Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – Hey guys. Thanks for joining me this morning on this gorgeous day. Much unlike the first of our week.

Michael Smith – It’s our pleasure to be here. Thank you.

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Yeah, sure. Thank you Angela.”

Angela Barrett – “Guys, I have, Gail. Is it Corvette? Like Corvette car?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Yes, like the car.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice. It was the president of Charleston Symphony Orchestra League. And I also have Michael Smith, who is the CEO. The director. Oh, my goodness of a lot of things. Of the institutional advance advancement Sims and how do you say that.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – All of that.

Angela Barrett – “All of Fonsi I told y’all before we started, I didn’t know a whole lot about music. I don’t even know our font. Tell me what that is.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – It’s her name.

Angela Barrett – “This is our font. Okay. See, I was thinking that that was an institution. Sorry. So, see, there we go. So tell me about the Charleston Symphony.”

Michael Smith – “Sure. I’ll start. Gail. So the Charleston Symphony is one of South Carolina’s largest, professional performing arts organization. And we perform, large scale orchestral concerts with a big symphony orchestra of about, 70 or 80 musicians on stage at the Juilliard Center downtown. So, our flagship series, our masterworks and pops, our masterworks is really the great classical music, of the last 400 years.”

Michael Smith – “And today, so you’re thinking anywhere from Bach to Mahler, Strauss, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and then all the way up to today where we celebrate composers that are living today and many of whom live and work in our community, like Edward Hartford, who’s on faculty, at the College of Charleston, we also perform chamber music, which is smaller groups of instruments, like a string quartet or a brass quintet, which provides really intimate and, kind of close interaction with musicians in all over the community and people’s homes.”

Michael Smith – “And we do some in pubs and breweries. And so it’s a way for us to really get out into the community with a smaller group. And then I guess lastly, we also have a very robust education program. We believe that a complete education involves music education. And so the symphony, our overall budget’s a little over $5 million, of which we invest more than $500,000 in our education programs for students all over the low country and in the tri county area.”

Michael Smith – About half of which are title one schools. So that’s the sort of scope of the organization for sure.

Angela Barrett – “So now, the the symphony itself has been around for how long?”

Michael Smith – Next year will be our 90th season.

Angela Barrett – “Wow. That’s amazing. And so all of the people in the symphony local, they come from all over. How is that? How does that work?”

Michael Smith – “We have a pretty unique model. We have 24 what we call core musicians. And I sort of I sort of joke about this, but it’s like Noah’s Ark. We have pairs of each instrument, so we have two trumpets, two trombones, two, you know, bassoons and oboes. And that serves ultimately as the sort of, artistic leadership of our organization.”

Michael Smith – “Now, many orchestras, like, think a large city like New York or Chicago. They might have 100 core musicians, so just 24 here. But it allows us some flexibility. And there are fabulous musicians all over the country. And we’re providing opportunities for them to come here to Charleston. So we’ve got the 24 musicians that are live in Charleston, work in Charleston.”

Michael Smith – “It is their full time job to play for the Charleston Symphony. But when we want to play a Tchaikovsky symphony, for example, we’re going to bring in probably 50 or 60 musicians from primarily the East Coast, but sometimes all over the country that come in and we call them our guest musicians, and they come in and, work with us for the week.”

Michael Smith – “And then they’re really freelancers and, create really wonderful opportunities for them to come to our great city.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s pretty cool. Now, how many of the that your large productions, when you have to bring in all those people, how many of those a year do you do?”

Michael Smith – “We have eight masterworks of which we perform, each one of them twice on Friday night and Saturday night at the Juilliard Center. Our performance season is really from September 1st, say, through, beginning of Spoleto with some may, we do eight masterworks and four pops. And so the how many performances of each one is varies, but at least one.”

Michael Smith – So 12 major productions a year.

Angela Barrett – Okay. Explain to me the difference in the masterworks and the pops.

Michael Smith – “So masterworks is your sort of, we’ll call it really classical music. So. Tchaikovsky. Yeah. Pops is a little bit of a catch all term, but it’s it’s our way of sort of, being less formal, less serious. It’s a chance to really engage a much broader audience. So we might do, this this weekend we’ve got the music of from James Bond movies, but we also have, you know, Frank Sinatra.”

