Ticker: News Bits from Charleston’s Music Scene
The Party at the Point’s Final Shows
The Party at the Point concert series will wind down this weekend and next at the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina in Patriots Point with performances by some popular local acts. Groove-minded rockers Sol Driven Train — a longtime favorite East of the Cooper with a solid new album titled Underdog in hand (pictured above) — will headline the main stage on Fri. June 21 with support from twangy Americana rock quartet the Tarlatans. The music starts at 6 p.m. Admission is $7. Next week’s grand finale on June 28 will feature soul/pop singer Elise Testone and a sizable backing band handling two full sets. Admission is $15.
Party at the Point is presented by Ear for Music, Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, the Bridge 105.5, 98 Rock, and the Modern Connection. Check out charlestonpartyatthepoint.com for more.
Modern Man (provided)
Modern Man on Plexi
Reverb-drenched indie band Modern Man have an upbeat new single on hand titled “She Wears Pants.” Singer/guitarist Allen Glenn, drummer Nikki Calvert, guitarist Brian Draper, and bassist Jose Davila aim for a Crampe-esque surf-rock sound on the new track. They recently released it as a limited edition plexi-single on Rah Rah Records. The single is available for purchase at the band’s website.
The quartet plans to move from Charleston to California’s San Fran bay area in August. You can catch them in town at the Royal American on Sat. July 20. Visit modernman.info for more.
Will Hastings Heads to the Music City
Charleston singer/songwriter and guitarist Will Hastings will relocate to Nashville this month. The Holy City loses yet another talent to the Music City.
Hastings first made a splash in the Lowcountry band scene in 2011 when he issued a mini album of originals titled Broken Soul Music. He recorded the soulful indie rock songs with Wolfgang Zimmerman (of Brave Baby) at the Space. In 2012, he followed with a five-song EP titled My Human Condition (also produced by Zimmerman) on the Seventeen70 Records label — a project that stemmed from the College of Charleston’s Arts Management College. The tracks featured backing from members of Weigh Station, Wadata, Long Miles, and Old You.
Will Hastings (provided)
Hastings performed his last local show as a Charleston resident on June 19 at the Royal American. “Thanks for all the love and support you have shown me, Charleston,” he posted on Facebook the week of the show. “I love you and will be back in town. It’s just time for me to try a change of pace and see if I can’t make some sense of this crazy dream of mine. Nashville peeps can catch my ‘Welcome to Town show at The Basement on June 24.”
Visit willhastingsmusic.virb.com for info and updates.
Atlas Road Crew Settles in Charleston
After having practically conquered the Columbia club scene over the last two years, bluesy, riffy rock band Atlas Road Crew has decided to leave its hometown this summer for new digs in the Charleston area.
Lead singer Taylor Nicholson, bassist Max Becker, guitarist Dave Beddingfield, keyboardist Bryce James, and drummer Patrick Drohan have already honed their blend of classic rock, Southern rock, sol, and alternative styles, as demonstrated on their recently released self-titled EP, which they recorded near Charleston with with Mark Bryan (of Hootie and the Blowfish) at the helm.
“We see artists like Band of Horses, Needtobreathe, Stoplight Observations, and the Tarlatans doing really well calling Charleston home,” frontman Taylor Nicholson says in a recent press release. “Columbia will always hold a special place in our hearts, but moving to Charleston is a very important step for us. The city’s resources and thriving scene are just what we need. And let’s face it, moving to the beach certainly won’t hurt.”
The band is on the road this month, traveling around the Carolinas and the Southeast. They have two local shows on the calendar: Thurs. July 11 at the Windjammer and Wed. July 17 at the Pour House. Check out atlasroadcrew.com for more.
Drivin’ N Cryin’, 2013 (provided)
Drivin’ N Cryin’ Release Psychedelic Sessions from James Island
Atlanta-based rock band Drivin’ N Cryin’ will be back on the road this summer behind yet another installment in their ongoing series of EP releases on their own New! label. Singer/guitarist Kevn Kinney, bassist Tim Nielsen, drummer Dave Johnson, and lead guitarist Sadler Vaden (formerly of Charleston, S.C. power trio Leslie) recently released the psychedelic six-song Songs From The Psychedelic Time Clock — the third collection in the series, following last year’s Songs From The Laundromat and Songs About Cars, Space and the Ramones. The quartet tracked much of the new disc last September at Ocean Industries on James Island with local engineers Eric Rickert and Jeff Leonard assisting co-producer Chris Griffin (a longtime D’N’C’ colleague).
“I love the fact that we’ve never shied away from the fact we are influenced by so many different sounds,” Kinney states in a recent press release. “But sometimes combining them on one record can be somewhat disconcerting to a particular group of fans. I love that. I love the psychedelic element of challenging the listener. I mean it’s all based on a library of music from our past … the Kinks and the Who meet the Ramones and the Count Five at a little bar owned by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash.”
Drivin’ N Cryin’ will perform at the Windjammer on Sat. July 6. Visit drivinncryin.com for more info.
Lindsay Holler at the Tin Roof (photo by Ballard Lesemann)
Back to the ’90s with Lindsay Holler and Co.
Charleston-based songwriter Lindsay Holler (Western Polaroids, Oh Ginger, Matadero) is putting another joyful theme night together at the Tin Roof this summer. On Sun. July 28, she’ll host “1990-1995,” a showcase of Lowcountry bands and musicians performing renditions of popular and obscure songs recorded and released within that time frame.
“Anything is open as long as it came out between 1990 and ’95,’ Holler says. “The more diverse, the better.” Holler says that early ’90s was “mostly high school for me, straight up” – an era when she was getting into the Black Crowes, Blind Melon, Uncle Tupelo, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Ben Harper, and Pearl Jam. “Around that time I also started getting into jazz, and my gateway drug of choice was Nina Simone,” she says. “I also started dabbling in a little Nick Drake. I headed up to Boston in 1994 for my first year of college. My time at Berklee was an eye-opener, as far as exposure to other types of music. I was game for anything.”
The roster will feature full bands, duos, and solo acts handling just about anything from the pop, R&B, and hip-hop hits of the early ’90s to hippie-rock H.O.R.D.E. fare and indie-rock staples. Visit lindsayholler.net for more.
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About the Author
Ballard Lesemann is a musician and writer. Born and raised in Charleston, S.C., he spent years playing in bands and working for Flagpole Magazine in the bustling music town of Athens, Ga. He returned to his hometown and served more than seven years as the Charleston City Paper's music editor. He's better at drumming than he is at playing guitar.
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