Luke Cunningham, 9-midnight, FREE

While cutting his teeth on the southern tour circuit with his former band Part Time Heroes, the genesis of Luke Cunningham’s maturity and depth as a songwriter was slowly being carved from the long nights, beer-soaked stages and heart-wrenching highs and lows frequent to any struggling rock band. Yet despite the band’s regional success and subsequent breakup, it’s now clearer than ever that Luke Cunningham’s endeavors post-PTH—and his solo debut Heart Pressure—are unquestionably his finest work as a songwriter.
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Garnering praise for what the Charleston Post & Courier calls “a fine example of sincerity in music”, Cunningham’s knack for penning heartfelt lyrics most recently gained the artist a dose of international recognition when was called upon to write the soundtrack for the 2010 film Blood, Sweat & Beers. Airing to over five million people in Canada and the US, the movie and Cunningham’s music have since been showcased in premiere film festivals throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
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After spending years on the road with such national acts as The Fray, Gin Blossoms and Will Hoge, Cunningham’s release of his album Heart Pressure effectively manages to weave the experiences, tribulations and uphill battles of this independent songwriter into an earnest narrative that’s bound to engage listeners and resonate with any music fan who still believes in the art of storytelling.

Reggie Sullivan received his Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University of South Carolina in 2006 and has since become one of the most-requested musicians in Columbia, SC. He has performed with musical legends such as Marian McPartland, Olivia Newton-John, Wycliffe Gordon, Herlin Riley, Chris Potter, Yuseef Latif, Ron McCurdy, Howard Hewitt, Randy Crawford, Joe Sample, and the Jazz Crusaders. Reggie has appeared in several local ETV broadcasts and national television series, most recently as a band member for Wynona Judd. He has also toured internationally with well-recognized jazz artists and legends. You can find him working worldwide as a freelance bassist or regionally with the Reggie Sullivan Project. Reggie currently lives in Columbia, SC.

Ryan Bonner’s first full-length record, Think of England, written, recorded, and produced by Bonner is homegrown in the truest sense of the word. As a follow up to his EP Monsters in The Hallway, Think of England showcases the ever-growing nature of a songwriter and artist who has a profound understanding of collaboration which is a craft of its own. He is currently recording a new LP slated for release in early 2013.

If nasty is what you want, look no further than Atlanta’s Six Shot Revival. They ain’t your Daddy’s Southern Rock, but, like the titans of old, they will drink, they will fight and they will wager. Their new album, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 , is a celebration of scandal and personal ruin, powered by some kind of 21st Century moonshine that Treasury Agents have yet to run a test on.

Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 was produced and engineered by Steve Morrison and Tom Tapley at Atlanta’s legendary Southern Tracks Studios. Tom and Steve have worked on albums by Mastodon, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and Sugarland. Six Shot has opened for national acts Buck Cherry, HellYeah, The Damned Things, Nashville Pussy, The Gracious Few and Amercian Bang. The CD Release bash for Greatest Hits Volume 1 became an extra-special event when they were joined on a few songs by Bob Burns, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s original drummer.

The group remains locked in a battle of wits with Satan. They continue to be hounded day and night by the Man, seemingly without end. With any sense, they could start fearing God around Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, but, for the present moment, come cleanse your sins in the river of the WHISKEY FUELED APOCALYPSE that is Six Shot Revival!

Versatile power trio led by electric guitarist/vocalist Johnny Mac;
handling anything from traditional blues to Texas-style rock to Southern-fried funk.

Duffy Kane is a man who has found his way, from being called “the best Texas Blues player since Stevie Ray Vaughan” to a “larger than life guitar man”. Playing from the ground up, Kane’s rockin’ Texas blues and Danny Gatton’esque Americana is delivered with ferocity, heart, and conviction. Born in the music rich atmosphere of Western Pennsylvania, Duffy was surrounded by the sounds of Jazz, Blues, Country, and Classical, all of which contributed to his musical foundation. As a child, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the old beat up guitar that sat in the corner. “I still feel that way about it” says Kane. “I can’t wait to get my hands on it.” After paying his dues working in some of the Baltimore area’s best bands, Duffy embarked on a solo career in the blues that took him from the east coast to the west coast throughout much of the 1990′s. Keeping a grueling 250 night year schedule, Duffy played festivals and on stages with blues greats such as Johnny Winter, Big Jack Johnson, Tino Gonzales, Debbie Davies, Sonny Rhodes, the Nighthawks, and Smokey Wilson just to name a few. In 1996 Duffy recorded his first studio album “Let Your Insides Do the Talking” at 16th Avenue Sound in Nashville, TN with grammy nominated Brian Hardin (who produced Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Daniels & many more artists.) Next came a live recording followed by 2 more studio albums, “Promised Land” in 2009 and “The Holy Ghost” in 2010. The word that best describes his music is “passion”. He is engrossed in every performance and plays each one like it will be his last. Passion, with every phrase, pausing only to dig down harder & deeper to offer up more of the sounds of his soul. Kane plays with uncommon urgency and continually succeeds in delivering his message: passion for his music, his audience, and above all, for America which has given him the wealth of musical herita

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Memphis blues guitarist/singer, by way of South Carolina, Davis Coen’s most recent accomplishments have included featured music on the ‘House Of Blues Radio Hour’ and NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’ & ‘World Cafe’ programs. Also somewhat current; his original recorded music on the DVD release of Martin Scorsese’s PBS special ‘The Blues’; and a couple of performances on the DVD documentary about the music of late-great Hillcountry Mississippi blues matriarch Jesse Mae Hemphill, titled ‘Dare You To Do It Again’. He also receives steady play on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio’s Channel 74 ‘Bluesville’, in addition to hundreds of blues-related programs nationally and worldwide.

Coen has been touring the U.S. since his teens, either as a solo guitar & vocal act, or often accompanied by a small rhythm combo, most commonly performing at clubs, bars, and festivals throughout the Southeast and mid-south. He has billed on the roster for numerous prestigious annual blues events such as the King Biscuit in Helena, Arkansas and several times at Juke Joint Fest in Clarksdale, MS. He has also enjoyed numerous tours of Europe, promoting over a half-a-dozen album releases, most notably appearing twice at the world-famous Bellinzona Blues Festival in Switzerland while still in his early 20′s. Coen has shared a bill or opened for many classic blues artists such as James Cotton, Junior Wells, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Big Jack Johnson, T-Model Ford, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, and Britain’s John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers. He has also shared bills with such non-blues performers as Wynton Marsalis, Richie Havens, Mountain, Eric Burdon, Tito Puente and Toots & The Maytals.

Just these past few years Davis has played at clean-up kickoffs along coastal Mississippi for Katrina victims, performing before the Mayors of each city, and was honored with an achievement award for his conglomerate relief efforts.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

The team of harp guitarist Drew Baldwin & harmonica player Juke Joint Johnny have been keeping the flame of vintage blues, old jazz and swing standards alive and well. The duo’s swingin’ sound and virtuosity have been entertaining crowds at festivals, clubs, private functions and charity events. The pair creates a vibrant, cool and fun atmosphere. Drew and Juke will take you back to a time when music had melody and songs had swing.

Guitarist, singer/songwriter Drew Baldwin has been performing across the US and abroad for over 3 decades. His instrument of choice is his 100 year old Larson made Dyer harp guitar, which features 5 bass strings, in addition to the 6 strings of a standard guitar. Drew showcases the instrument’s distinctive attributes by adeptly weaving melodies, chords, and bass lines simultaneously. He shares his soul and life experiences through the poetic lyrics of his original compositions, as well as his personal interpretations of classic Americana music. With an infectious smile, Southern drawl, and a love for music, people, and life in general, Drew’s performances are inspiring and endearing to any audience.

