If you are reading this you probably know that our music scene doesn’t suck at all. Actually it is really amazing and let me tell you why.
The Free Times Music Crawl last week was amazing. It was the best one I’ve ever been to and was so slam pack full of good bands that it was impossible to see all of them and that is a great thing. Art Bar was at capacity nearly all night and you needed a crowbar to make your way through The Tin Roof. The Restoration had girls standing on the tops of tables, Kingslyn had them dancing, not nearly enough people were at The Dirty White or Dylan Sneed, but they still had good crowds. Calculator played for a packed room, Sweet Vans brought the Ruckus to middle aged men and women, Say Brother said “fuck it” to Florida-Alabama football, and this doesn’t include all of the bands I really really wanted to see. I’m upset I missed Death of Paris, Death Becomes Even the Maiden, Coma Cinema, David Reed, Shallow Palace, Venice is Sinking and Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun. Oh, and I can’t forget American Gun. “We aren’t as pretty as the other bands, but we’re a hell of a lot louder.” If you didn’t end up with PBR soaked silly string on your head, you weren’t close enough to the stage. I also heard people were trying to dance during Josh Roberts finale set, but their feet were stuck to the floor from all of the spilled drinks. That just breaks my heart.
So Music Crawl was amazing, but they still didn’t include all of SC’s best bands. So this weekend you can travel an hour and a half to Fall for Greenville and hear so so many good bands. Deer Tick, Rogue Wave, Sequoyah Prep School, Jason Isbell, Crowfield, Hannah Miller, Josh Roberts, The Restoration, Wylie, Steven Fiore, Kingslyn, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, SAM QUINN AND THE JAPAN TEN, American Gun, Archer vs. Gunman, Cravin Melon, Samantha Crain…I’m listing all of these off the top of my head. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s the truth and there are a lot more bands I didn’t list. Best of all, it’s FREE. A free concert with tons of great bands in one of the most beautiful downtown’s in our state at the most perfect time of the year. What sucks about that?
You know what else doesn’t suck? Getting to hear Haley Shaw and Jill Andrews at The White Mule last night. The concert was simply amazing and it was Jill Andrew’s first time in Columbia. You know what I did after that? I went to see Kingslyn and Ned Durett play a free show in Five Points. I tried to go see Crowfield at The House, but it was too packed out.
We have the Hootie monument unveiling coming up in a couple of weeks, Patrick Davis rocking out The Tin Roof tonight and Rocktoberfest coming to downtown in mid-October. Lost in the Trees is coming to Five Points next week, a great band from Chapel Hill. There is seriously so much going on in our music scene right now, that there are few that beat what we have going.
See what happens when everyone gets involved?
And sorry we haven’t been posting as much lately, but don’t think we’re slowing down. We have a HUGE surprise for our music scene and all of our Scene SC supporters coming in the next couple of months. I’ve already got 10 of SC’s biggest bands on board and I’m about to drop the bomb on everyone, so get excited.
OH PS Boyz II Men, Avett Brothers, Darius Rucker and more coming to Columbia next week. Tickets don’t go over $20. Beat that. Oh and Albino Skunk Festival in Greer next weekend. I’m still leaving stuff out, but you catch my drift.
Don’t forget Rock’N On The Raceway in Cayce/West Columbia (as you writers say, full disclosure my band The Love Handles is playing there October 22nd) tonight the Casual Kings are there. More info: http://www.rocknontheraceway.com
What about all the rock bands like Locals Live winners Host to Another and all the other bands that don’t play coffee houses on a nightly basis? If I had a label I would sign them and put them on tour. And lets not forget all the regional bands and all the bands with ties to the Carolinas. But because they are not part of the lil indie arts thing Columbia has going on that usually counts them out of getting any type of press at all here and thats sad.
If you are asking why we don’t cover some bands, it’s because they aren’t up our alley. We cover one area of music like a radio station only plays one genre I guess. It’s nothing personal to blues, hard rock, rap, r&b, country etc we just cover our small niche of what we are interested in. That’s why I started this blog, to cover and help out the bands that I liked.
Dave-
Cover Host to Another! They look awesome! Go to their MySpace page. Put them on tour with Dance Commander and send out a note for fathers to lock up their daughters. Bunch of heartbreakers.
That’s all well and good, but if this is the case, then I suggest that you update the portion of the “About” section that says your site brings “light and life to the entire music scene in South Carolina.” Scene SC is doing great things for sure, but I have finally figured out what irritates me about this blog. From going through some of the comments on this site, it seems really easy to go off on you guys by citing a lack of diversity or by starting shit about the lame-o boring music that gets featured, but my beef (if you can even call it that) has nothing to do with actual content or music. Scene SC kind of gives off the impression (whether intentionally or not) of being this all-encompassing music blog of South Carolina, and you and I both know that this is not the case. Consider the name “Scene SC- South Carolina’s Music Playground.” It’s just one example, but I think it’s an important one for you to ponder.
Apparently you haven’t been to a JRATH Crawl show at Flying Saucer; the floor is ALWAYS sticky. I almost lost a shoe last year. P.S. not the best place to see a rockin band that makes you wanna move your feet. Nothing against Saucer, I just don’t think it’s THAT kind of bar.
Keep it up Dave, and all those at Scene SC, because though people may hate on ya, I do wonder how big the “lil indie arts” scene in SC would be without you guys.
Though, on a side note, you should devote every hour of every day covering the HUNDREDS of bands in the SC,NC,GA & TN area. :p
Yeah, Dave. I saw this really cool band the other night. They sounded awesome, like if Nickleback and Creed boofed, this would be the love child. There were lots of kids in attendance. I know this because the singer kept winking at the girls or sticking his tongue out at them and flicking it like a snake. He was a cool dude too. He wore a cowboy hat and had a tank top on. Also, I have a lo-fi R&B band. Will you cover us?