Fundraiser for Jordan Igoe ~ feat. Brave Baby and Black Top Desert

The Royal American, the refurbished and repurposed hot spot tucked away on Morrison Drive, is hosting a fundraiser this Saturday (5.11) to help the lovely and talented Jordan Igoe record her debut album. 

On nearly any night of the week, Jordan can be found playing a show around town, whether it's with her duo Happy Story Hour or her Wednesday mash-up at Juanita Greenberg's, but this weekend she will be sharing the Royal American's austere stage with rising Charleston darlings, Brave Baby. Signed to the local label Hearts & Plugs, Brave Baby released their debut record earlier this year and quickly established a dedicated (and steadily growing) fan base, touring the Southeast throughout the month of January and hitting the local circuit hard with their thoughtful lyrics and dreamscape guitar work.

Rounding out the bill will be Black Top Desert, a relative newcomer to the Charleston community, but already a welcome addition. Having spent his childhood among the empyrean landscape of the Southwest, singer Johnny Delaware reflects this astral upbringing in his music. "My faded eyes don't shine bright in the sun," he sings in "Planetary Systems", while the song "Sarahlina" - a gently swaying tune with a mellow brass line running throughout - includes lyrics such as, "There's gotta be a secret way / it tries to pull me away and under / But tugging me another way / I gotta try just a little bit longer." The words tell the story, but it is Delaware's voice, perhaps above all else, that gives the band its passion. Combining the haunting romanticism of Alex Ebert with the strength of a young Jackson Browne, Black Top Desert is sure to bring a new, fervid energy to the scene.

Show Details:
The Royal American - 970 Morrison Drive
Doors 9p - $5

Jordan Igoe on ReverbNation: www.revernation.com/JordanIgoe
Brave Baby on Bandcamp: www.BraveBabymusic.bandcamp.com
Black Top Desert on SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/BlackTopDesert


.pr.

The Dubious Battles - A Showcase of Songwriting and Friendship

cross-pol*li*na*tion (n.): The transfer of pollen from one flower to another, producing stronger and more vigorous plants. These genetic diversities often result in the evolution of new species.

The same can be said of music.

Blending the sweet sounds from some of Charleston's rock royalty, The Dubious Battles is evolution at its finest: a homegrown supergroup born from a collaboration among friends. Originally formed during the 2011 charity tour "How the Other Half Gives", The Dubious Battles features Luke Cunningham, Ryan Bonner and Tyler Mechem, each solidly successful with their individual projects but coming together again out of a mutual appreciation for one another's talents.

"We enjoyed being around each other," Cunningham says, "singing each other's songs and playing music together so much that we knew we'd have to get together again and do something collectively."

So when Cunningham was invited to perform at this weekend's Jail Break Festival, he saw it as a golden opportunity for The Dubious Battles.

"I thought that, given Jail Break's focus on art and creativity, it would be the perfect event to showcase this side project that we've been itching to unveil."

The performance will include original songs composed by all three members (they currently have close to twenty in various stages of progress), unreleased solo material and favorite tunes from each of the guy's other projects: the Luke Cunningham Band, Ryan Bonner and the Dearly Beloved, and Crowfield. And while there are no concrete plans to record a full album, The Dubious Battles have been working on ideas for an EP and have released their first single, "Bad Deal (Goodbye, Tuesday)", a nostalgic folk tune with an irresistible cadence and sweeter-than-honey string section, riding the vocal harmonies like a warm summer breeze.

"Luke, Ryan and I have known each other for a long time...but we were always creating our own music, separately," Mechem says. "Now, we're all in it together. No matter who brings the song to the table, we all need to be proud of what we perform. There's a lot of trust that goes into that."

The Dubious Battles take the stage at the Jail Break Festival this Saturday (4.27) at 6pm. For tickets and other festival information, visit www.jailbreakcharleston.com.

To download "Bad Deal (Goodbye, Tuesday)", visit the iTunes Store. 

Band Websites
The Dubious Battles
Luke Cunningham
Ryan Bonner
Tyler Mechem

.pr.

