N.C., and house concerts at Pine Hill Farm in Durham, N.C. Notable musicians and bands featured on the live video recordings include, Ben Folds Five, Peter Case, Drive By Truckers, Alice Gerrard, Man or Astro-man?, Tift Merritt, Old 97's, Pipe, Southern Culture on the Skids, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Superchunk, Two Dollar Pistols, and Whiskeytown.
Many of the materials found in the collection correspond to Sleazefest, an annual music festival that Zearfoss documented from 1994 to 2004. These materials consist of approximately 375 live video recordings on VHS, Hi8, Betacam SP and 1 live audio recording on audiocassette. Also included are papers, color photographic prints, and promotional posters. Other music festivals documented by Zearfoss include Mergefest, Elvisfest, and S.P.I.T.T.L.E. Fest, among others.
The collection also contains 29 music videos, 1992-1998, on VHS and Hi8, 23 privately released and commercial audio recordings, 1988-2004, on audiocassette and compact disc (CD), and approximately 95 broadcast videotapes, 1994-1999, related to the Triangle based public access shows Live Around Town, Wide Angle, and Radiovision. Broadcast video materials are on VHS, Hi8, and Betacam SP. Also included are posters and papers related to Zearfoss' live video recordings and the Triangle music scene at large, including concert posters and flyers, letters, press clippings, video tape logs, video release forms, and zines.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Series Quick Links
Expand/collapse
Series 1. Sleazefest, 1994-2004.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.1. Video, 1994-2004.
Arrangement: Roughly chronological.
Processing information: Titles were compiled from SFC database and contain date of performance if known. Please note that there may be duplicates found in the series and that items may contain more than one performance. Distinct performances are separated by a semi colon.
Live music and interviews from the Sleazefest music festival held at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Video recordings are on Betacam SP, Hi8, and VHS. Also included is 1 audiocassette (FS-20509/1) from Sleazefest 1994.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 1.2. Other Materials, 1994-2001.
Papers, photographs, and posters related to the Sleazefest music festival. Papers include discographies for select Sleazefest 1995 performers, a zine created by the musical act, Donkey Balls, for Sleazefest 1996, promotional flyers for Sleazefest 1996, and Spectator newspaper clippings regarding Sleazefest 1997. The color photographic prints feature live performances documented by Gregory Nicoll and Patricia Ross, while the posters consists of promotional posters for Sleazefest and the the festival's commercial VHS release, Sleazefest!: Top Rock and Roll Acts Live and In Person.
| Folder 1 |
Sleazefest: Papers, 1995-1997 |
| Image Folder 1 |
Sleazefest: Photographs by Gregory Nicoll11 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder 2 |
Sleazefest: Photographs by Patricia Ross8 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder 3 |
Sleazefest: Photograph by unknown photographer1 image Color Photographic Print |
| Oversize Paper Folder OPF-20509/1 |
Sleazefest: Posters, 1994-200123 posters Includes duplicates. |
Expand/collapse
Series 2. Live Video Recordings, 1993-2008.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by performer, event, or festival title. Unidentified live video recordings were placed at the end of the series.
Processing information: Titles were compiled from SFC database and contain location and date of performance if known. Please note that there may be duplicates found in the series and that items may contain more than one performance. Distinct performances are separated by a semi colon.
Live performances, festivals, and interviews documented by Craig Zearfoss on Hi8, MiniDV, and VHS videotape. The videotapes, 1993-2005, primarily feature North Carolina rock music at North Carolina venues, including the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, N.C., the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Cave in Chapel Hill, N.C., the Brewery in Raleigh, N.C., the Duke Coffeehouse in Durham, N.C., and house concerts at Pine Hill Farm in Durham, N.C. Festivals featured include Elvisfest, Fuzzfest at the Star Bar in Atlanta, Ga., Honky-Tonk-arama at Local 506, Mergefest, S.P.I.T.T.L.E. ("Southern Plunge Into Trailer Trash Leisure and Entertainment") Fest, and WRASlemania in Atlanta, Ga. Also included are 1 Digital Audio Tape (DAT), 1995, of a Man or Astro-man? concert at the Covered Dish in Gainesville, Fla. and 1 DVD, 2008, featuring a compilation of Chapel Hill music. It is highly likely that the live performances and interviews found in the series were used as source material for public access broadcast on Live Around Town and Wide Angle.
