WXRY Music Crawl
Thursday, June 1, 2017
It’s a completely free to attend choose-your-own-musical-adventure party coming this Thursday to First Thursday live on South Carolina’s Main Street.
Varholy and the Class
3:00-10:00
Boyd Plaza
Varholy and the Class is out live all afternoon with a bunch of bands and special guests stopping by your favorite community-supported spot on the radio dial. Get your pre-game going before you leave work on WXRY. We’ll also host a group of volunteers accepting donations for a new, local children’s shelter Toby’s Place (an Oliver Gospel project) in memory of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell. Say howdy and pick up a free music crawl map compliments from our buddies at First Thursday on Main.
Mayor Steve Benjamin
6:00-6:05
WXRY Stage at Hampton Street
Speaking of Steves, Steve. The good mayor will declare Make Music Month officially open and introduce Debbie and the Skanks. It’s probably the only time you’ll ever see our favorite politician share a stage with skanks. We’re told that he doesn’t like to sing but has been known to slow jam some proclamations on occasion. The University of South Carolina’s second black Student Body President, Podesta-leaked Vice Presidential short-lister.
P.S. NOT available on Steve FM.
Stone Pop-Up by the Whig
6:00-10:00
Corner of Main & Hampton
North America’s Greatest Dive Bar is going to bring a huge KW Beverage truck to the party and show you why they’re North America’s Greatest Dive Bar. Proceeds from the sale of beer support Columbia’s Independent Alternative. It’s also the launch of WXRY Oxbow Amber brewed by our friends at Swamp Cabbage Brewing Company. Please remember to tip your bartenders. They’re almost all lowly paid and under-appreciated nonprofit workers. This bar is cash only but there’s fortunately a Wells Fargo ATM about 50 feet away.
DJ Bori & DJ Fig Mix
6:00-10:00
Boyd Plaza
Hosts of Latin Heat Saturdays from 9:00 to Midnight, DJ Bori & DJ Fig Mix will spin Hispanic EDM over at our Food Tent Parranda. Not only are they the only Hispanic show on Columbia radio, they’re also the best. Hot dogs and pizza will be served by our friends at KC’s Hotdogs and the Village Idiot.
Mark Rapp Group
6:00-9:30
Main Street Public House
A mainstay of First Thursday and the Cola Town Jazz scene, Mark and his group will serve up the dinner shift at the Main Street Public House.
Tom Hall and the Plowboys
6:00-8:00
Random Records
Sometimes you just gotta plow. Blythwood fixture Tommy Hall will get the gen running next to Kyle Michel and his pop-up, sidewalk record shoppe Random Records.
Rev Marv Ward
6:00-8:00
Mast General Store
“Done properly, there’s not a thing in the world wrong with some loud, hard-hitting, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll. And Columbia’s Rev. Marv Ward does a hell of a job executing such tried-and-true material.” – Michael Spawn of the Free-Times
Palmetto Opera Singers
6:00-8:30
Villa Tronco
Pasta and Pavarotti
Reservations Required
Stillhouse
6:00-9:00
Tapp’s Courtyard
Can you say Jerryfest? Meet me at Tapp’s! Know what I’m saying? Formed in 2004, Columbia’s Stillhouse will jam it out in the 1600 block’s courtyard amongst Yellow Shirts and homeless people that might not be wearing shirts. For one night only, loitering will be perfectly fine.
Flat Out Strangers
6:00-9:00
Michael’s Cafe & Catering
No stranger to Main Street, these guys have been playing rockabilly and swing since several of them formed the Losers and Rockabilly 88. Featuring notable Vista photographer George Fulton, poet Robbie Grice and more, they’ll play most of the night right outside of Michael’s.
Palmetto Latin 5
6:00-9:00
Good Life Cafe
Oye Como Va. Hey, how’s it going? It’s all good at Good Life Cafe. Thanks for asking, Hermano.
Freeway Music Rock Bands
6:00-10:00
Mad Monkey
Freeway Music students have formed awesome rock bands and will play short sets in front of Mad Monkey to show you how well they’ve learned to play instruments on Mommy and Daddy’s tab. Speaking of Mommy and Daddy’s tab, Lula Drake does not mind if you would like to have a wine outside next door and give ’em a listen. These kids are the future of Columbia’s rich music scene. Don Russo and his team of 70+ local music teachers thank you for your continued support.
282nd Army Band
6:00-10:00
Main Street
Fort Jackson’s musical-maniacs will be marching up and down Main Street to celebrate their base’s centennial. Victory Starts Here. Thank you for your service to our eardrums, 282nd.
