Still haven’t picked up a Christmas gift for that music lover in your life? What better way to say ’tis the season than with tickets to an upcoming concert.
Here’s a list of five recommended shows happening within the 864 area code during the first few weeks of 2020 for which tickets are still available but, in some cases, might not be for long:
An Evening with Branford Marsalis at the Peace Center
Famed saxophonist Branford Marsalis has been in the international spotlight for four decades, amassing three Grammy Awards and a citation (together with his father and brothers) as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Known for its melodic strength and a mix of challenging original and classic compositions along with a range of moods from the tender to the explosive, the Branford Marsalis Quartet will take the stage at the Peace Center, 300 S. Main St., Greenville on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$55 and can be purchased here. For more information, call 864-467-3000 or visit www.peacecenter.org.
Two nights of the Marshall Tucker Band in Walhalla
Earlier this week, the legendary Marshall Tucker Band announced the first leg of its “The Southern Rockin’ Roundup” tour, which features more than two dozen shows nationwide in the coming months.
Included early on are a pair of concerts right here in the Upstate as the the Spartanburg-born Marshall Tucker Band will perform back-to-back gigs on Friday, Jan. 17 and Saturday, Jan. 18 at the Walhalla Performing Arts Center, 101 E. North Broad St., Walhalla. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. nightly. Tickets are $70-$80 and can be purchased here. For more information, call 864-638-5277 or visit www.walhallapac.com.
Béla Fleck with the Spartanburg Philharmonic
Tickets for Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn’s Jan. 31 concert at the Chapman Cultural Center as part of the Bluegrass Spartanburg series sold out long ago, but there’s still an opportunity to experience the Fleck’s banjo mastery that same weekend.
The 14-time Grammy Award-winning Fleck will perform his “Juno Concerto” with the Spartanburg Philharmonic on Saturday, Feb. 1 in Twichell Auditorium at the Zimmerli Performance Center on the campus of Converse College, 580 E. Main St., Spartanburg. Fleck’s guest soloist appearance highlights the Philharmonic’s “Americana Masters” concert, which starts at 7 p.m. and also includes performances of Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring Orchestral Suite” and local composer Nolan Stolz’s “Lincoln Highway Suite, Golden State Romp.”
Tickets are $25-$45 for adults with half-price discounts available for teachers and youth under age 22 and can be purchased here. For more information, call 864-596-9724 or visit www.spartanburgphilharmonic.org.
“There Goes the Neighborhood … Again!” at the Chapman Cultural Center
Earlier this year, Spartanburg native Randy Foster released a years-in-the-making 2-CD set that involved dozens of members of the local music community. Titled “There Goes the Neighborhood,” the genre-bending project culminated with a sold-out concert that was talked about for months by those who participated in and witnessed it while leaving many who missed it regretting not getting a ticket.
Well, there’s a second chance to experience “There Goes the Neighborhood” when Foster and many of his musical friends return to the Chapman Cultural Center, 200 E. St. John St., Spartanburg for another concert on Thursday, Feb. 6. Songs from last year’s performance will be reprised along with some new material written by Foster. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. For more information, call 864-542-2787 or visit www.chapmanculturalcenter.org.
Jason Ringenberg at The Radio Room
Best known for his work with the seminal punk-country outfit Jason & the Scorchers, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Jason Ringenberg has been thrilling audiences worldwide for nearly four decades.
Having most recently visited the Upstate this summer as part of the “Cosmic Honky Tonk Revue” tour, which also included fellow Americana stalwarts Chuck Mead and Jim Lauderdale, Ringenberg will return to the area on Thursday, Feb. 6 for what promises to be an equally explosive solo performance at The Radio Room, 110 Poinsett Highway, Greenville. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $12 in advance and can be purchased here. For more information, call 864-609-4441 or visit www.radioroomgreenville.com.