The halls are alive with music....
Well, sure, actually the
Music Farm does not have "hall" in its name.
One street over, though, is the
Charleston Music Hall, one of the three venues I went to on Friday evening.
This shot at the Farm is one of the encore numbers by
Cracker.
Got there kind of late as I stayed at the Music Hall to the very end of the
North Mississippi Allstars show.
This dynamic duo did the work of a band with half a dozen members!
Luther Dickinson (on the left) played guitar, vocals, and even an oil can lowebow.
His brother, Cody, did a great job on the drums.
And, Cody ALSO played the bass guitar (while seated), keyboard, and the electric washboard.
Yikes. I looked it up and it appears their regular bass player couldn't make it, so the brothers improvised!
Their opener,
Eric McFadden, sang a series of really "sad" songs. Grim even.
The first was about digging two graves for the two people he was going to murder.
One deep grave would have been easier.
Things cheered up a bit but death, pain, and mayhem recurred in several more songs.
Completed the third show of the night (well, early Saturday) at the new downtown
Home Team BBQ.
Brandon Santini, a favorite Blues harmonica artist from Memphis, was back in town.
It was on my way home, so I had to stop in. It was his next to last set.
Had to laugh the night before at the Music Hall, when
Greg Allman played.
One of his very happy big fans was up and down during the entire show
Waving his arms and showing his enthusiastic joy.
I had noticed before that these active music lovers usually were in the front row.
Of course, I would not be aware of these antics going on behind me!
Allman was pretty much hidden by his signature organ but stood and played guitar on a few songs.
I wandered up to the balcony for an unobstructed view of Greg at the keyboard.
(Click on the photos and links for more detail and information.)
Three-in-one-night was a challenge but I always have my professional ear plugs.
The pace will grow as we enter Spoleto time!
Here's a
surprise link to a "thank you" for stopping by.
Labels: a surprise link, Brandon Santini, Cracker, Downtown Home Team, Greg Allman, Luther & Cody Dickinson, Memphis Blues harmonica, North Mississippi Allstars, The hass are alive with music...
The Blues Has Come Home...to Home Team BBQ
Home Team BBQ -
West Ashley and out at
Sullivan's Island - is filling the musical gap for The Blues.
Thank you Fiery Ron.
The lighting is terrible in both places (for a photographer) but the sound is fantastic.
And you're there to listen.
Or, it appears, some just are there to take "selfies," but that's not the type of photography I mean.
I'm there to catch a good, representative picture of the performers.
Some nights are better than others. I've just had a nice run. Take
Mac Arnold and his Plate Full Of Blues.
I can't really fault the stage lighting this time - he kept his distinctive trademark black cowboy hat on all night.
But if you're patient - and don't get jostled too much by energetic dancers - you get at least a glimpse of this legendary Blues man's face.
I didn't remember, or probably never knew, Mac is a local South Carolinian.
Or, as he pronounces it
Cackalacky.
He invited us all up to his hometown of Greenville April 23-25 for his 9th annual Cornbread and Collard Greens Blues Festival at his restaurant.
I'm sure the menu touts his BLUE(S) Plate Special.
Saw lots of familiar fans of the Blues last night. A few even ventured out onto the dance floor.
I tend to sit back - camera in hand - to observe and try to catch that special shot.
Flash?
Nope, I try not to ever pop that distracting bright light.
I work with whatever the club's sound & lighting guy has provided.
Another Blues-Man-In-A-Hat recently here was Brandon Santini who hadn't played Charleston
in about 5 years.
Ever since Shrimp City Slim cancelled his two-week February annual Blues Bash after a long, long 21 year run last year, a few others have tried to bring in Blues legends.
It's very much alive in the Holy City and Fiery Ron's Home Team two clubs have been very very good for the Blues.
Understand there will be a third Home Team soon and that will benefit players who can work "the local circuit" for several nights.
Back when I still worked for the Post and Courier, promoting InfoLine, I was in contact with more than 100 LOCAL musical groups.
Many were singles, but there also were duos and trios.
Santini appeared with similar lighting at Home Team a few weeks ago and last week, the Sullivan's Island stage featured Sean Chambers.
So, once in a while, the player's
face will catch some stage lighting and I can capture something moody.
(Click on the photos for more detail.)
I also shoot color under adverse lighting conditions but The Blues really lends itself to black & white.
Sit back, have a beer and enjoy.
Be blue.
Labels: Brandon Santini, HT-SI, Mac Arnold and Plate full of blues, Sean Chambers, Shrimp City Slim
Sounds Great ...
BBQ and Island Characters.
Fiery Red's
Home Team remodeled Bert's old place and now there's a brand new music venue on Sullivan's Island.
Home Team also is still in West Ashley.
Sound tech Scott Rosenbrook fine-tuned the board to make sure
Delta Highway had clarity, separation and definition.
Oh, and plenty of volume.
The hard pounding group from Memphis was scheduled to play again the next night at the original Home Team on Highway 61.
Makes sense. It gives a band two gigs and a chance to park the van overnight.
I remember a few years ago that
Wild Wings would book acts to play its mini-circuit when - in addition to the three here in Charleston - they also had an eatery in North Myrtle Beach and down at Hilton Head.
And, for those who like to plan ahead, (I got my Seinfeld tickets about 5 months before his show) mark your calendar now for Sunday October 18 at the PAC.
That's when the
Life on the D List lady, caustic comic
Kathy Griffin, charges into Charleston.
Kathy has a new book out and I guess she didn't want to wait and see if Oprah would endorse it. The book is titled
Official Book Club Selection.
Catchy and misleading. I like that.
Labels: Brandon Santini, Delta Highway, Highway 61, Home Team BBQ, Kathy Griffin, Oprah Winfrey, Sullivan's Island, West Ashley
Got a pleasant surprise at Home Team last Friday night.
Mississippi Jon Short is traveling with Brandon Santini of
Delta Highway and opened my eyes to the blues potential of a 4-string instrument other than the bass guitar.
The
"cute" uke has come into its own in my world of the Memphis and Delta-style blues. At least in Short's nimble hands.
The band had played here in May so I was eager to hear them again. They offer an abundance of good blues so keep an eye out for when they'll be back.
Earlier in the week at A Dough Re Mi, Stevie Ray Vaughan was channeled by
Randy Pavlock and his Austin, TX band
Twenty-four seven. Wow.
Great music in a fast-growing blues venue ... and a great way to save a few bucks.
I had joined the
Lowcountry Blues Club a few weeks ago and benefited from a substantial reduction of the cover charge at the front door. Two shows and the membership has paid for itself.
Get all the details by clicking the title above.
I HAVE to learn more about adding links.
Labels: Brandon Santini, Charleston Blues Society, Dobro, Mississippi Jon Short, ukelele
