A chronicle of the Upstate South Carolina music community and beyond
By DAN ARMONAITIS The Spartanburg Philharmonic is gearing up this week for a small ensemble concert that will be “locally sourced.” As part of its popular Espresso series, the Philharmonic will present “Homegrown,” a one-hour showcase of works by classical composers past and present who have called the Hub City Read More
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea will take the stage at the Walhalla Performing Arts Center, 101 E. North Broad St., Walhalla on Sunday, Nov. 17. The intimate performance, billed as “An Evening with Kathy Mattea,” starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $33-$38. Hailed by The Washington Post as “one Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS A little more than seven months ago, Howl in the Valley released its much-anticipated debut EP. The contemporary folk-rock trio — composed of Spartanburg-based musicians Jonathan Stephens, Janeen Scott and Michael Krell — had only been playing together for less than a year when it made its Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS In the middle of their latest album, “Blue,” which is otherwise mainly filled with tongue-in-cheek covers of famous pop songs, The Cleverlys offer a rare moment of pure sincerity. The group, led by veteran comedian and guitarist Paul Harris, gives a poignant, no-nonsense rendition of “Wait a Read More
The hugely popular Warren Haynes Christmas Jam will take a one-year hiatus from its annual concert celebration at the U.S. Cellular Center in Asheville, N.C., according to an announcement posted today (Nov. 12) on the event’s official website, www.xmasjam.com. After 30 years of hosting the event, Haynes and the W&S Read More
An Evening with Fred and Dinah Gretsch will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14 in the Leonard Auditorium at Wofford College, 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg. Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Fred and Dinah are, respectively, the president and CFO/COO of Gretsch Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS When Darby Wilcox performs with her backing unit, The Peep Show, she’s often accompanied on harmony vocals by fellow Greenville-based singer-songwriter Lisa Stubbs. It makes for an magnificent blending of distinctive voices, but the focus isn’t necessarily on that aspect of the performance given that there’s an Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS A cursory glance at the upcoming tour schedule for Vagabond Crowe makes it clear that this is a dedicated, hard-working band. The Hendersonville, N.C.-based Americana outfit is pretty much busy each weekend from now into December, then, after a break for the holidays, kicks right back into Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Michelle Lee had just filled in as drummer for a St. Patrick’s Day gig with the Spartanburg-based Brandy Lindsey and the Punch when an idea crossed her mind. “Michelle and I were hanging out more after that, and, at some point, she said, ‘we should start a Read More
Texas Hippie Coalition, touring in support of its new album, “High in the Saddle,” will perform Thursday, Nov. 7 at Ground Zero, 3052 Howard St., Spartanburg. Having originated in the Lone Star State in 2004, the band offers a hard-hitting sound that it refers to as “Red Dirt Metal.” Basically, Read More