Wrapping up April

There are some pretty sweet shows going down around town this last week of April - enjoy the spring while you can, because the summer sweats are right around the corner! 


MONDAY- April 22nd
- "After School Special" w Rachel Kate + Antoine Dukes
Charleston Pour House, on the deck
6p - FREE
- South Carolina Broadcasters
Yo Burrito
6:30p - FREE
- ELIM BOLT, Scott Dense and Water Liars (Oxford, MS)
The Royal American
9p - $5
- Sarah Cole + the Hawkes
The Drop-In
9:30p - FREE

TUESDAY - April 23rd
- "Eclectic Evenings" feat. Happy Story Hour, Port City Prophets + Hibachi Heroes
The Royal American
7p - FREE
- Happy Story Hour
Home Team BBQ (West Ashley)
8:30p - FREE
- Matadero backs J. Roddy Walston + the Business (Baltimore)
The Rec Room
9p - FREE
- The Nobody Brothers (a Ryan Bonner project), Tuesday residency
Loggerhead's Beach Grill
10p - FREE

WEDNESDAY - April 24th
- Barn Jam feat. Heartfelt Hinges, 72nd Central, Ryan Boss, Georgia Slim, Josh Haskins and Dean Johanesen
Awendaw Green
6p - donations
- Charleston Blues Review
Mad River Bar & Grille
6p - $50 adv/$65 dos
- Guilt Ridden Troubadour
Home Team BBQ (Sullivan's Island)
8:30p - FREE

THURSDAY - April 25th
- Graham Whorley
Juanita Greenberg's (Mt. Pleasant)
6:3op - FREE
- Folly Beach Bluegrass Society
Folly Crab Shack
7p - FREE
- Guilt Ridden Troubadour
The Southern Bar & Grill
9p - FREE

FRIDAY - April 26th
- Aaron Firetag + Friends
Charleston Pour House, on the deck
6p - FREE
- The Dead 27s and TJ Jazer (Greenville)
The Windjammer
9p - $7
- Jordan Igoe
Cutty's Elliotborough Establishment
9p - FREE
- Versus Angels, Fusebox Poet (Charlotte)
Tin Roof
9p - $5
- Ryan Bonner Band
Home Team BBQ (West Ashley)
9p - FREE

SATURDAY - April 27th
- Fifth Annual Strap-On Face Funk, feat. The Dead 27s, OldYou, Yellowknife, Shonuff, Gaslight Street + more
Charleston Pour House
3-10:30p - $5 adv/$10 dos
- "Rhythm is My Business" local female talent showcase, feat. Jordan Igoe, Lily Slay, Stefanie Bannister + Dorothea Hudson
Main Library Auditorium
3-4p - FREE
- JAIL BREAK music, arts + funhouse street fest, feat. Brave Baby (5-6p); The Dubious Battle (Ryan Bonner, Luke Cunningham + Tyler Mechem, 6:30-7:30p); The Royal Tinfoil (8-9:30p); Steven Fiore (10-11p)
Old City Jail
4p - $15 adv/$20 dos

SUNDAY - April 28th
- "Girls Rock!" Charleston Volunteer Interest Party
Andolini's, downtown
3p - FREE

MONDAY - April 29th
- "After School Special" w Rachel Kate + Antoine Dukes
Charleston Pour House, on the deck
6p - FREE
- South Carolina Broadcasters
Yo Burrito
6:30p - FREE
- "Willie Nelson's Birthday Tribute", feat. Lyndsay Holler, Lesley Carroll, Fairy God Muthas, Jimmy Snyder + more
Tin ROof
7-11p - donations

TUESDAY - April 30th
- "Eclectic Evenings", feat. Skwirl Grinda and Godwin Falcon (Savannah)
The Royal American
7p - FREE
- Co. plays w Modern Man and Besnard Lakes (Montreal)
Charleston Pour House
8:30p - $10
- Whiskey Diablo
Home Team BBQ (West Ashley)
9p - FREE
- Scott Dence
The Rec Room
9p - FREE
- The Nobody Brothers (a Ryan Bonner project), Tuesday residency
Loggerhead's Beach Grill
10p - FREE


.pr.