Juke Joint Johnny (aka John Soden Winkler), “The Harmonica Beast from the Southeast” is originally from Upstate NY. He blew into Charleston, SC on the skirts of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. There he met a hardcore group of local blues fans and musicians including Shrimp City Slim and the regular players at the jams of the Lowcountry Blues Society at legendary Cumberland’s Cafe. JJJ joined Slim’s band Blue Light Special and stayed on with them from 1990-1992. Since that time, he has performed throughout the Southeast with other artists such as Slidin’ Scott Perry, Bradford Station, and most recently Drew Baldwin and Silky Sam Owens. JJJ still performs with Shrimp City Slim both in duo and band formats, here and abroad.

Winner!

A skilled guitarist with over two decades of experience, Lefty Williams holds songcraft and musicianship at a premium. By emphasizing each equally on his ironically titled sophomore album Snake Oil, he engages and enlightens the listener. In turn, we fall for Williams’ powerful guitar licks and candid songs, often long before the origin of his nickname—he was born without a right hand—is clear. And by then, it’s just another dimension to his talent.
Lefty Williams holds endorsements from:
Mahalo Amplification
Curbow Stringed Instruments
Delaney Guitars
Mad Professor Pedals
Rocky Mountain Slides
Curt Mangan Fusion Matched Strings

What is it about Atlanta Georgia’s Soulhound that makes them so special? Maybe it’s because in a sea of interchangeable, cookie cutter bands & music, Soulhound creates music that just doesn’t sound like their contemporaries.

Soulhound has been described as “The Meters meets Hendrix meets Steely Dan”. One thing’s for sure, Soulhound are inspired disciples of the groove-oriented R&B, Soul & greasy Funk of the late sixties & seventies. Their influences range from Tower of Power & Parliament/Funkadelic to Graham Central Station, The Beatles, Phish & Miles Davis. With their unique brand of song-based, groove-oriented music, the band’s shows have become a crossroads where fans of all these genres can meet & get their groove on.

Soulhound has played all over the Southeast & has shared the stage with both national & regionally touring groups like Blues Traveler, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, RAQ, The Zac Brown Band, The Lee Boys, Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance, Blueground Undergrass, Cadillac Jones, Laura Reed & Deep Pocket, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band & many others.

Swamp Pop Shelly aka Shelly Waters was born and raised in Rayne, Louisiana, the heart of Cajun country. Her parents spoke French in the household when she was growing up and good old swamp pop music and Cajun tunes were a part of the family soundtrack. She fronted her first country band at the age of 12 and has a lifelong passion for singing good music. She is now based in Charleston, SC where she met up with Lowcountry bluesman Shrimp City Slim and his band, whose stylistic leanings toward south Louisiana swamp pop meshed perfectly with Shelly. They are now performing together regularly and are rehearsing an album of all-original material to be released end of 2012 or early in 2013.

“…Cotton Blue has made it a point over the years to serve up the blues in a no-nonsense way that has endeared the band to blues fans around the Lowcountry and beyond.This isn’t a band resting on its laurels, but instead a group of musicians keeping it real…” Devin Grant, Post and Courier, Charleston, SC, July 23, 2009

Cashman grew up outside of Conroe, TX, listening to older black men play guitar, sing and drink. “They would sell us BBQ sandwiches and Budweiser beer. We would sit around and listen to them play and tell stories. I felt privileged to be sitting where most white folks wouldn’t want to be.”

First and foremost, Cashman consider himself a songwriter, guitar and singing come in sucsessevive order. “I play the blues for the reason of purity. Pure unadulterated emotion is what I think our music is all about. It doesn’t matter about the crowd or money, as long as the emotion is at it’s highest levels, every thing will be alright“. Filled with experiences of his travels on the road and inspirations of Southern Gothic literature his songs get straight to the point.
Cashman’s 2007 release Texassippi Stomp, which featured Grant “Gabby’ Brown on harmonica and Jimbo Mathus on a variety of instruments, was placed on the nominated ballot for best traditional blues album of 2007 Grammy Awards. Since 2001, Cashman has played an average of 150 shows a year in North America and Europe. Cashman has released four full lenth albums. The latest being 2010’s Snake Feast.

After a 3 year stint in the Army cashman has worked as a carpenter, forklift driver, mystery shopper, field hand, fry cook, car salesman, long distance driver, bartender, store clerk, plumber, handyman, roofer, and a stay at home dad.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Cashman grew up outside of Conroe, TX, listening to older black men play guitar, sing and drink. “They would sell us BBQ sandwiches and Budweiser beer. We would sit around and listen to them play and tell stories. I felt privileged to be sitting where most white folks wouldn’t want to be.”

First and foremost, Cashman consider himself a songwriter, guitar and singing come in sucsessevive order. “I play the blues for the reason of purity. Pure unadulterated emotion is what I think our music is all about. It doesn’t matter about the crowd or money, as long as the emotion is at it’s highest levels, every thing will be alright“. Filled with experiences of his travels on the road and inspirations of Southern Gothic literature his songs get straight to the point.
Cashman’s 2007 release Texassippi Stomp, which featured Grant “Gabby’ Brown on harmonica and Jimbo Mathus on a variety of instruments, was placed on the nominated ballot for best traditional blues album of 2007 Grammy Awards. Since 2001, Cashman has played an average of 150 shows a year in North America and Europe. Cashman has released four full lenth albums. The latest being 2010’s Snake Feast.

After a 3 year stint in the Army cashman has worked as a carpenter, forklift driver, mystery shopper, field hand, fry cook, car salesman, long distance driver, bartender, store clerk, plumber, handyman, roofer, and a stay at home dad.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Wade Baker received his Undergraduate Degree (B.S. with a concentration in Jazz Studies) from the University of Indianapolis in 2006 and his Master’s Degree from C.C.M. in Jazz Trumpet (M.M. Jazz Studies) in ’12. Baker’s versatility makes him fit comfortably playing with many different types of artists in many different styles on many different instruments. He has played Bass Guitar at several of the country’s leading blues festivals (International Blues Challenge, Bean Blossom Blues Festival and Cincinnati Blues Festival) in addition to the many Jazz Festivals he has been a part of playing his trumpet. Wade has also fronted his own band playing guitar and singing at such festivals as the Olney Blues Festival, the Cincinnati Winter Blues Festival and many more.

The W.B.J.C. was formed in October of 2009 as a means to start a new revolution in the jazz scene of Cincinnati and abroad. It is the W.B.J.C.’s goal to play an eclectic fusion of jazz, hip-hop, funk and groove music while keeping the integrity and spirit of the traditions of the jazz masters we respect so much. Most of the tunes performed live are original compositions or compositions by other band members/close friends’ of band members which makes the listener’s experience truly experimental, new and exclusive. In addition to playing new music, the band also performs standard jazz repertoire with more modern arrangements of the tunes, developed by members of the group. It is the W.B.J.C.’s main objective to continue the growth and development of jazz music as well as make it a more accessible vehicle for younger generations to love and appreciate truly amazing American music.

Marcus King began playing the guitar when he was two years old; growing up surrounded by three generations of guitar players, now at the age of 16, it’s Marcus who will be leading his band to a steady rise. The Marcus King Band brings together Rock, Funk, Blues, and Jazz into a perfect melodic blend. Their influences span from the Allman Brothers Band and The Meters to Miles Davis and B.B. King. The Marcus King Band is a quartet with Brendan Williamson on Organ/Keyboards, Anthony House on Bass, Louis Kirk on Drums, and Marcus King on Guitar/Lead Vocals.