Michael Smith – “Next year we have, a Cirque show coming in where we’ll have classical music, but there’s going to be acrobats and dancers and jugglers and things sort of flying above the orchestra during that time. So it’s a way for us to do some really innovative programing where, either it’s for families or not necessarily. It’s just a way to have, you know, if, if maybe Tchaikovsky, you don’t know that you love Tchaikovsky.”

Michael Smith – “It’s a way to kind of come experience it for our first time in a really, non-threatening way and put it that way.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – And if I might brag on the Charleston Symphony for a moment. They made their Carnegie Hall debut just a few weeks ago.

Angela Barrett – “Wow. Nice. Well, congratulate nations. That’s a pretty big, accomplishment there. That is, nice. The other question that I had for you, as far as the smaller performances, I know you said restaurants and bars and people’s private homes. I’m assuming weddings. And this is usually maybe a 2 or 3 person kind of thing, or.”

Michael Smith – “I wouldn’t call it. And that’s not it’s not weddings. I mean, and they could be in, in churches, homes, restaurants, other places. There’s really serious, music written for these smaller groups. So whether it’s, you know, Brahms or Mozart or Haydn, this really serious repertoire for a let’s, for example, string quartet. And so putting a string quartet at the Juilliard Center, which seats 1700 people with so few musicians on the stage, it doesn’t you don’t really feel connected to the performers in that way.”

Michael Smith – “So finding smaller venues and where you can fit, say, I don’t know, one of the one of our great partners is the Charleston Library Society. And so we’ve performed there for, let’s say, 150 or 200 people at a time. And you’re really up close to the musicians hearing really great music. It’s a completely different experience than the symphony.”

Michael Smith – “The symphony is this sort of really powerful, visceral. You could sort of feel it in your bones. Yeah, the chamber music in these smaller settings, it’s really intimate and up close, and you can almost feel like you can reach out and turn the pages of music for musicians. It’s that sort of really close setting. And so they’re both really unique in their own, in their own right.”

Angela Barrett – “Nice, nice, nice. Now, Gail, you’re the president of the, Charleston Symphony Orchestra League. Tell me what you guys do. And I know it’s very affiliated with the Charleston Symphony, but tell me. Tell me what you guys do.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “It is the CSO. Well, is a multi-talented group of more than 300 dedicated volunteers whose purpose is to support the Charleston Symphony, encourage talented young musicians, and inspire classical music lovers for generations to come. The CSO well has consistently been the largest institutional donor to the CSO, having donated nearly $5.5 million since the year 2000. We also provide scholarships for music students and the Charleston Symphony musicians, and last year we gave $42,000.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And in this endeavor, we just auditioned 79 school age students for scholarships a couple of weeks ago. And we’ll be announcing those very soon. We also advocate for music education and funding for the arts in the low country, and we’ve been at this for more than half a century.”

Angela Barrett – “Lee. Yeah, that’s, that’s, really nice and much needed. Because.”

Michael Smith – “Can I make a comment? I think that this is important, that Gail, neither one of us really mentioned both of our organizations, our 501 C3 nonprofit organizations. And so, the symphony’s I think I mentioned is a budget currently of just over $5 million. But over the last 20 plus years, our philanthropy goal has been, around $2 million, of which the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League, through their fundraisers and various efforts, they’ve been giving about 10% of our overall fundraising goal through their efforts.”

Michael Smith – “So we’re two nonprofits, two separate five and one C3. But the support that the league has given us has been tremendous as to the overall success of the symphony, but I thought it was just worth mentioning. We are nonprofit organizations.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah, that’s that’s good to know. And much appreciated. I know to Charleston and, to the people who, participate with you guys, the, you know, did you have anything else you were going to say? Because I was going to go back to the education part of this, but I didn’t. Or I can.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Talk about our music scholarships now, if you’d.”

Angela Barrett – Like. Absolutely.