TiffanyJ
6:00-10:00
Richland Library
TiffanyJ is the inaugural act at the new entrance of your newly-renovated Richland Library (reopening Wednesday, May 31st). She’s a published writer as well which makes this whole thing seem all the more appropriate. Look for “It All Starts With Me” coming soon to a bookstore, library or cellphone near you.
Ruba Say
6:00-10:00
Main Street
Free-Times writer David Travis Bland recently called Florence County’s Ruba Say his personal Sasquatch, “an illusive, guitar-wielding beast I’ve tracked since the days of MySpace.” Mr. Say will be busking all night long so catching a tune or two should be a lot easier than tracking down a Bigfoot, David. Hognuts! Diggity Pew!
Joe Robinson
6:00-10:00
Main Street
Playing guitar on stilts with an amp strapped to his back while half naked since at least 2016.
Michael Dantzler
6:00-10:00
Main Street
Local photographer and percussionist Michael Dantzler will make his rounds as a roving OneColumbia busker.
Debbie and the Skanks
6:05-7:00
WXRY Stage at Hampton Street
A “rawknroll” band from right here who recently played the Statehouse steps to bring old Dixie down. If you’re into the Stones or the Stooges and like Ike & Tina Turner, here’s your jam.
“The greasy and groovy garage rock quartet Debbie and the Skanks is one of Columbia’s most promising new acts. Founded by guitarist Joe Roberts, who previously led the similarly inspired Ass/Bastard and has played bass in Say Brother, the group is fronted by the charismatic Deborah Adedokun, who brings a spine-tingling delivery and imbues Robert’s writing with vivid character.” – Kyle Petersen of Free-Times
Will Pittman
6:30-7:30
Drake’s Duck Inn
A local writer and musician who you may have seen play recently at Drip. This man delivers some seriously good harmonica-infused, train-hopper music.
Mark Bryan
7:10-7:15
WXRY Stage at Hampton Street
Bryan’s first gig in Columbia was opening for Scruffy the Cat at Rockafellas’ in the mid 80s. A member of the Wolf Brothers, host of Live at the Charleston Music Hall and manager of Stop Light Observations, he’ll introduce his boys from S.L.O. and hopefully do one of those vertical jumps even Jadeveon Clowney would be jealous of.
Stop Light Observations
7:15-8:15
WXRY Stage at Hampton Street
One of their YouTube videos contains nearly every sorority girl at the College of Charleston. We’re thinking the crowd will have a few of those from Columbia, too. These Chuck-town rockstars are no stranger to Soda City, recently playing at Five Points After Five. They also have a cool dog and play great alternative rock music. Don’t miss Stop Light Observations play their newest single Dinosaur Bones on our WXRY Main Stage.
“In 1986, the musical duo Wolf Brothers was formed with friend Darius Rucker, and eventually convinced Dean Felber to also join them.” – Wikipedia
Shives, Taylor, Allen, Turner
7:30-8:15
The Cellar at Grapes
It’s standing room only in the less than 30 person basement of Grapes & Gallery. Featuring former members of Ghetto Blaster, the Southholes and the Stelle Group, there’s got to be a Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young joke in here somewhere.
Brent Lundy
7:30-9:00
Drake’s Duck Inn
With three decades as a Columbia musician, Lundy is also the co-hosts of WXRY Unsigned going on a baker’s dozen of years. Craft beer will be paired with acoustic tunage and damn fine chicken sandwiches.
Los Perdidos
8:00-10:00
Random Records
Columbia’s best surf band since forever rocks out beside one of their favorite things on Earth, a record sale.
The Unlikely Candidates
8:30-9:45
WXRY Stage at Hampton Street
Possibly Fort Worth’s finest band and Atlantic recording artists will play “Follow My Feet,” “Your Love Could Start a War,” “Ringer” and other modern alternative hits in the middle of the road. The Unlikely Candidates have been showing other bands how to destroy at SXSW since their first unsanctioned show there 2013.
“Hey Austin. Nah, nah, nah-nah-nah, nah.” – signed Dallas.
“Atlantic Records discovered this alternative-rock-leaning quintet at an unsanctioned SXSW 2013 showcase and released their debut EP, “Follow My Feet,” in September. The title track cracked the Top 40 on two charts, and a full-length follow-up is set for later this year.” – Andy Langer of The New York Times
Jackson Spells
8:30-9:30
The Cellar at Grapes
Rob Cherry and John Watkins have recorded a couple of projects at West Columbia’s upcoming Seaboard Recording Studio. If you’ve never seen a duo of drums and keyboards, we suggest you do. Bring some bucks and take home some locally produced vinyl, would ya? Those fellas would certainly appreciate it.