Charleston South Carolina based Whiskey Diablo is one of the southeast’s most diverse and unique bands serving up healthy portions of dirty rock ‘n’ roll, gutter country, swinging jazz and floor stomping hillbilly blues. The band delivers a high energy show full of both class & trash. Whiskey Diablo constantly strives to throw curve balls by adding in other genres such as funk, flamenco, and even taking boozy cues from the big band crooners like Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. The result is a “mash up” that is very familiar but unexpected and unpredictable at the same time.

 Whiskey Diablo began in the Summer of 2011 after the disbandment of Patrick Blake’s (vocal, guitar) former band. T. Ballard Lesemann of the Charleston City Paper claims “Blake has earned a reputation for his raspy, gutsy singing style and fiery guitar work.” On the momentum of his solo and full band shows, Blake enlisted Charleston veteran’s Brian Widlowski (drums) and Jonathan Grey (double bass) to form a beast of a band…….Whiskey Diablo.

 Widloski received his Jazz Performance Degree from the College of Charleston and studying under Quentin Baxter . He has performed in hundreds of shows throughout the southeast and had the privilege to perform with the Erin Kelly Band as the opening act for Ray Charles at the North Charleston Coliseum in 2002. In 2010 he was an active band member of Charleston Stage Company. Frustrated with the jazz scene’s politics, Widlowski got the itch to again play some rock ‘n’ roll.

 Gray has been a Charleston SC staple for years playing with a variety of bands including Jump Little Children, Garage Cuban Band, Slow Runner and Crowfeild. Gray also has a musical degree from the College of Charleston and a taste for wanderlust, shoulders, Ten High Bourbon and sleep masks.

The Blues have lived a transient life as has Nita B. The daughter of a textile family has lived all over the Southeast and was exposed to many types and variations of music as a child, and it always intrigued her. In the late 90’s Nita B was lucky enough to live in Charlotte, NC, very near The Double Door Inn, where she witnessed many a fine blues performance. Week after week she was truly inspired by the shows & artists she saw. Finally, a big light bulb clicked on and she decided to try out this thing called The Blues. In 2001, Nita B bought a bass, and took it home to her kitchen where she’d cook soup and learn to play and sing. She has experimented with a number of musical styles, but has fallen in love with the jazzy-blues sounds of the 30’s, 40’s, & 50’s as well as today’s contemporary Chicago style blues. Her music has evolved into Nita B & The Swingin’ Soiree.

Imagine the Blues of Mississippi’s earliest juke joints venturing out to New Orleans’ Storyville where blues mixed with jazz then traveled north along the Mighty Mississippi River and branched out to Memphis, Kansas City, Chicago and to Harlem’s Cotton Club and beyond. Nita B’s life has had many twists & turns, just like blues & jazz, and it’s no wonder they finally found each other.

Ever wonder what musicians do when their band breaks up?  Or what about when they’re in a holding pattern while waiting for a new record to come out.  Usually these scenarios lead to the “Heroin and Rehab” Chapter of a Behind The MusicEpisode. For Tyler Mechem, Luke Cunningham, and Ryan Bonner this lead to THE DUBIOUS BATTLES.

Originally formed through their collaboration during the “How The Other Half Gives” Charity Tour in 2011, Luke Cunningham, Ryan Bonner, and former Crowfield front man Tyler Mechem reunite for Jail Break V, April 27 as The Dubious Battles.  The music will be made up of original compositions co-written by all three members, unreleased solo material from each member, and popular songs by each member with a ‘Dubious Twist.”

According to Cunningham the collaboration was pretty organic: “Just like in a normal relationship, traveling with people gives you a great sense of who they are and how much of them you can stand. After the HOHG tour, the three of us literally suffered from post-tour depression. We enjoyed being around each other, singing each other’s songs and playing music together so much that we knew we’d have to get together again and do something collectively”

The response to The Dubious Battles debut performance at Jail Break V in April 2013 as well as their release on iTunes of the single “Bad Deal (Goodbye, Tuesday)” was so strong that Ryan, Luke, and Tyler wanted to do at least one full headlining show before the members of the band focused their attentions back to their main projects.

All of the artists have a fondness for Hometeam BBQ and Hometeam has always been so supportive of their individual projects that the band couldn’t think of a better place to bring everything together than Hometeam.  Says Bonner “Tony McKie and Fiery Ron have always made Hometeam BBQ a place that musicians not only enjoy playing but coming to hang out and see live music.  It’s a home away from home for us…just with better food!”  Tony Mckie, co-owner of Hometeam BBQ thinks having The Dubious Battles is a natural fit. “After witnessing the debut of The Dubious Battles at Jailbreak, Hometeam BBQ had to host the next show.  Great songs by great guys is definitely what we’re about.”

The Dubious Battles’ marks only the second public appearance post Crowfield for Mechem and one of the few projects he has taken part of without his former band mates in over 5 years. “For the last 5+ years Crowfield was my only project.  We challenged each other in the band, but we knew each other so well that we knew how and how far we could challenge each other.  To work with new people, and develop that creative relationship will be something I haven’t done in quite a while.  Luke, Ryan, and I have known each other for a long time and even toured together.  But we were always creating our own music, separately.  Now, we’re all in it together. No matter who brings the song to the table, we all need to be proud of what we perform. There’s a lot of trust that goes in to that.”

Both Ryan Bonner and Luke Cunningham are in the process of completing new records and The Dubious Battles project is a welcome creative interlude from their independent projects.  As Bonner says “It gives me a break from being in charge, which is cool.  Like Indian.  Not Chief.  It’s also an outlet for tunes or ideas that for whatever reason don’t work with our normal projects”.

Cunningham feels like working with these artists will help him down the line on his own projects: “In songwriting, you are what you eat. You pick up things along the way–whether from stories you hear, people you meet or projects you play in–and always wind up indirectly using it somewhere else later. I learn a lot from these two guys both musically and personally whenever I’m around them–so I know that I’ll take a little bit of them/the music we create into my next project.”

 The June 8^th Dubious Battles Show will be 2 sets starting at 10p with a brief intermission.  Admission will be $5 and only available the night of the show at the door.  Hometeam BBQ—Sullivan’s Island is located at 2209 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island, SC.

For More information on The Dubious Battles as well as each member visit:

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

With a genuine combination of American soul and an upbeat pop-rock style, Matt has emerged as one of the go-to indie front men in the southeastern U.S. He first cut his teeth in the music scene of Orlando Florida during his time at Rollins College while earning a degree in vocals, composition and guitar. In 2008, Matt was lured to Charleston along the South Carolina coast—where his single “Drive” has been regularly featured on radio at 105.5 The Bridge. When around home, Matt also performs regularly at the iconic venue The Windjammer…perhaps best-known as a launchpad for Darius Rucker’s Hootie & The Blowfish. Matt’s trademarks are a big voice, authentic songwriting, personable nature and an extra dose of funny.
Matt’s recently released EP Slow Down produced by Aaron Tap (Matt Nathanson) has garnered critical acclaim and is currently getting radio adds (AAA and College) with singles “Chances Are” and “So Far”. Audiences are growing in all markets and the word of mouth on the EP and the entertaining live show have Matt and his band poised for a big 2012.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Jeff Kozelski spent eight years on guitar and vocals touring around the country with his band King Hippo opening for many big acts, including Galactic, Steve Winwood, and Ratdog. He also recorded two studio albums (Friday Night and Uppercuts) as well as a live album ( Attack of the 3 Horned Hippo) featuring members from the James Brown horn section. After slowing down the playing with King Hippo, Jeff went on to sit in with talents such as Darius Rucker, Danielle Howle, Ryan Monroe’s Pangroid Band, and Foot, in which he co-wrote songs beside Ryan Monroe, Creighton Barrett (both members of the Band of Horses), and Josh Roberts (of Josh Roberts and the Hinges).

