Back to Work (and some other news)

Bombadil; playing The Radio Room on May 20th

If my records are correct, I have not written one article on the local music scene since the start of March and, if I am being perfectly honest, that feels absolutely terrible. As making excuses for one’s failures is the American way, I will say that instead of writing anything at all during the last two months, my wife and I bought a house, half-gutted the basement, put what feels like 4,000 gallons of fresh paint on the walls, and now live in what still feels like a sea of boxes. All of that work was scheduled around maintaining our responsibilities at our own family business so, naturally, my time for writing anything went right out the window along with any free time to actually go to any shows.

Looking back at the recent Upstate concert calendars, I cannot help but feel a sense of remorse at some of the shows I missed while over the two months. I am personally ashamed that two shows that I would normally never miss under any circumstance – Little Stranger at The Radio Room and Reverend Horton Heat at Gottrocks – came and went without me even realizing it. I am pretty sure that is the first Little Stranger show I have ever missed in the Upstate and, while I have seen the Reverend more times than I can count in my lifetime, I still have not seen him enough. Local favorites like Brother Oliver and Vilai Harrington & the Hamptones would have been blasts but other obligations got in the way, of course.

More than anything, I wish I would have listened to, told you about, and attended the Adia Victoria at Radio Room a few weeks ago. I had never even heard of her and only listened to her after her show had come and gone but now that I am playing catch up, I am certain that I missed one hell of a show. Her brand of southern gothic blues is just my speed and totally captivating, both musically and in her songwriting. Given that she is a Spartanburg native, I can only hope that she will be back in the Upstate with some regularity and if/when that happens, I will be shouting her praise from the rooftops. Most importantly, she is not an artist I am going to overlook twice.

Bombadil

All of this being said, I cannot wallow in the misery of what I missed for long as there are even more shows to look forward to on the horizon. Bombadil, one of my all-time favorite indie, folk, pop bands ever is back at The Radio Room on May 20 and July cannot get here soon enough when they host both Cracker and Rhett Miller (Old 97’s) on back to back weeks. August will see Lyle Lovett take the stage at the Peace Center which kind of feels like a bucket list opportunity of itself. Throw in a special Record Store Day event on my birthday in June and I personally have a lot to look forward to in the summer months ahead.

In the meantime, I would be remiss not to mention the fact that the “Greatest Show on Dirt” – the Albino Skunk Music Festival – is making its semiannual appearance to The Skunk Farm out in Greer this weekend.  Arguably the most organically grown music festival on planet Earth, what began as a “let’s drink beer and listen to friends play banjos on a farm” to an invite-only pot luck type of gathering that evolved into the Albino Skunk Bluegrass Festival complete with an actual stage and paid entertainers. Now, some 20-plus years after that first fateful gathering, Skunk Fest is a much-revered Upstate institution whose alumni includes more Grammy winners and both critically and nationally acclaimed talent than you could shake the proverbial stick at. If your schedule and lifestyle allow you to pounce on tickets for a three-day music festival on two days’ notice, by all means get your butt to Greer this weekend. If not, October is not that far off in the grand scheme of things but it definitely leaves plenty of time to plan your maiden Skunk Fest adventure this fall.

Whether you are packing your bags for Skunk Fest, belatedly ruing that you missed Adia Victoria, or circling the date of Cracker’s show in the loudest Sharpie you have in the house, there is a lot to celebrate on the local music scene. I am just here to say that I will be back to talking about it on a regular basis and will be listening right along with you, Friends. As always, be safe and enjoy the shows.