Charleston Blues Revue aims to breathe new life into the Delta

Flowertown Festival. The Cooper River Bridge Run. Lowcountry Cajun Festival. These are all great Charleston events, but what do they have in common?

They all happen just once a year.

Enter the Charleston Blues Revue, a new musical theater show which its founders, Daniel Island residents Charles Wyke-Smith and Chris Watson, are hopeful will fulfill Charleston’s lack of a continually running entertainment experience.

With a background in web development and independent design projects, Smith has also worked in live event production and in 2008 organized a benefit show at the Music Farm, which raised $6,000 for the family of a local soldier who was killed in Iraq. But it wasn’t until a business conference in Italy that Smith began to think about the dinner entertainment experience. 

He and his co-workers were taken to a small theater in a town along the Amalfi coast. They were served a nice meal and enjoyed Italian wine while a group of performers put on a show about the history of Italian music.

“They did pantomime, they did opera, they even did Dean Martin, you know, ‘When the moon hits your eye’ and so on,” Smith recalls, “just a whole bunch of stuff and it was this great look at Italian music.”

Upon returning to Charleston, Smith began noticing how tourists wandered the streets downtown in search of something, some kind of activity, to do.

“They’ve been to a restaurant. They’ve spent the day looking at historic buildings, they’ve been out to Fort Sumter…Now they’re walking up and down East Bay Street, determining which bar might be okay to have a drink in,” he says. “There’s nothing that’s continuously running here that’s reliable entertainment.”

Smith began working with Chris Watson, whose background includes technology, government contracting and a passion for music, when Watson needed an iPhone app created for one of his business ventures. 

“I enjoy building businesses, and I appreciate the heck out of music,” Watson says. One conversation led to another and soon, the two men were swapping ideas for the development of a Charleston-based, dinner and musical entertainment experience. 

Smith had previously established the Lowcountry Blues Club, which hosts a revolving door of weekly shows around town, so the southern influence on modern music only seemed like a natural fit as the basis for what eventually became the Charleston Blues Revue.

And the timing seems right, as well. With internationally acclaimed events taking place in Charleston such as the Family Circle Cup tennis series and the Spoleto Festival, and the recent spotlight of Condé Nast Traveler naming Charleston the Number One City in the World in 2012, our quaint town has been receiving a lot of attention lately. And while it may not be the largest city along the east coast, there is enough viable energy and plenty of potential here to sustain a regular show like the Charleston Blues Revue.

“New York is an extreme example,” Smith says as he explains his motivation. “But that’s how people plan their trips for these cities. ‘I’m going to see these shows on these nights.’ They have a specific thing you can go visit. Charleston is great during the day. But at night you either go to a restaurant, or you go to a bar, and that’s about it.”

With the Charleston Blues Revue, Smith and Watson want to entice people to extend their visits to the Holy City.

“If ninety percent of tourists stay just one extra day,” Smith points out, “those things have massive multiplier effects.”

“I’ve seen a lot of other shows,” he continues, “and they tend to be very sanitized and saccharine sweet, and I wanted to do something a little more authentic that really caught the spirit of our times and the past [in Charleston], and America in general. The blues, it didn’t happen by accident, let’s put it that way. You can’t really look at the blues without looking at the social and political circumstances.”

Currently, the Charleston Blues Revue has its first two premiere shows scheduled for April 17 and 24 at Mad River Bar & Grille, on the market downtown. Described as a blend of “authentic sound, visual expression and historical sweep,” the show is already a sizeable operation featuring ten dancers and a dozen singers and musicians, all of whom were selected from right here in Charleston.

“We’re trying to do a show that locals will also want to go to,” Watson says. “This is not just a blues show.”

“You don’t have to scratch too far below the surface of any modern music to find the blues,” Smith elaborates. “So the first half of the show is a kind of narrative of how the blues evolved, and how America came to the 1960s which was a cataclysmic point in America. JFK, the decision to go to the moon, the pill, all these things, and of course the collapse of segregation, all these things dropped at once.”