In July 2008, Jeff moved to Charleston, SC for a nice change of scenery and started writing with a new style, which is more reminiscent of alternative-rock-country than his earlier jam rock. Jeff rejoined forces with Ian Grimshaw, with whom he had been in a high school band many years earlier. Ian has been writing, teaching, and playing in a number of Charleston area bands for the past fifteen years. He most recently had been focusing on acoustic music with a variety of instrumentalists. It was a natural fit. While tackling harmonies and writing songs with more of a soulful, southern feel, The Outervention was born. Ian suggested multi-instrumentalist and former bandmate, Alan Brisendine, from such bands as Booty Call and Suspicious Package, to lay it down on the drums. Tom Eden had played in King Hippo with Jeff for many years so he was pulled back into the jam for the Bass skills. The Outervention has an eclectic, soulful vibe that brings heavy guitar riffs and southern harmonies together once again. Hope you enjoy.

Thomas Wynn & The Believers touted as “Southern Rock Muscle – Soulful Rock n’ Blues” by The Orlando Sentinel and repeatedly reviewed as UNBELIEVABLE live!! Whether in an intimate setting or on a massive festival stage, they infectiously impact every listener.

TW&TB has shared the stage with national acts such as Gov’t Mule, Leon Russell, Jim Weider, Kevn Kenny, Colt Ford, Drive-By Truckers, Donna The Buffalo, Dumpstaphunk, Blackberry Smoke, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Leftover Salmon, JJ Grey & Mofro, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Honey Island Swamp Band, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Lee Boys, Charlie Daniels, Over The Rhine, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe . . .

The sibling-led quintet from Orlando personifies a new era that crosses generations with love, heartbreak, and love again with just really, really, really good music . . . pieces of Dylan, The Band, Petty, and Young, and a bit of Jennings, Redding, and CCR seep through The Believers’ makeup. TW&TB has found a way of crafting a new vein of music — gritty, yet pure uplifting Soul Rock — a mixture of the classics, R&B and gospel, creating a sound that has an identity of its own ~ rugged, yet tender mixture of rock and country, sprinkled with southern soul ~ tunes brutally honest & heartfelt, the themes go beyond years of drugs, heartbreaks and hypocrisy to deliver a message of hope.

In the 1970s, their father, Tom Wynn, was the original drummer of Cowboy, one of Capricorn Studio’s (Allman Brothers) legendary bands. His influence, as well as their faith, partly expressed through leading worship ministries at church, undoubtedly shaped their songwriting and musical interests. Their deeply rooted upbringing certainly laid the foundation for what the Wynns bring to The Believers’ sound.

Wynn’s passionate lyrics and emotional delivery, coupled with his songbird sister Olivia’s soulful, yet haunting harmonies, backed by a tight, fiery band has built the reputation for don’t-miss powerful, explosive LIVE performances, while developing an incredible fan-base loyalty wherever and whenever they play. Led by their powerful vocal harmonies and undeniable musicianship, TW&TB full band has been touring nationally, as well as the brother & sister Duo, an unplugged version of their heartfelt take on modern R&B-fused soul– and this year, the band’s itinerary expands to the Pacific Coast and in between. . .

Their debut album The Reason (2009) is a well-crafted studio sampling of Wynn’s many tunes, but the band’s choice to self-produce their sophomore album “Brothers & Sisters,” released January 2012, was recorded live in-studio, a truer representation of the emotion and intensity experienced in their live performances.

Angela Easterling first left her South Carolina home to attend college in Boston and later for a couple-of-year stint in Los Angeles, but she’s back and living not far from the family farm located in Greer. “We always go out and explore, and we always come back,” Easterling says of her family, adding with a laugh. “Then we leave again but keep coming back.”

On her most recent return, Easterling thought she was coming back only temporarily, but she’s ended up making the Greenville area her base of operations. “If there’s anyplace in this world where I can call home,” she says, “it’s that land in Greer.”

And it’s that piece of land that’s at the heart of Easterling’s second album, “BlackTop Road,” its title track telling the story of the family farm and its struggle again “progress” manifested in pavement. There are other personal moments on the album, whether firsthand (A.P. Carter Blues was inspired by a trip to the titular patriarch’s grave, while Stars Over the Prairie revisits a song written by her great-grandfather in the ’40s) or borrowed (The Picturedetails a harrowing discovery a daughter makes after the death of her father). And in the voice of Easterling and the hands of her and producer Will Kimbrough – along with top-flight guests like Ken Coomer, Dave Jacques, Fats Kaplin, Anne McCue and Al Perkins – the songs get the loving, and often rocking, treatment they deserve.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

DDK (Disco Demolition Knights) is a trio featuring BG (Brian Graham, formerly of Live Oak) on Guitar/vox, Brooks DuBose on drums (Ten Mile Tide, Gaslight Street) and David Sanders (Spoonful). The band’s sound is steeped in Southern Rock & Blues (Allman Brothers, North Mississippi All Stars) as well as darker and harder hitting rock (Black Sabbath, Clutch) flavored with hints of jazz, funk, soul & raggae.

The band has recently released their first EP. A modest collection of songs featuring subtle slide guitar and fast paced riffage that pays tribute to some of the best trios like Cream, Gov’t Mule, ZZ Top and the Police.

Since their formation in April of 2006 the members of Weigh Station have become a strong, dynamic, and creative force in the Charleston music scene. They have headlined some of Charleston’s most popular music venues such as the Music Farm and the Pour House while playing extensively across the Carolinas at private parties, weddings, clubs, and bars.
Each member of Weigh Station brings his musical background and influences to the song writing process creating a unique Rock and Roll sound. Their sound has been described as funk rock, and dirty southern soul.
While Weigh Station has been known in Charleston as an exciting live and improvisational band, their focus as of late has shifted towards song oriented rock after having completed their first EP, Past the Tracks.

Jamie McLean had a big decision to make in 2006. He could continue to tour the globe as the guitarist for New Orleans’ famed Dirty Dozen Brass Band playing sets at Madison Square Garden, Bonnaroo and Japan’s Fuji Rock. Or he could do it his way, take the road less traveled and begin to lead Jamie McLean Band. It seemed as though there was only one option.

“It was certainly a tough choice to leave my bread and butter gig but I could feel it in my heart that I needed to be singing and recording and performing my own music. I’ve never been happier!”

For the last 5 years McLean have been relentlessly touring and recording with Jamie McLean Band which also features Brian Griffin on drums and Ben Mars on bass. Jamie McLean Band has released 3 full-length albums, Completely (2010), American Heartache (2008), This Time Around (2006) and are set to release an astounding 4 EPs in 2011!