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Sure. Since the year 2000, we’ve awarded $690,000 in music scholarships. And we have, we try to support the educational opportunities for the children and youth in the greater Charleston community. And, we have three separate programs for youth and students. One is a college scholarship program that’s available to graduating seniors for use in their first year of college, and they’re up to five potential scholarships of 2500 each that support them during their freshman year graduating high school students majoring in music, instrumental or vocal performance, composition, conducting, are eligible for this, and the highest award is $5,000, which we have named for the former conductor of the Charleston Symphony, the David and Karen”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Stahl Memorial Scholarship, is to the student who receives the highest score in that program, and then we give up to $500 for members of the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra or Charleston Youth Sinfonietta, which are run by the Charleston Symphony, to further their private music studies so music lessons can get expensive for these kids. So we have matching funds that we give to provide support for private music lessons.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And the last one for the kids is scholarships and educational grants for summer study. So there are music camps like the Brevard Music Festival, where they can be supported and applicants can be as young as ten years of age. Wow. We get this scholarship because we believe it’s really important to start them young, to foster the love of music.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Yeah, the the last thing we do with our Charleston Symphony musicians for their summer studies is they apply to us and we can help fund if they go to a music festival. One of my favorite scholarships that we ever gave was our oboe player wanted to learn how to make the reeds better, so she took a course and had a little reed making business for oboe players.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – In addition. And she did a program for the Charleston Symphony League at one of our big luncheons to tell us how that study worked. So it’s just really exciting.

Michael Smith – “I might rag on you for just a moment, Gail. So these scholarship programs have been one of the questions you started off by asking us was about impact. Many of these scholarship recipients have the list of accolades. When I think about it, Gail is actually unbelievably impressive of these scholarship recipients over the last 20 years, plus years.”

Michael Smith – “Of course, one stands out. And that’s Jonathan Hayward, who just this, was it maybe two years ago now, Gail was named director of the Baltimore Symphony, and he’s come home to conduct the Charleston Symphony. But this is a student who, really didn’t grow up in a musical family and sort of found a cello and started studying cello with member of the symphony.”

Michael Smith – “He was coming to rehearsals, of the Charleston Symphony. I always wondered when he was going to class, but he would always come to the during the school day, and he’s now, he’s got this amazing, prolific career of both music director of the Baltimore Symphony, conducting organizations like the LA Phil and Seattle Symphony and others, and, also recently named the conductor of Mostly Mozart Festival.”

Michael Smith – “So these scholarships, we can actually track the success of the people that have received these. And it’s been, I think, something to be really, really proud of.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that is amazing. Especially the story, like you said, of the student who, came back and, all he’s accomplished.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Yes. We’ve got one of our scholarship winners who’s the principal violinist for the Pittsburgh Symphony. Her name is Shannon Fitzhenry. And another, Nick Bentz, is getting his PhD in composition and has had several, of his pieces composed. And he’s a world class violinist in his own right and came back this December to give a concert to benefit the Symphony League, because he’s so grateful for the support that we’ve given him when he was just getting started.”

Angela Barrett – “So I want to go back to something. You mentioned, you said the Youth Symphony. So tell me more about that.”

Michael Smith – “Youth Symphony is one of our core education programs. And so that is a chance to, have these young musicians have a place to come together and play in a symphony orchestra, which cuts all strings in winds and brass. It is meant to enhance or supplement what their music education in schools. And so it’s an extracurricular activity.”

Michael Smith – “And the good thing about this is they get training with our professional musicians on a weekly basis for 30 weeks a year. So they’re getting really, really significant experience. And we have two orchestras. One is for some of the younger students that are just starting out. And so, and then and then we have an older, which is more a high school aged group, where they get this really intense training and, and really, it’s whether they want to become professional musicians or not, the skills and experiences of studying music in this setting.”

Michael Smith – “Have again, it’s it’s wonderful to see sort of track where they go to college and what they do and what they end up doing with their lives. And it’s it’s again, quite, quite impactful. So we’ve got about 130 kids, 150 kids from all three counties participating in this from about sixth grade through 12th grade.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And Michael, how many of the CSIRO musicians performed at Carnegie Hall?”

Michael Smith – “That’s it. Yeah. So we when we went to Carnegie Hall, this is obviously this is just recently as on February, we didn’t just bring the Charleston Symphony, we brought the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra and the College of Charleston Orchestra. So we had 65 youth Symphony students that got the performance of a lifetime at Carnegie Hall. And then also the College of Charleston Orchestra came.”

Michael Smith – So we really brought all of Charleston with us.

Angela Barrett – Yeah. South. So I oh.

Michael Smith – “And that’s, they’ll never forget it.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. No. Oh. Goose bumps. That’s pretty neat. No. You know, how do you raise all the the money for these scholarships and to help the the symphony?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Good question. Angela. Blood, sweat and tears. I’d say.”