Over the course of two hours, audience members will be taken on a journey from the depths of Delta blues with pioneers such as W.C. Handy, progressing out of the rural south and into ragtime and Chicago jazz, the birth of 1950s rock and roll, the tumult and explosion of the 1960s, and eventually into the genres of more recent popular music. Smith and Watson aimed to select songs that would be representative of their time period without using the usual chart topping suspects, and then took to writing their own arrangements.

“I want to invoke the spirit of the times, not copy it,” Smith says proudly.

In addition to dining on classic Lowcountry fare while enjoying great tunes, audience members can also look forward to taking part in the show, which is going to encourage crowd participation and have a strong interactive element.

“We’re packaged entertainment,” Watson explains.

Executing the Charleston Blues Revue is an impressive line-up of musicians and vocalists. Band leader and saxophone player Louie Dixson has shared the stage with the Derrick Trucks Band and members of the esteemed Dizzy Gillespie Band, and was offered multiple music scholarships before joining the Navy to support his family. Ben Hawes (trombone), Chris Williams (keys/sax/vox) and Wayne Mitchum (bass/vox) are all regular members of the local party band Plane Jane, who can be found playing a show almost any night of the week. Many of the featured vocalists have been singing since they were as young as three-years-old. The show’s narrator, Ermitt “Mr. Blues” Williams, was raised in Harlem but spent many summers visiting North Carolina, soaking in the southern blues culture.

The shows on April 17 and 24 are going to serve as a sketch of what the full performances will be like. Smith and Watson anticipate rolling out the Charleston Blues Revue’s regular run of three nights a week in the very near future, once the success of the premiere comes to fruition and they are able to gauge any final adjustments that may be needed. Mad River will seat about 115 people, but Smith and Watson hope to move the show to a venue that can seat at least 200 people, allowing them to create a bigger atmosphere for the show and increase its economic viability. It’s sure to appeal to all blues fans, but with the vast scope of styles that the show endeavors to pay homage to, the Charleston Blues Revue is likely to draw even the most casual of music listeners and Charleston buffs.

“I’m not trying to change the world, per se. I’m trying to put on a good show,” Smith says. “If people have something to take away from it, that’s great! Come for the music, leave with the story.”

Tickets for the shows include dinner and can still be purchased through the Charleston Blues Revue website at www.CharlestonBlues.com.

.pr.

The sun will come out...tomorrow

It's been a craptacular couple of days around Charleston, but the sun is starting to come back out and it's just in time for some pretty special music happenings going down this weekend! We live in a remarkable town ~ so get out there and enjoy it!


Charleston Bluegrass Festival
First off is the 2013 Charleston Bluegrass Festival at Awendaw Green (which actually kicks off tonight). Pack a tent, load up the kids and leash the dog, because this is going to be a foot stompin', thigh slappin', ear ticklin' extravaganza filled with musicians from all corners of the bluegrass belt! Just don't pack a cooler - Awendaw, The Southern Bar & Grill and Sewee Outpost will have everything you need to eat, drink and be merry with your family, friends and new found camping comrades! 

Tickets available HERE
ADV: $20 Friday OR Saturday / $30 2-day pass
DOS: $25 Friday OR Saturday / $35 2-day pass

Friday Line-up
6p - The Empty Bottle String Band
7p - Underhill Rose
8p - The Corduroy Road
9p - Town Mountain w Jim Lauderdale
* Justin Johnson performs between sets

Saturday Line-up
12p - Island Girls
1p - Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band
2p - The Bushels
3p - Packway Handle Band
4p - Seven Handle Circus
5p - The Empty Bottle String Band
6p - Great Smoky Mountain Bluegrass Band
7p - Blue Billy Grit
8p - Packway Handle Band
9p - Cranford and Sons
* Justin Johnson and Island Girls perform between sets


Cooper River Bridge Run
The biggest news of the weekend has to be the Cooper River Bridge Run, with registrations capped at 40,000 participants. It's a fantastic event that gives a lot back to the greater Charleston community, especially through the race's Charity Connection that features not only nationwide organizations like the American Lung Association, but locally-based nonprofits such as Pet Helpers and Water Mission International.