2010 was the band’s busiest year to day as they hit the road with the likes of Gregg Allman, Drive By Truckers, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Blues Traveler, North Mississippi Allstars, Joan Armatrading, Jackie Greene, and Gov’t Mule. Jamie Mclean Band appeared at festivals such as Mountain Jam, Gathering of the Vibes, Bele Chere, Sweetwater Festival, Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam and Great Woods Music to name a few. McLean also released a video documentary “From The Bottom Up”, and has enjoyed the sponsorship of Gibson Guitars, Blue Microphones, John Varvatos and Esquire Magazine.

Jamie McLean Band is now set to release an astounding set of 4 EPs in 2011! These “Electric Postcards” will feature themed recordings such as Electric, Acoustic, Covers and a live release.

“We really wanted to find a way to get our fans more music more often. I wanted to steer clear of a typical album release cycle where we only put out an album every couple of years. We are excited to stretch ourselves musically and I think it’s a great way to get the most amount of new music possible to our fans.”

The first EP “Time Of My Life” released on March 3rd with an official New York City release party presented by rock and roll fashion mogul John Varvatos. “Time Of My Life” features the core electric trio pumping out their brand of original roots, downtown rock and roll, country and swampy soul. The title track and first single “Time Of My Life” kicks off the upbeat, party atmosphere. It sounds as if ZZ Top, AC/DC and Tom Petty are throwing the best backyard barbecue in town.

Recorded by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Phish, Ben Kweller) and mixed by John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Drive By Truckers, The Hold Steady) the sessions were purposely kept very live, raw and spontaneous.

“When we started pre production I made it clear to our producer Bryce Goggin that we wanted these recordings to sound more like a live band than a studio band. We wanted to have everyone in the same room with the amps cranked up! We kept the same philosophy throughout mixing and mastering and I’m thrilled with the results!”

Jamie McLean Band will support “Time Of My Life” as well as the rest of the 4 EP collection with a string of tour dates around the country. Be sure to catch the band live to feel the raw energy that they bring to the stage!

If you find solace is the aging tobacco sheds that dot the Carolina countryside, or if you believe flat-bed trailers are better served as stages for Southern Rock Outfits, then you are probably a fan of the Dead Pedals. They have been described as “College Country Rock”, or “Southern Dirt Music”, but whatever you call them, The Dead Pedals simply write and perform good music. Over two decades of performing in regional bands and touring from Texas to Boston have led to this…a group that has clearly honed its craft. If the devil is in the details, then these boys are straight outta hell. What sets The Dead Pedals apart is that they still allow for the dirt to seep into their music. Like pure spring water flowing from rusty pipes, these guys prove that a well crafted Alt-Country song can still have an edge

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Blues/funk/soul by some familiar faces…

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

The Green Levels formed in Charleston, SC in 2008, and have been playing regularly at venues and events around the Lowcountry ever since. While early on the band went through several iterations, an acoustic trio quickly emerged comprised of Stephen Jenkins on guitar, Bobby Hogg on upright bass, and Elliott Genther on mandolin. Combined, these three have come to form a sound all their own. Not quite straight ahead bluegrass, not quite folk, not quite acoustic jam rock, sometimes all of the above. Sometimes Lionel Richie! The influences that each member has brought to the table has led to the formation of quite an eclectic trio…one that has proven time and time again to surprise and delight. Green Levels remains one of Charleston’s best kept musical secrets. On one hand, they have an uncanny ability to get the pub up on its feet and dancing. On the other, they can add that sentimental touch to your special event. In sum, the Green Levels does what it can to contribute to what has become a thriving musical collective rooting itself in the South Carolina Lowcountry!

TreeHouse! hails from the Myrtle Beach, SC, area, performing a fusion of Reggae Alternative JamRock. With their official debut album released June 18, 2011, the band is currently booking regional shows to spread the good word, performing with bands like The Movement, SOJA, The Wailers, Ballyhoo, Groove Stain, The Bastard Suns, 3 Legged Fox, and Jah Works at events like r.Evolution Beach Fest, Myrtle Beach Rocks House of Blues, Boathouse Summer Concert Series, Pirates Cove Jams Series, and The Mid-Atlantic Music Conference.

Johnson’s Crossroad has been described by friends and fans as everything from Appalachian Soul” to “Hillbilly Metal.” The band blends blues, roots-rock, folk, bluegrass, and Appalachian Old Time for a sound that The Daily Times’ Steve Wildsmith calls “both mournful and jubilant, breezy and graveyard serious.” He goes on to comment that frontman Paul Johnson’s voice “barely rises above a growl, but he stretches that sound to encompass the experience of a train-hopping hobo and the wisdom of an old man recalling loves lost and wars fought from the porch of a backwoods cabin.” Their 2011 album Mockingbird puts songwriter Paul Johnson in line with names like Guy Clark or Zac Brown and his powerful voice evokes memories of folk stars like Taj Mahal or Burl Ives. The Wilmington Star News describes, “It’s gruff and easygoing, like a mix of Tom Waits and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem.“ AmericanaUK exclaims, “With ‘Mockingbird’ Johnson’s Crossroad seem to have just proved themselves to be one of the finest Roots rockers around right now.” The album was voted the #7 Regional albums of 2012 by WNCW! The sincerity of Johnson’s songs and simplicity of his lyrics make you want to pour a brew, put your feet up or head to the hills. Asheville’s Bold Life call the band a “treat to see live” and says that, “Paul Johnson has a knack for creating powerful visuals with straightforward lyrics.” Dobro, mandolin and fiddle back up Johnson’s clean lyrics on some, other times its simple finger picking to a folksong. “I like to keep the words simple,” said Paul Johnson. “I try and follow Hank Williams as much as possible, let the words tell the story and the music back it up,” Johnson said. His inspiration is simple yet intently focused. “I was born in the mountains of West Virginia, I’ve always been in the mountains all my life,” said Johnson who now calls Asheville, NC home.

Over the last 18 months or so, the Royal Tinfoil have proven themselves to be one of the absolute best live bands in Charleston, with fantastic energy and creativity and the chops to back it up. Lamont “Mackie” Boles and Lily Slay initially played around town as a duo. While recently they’ve been performing with a full band setup, this studio album features the pair with only a few guests. And while it doesn’t quite reach the high level of intensity a full band brings, it still shines.

Slay opens Well Water Communion with a deeply reaching “Excuuuuuse meee,” before belting out the fast-paced folk-honky-tonk “Die Already,” harmonizing with Boles — as they do on nearly every track — through the surprisingly uplifting chorus, “I’m getting on not getting along with you.”

While their theatrics and fast-paced swing make for a great vibe, the two best tracks are their most grounded — and least collaborative — tracks. On the seventh, “The Wretched Curse of Fools,” Slay pours out her soul, starting slowly before breaking into an uptempo chorus where she showcases her vocal skills, lilting beautifully, “I did it to myself/Just like I always do as you can tell/I didn’t need no help to fuck it all to hell/It’s just a spell of the wretched curse of fools.”

Versatile power trio led by electric guitarist/vocalist Johnny Mac;
handling anything from traditional blues to Texas-style rock to Southern-fried funk.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

We are a variety string band from Charleston, SC. We formed in late January 2012. We play a lot of different styles and like to have fun playing music that’s about it. Hope you enjoy it!

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Steel Petals is a band based out of Charleston, S.C. that is known for their multiple interpretations of blues based rock and roll. Steel Petals incorporates modern rock, acid blues, and roots rock into a rich blend of dynamic southern swagger.  When describing Steel Petals music, Mathew Godbey of the Post and Courier says, ”There is a darkness, a certain swampy sinfulness …creating a colorful collage of regionally defining genres.”