Angela Barrett – And it’s a it.

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Is it is a joy to raise money for the Charleston Symphony. Because every time I go into that concert hall, I am moved. And to know that my contributions for volunteering made a difference. One of our volunteers recently said to me, you know, I can’t really personally give $60,000 to the Charleston Symphony, but I can give my time and my contacts and my effort to do the Kiawah tour of homes, which raised $60,000 last fall.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “So we have some signature events that we do. I want to highlight two that are coming up this spring. One is our Rap City raffle, where tickets are on sale now for anyone. Wherever you live, you can buy a raffle ticket by going to our website, CSL Ink Dawg, and the prize is related to music. We are so excited about this connection to our mission and what we’re raffling off.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “For years we raffled off a car and we’re raffling off music. So there’s a trip to Rome for 2 to 2025. Rome Chamber Music Festival, which will be held June 16th through 19. The raffle includes five hotel nights. We’ve already made the hotel reservation for you, where the musicians and the music director are staying. One of our symphony orchestra board members will be there.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Escort. We have premium festival tickets for all four nights. An invitation to an opening reception for the evening of July 16th, which nobody who just goes off the street to buy a ticket can really get into a private meet and greet with the founder and artistic director, Robert McDuffie, and a travel stipend. So we will give you the funds to buy your airfare for if you want to go from.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And it should cover basic airfare, meals and other travel expenses. So if you’re planning a European vacation, tack this on.”

Angela Barrett – “It’s absolutely wow, that is me.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – I’ve been so.

Angela Barrett – Excited.

Gail Harrison Corvette – About that. Yes.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Gail Harrison Corvette – And we’ll be drawing the prize for that at the end of our pop up house tour. Would you like me to share that with you now?

Angela Barrett – Absolutely. Okay.

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Historically we did, 43 designers show houses, and this year we’re trying something different. So it’s. We have, we’ll be touring, setting up a tour of a historic, beautifully renovated home in the center of Charleston’s historic French Quarter. In addition to house tours Wednesday to Saturday for two weekends. And that will be announced, we have an opening night soiree, which will be held French bistro style in the, Dock Street Theater.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “So this house is a stunner. It’s 50 660ft² with five en suite bedrooms in the main house, a two bedroom apartment on the ground floor where we’ll have an art gallery where the art will be curated. And for sale, with a small portion going to the Symphony League and a small studio that’s behind the kitchen and bath. So please follow us on social media for our hints that are coming out about the great reveal of what and where the pop out pop up house tour is.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I can’t wait to hear about that. As a real estate agent, I’m certainly interested in that, so I’ll keep my ears open. So now, Gail, tell me what what’s your background in music? How did you did you just fall in love with it? You stumble in there and fall in love, or you always had an edge?”

Angela Barrett – “Or do you have an education about, music?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “I’d say it’s in my genes. My mother was a music major, and she was a church choir director, and it was kind of required that we were in the church choir, and that rang the hand bells. And, I have always been singing for my whole life, a lot of duets with my mom. I sung in choirs.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “I sang in, the Pollio Chorale in Washington, D.C., I sang in the Oratorio Society in New York City. So I got to sing in Carnegie Hall 30 times or so in the ten years of the New York. And then I moved to Charleston, and one of the first things I did was seek out the big chorus in Charleston, and that’s the Charleston Symphony Orchestra chorus.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And I’ve been singing in that for the 16 years that I’ve lived in Charleston. And during one of the rehearsals, one of the alto stood up and said, I’m a volunteer for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League, and we need docents at this house. So I volunteered, and now I’m the president. So I’ve been involved in the Symphony League about 15 years, because the first designer show house I did was about nine months after I moved to Charleston, which it was my husband’s hometown.”

Angela Barrett – “Nice. So, Michael, let’s talk about you. Give me your history and and how you fell in love with music and when it started and all that good stuff.”

Michael Smith – “Yeah, that’s a great question. So much like, well, I had a musical family, so my father was a tenor, a singer, and he had a full ride to Juilliard when he was young, and his parents said, no. And so he end up at. Yep, they said, we’re going to go get a real degree. So he went and got a degree in, biochemistry at U Pitt instead.”