But let's face it - we're not all athletes. And that 8am start time would creep around pretty early after a night out at The Mill or Tin Roof. However, there is now a way for the booze hounds and nocturnal among us to take part in the Bridge Run, in our own way. This year marks the first time that live bands will be stationed along the route, their genres and tempos paired with the difficulty and terrain of the race. And it gets even better - The Music Initiative and This Is Noteworthy have teamed up with the race organizers to put together "Run With Me", the 2013 Official Cooper River Bridge Run Bands compilation CD! Featuring more than twenty bands and musicians, "Run With Me" can be bought online or at a laundry list of local businesses. All artists receive 10% of sales, and when you purchase the CD online, you have the option to specify your favorite band. 

Featured Bridge Run Bands
Schema
College Lounge
Irene Rose
Hibachi Heroes
Savage Tongues
Forrest Baldwin
DTSMB
Heartfelt Hinges
Heyrocco
Salem Lake
Synergy
Pierce Edens
Bad Drew Baldwin
Jefferson Coker Band
Lionz of Zion
Yellowknife
Will Hastings
The Grand Folks
Luke Cunningham
Call Momma Band
Tyler Boone


Benefit Show for Anthony Macchio
Tin Roof in West Ashley is hosting a very special benefit show this Sunday (4.7) for Anthony Macchio, a 23-year-old graduate of Full Sail University who moved to San Francisco earlier this year to pursue his dreams and launch his career in Design. Six days after landing on the west coast, Anthony was involved in a serious bicycle accident that left him with an unknown degree of brain damage. In the ensuing months, Anthony has exhibited some signs of recovery, yet his doctors estimate that he may be facing a 2-year process before he is fully out of the woods. The Macchio family has hope that his recovery will not take that long, but in the meantime, the medical bills have begun to add up. 

Beginning at 5p this Sunday, please join the Tin Roof, Holy City Brewing and ten local bands and musicians as they rock and swill the night away, raising money for Anthony's family. $10 at the door will get you access to the following folks:

Mechanical River
Bully Pulpit
Can't Kids
el Camino
Mountains of Earth
ELIM BOLT
The Cattle and The Cane
Lily Slay
Beattie and Edwin Porter
Co.

. north bridge .

.pr.

St. Paddy's Day ~ Charleston Style

Charleston may not exactly be known for its Irish heritage, but it damn sure knows how to celebrate St. Paddy's! There's plenty to do around town over the next few days, so pull on your drinkin' boots and program those cab companies into your phone - it's gonna be a long weekend!

 

FRIDAY ~ 3.15
* "Goodbye, Goodnight, So Long" - Crowfield, the 2012 CPMA Rock Band of the Year, plays its final show tonight at the Charleston Music Hall. Joined by friends Ryan Bonner, Luke Cunningham and John Satterfield, this beloved band's grand finale is sure to be one filled with good tunes, tears and tales for the ages.
@ Charleston Music Hall
Doors 7p
$20

* Happy Story Hour, the thoughtful and at times haunting duo comprised of Mackie Boles and Jordan Igoe, join forces tonight with Sinners & Saints (Charlotte) to finger pick and strum their way into your soul.
@ The Mill
Doors 9p
FREE - 21 and up

* West Ashley's Tin Roof is playing host to a metal blues brawl with local badasses Bully Pulpit and Wilmington import Thunderlip. The parking lot will be tight, the music will be loud, and the PBR will be nice n cold!
@ Tin Roof
Doors 9p
$5


SATURDAY ~ 3.16
* The Next Charleston Record Expo is going down from 10a - 5p at Monster Music & Movies in West Ashley! Admission is free and parking is plenty (remember, the Citadel Mall is just across the street). There will be food trucks, vinyl vendors and sweet deals on everything from dive bins and rarities to imports and collectibles! Bring in your old vinyl if you're looking to trade!
Monster Music & Movies
10a
FREE