Steel Petals recently released their first new material in two and half years on October 12^th, 2012.  The new album, Ligero (pronounced Le-hair-oh) shows the undeniable depth of the band’s blues based attack.   From the slinky groove of “Bonhomme Richard” to the gnashing teeth of “Black Diamond” and the gospel exalt of “Glory of One” Steel Petals display their adeptness at embracing blues based rock in all its forms.

Lead singer and guitarist Blake Ohlson, Charleston’s only Orthopedic Surgeon by day and rocker by night, is once again at the helm as The Petals drop a new cargo of material on the port city.  Manning the engine of the Steel Petals machine for the past year and half and propelling the band to new groove and dynamic heights are bassist Jeff Narkiewicz and drummer Shank Wilson.

Steel Petals first began to make a name for themselves in 2009 after the group won the Trident United Way’s Battle of the Bands competition in 2009.  Steel Petals keyboardist at the time, Whitt Algar (Crowfield, The Bushels) recommended Wilson to Ohlson in 2010 after their involvement in the cover band Simple Possession.

After a few months in the band and another win at the 2010 Battle of the Bands, Ohlson and Wilson decided to add Wilson’s longtime rhythm section partner, Jeff  Narkiewicz, to complete the current lineup.  With the cohesive unit in place, the band began to work on material for Ligero and began upping their live profile in Charleston.

Philadelphia’s blues and soul drenched vocalist and songwriter released her 4^th CD entitled “Tell It Like It Is” in October of 2010.  The new CD is another successful collaboration between Philadelphia producer/songwriter, Chris Arms and Deb and was recorded at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA by Grammy Award winning producer/engineer Phil Nicolo. The CD features 9 new original songs and a cover of “Funkier Than a Mosquita’s Tweeter” originally performed by Tina Turner and written by her sister Aillene Bullock as well as “Cold Irons Bound” a Bob Dylan tune. The road tested band including guitarist Allen James, bass player Garry Lee and drummer, Tom Walling with special guests Jason Crosby on keyboards/violin, (Susan Tedeschi, Robert Randolph)  and Matt Cappy on trumpet, (Jill Scott, MJ Blige, Jay-Z, John Legend), bring a live, spontaneous feel to the tracks. The songs are blues based with forays into gospel, soul, rock and jazz and thematically explore a range of topics and issues including feeling love and joy, finding spirituality, giving voice to the experience of homeless children without family support, how hard it can be to make changes and are both serious and playful.

Taylor McCleskey, Ryan Williams, Eric Mixon, and Blake Shorter…some build empires..some plant seeds.  They make music.  Tonight…it will be made immediately following the Masters coverage.

A musical force from the moss-draped Old South, The Train Wrecks are a hard-working band of songwriters and performers who love nothing more than good songs and a good show. They deliver a dynamic, original blend of Americana- ranging from outlaw alt-country and bluegrass to rootsy rock and beyond, all with a distinctive Southern swagger.

Born in the vibrant bar and club scene in Savannah, GA, The Train Wrecks released their debut album, “Whiskey and War,” in 2007. Rave reviews and a growing reputation as a must see live act helped the band to branch out to surrounding markets in the Southeast. They’ve since been steadily building a fanbase in clubs across the region, while also finding some bigger stages along the way. They’ve opened for legends like Jerry Jeff Walker and BB King, alongside an expanding roster of regular club and festival dates.

Earlier this year The Train Wrecks released their second album, “Saddle Up.” Building on their unique mix of Americana and rock, “Saddle Up” showcases the band’s solid songwriting and astute musicianship- and some exciting new directions for their signature sound. On the strength of their latest recordings and growing regional presence, The Train Wrecks are poised and ready to significantly raise their profile as songwriters and performers by continuing to write and record great songs and win fans through relentless gigging.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Jim is a co-founding member of Junkyard Angel and has been with the band since its inception in early 2005. Jim also gigs as a solo artist, as well as with his older brother in their family band, The Marshall Brothers. Jim has been touring out of Charleston, SC for the past 13 years as a solo artist with a 3 year layoff to lose his arse in the Spec Home Building business when the Construction industry crashed. Jim has performed with Stewart and Winfield and Park Bench Trio. Jim has also opened for such regional and nationally acclaimed acts as The Marshall Tucker Band, Foghat, .38 Special, Kevn Kinney, Widespread Panic, Jupiter Coyote, AllGood, Stewart and Winfield, Bloodkin, Tonic, The Verve, and Sister Hazel, to name but a few.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Behind Dash Rip Rock’s party-band exterior has always been a dead serious Southern rock group kicking to get out. The last two Dash albums, Country Girlfriend and Call of the Wild, were big fun, but both tended to emphasize the humorous side of the band, the side that produced the ’90s college-radio hit “Let’s Go Smoke Some Pot.” Buy on AmazonBuy on iTunesBlack Liquor is one of the few Dash albums with almost no yuks on it, but it’s anything but a somber affair: Sporting some of Bill Davis’ hardest-hitting songs—and boosted by the best production the band’s had since its early-’90s alliance with the late Jim Dickinson—this is the album where the band rocks out in earnest.

Don Merkle & The Blacksmiths, which arose from the ashes of Bareknuckle Champions… is a 5 piece band out of Columbia, SC. Acoustic guitarist/lead vocalist Donald Merckle and bassist/vocalist Kevin Pettit founded the band during the summer of 2010. BKC is rounded out by Chris Lawther/banjo, David Kelly/drums and Tim McManus/Accordion and tin whistle.
BKC’s sound is equal parts Bluegrass, Celtic rock and American Punk, a sound that has been honed and updated since Merckle and Pettit began playing together in the Celtic Rock band LOCH NESS JOHNNY in 1999. Lawther and McManus also performed with LNJ for several years so the switch to the rawer more energetic BKC was a natural transition.
Since their first performance in 2010, BARE KNUCKLE CHAMPIONS have played the 5 Points St. Patrick’s Day Festival, The CMC Steel Rhythm on the River Concert Series and venues in Augusta, Columbia, Charleston and Charlotte. BKC has been interviewed and performed on both WXRY 99X and WWNQ 94.3 “The River”
The 5 men who comprise BKC have a rich history in the Columbia, SC music scene. Chris Lawther was also the banjoist for Bill Wells and the Blue Ridge Mountain Grass and plays guitar wit Tom Hall and the Plowboys, Bentz Kirby and Alien Carnival and Jackaroe. David Kelly also plays drums for Riptide. Tim McManus has literally performed all over the world and performs locally as a solo artist. Merckle also founded American gun and performed with them for over 5 years releasing 3 albums while Pettit most recently performed with The Blues/Rock band Delta Swagger. Each of the members of this band has between 15 and 25 years of experience as professional musicians with countless recordings and live performances under their belts so you can be assured that every performance is well worth your money!
“Raucous”, “Creative” and “High-Energy” all describe this band but fall far short of fully capturing the spirit of a Bare Knuckle live performance.

Based out of Greenville, SC, The Bad Popes are Charles Hedgepath (guitar, vocals, and mandolin), Mike Bagwell (steel guitars, dobro and vocals), Jef Chandler (guitar and vocals), Chris Garrett (bass), and Joe Cash (drums). Playing original material written by Chandler and Hedgepath as well choice covers ranging from Graham Parsons and Willie Nelson to The Beatles and The Ramones, the band members are all veterans of the South Carolina music scene with individual members having played or currently playing in numerous bands, including The Work, Big Brown Bowl, The Note Ropers, Aaron Berg and The Heavy Love, and True Blues, to name a few. As a group, they have been delivering their version of Americana to audiences in the southeast since 2002. In one evening of a Bad Popes performance, you may hear Texas Swing in the manner of Bob Wills, country like Merle Haggard, rock, folk, bluegrass and more. The Band released their eponymous debut CD in 2009, and are currently working on a new studio album due to be released in 2011.