Michael Smith – “However, probably perpetually resentful of of his parents for this, but continued to sing throughout his life and play piano. And so I grew up listening to him sing and play piano. That’s my, you know, sort of earliest musical memories are hearing my dad now played Tchaikovsky piano Concerto at home for fun.”

Angela Barrett – Right.

Michael Smith – “And so I’ve never forced but always encouraged, that my siblings to play. And so actually my, my brother was a musician. He’s five years older than me. He’s plays in an orchestra in Mexico, and I followed in his footsteps. I played trumpet, and ultimately I went to, major in music. I went to Manhattan School of Music and, with a degree in trumpet performance.”

Michael Smith – “And then in 2006, took the audition for the Charleston Symphony and was lucky enough to win it. And then, long story. I guess this is a long story, but, you know, life takes funny turns going from playing the trumpet to, what I’m currently doing. It music’s always been, you know, sort of central in my life. So when I stand up on stage and talk about the impact of music education and our youth symphony programs or some of the things that girl was talking about, these scholarship programs, these really do make it make a difference.”

Michael Smith – “And so I’m a product of it and grateful for it. So these are really personal to me when I, you know, stand up and talk about these programs. So yeah, music’s been a part of my life since as long as I can possibly remember. And so, you know, Gail, you said something that I just love. You said it’s a joy to raise money for the Charleston Symphony.”

Michael Smith – “And I feel the same way. I just I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of an organization that is so beloved by our community. And for something that’s, you know, near and dear to me, there’s so much in the world that can divide us. Music’s that one thing that really brings us together. And that’s what I’m in.”

Michael Smith – That’s for the love of all that’s happening.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. I mean, you know, like myself and I said this in the beginning, I don’t know anything about music other than I like it. Yeah. But it is, like you said, it is the one language of thought with lots of bands, and, you know, it in doing this, and we all agree, is the one language that will bring everybody together no matter where you are.”

Angela Barrett – And I love that.

Michael Smith – “It’s these are things that’s important to me, is you mentioned this and it’s like, I don’t know too much about classical music. You really don’t have to to enjoy it. It’s really, you know, I have a friend, Quentin Baxter, as a drummer in town, percussionist, and he’s a wine connoisseur. I don’t know anything about wine. And he’s like, really?”

Michael Smith – “It’s two categories. It’s either tasty or nasty. You starting out becoming. And I kind of feel that way about music. You either like it or you don’t. You. You don’t really have to know why you don’t. I mean, and it’s sort of like wine. The more you sort of dig in and you sort of learn about it, the more you can talk about it and enjoy it.”

Michael Smith – “But really, you either like it or you don’t. And it’s as simple as that. And I so I like to share that with people because I think it helps like sort of invite people in rather than say, well, I don’t know too much about it. I’m not part of the club. You don’t have to be in it. You either come in and you enjoy it or not.”

Michael Smith – “I honestly can’t think of any human being that would come in and listen to a Beethoven symphony and say, I don’t like that, or I’m not moved by that. They don’t have to say, why. You know, over time, maybe you figure that out, but I think people just come in and get the goosebumps and then figure out why later.”

Angela Barrett – “Right, right, right, right.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And if you’ve seen a movie, if you’ve watched Bugs Bunny, you’ve experienced classical music. It is everywhere in our culture.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I was going to say the only part that I know is, is a former way, way, way former ballerina I did dance, so there was a lot of it. But sometimes on my birthday where I was dancing to because I was too busy counting, you know, three, 3 to 4, you know, for.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “My favorite warm up when I took advanced ballet for non majors at Indiana University, was we would do the warm up every time to Pachelbel’s Canon in D, which is still one of my favorite pieces of classical music, because it takes me right back there to that wonderful experience I had. Yeah, that’s the other power of music, right.”

Angela Barrett – “And and now we’ve talked about, the impact that both of you guys, the league as well as the symphony have, in Charleston to everyone, but especially to the youth. And and again, for those that might be listening, I know that as a ballerina, to become a, professional musician is quite a commitment. There is not a lot of free time in the very beginnings, at least from this side of it.”

Angela Barrett – “On the ballet side of it, there was not an I was not a professional. This was just, you know, college and high school school, you know, grammar school, whatever. But it’s quite the commitment. But there’s also discipline, as we said, it sets the tone for those youth later on in life. They have those disciplines because they had to do that with the music.”

