27 years later: The Fabulous Knobs rock Groove in the Garden 2016.

Given the suffocating heat and panic from Crabtree Valley Mall, the second annual Groove in the Garden 2016 faired well Saturday. A plentitude of food trucks, local brewers, artisans, and musicians made for an unforgettable gathering among the trees nestled within the Raleigh Rose Garden, one of our city’s most beautiful scenic attractions.Carrboro’s Some Army kicked off the festivities at 2:00 p.m. on the dot for the early birds. The five piece band carried out a solid 45-minute set of their psychedelic, dreamy tunes as if they were playing to a packed house. In regards to this year’s event, and outdoor shows in general, frontman Russell Baggett commented, “Aside from the heat it was pretty fun, great space, sound seemed like it was actually pretty good—it’s always a crapshoot with outdoor gigs, at least in my experience, but it felt like the Deep South guys really got that right. I was surprised by just how many vendors and food trucks were there and the organizers took good care of us … it was a much bigger production than I expected, not having seen it last year, so I was pretty impressed with what they did.” Perfectly distanced behind the main Stephenson Stage, circled by local vendors, a dunk tank and other attractions, The Garden Stage kicked off with harp guitarist wunderkind, Andrew Kasab, whose acoustic offerings are rarely made or seldom heard in this century. The Fabulous Knobs, reuniting after 27 years, was the story of the day. Throughout the Raleigh Rose Garden, fans ages 40 and up adorned in black T-shirts with a distinct pink insignia could be seen dotting the festivities. When the Knobs hit the stage, a transformative experience began as this older set of Raleigh rockers blissfully revisited the golden age of N.C. music. The absence of founding member and legendary guitarist David Enloe who sadly passed away in 2007, was noticed but not dwelled upon, as crafter of custom guitars to rock legends the world over, Terry McInturff, filled in with gusto. Keith Taylor, Jack Cornell, Debra DeMilo, and Terry Anderson cranked out a set as if they were playing The Pier or any number of the Triangle’s famous rock venues of the early 1980s.The old-timers ruled the scene then, and for those 50 minutes on Saturday afternoon at Groove in the Garden, the entire congregation, young and old, felt the effect of The Fabulous Knobs—then and now.