* Repeated winner of The City Paper's "Best Of" awards for Most Authentic Pub and Best North Charleston Bar, Madra Rua Irish Pub recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in Park Circle, and on Saturday proudly celebrates the Tenth Annual St. Paddy's Day Block Party and Parade! East Montague will be shut down for the parade at noon, followed by food trucks, artists, family fun and three stages of live music (full schedule, below)! With entertainment ranging from Irish classics and swing tunes to blues and funk, the show will be capped off by local line-up, Wadata at 6p.
Madra Rua Irish Pub / East Montague Ave. / Park Circle
12p
FREE

* A mash up of regional bands are lining up your Saturday night at Tin Roof, with Modern Man (Greenville), Cement Stars (Charlotte) and Knives & Daggers (Asheville). Not sure about the cover for this one, but bring a couple bucks for the door, just to be safe.
Tin Roof
Doors 9p
? - 21 and up

SUNDAY - 3.17
* "St. Patrick's Brunch and All Day Erin Go Bragh Party" - Drink off the hangover with the good folks at Tin Roof! They'll be cooking up a tasty brunch menu starting around noon, and celebrating with Irish festivities throughout the day. Stick around for gypsy sex rockers The Royal Tinfoil that night, hitting the stage around 9p!
Tin Roof
12p Party / 9p Tinfoil
FREE / $5 - 21 and up

 

.pr.

** Announcement ** Spring Jam Music Fest 2-day Schedule Revealed!

Less than two weeks now stand between Charleston and its first annual 2-day music festival, Spring Jam Music Fest 2013, taking place March 23rd and 24th at Brittlebank Park along the Ashley River!

Presented by local radio station 105.5FM the Bridge, and sponsored by companies including local sister station 98.1FM Rock and businesses such as Bottles Beverage Superstore, Charleston City Paper, Charleston Green Taxi, The Royal American and The Green Heart Project, Spring Jam Music Fest 2013 has just announced the performance times for the twelve bands scheduled to appear (listed, below). And after the last band wraps on Saturday, head over to The Royal American on Morrison Drive for the official after party at 8p ($10 at the door)!

In addition to the hours of live music, the festival is also going to feature local and regional artisans, including Charleston Sound, Loose Lucy's, ETSY artist Bird Flower Creations and Bottles n Brushes, alongside local food trucks and other food and craft beer vendors. Passes for the festival can be purchased through the event website or at Bottles in Mount Pleasant. Two-day passes are going for $30, while a one-day pass will run you $20 ($25 dos), and kiddos under the age of five get in for free.

General Admission parking will be available at the Joe Riley Stadium lot for $5, but if you plan on having a few drinks at the festival, please budget for calling a cab. Spring Jam Music Fest 2013 has partnered with two local companies to help make it easier for festival goers to enjoy the weekend while still being able to get home safely. Take a second to program these numbers into your phone: Charleston Green Taxi @ (843) 819-0846, and Home-Ped @ (843) 412-9716.

Debit and credit cards will be accepted for festival ticket and beer ticket purchases, but the food trucks and other individual vendors may not be equipped with a card machine, so you may want to grab some cash on your way in (or be prepared to stand in line for the on-site ATM).

All in all, the festival should be a good time, and an affordable way to check out some regional and rising bands. Kick-start the most gorgeous time of year that our kick-ass town has to offer with Spring Jam Music Fest 2013!

March 23rd (Saturday) Line-up Schedule:
11:20a - The Vagabond Union
12:30p - Pierce Edens & the Dirty Work
1:40p - Ghost Tent Revival
3:00p - The Mowgli's
4:20p - Family of the Year
5:50p - Truth & Salvage Co.

March 24th (Sunday) Line-up Schedule:
11:20a - Stop Light Observations
12:30p - The Corduroy Road
1:40p - Ed Sheeran
3:00p - The Dirty Guv'nahs
4:20p - Sol Driven Train
5:50p - Alpharev

.pr.