Don Merkle & The Blacksmiths, which arose from the ashes of Bareknuckle Champions… is a 5 piece band out of Columbia, SC. Acoustic guitarist/lead vocalist Donald Merckle and bassist/vocalist Kevin Pettit founded the band during the summer of 2010. BKC is rounded out by Chris Lawther/banjo, David Kelly/drums and Tim McManus/Accordion and tin whistle.
BKC’s sound is equal parts Bluegrass, Celtic rock and American Punk, a sound that has been honed and updated since Merckle and Pettit began playing together in the Celtic Rock band LOCH NESS JOHNNY in 1999. Lawther and McManus also performed with LNJ for several years so the switch to the rawer more energetic BKC was a natural transition.
Since their first performance in 2010, BARE KNUCKLE CHAMPIONS have played the 5 Points St. Patrick’s Day Festival, The CMC Steel Rhythm on the River Concert Series and venues in Augusta, Columbia, Charleston and Charlotte. BKC has been interviewed and performed on both WXRY 99X and WWNQ 94.3 “The River”
The 5 men who comprise BKC have a rich history in the Columbia, SC music scene. Chris Lawther was also the banjoist for Bill Wells and the Blue Ridge Mountain Grass and plays guitar wit Tom Hall and the Plowboys, Bentz Kirby and Alien Carnival and Jackaroe. David Kelly also plays drums for Riptide. Tim McManus has literally performed all over the world and performs locally as a solo artist. Merckle also founded American gun and performed with them for over 5 years releasing 3 albums while Pettit most recently performed with The Blues/Rock band Delta Swagger. Each of the members of this band has between 15 and 25 years of experience as professional musicians with countless recordings and live performances under their belts so you can be assured that every performance is well worth your money!
“Raucous”, “Creative” and “High-Energy” all describe this band but fall far short of fully capturing the spirit of a Bare Knuckle live performance.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Mississippi John Doude is blues, rock, folk and country all rolled into one, yet none of these would quite describe his unique style. With a sound that’s as swampy as snake oil, and as gritty as the cloud of dust on a dry dirt road, MJD’s sweaty blues riffs pull you in like quicksand, while his driving beats hypnotize like tribal war drums, creating a juke joint trance that’s infectiously nasty. From barn-burning country bluegrass to delta blues, MJD’s stripped down roots music takes you back to where American music began.

Winner!

The Sundogs are a six piece rock n roll band that plays the hell out of some rock n roll songs. Led by brothers Lee and Will Haraway,
The Sundogs have cranked out two albums and countless badass shows that feature a melodic, high-energy sound that is most often compared to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Black Crowes and The Band.

The Sundogs are a six piece rock n roll band that plays the hell out of some rock n roll songs. Led by brothers Lee and Will Haraway,
The Sundogs have cranked out two albums and countless badass shows that feature a melodic, high-energy sound that is most often compared to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Black Crowes and The Band.

Living between Texas, Louisiana and islands off the East Coast, T. Champagne channels his love of funk, roots rock, and island grooves into a danceable blend of music that utilizes percussive phrasing and catchy lyrics to engage fans to embrace hope, freedom, change…and most of all, life. T. Champagne grew up with the best of both worlds, Texas Pride and a strong Cajun Spirit with a musical foundation of piano, bass, and drums. After a decade of stage performances with numerous prior acts, T. found his true sound as a songwriter inAustin,TXand began his solo career in 2006.  Keeping true to the form of movement, art and soul, T. began touring the states with his act, “Champagnewith Friends” releasing their first album, “OldTown” in 2008.

In the spring of 2011, T. Champagne participated in “The Swamp Sessions” in Awendaw, SCalong with Edwin McCain, Mark Bryan, Phillip Lammonds and Danielle Howle and returned in late Summer 2011 T. Champagne to complete his second album called “Life”, featuring the single, “Sunshine Smilin” produced by Mark Bryan and Danielle Howle.  In the fall of 2011, T Champagne toured all of the SEC college campuses for the 2011 “SEC Football Tailgating Tour”, sponsored by The Music Initiative Magazine.  T Champagne has also been named “Emerging Artist of the Year” by The Music Initiative Magazine for 2012.  T. Champagne will be touring theGulfCoast, Rockies, and theMidwest starting in mid-May 2012 with his new trio as a vocalist and bassist.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

The TAB has been performing for ten years and has released five studio albums. “Migrant Heart” is the fifth studio album released Sept. 15, 2009. The TAB’s music can be heard on MTV shows including “Making the Video” and “Undressed” and various radio stations, internet stations and compilation CDs.

While all the rocks have been turned hundreds of times and the melodies have become inverted to a fray, music still creates the freedom, expression and escape that makes our world continue to search for innovation. From a man who originally came to town to play jazz guitar, Scott Low quit it all for the song.

Write A New Song, the newest album from Efren is equal parts rock, americana, folk, country, and psychedelic. After producing three previous independent bedroom records (Thunder and Moan, Always Been a Bleeder, and Rise on Up and Melt) a new electric sound has come. The band went into the classic southern studio of Full Moon Studios in Watkinsville, GA. Following a sudden marital split and with a dozen songs written to release the energy of the present and past, Efren created a whiskey drenched, bar floor stomping record.

With a gruff voice and thick guitars, the band has pulled from local heroes the Drive-by Truckers, Drivin’ and Cryin’, Dead Confederate, and Futurebirds, along with the southern chorus’ of Lucero and Lambchop. The title track ‘Write a New Song’ brings a thick chorus sung with the help of Athens darling Betsy Franck and Jonathan Brill. “Who you find in your oceans may never be what you expect, Mama said I’m attracted to the hard times.”

While all the rocks have been turned hundreds of times and the melodies have become inverted to a fray, music still creates the freedom, expression and escape that makes our world continue to search for innovation. From a man who originally came to town to play jazz guitar, Scott Low quit it all for the song.

Write A New Song, the newest album from Efren is equal parts rock, americana, folk, country, and psychedelic. After producing three previous independent bedroom records (Thunder and Moan, Always Been a Bleeder, and Rise on Up and Melt) a new electric sound has come. The band went into the classic southern studio of Full Moon Studios in Watkinsville, GA. Following a sudden marital split and with a dozen songs written to release the energy of the present and past, Efren created a whiskey drenched, bar floor stomping record.

With a gruff voice and thick guitars, the band has pulled from local heroes the Drive-by Truckers, Drivin’ and Cryin’, Dead Confederate, and Futurebirds, along with the southern chorus’ of Lucero and Lambchop. The title track ‘Write a New Song’ brings a thick chorus sung with the help of Athens darling Betsy Franck and Jonathan Brill. “Who you find in your oceans may never be what you expect, Mama said I’m attracted to the hard times.”

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.

Living between Texas, Louisiana and islands off the East Coast, T. Champagne channels his love of funk, roots rock, and island grooves into a danceable blend of music that utilizes percussive phrasing and catchy lyrics to engage fans to embrace hope, freedom, change…and most of all, life. T. Champagne grew up with the best of both worlds, Texas Pride and a strong Cajun Spirit with a musical foundation of piano, bass, and drums. After a decade of stage performances with numerous prior acts, T. found his true sound as a songwriter inAustin,TXand began his solo career in 2006.  Keeping true to the form of movement, art and soul, T. began touring the states with his act, “Champagnewith Friends” releasing their first album, “OldTown” in 2008.

