Strange Carolinas Contributors

Strange Carolinas started as a hobby for Chris Hocker who often dragged his family to offbeat detours on family vacations. Hocker decided to start photographing and writing about these roadside attractions and in June 2014, launched Strange Carolinas with a story on Myrtle Beach's KISS Coffeehouse. In addition to chronicling over 400 attractions across the Carolinas, Strange Carolinas has also become an impressive music blog.

Hey! I'm Maui. Originally from Queens, New York, now making Raleigh, NC my new home. I'm a touring photographer and Nomadic Motorcycle Rider, obsessed with seeing the world through different lenses!

Read Maui's posts here

Bella DiStefano splits her time between Graham, North Carolina and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. While home for the winter, she spends her days enjoying family time and photographing concerts while her friends sing along in the crowd. In the summer when she escapes to the island, she works at a marina during the day and photographs portraits and engagement sessions during her favorite time, golden hour. When she isn't taking pictures, Bella enjoys reading, traveling, and creating wearable art.

Read Bella's posts here

Photography is an avenue that Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.

Read Mark's posts here.

Andrew (Drew) Drain is originally from Point Pleasant, WV, and he now resides in Chapel Hill, NC with his daughter. Drew works as a financial risk management professional to pay the bills, but his real passion is photography. He started taking photos of his daughter playing soccer as a way to resist the urge to coach her from the sidelines. Time behind the camera developed into a love for photography that he has paired with his love for sports and live music. Follow Drew’s Instagram, @Drew.Drain.Photo or his MaxPreps galleries, to check out more of his work or contact him if you need photos of your favorite athlete or performer.

Read Drew's posts here.

Jerry Friend has spent most of his life chasing the joy that live music brings. Originally from Florida, he’s been in North Carolina the last 23 years after he settled in Burlington, NC. A systems administrator by day. In his free time, he enjoys photographing live performances by artists at clubs, concerts and festivals. His goal is to try to capture those experiences through his lens and be able to share these images with others. As a fan of artists that span diverse music genres, you might find him at shows that include Bluegrass to Jazz, Jam bands, Alternative Country to Electronic Dance Music, Rock and even Pop music. He loves to travel to festivals, in the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic. He also enjoys collecting show posters and vinyl records.

Read Jerry's posts here.

Pixie Hocker has loved music for as long as they can remember and has gone to more concerts than she can count. Pixie is the Music Director at her college station 90.5 WASU-FM and hosts a weekly specialty show at Boone Area Community Radio.

Read Pixie's posts here.

Jim MacKenzie lives in Asheville, comfortably hidden away in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He's appeared in Bride of the Monster Serial, a horror compilation book about forgotten monster movies. Jim enjoys writing about authors, especially regional, and researching literary history. He enjoys the strange and the uncanny, but never both together. That's just overwhelming. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, playing music, and travel.

Read Jim's posts here.

Andrea Reinwald is originally from Florida and has moved across the country twice, first from Florida to Alaska and then from Alaska to North Carolina. Often called "the girl who’s always at a concert" by her friends, Andrea’s love for music has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember. Since picking up instruments in middle school, Andrea found that concert photography offers the best of both worlds, blending her passion for music with her love for visual storytelling. Whether it's pop, indie, rock, Latin, or EDM, you'll likely find her in the crowd, camera in hand. Check out her work on IG at @andreavphotos!

Read Andrea's posts here.

Caitlin Russ is a Florida native currently residing in North Carolina. She is an English teacher by day and freelance entertainment journalist by night. Caitlin enjoys reading, hiking with her husband and 3 children, and attending as many concerts as she can. Her all-time favorite music artists include John Mayer, Tyler Childers, and Paramore.

Read Caitlin's posts here.