Expand/collapse
Series 3. Music Videos, 1992-1998.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by performer.
Processing information: Titles were compiled from SFC database and contain song titles and date if known.
Music videos of North Carolina rock bands compiled by Craig Zearfoss. Recordings are on Hi8 and VHS videotape.
Expand/collapse
Series 4. Broadcast Video, 1994-1999.
Arrangement: Chronological.
Processing information: Titles compiled from SFC database. Please note that there may be duplicates found in the series and that items may contain more than one segment. Distinct segments are separated by a semi colon.
Episodes, rough cuts, titles, and related broadcast materials for public access television shows that aired in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, N.C.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 2.1. Live Around Town, 1994.
Episodes of the public access show, Live Around Town. Recordings are on Hi8 and VHS. Videotapes may also include live performances not featured on the program. Also includes paper petitions singed by fans and musicians to keep Live Around Town on the air.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 2.2. Wide Angle, 1994-1999.
Episodes of the public access show, Wide Angle. Recordings are on Hi8 and VHS.
Expand/collapse
Subseries 2.3. Radiovision and Unidentified Broadcast Material, 1995-1998.
Episodes of the public access show, Radiovision, on VHS. Also includes an audiocassette (FS-20509/2) of the Radiovision theme song and unidentified broadcast material on VHS.
Expand/collapse
Series 5. Demos and Commercial Audio Recordings, 1988-2004.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by performer.
Processing information: Titles were compiled from SFC database and contain date if known. If known, item titles contain type of distribution. These include demo tapes ("demo"), privately issued releases ("privately issued"), and commercial recordings. If known, commercial recordings include record label name.
Demos, privately issued releases, and commercial recordings of North Carolina rock bands compiled by Craig Zearfoss. Recordings are on audiocassette and compact disc (CD).
Expand/collapse
Series 6. Posters, circa 1993-1996.
Arrangement: Alphabetical by performer.
Promotional posters for live concerts in the Triangle area. Bands featured on the posters include Ben Folds Five, Archers of Loaf, Southern Culture on the Skids, and the Woggles, among others. Also includes 2 laminated placemats for the Southern Culture on the Skids' "Mary Huff Test Kitchen Hillbilly Heaven Kountry Cookin'," and a promotional poster for the Mammoth records video compilation, Youngrock.
| Oversize Paper Folder OPF-20509/2 |
Posters, circa 1993-1996 |
Expand/collapse
Series 7. Papers, 1993-2002.
Posters and papers related to Zearfoss' live video recordings and the Triangle music scene at large, including concert flyers, letters, press clippings, video tape logs, video release forms, and zines.
| Folder 3 |
Concert flyers |
| Folder 4 |
Correspondence, 1993Photocopied letters written by Zearfoss to musicians, family members, and friends. Many of the photocopied letters contain newspaper clippings. Includes duplicates. |
| Folder 5 |
Newspapers, 1993-2002Newspapers and clippings that do not pertain to specific artists, musicians, or musical acts. Includes printout of a Triangle.com article, 2002, about Zearfoss. |
| Folder 6 |
Clippings, 1993-1997Clippings pertaining to specific artists, musicians, and musical acts. |
| Folder 7 |
Subject Files, 1993Subject files and single-page photocopied clippings pertaining to specific musicians and musical acts. |
| Folder 8 |
Tape Logs, 1993-1994Tape logs that correspond to select video recordings made by Zearfoss. Logs often contain song titles featured on recordings. |
| Folder 9 |
Video Release Forms and Related Material, 1994-1999Video release forms, contracts, and correspondence regarding video release forms. Also includes stock footage contracts between Zearfoss and MTV Networks. |
| Folder 10 |
Zines, 1994-1997Zines and small press publications. Includes issues of Trash and Stay Free!, as well as a fanzine created by Woggles and a fanzine created by Renelvis, a Filipino-American Elvis impersonator from Charlotte, N.C. |
Expand/collapse
Items Separated