Angela Barrett – Right.

Michael Smith – “Yeah. I love this conversation because, and I’m going to relate it to something that might speak to a broader audience. Sure. I’m being a professional musician at, in a particularly a symphonic musician, but really, any genre of music is quite akin to becoming a professional athlete. So the path of making it to the major league for, you know, baseball or the NFL or something like that, you’re looking at, you know, a fraction of a percent.”

Michael Smith – “I don’t know the exact stats, but it’s single digit percent of people that attempt this make it to the highest level. It is very similar in classical music. The difference is, you know, the the payout at the end is it’s a different reward. You know, the financial model of it. But so the, the what it takes to get there is a very, very similar path, that sort of dedication that’s sort of throwing your whole life at becoming a professional violinist or trumpet player.”

Michael Smith – “And, it is unbelievably gratifying. And when you when I think about the sort of percentage of people that are able to do it, it is really small, but what I love about it, whether your student or your child is playing, you know, a sport or music, it is that discipline, that commitment to being excellent at something that prepares you for pretty much whatever you want to do for life.”

Michael Smith – “Right. I just recall when I changed my career from being a professional musician to what I’m currently doing. It was a little uncomfortable conversation to call my trumpet teacher who invested so much time in me and say, hey, I’m actually, I’m going to put a suit on now and do something completely different. And his comments to me really uplifted me.”

Michael Smith – “He he said, I didn’t teach you how to play the trumpet. I taught you how to be successful. And so that was inspiring for me. But it just really made me think, you know, people don’t think of musicians like you said. They have to throw everything they have in order to be elite, without the pay off of a, of a professional athlete.”

Michael Smith – “But it’s the same pursuit and it’s yeah, it is that sort of small percentage that actually become professional musicians. But the, everything that goes into that is applicable in other areas of your life, maybe that’s sort of where I’m rambling towards.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. No, I, I totally agree, you know, people who, have had to learn or wanted to learn that discipline, whether it be music or dance or whatever the profession you wanted to choose and all the hours and time that is spent long before you sit down in that chair or hit that stage, people can’t fathom. I mean, they just can’t fathom.”

Angela Barrett – “And so it does. It sets you up really, for success, success later on in life. So encourage, you know, all parents of children find a way for them to be in some form of, you know, that kind of, recreation to, help your child because it’s fun when you’re young. It’s just later on, it clicks.”

Angela Barrett – “I need to put a little more in this, you know?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “So the Charleston Symphony has a, and fellow program where we have students who want to be professional musicians, study with the Charleston Symphony. And one of our musicians also is studying neuroscience. And there’s been a connection between music and the brain.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, sure. Oh, hang on, I can’t hear you. Oh, okay. You’re back. I had to know what happened.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And I tell everybody how they can join the Charleston band fixedly to help support this wonderful endeavor. And, the more money we raise, maybe the more the musicians can make. Back to earlier. Michael’s earlier.”

Angela Barrett – Point. Yeah.

