A chronicle of the Upstate South Carolina music community and beyond
By DAN ARMONAITIS Brooks Dixon considers himself a “very contemplative type songwriter” who, on his own, tends to write “slower, thoughtful stuff.” The Brooks Dixon Band, on the other hand, represents something a bit different. “With the band, we definitely have a fun energy, and I think a lot of Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Jeff Anderson still has a fondness for the country music that he enjoyed while growing up in Greer. “I always liked that kind of ’80s and ’90 style country,” Anderson said. “What I consider real country or honky-tonk style country — country that really tells a story. Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Shannon Hoover has experienced the loss of some important people in his life lately, including a couple of family members and such musician friends as Kofi Burbridge and Yonrico Scott. It inspired him to write a still-untitled jazz composition that will be premiered as part of the Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Howard Childress was only 14 years old when he and three other teenagers from Spartanburg County made their network television debut on “The Nat King Cole Show” in 1957. After Cole introduced The Sparkletones, a camera cut immediately to a close-up shot of Childress, whose boyish face Read More
Texas singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen will bring his “Countdown to Christmas: Lunar Tunes & Looney Tunes” show to The Peace Center, 300 S. Main St., Greenville on Monday, Dec. 2. Keen, whose irreverent “Merry Christmas from the Family” has become a holiday classic, will pay homage to the space race Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS As members of the Marcus King Band, Jack Ryan and Justin Johnson have had their share of incredible opportunities, from playing some of the most prestigious venues in the world to appearing on national television and sharing the stage with several famous musicians. It’s a pretty good Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Josh Daniel is bringing to Spartanburg a special concert that “should be played loud,” to borrow a phrase that appears on screen at the beginning of an acclaimed film that the Charlotte, N.C.-based musician has watched numerous times over the years. With the help of a star-studded Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS When Raleigh, N.C.-based journalist, musician and author Thomas Goldsmith, better known as Tommy, thinks about the area of the country he’s headed to this weekend in promotion of his new book, “Earl Scruggs and Foggy Mountain Breakdown: The Making of an American Classic,” he immediately recognizes how Read More
Charleston-based singer-songwriter Grace Joyner will bring her dreamy indie pop sound to The Velo Fellow, 1 Augusta St. #126, Greenville, on Friday, Nov. 22, sharing a bill with the similarly atmospheric but stylistically different Mourning Dove. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. Joyner has received critical acclaim for her 2016 album, “Maybe Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Having enjoyed only limited regional success with his former band, Sequoyah Prep School, Justin Osborne had somewhat burned out on music when, as a student at the College of Charleston in 2013, he got the opportunity to study for a few months in Cuba. “It wasn’t a Read More