P.H.D.
9:00-9:45
Main Street Public House
Definitely the most educated band in local show biz. Tom Harman and friends give that middle aged rock thing a real go with Columbia music scene veterans from more bands than we could mention (who you’ve never heard of). Guaranteed that this class will start by 9:15. Don’t quit your day job and get off my lawn, Professor.
fk mt.
9:00-9:45
Tapp’s Infinite Room
A band with a name we can’t say on the radio, upsetting board members at swanky functions whenever possible and not super big fans of President Trump. Fk mt. kick off our free edition of the Infinite Room’s First Thursday Afterparty.
“Though it could be said that fk mt. play “pop punk”, they are far and away a different breed than what most people have come to expect of said genre, falling more on the side of Latterman and Adventures than The Story So Far or Man Overboard, and drawing more influence from Nirvana and Silverchair than Blink-182 or New Found Glory (at least in practice).” – The Rainbow Hub‘s Emory Lorde
The Hindenburgs
9:45-10:30
Main Street Public House
A locally-sourced Led Zeppelin tribute band featuring more folks than you could shake a Papa Jazz dollar bin copy of ZoSo at. Former Nirvana sound-alike frontman Nathan Herring and Elvis Costello enthusiast Garrick Turner are merely just two of the crew down at Columbia’s legendary practice Spaze who put this together. This is tonight’s secret weapon so don’t dread this Zeppelin. If you like cover bands and Main Street Public House… Well, you know. We suggest you get there early.
Youth Model
10:00-10:45
Tapp’s Infinite Room
Shown here during their recent show on the frackin’ Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, now they get to play an old department store diner. Rock and Roll, fellas. Rock and Roll. Not sure if Guy Fieri plans on attending but we think he’d dig our new cookbook “30 bands for $0 a Day.” Full disclosure: Drummer Randy Borowski is also the music director and co-host of WXRY Unsigned, our local music show every Sunday night from 8:00 to 9:00.
Grand Republic
10:45-11:45
Main Street Grand RePublic House
What do you get when you start a blended family of former band members of Blightobody, Iron & Wine, Lay Quiet Awhile, Lunch Money and Martian Death Lyric? Wait, what the hell did you just say is happening again? The republic for which their rocks stands is a Columbia supergroup and a super group of guys. At the recent Rosewood Crawfish Fest, they played the Spin Doctors under the table.
“Digging the mercurial Sloan/Stones-isms of this new Grand Republic LP.” – Jordan Lawrence of Free-Times
“They’re pretty good but they’re no Blightobody, Jordan.” – Art Boerke
Pray for Triangle Zero
11:00-12:00
Tapp’s Infinite Room
With what could approach 100 collections of compositions before he even has his 28th birthday, Lucas Sams closes out the Infinite Room’s First Thursday Afterparty.
“In all likelihood, you are lazier than Lucas Sams.” – Michael Spawn of Free-Times
Tigerdog
12:00-1:00
Main Street Public House
Charlotte’s got a lot… of bands (and black t-shirts, evidently). All choose your own musical adventures have to end somewhere (Sad!). It’s too bad our evening must come to a close but not so sad that it does so with Charlotte, North Carolina’s Tigerdog firmly at the helm. If you can stay up late on a school night, get your butt on over to the Main Street Public House. This bewitching hour band will blow your mind. They’re managed right here in Columbia by Thomas Glasgow, the marketing genius behind Trae Judy’s Music Farm.
The inaugural WXRY Music Crawl is brought to you largely in part by your City of Columbia H-Tax dollars and could not be possible without our many Main Street District and First Thursday strategic partners. Special thanks go to the Whig, Main Street Public House, Tapp’s Arts Center, Drake’s Duck Inn, Random Records, Grapes & Gallery, Mast General Store, Good Life Cafe, Michael’s Cafe & Catering, the Richland Library, OneColumbia for Arts and History, First Thursday on Main, the artist formerly known as Center City Partnership, Carter Todd & Associates, Mad Monkey and the Main Street District.
Special thanks to Herbie Jeffcoat and Jay Matheson for being two for the world’s best sound guys and to the many, many bands providing PAs and sharing gear. You are the Columbia Music Scene and we’re so proud of you.