Gail Harrison Corvette – “I mentioned earlier, we have more than 300 members. It’s easy to join. People can just go to our website. We started as something three years ago because we said, you know, we need younger people in the concert hall and we need younger volunteers. So we have a membership category called the dynamics, which is for our under 40 set under 40 ish.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “We don’t check ID and that’s $40 for a year of membership in the Charleston Symphony. And they put on fundraisers and they have happy hours every Thursday at the Harbor Club. And it’s a great social networking group for our young members. And they participate in every aspect of the Symphony League’s work on, including about a quarter of our board now is dynamics, too.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “23% of our membership are under 40. That’s for an individual member. 40 and over is, $70. And we have many of our members who have been members for more than 20 years. So once you join the symphony League, you really don’t ever leave. It’s kind of like Utah, California. And we also offer a household membership for two members in a household.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “And to for the first time, somebody joins the league. The symphony has been very generous in providing two complimentary tickets to a symphony concert of their choice during their first year, based on availability. Some of our, concerts sell out really fast, which is fantastic, like our holiday Pops concert is going from three concerts this year to four next year because it is a crowd favorite and people look forward to it.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “In this town. But it’s just so fun to be a member of this, the Symphony League, because like minded lovers of classical music or people who care about educating children, we kind of are a part of the CSO family. Sometimes we make meals for the symphony when they have a break during their concert schedule, which is grueling. Three days before the concerts, we have these award winning projects.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “I have the pleasure of going to the League of American Orchestras this summer to accept an award. It’s our second year in a row. We’ve won a national award from the League of American Orchestras, and this one is for our designer show house that we did last spring.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, that’s pretty cool now. And these events, both for the league and again for the symphony, go on the, prospective website and those events all the way there, and that’s how you can find out. It will all be.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Listed and we send a newsletter every other week that has kind of a chronology of what’s coming up. That includes the symphony concerts, as well as the Symphony Orchestra League events. We have a lot of members only events, including like a behind the scenes look to what the upcoming concert is called, coffee or wine with the maestro, depending on the time of day.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “If it’s in the morning, it’s coffee or but all our members are invited to that. And we went to zoom on Covid. It used to be in the CSL member meetings that we had once a month, and then Covid hit and so we went on zoom, and the Symphony liked this programing so much that now some of their top donors and season subscribers are also invited to this coffee and wine with the maestro.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “So for those of our members that are not big contributors to the symphony, because we’re all in different socioeconomic levels, they get this insider access to meet the musician. Last week we had a wonderful tea that was a fundraiser for us with Joann Falletta, who was a groundbreaking female conductor, and she was so inspiring.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s pretty neat. You you don’t see a lot of female conductors, do you?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “You do not. And she was the first. She told a story about how she grew up in Queens and at age 11, went to Carnegie Hall and saw this world famous conductor. And she knew right then that that’s what she wanted to do. And then she said, it never dawned on me that girls couldn’t be conductors.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, good for her.”

Michael Smith – “Living in the orchestra world, I was thinking, it’s hard to even fathom this today, but I think the New York Philharmonic, a major symphony orchestra in America, I think it’s only been less than 100 years since there have been women in the in the New York Philharmonic. And there are other orchestras that are even worse than that. So made some great progress over the years.”

Michael Smith – “Still some progress to be made, but that’s unfathomable to me. But that’s less than 100 years ago.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, it’s kind of crazy. In fact, Joann.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Falletta told the story that when she went to her first music school, they would they and signed up for conducting. Course, they wouldn’t really let her in. They let her audit it. And if she did, okay, maybe they’d let her in the next one.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – He was not deterred.

Angela Barrett – Yeah. No good for.

Gail Harrison Corvette – His won multiple Grammys. She’s on the list of the most notable conductors of all time. She’s phenomenal. And she came to Charleston recently.

Angela Barrett – “Oh. That’s nice. Yeah. Good for her. So what is next? I know you’ve got some big events coming up, but are there any. I mean, in five years, let’s say bang playing in five or we’re just trying to get through the next. What’s the game plan?”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “The Charleston Symphony’s on a wonderful trajectory. Michael, why don’t you tell us what’s on the game plan for next fall’s, season and the season tickets are being sold right now. They just went on sale.”

Michael Smith – “They are on sale. So, yeah, I think maybe I’ll start zoomed out. I actually think that even in a relatively small city of under a million people, we are in many ways redefining how a symphony orchestra serves its community. And so that’s a big sentence. But there are many major orchestras in major cities that are really struggling. I think we’ve found a model that really works for our city to deliver high quality symphonic music and education programs, and one of the keys that I made a big point of highlighting that we are a nonprofit, I try to remind everybody that nonprofit is a tax status, not a funding model.”

Michael Smith – “So. So, we’ve we managed to do this, and I’m really proud and a really financially sustainable way. So what that looks like going forward is how much the way I view this is how much more can we be for Charleston today than we were yesterday. And that’s through our programing, both on and off the stage and in our classrooms.”

Michael Smith – “And so next year, you know, girls sharing, we have a lineup that you would see at a major orchestra in a major city. We’ve got pianists like Emanuel Ax, who is one, you know, the living legend got James. And as a violinist, again, living, living legend and our, our sort of tagline is music for everyone. And it harkens back to, what I said before.”

Michael Smith – “I think everybody, if they would just walk in the door and, and it’s up to us to make that invitation. And so here’s my invitation. Walk in the door and I’m quite, positive that you will be transported and get those goosebumps. And so it’s just a matter of taking that first step. And so we’re, we’re going to keep sort of defying the trend.”