In the spring of 2011, T. Champagne participated in “The Swamp Sessions” in Awendaw, SCalong with Edwin McCain, Mark Bryan, Phillip Lammonds and Danielle Howle and returned in late Summer 2011 T. Champagne to complete his second album called “Life”, featuring the single, “Sunshine Smilin” produced by Mark Bryan and Danielle Howle.  In the fall of 2011, T Champagne toured all of the SEC college campuses for the 2011 “SEC Football Tailgating Tour”, sponsored by The Music Initiative Magazine.  T Champagne has also been named “Emerging Artist of the Year” by The Music Initiative Magazine for 2012.  T. Champagne will be touring theGulfCoast, Rockies, and theMidwest starting in mid-May 2012 with his new trio as a vocalist and bassist.

Reid Stone and his band of troubadours will inhabit Sullivan’s Island every Wednesday in 2013…a damn fine way to get over the hump.  Sometimes a full band, sometimes acoustic, rotating guest musicians…gotta come every Wednesday to keep up!

Come visit the only weekly, full band, open electric jam.  Come early…bring your voice, guitar, bass, or sticks (backline drums and amps provided)…and sign up to get your 15minutes on the Home Team stage.

Well, musicians don’t get much more home grown than Heather Luttrell, who grew up traveling the country with her father’s band. Music began as a vital part of her childhood; it eventually became an integral part of her soul.

For nearly a decade now, Heather has dedicated her life to sowing her music among the masses, cultivating a dedicated following from the ground up. In 2002, she released the live solo album, Drive Like You Stole It, and in 2005 she followed Drive… up with the full length studio album, Grits n’ Pulp. She toured extensively to support both releases, surrounding herself with a host of award-winning musicians (her rhythm section won the International Blues Challenge in 2003) and opening for the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, The GA Satellites, The Zach Brown Band, Dave Mason, Johnette Napolitano, Shawn Mullins, Alana Davis, Tift Merrit, Jakob Dylan, Over the Rhine, Angie Aparo, Amos Lee, Ryan Adams, Elton John, The Jon Butler Trio, Delbert McClinton, Richard Thompson, Brandi Carlille, Bain Mattox, Melissa Ferrick, and Eyes Adrift.

In 2005, Heather became a contestant on Rock Star: INXS, an international reality show in which a variety of singers vied to become frontman (or frontwoman) for the seminal Australian-based rock and pop band. Heather made it to the top 15, but was eliminated in the middle rounds of the televised contest. While INXS’s music didn’t reflect the sentiment and sensibility of Heather’s own music, she chalks the it up as a life-changing learning experience. The show also exposed Heather to an even broader fan base – it was like fertilizer on an already fertile field.

Most recently, Heather has thrown herself headlong into touring in support of her studio EP, Pomegranate, and another full length live recording, Live From the Kirkwood Public House. Some of the highlights of Heather’s latest flurry of touring has been her spots on the Lynyrd Skynyrd Cruise, the Kid Rock Cruise, and the Cayamo Cruise, where she played the same stage as Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Buddy Miller, and The Indigo Girls.

Formed in the spring of 2009, The Whiskey Gentry is a band of Atlanta misfits that defy categorization in Atlanta’s saturated music market. From bluegrass to punk to old-time country, The Whiskey Gentry combine accomplished musicianship with high-energy stage shows that are sure to provide many a night of pickin’ and dancin’ for any music scene.

Having recently been chosen by Paste Magazine as the “Best of What’s Next,” The Whiskey Gentry have established themselves among the Atlanta music elite. They have shared the stage with artists such as Doc Watson, Old Crow Medicine Show, Rhett Miller of the Old 97s, John Popper, Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Chatham County Line, Slobberbone, and many other national touring acts.

The band is currently celebrating the release of its first full-length record, “Please Make Welcome.” Engineered and co-produced by John Keane who’s credits include work with R.E.M., Indigo Girls and Widespread Panic amongst others, the 14-track album is a culmination of two years worth of writing and recording.

“Please Make Welcome” ably captures their high-energy stage shows- intermixing country, bluegrass, punk, gospel and rock, often within the same song. These elements are woven together with Lauren Staley Morrow’s innocently stunning vocals, rendering an expressive compilation of folk tales.

Josh Roberts & The Hinges formed in early 2005 in Columbia, SC and immediately began touring and recording. Embedded in their style of rock and roll are blues, country, punk and soul influences that link elegant harmonies with the raunchy guitar work of Josh Roberts. Their powerful sound is raw and uncompromising, creating new rock and roll anthems that leave their dedicated fans speechless…and sometimes exhausted, yet always wanting more.

“I want to cross folk mystery with country and blues emotion and AC/DC power,” said Josh Roberts. “We want to make melting pot American music, real rock and roll music with the roots showing.”

Their first album, “The Sugar Bird Test” was released in September 2005. It’s a bash-it-out, live-in-the-studio rock record, with vocal parties and spontaneous songwriting. The album is largely a love letter from Josh to Leslie, mixed with some traditional folk themes. “The Sugar Bird Test” received excellent reviews for its ear-blowing guitar riffs and catchy, engaging choruses.

In 2007, the band released “My War Cry is Amor,” a cinematic, emotional and literary Thanksgiving dinner of rock. Although each song stands powerfully alone, this is truly an album, one that explores the dualities of man and God, love and war, and true life and death, all with virtuoso musicianship and the kind of happy accidents that made it exciting for the band to make and fun for fans to hear. Some songs were co-written by Ryan Monroe, a member of Band of Horses and Josh’s former bandmate in Captain Easy.

Josh released a solo album titled “Are You Going to Eat That?” in 2008, which was recorded at Brakentracks in Columbia, SC and produced by Alan Moon. Josh had been doing solo/duo acoustic music for years, but had never released a proper record. Josh was joined in the studio by Larry Gornto (original Hinges drummer), Harris Gardner (mandolin), Dennis Steele (pedal steel), Alan Moon (bass), and Leslie Branham and Nicole Hagenmeyer (vocals).

David Earl Tomlinson is among Asheville, North Carolina’s more soulful singers and performers. Cutting his teeth as the token white guy singing gospel in the Kuumba and David Band, David Earl quickly gained a reputation as one to watch.

As the Kuumba and David Band gave way to The Plowshares the focus switched to David Earl’s very strong original material. The 2008 EP ‘Local Anesthesia’ was rated the 17th favorite regional release by the listeners of the local NPR station WNCW, and the band was among performers featured in a 2009 Summer primer of bands not to miss in WNC Magazine.

After a short hiatus David Earl is back with an extended original rock and roll setlist and band with phenomenal talent and experience.

Drummer Chris Pyle has a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bloodline and was a member of Royal Trux signed to Drag City and Virgin Records. When he was seven years old he went on Tour with Lynyrd Skynyrd and watched his dad and all of his friends snort coke and smash whiskey bottles on each others heads.

Silas ‘the Stylist’ Durocher is a fan of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin who happens to compose for and perform with the Sarasota Symphony Orchestra. In his bare feet.

Bassist Matt Lane is the secret weapon of the band who happens to have an extensive knowledge of wine and gourmet food.

The Plowshares are back and ready to leave smilin’ sweaty crowds in their wake.

Our version of Open Mic begins with the Nashville Songwriter’s Assocation’s weekly meeting and performances.  Original songs ONLY…limit 3 per participant…NO FULL BANDS.