Michael Smith – “Classical music is really neat, right. And and our the just go pointing out this the trajectory of our organization, our audience is up 75% since before the pandemic. Many orchestras have not gotten back to PA from before the pandemic. And it’s because we have this view of and Bill said simply, just sort of connecting and reflecting our community through music.”

Michael Smith – “And so when I look at the future, what are the activities and events and subjects that we can explore through music that, that accomplish that? And so, again, our performance season is September through May and subscriptions are on sale for next year. Subscription gets you great seat discounts and some of those behind the scene access, things that that Gayle was describing earlier.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. How interesting. Nice. Yeah. So, we, definitely need to get online and get, all of that taking care of so we don’t miss anything. Right? Yes.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – And buy your raffle ticket yet?

Angela Barrett – This Friday.

Gail Harrison Corvette – I had ticket to our pop up house tour.

Angela Barrett – “Yes, quite the prize. Well, guys, thank you so much for being with me today. This has been a pleasure. I, not only got to talk to you, but I also learned a few things. So thank you very much for.”

Gail Harrison Corvette – “Thank you, Angela. It’s a pleasure to serve the Charleston Symphony.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Have a great day, guys.”

Michael Smith – Thank you to.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Steven Wilson 3 to 1. Hey, guys. And welcome back to top in South Carolina. Do that again.”

Angela Barrett – 3 to 1.

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for joining me for another episode of Talking South Carolina. Now today, guys, I have Steven Wilson with the trolls of Amsterdam band. Now, guys, this. He’s a hoot. I just can’t wait. So y’all hang on one side and I bring you in.”

Angela Barrett – Let’s.

Angela Barrett – “All right. Three. Two. One. Well. Hey, Steven, how are you today?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Hey, Angela. I’m doing great. Thanks for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for being here. How exciting. So, first of all, half Moon Bay. That had to be like heaven to live.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. Absolutely. Still, over 18 years of my life there, it was pretty, pretty magical. And, good. Good part of my good part of my history for sure.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. My son lived in California. Not in Half Moon Bay for a while, and I was kind of sad when he moved home, because now I didn’t have an excuse to go over there. It was kind of more in the San Francisco area, but I was like, darn. So Trolls of Amsterdam first. Where did the name come from?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh. You mean he would I like it. So me and my my buddies, the original founding members, Armand and Stephane and myself were sitting in my garage, and, I know Grenada right there and hopping back, and we’ve been playing music together for quite a while, and we’re about to release something. You know, finally going to do like an EP, which came out in 2016.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, I guess we need a name of this, of this chaos or whatever. Y’all got. And we shot back a few ideas and then we kind of came up with that. And then somebody said, I think Stefan came up with it because he was he grew up in Germany and, had had some experiences in Amsterdam and, but then our minds as well, how we’re going to call ourselves trolls of Amsterdam, we’re all from California.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I’m like, who cares? It’s just a name. It’s just a name, you know? Right. He’s not a it just kind of stuck in it. There’s some. It gets a little deeper. I think, Stefan might have had some type of, psychedelic experience in Amsterdam where the troll party started chasing him and thought they were going to kill him.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, that’s that’s the real deep meaning behind the story. But, yeah, that’s kind of where it came from.”

Angela Barrett – “Wow. And so, hallelujah, we were playing together.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. Oh, well, that’s interesting because, like, right now I’m the only original member. But we started making music together, probably in 2014, 15. And I really only been touring with the band for the last 3 to 4 years. Off and on.”

Angela Barrett – “Gotcha. Yeah. And. Well, I know you off tour. You’ve been back to California. I know that I saw that you had done some shows there, and certainly around in this area. What is your what would you say your biggest, platform has been? Where? I mean, where you played.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man. That’s a good question. We’ve done some, like, outdoor festivals in California. Not been two huge yet. With this project. We.”

Angela Barrett – “Did, what’s your favorite.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Man? You know, there’s a couple other little gems out there. Honestly, one of my favorite places to see or play a show right now in is actually. Oh, and, in South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, yeah.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Have you been.

Angela Barrett – “To a show there? No, but I have heard people say.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It is epic and it’s, really encourage any and all bands to to reach out to Eddy. They’re super, warm and welcoming or not, they’re easy to work with is kind of how it should be for a, for a venue. I mean, it’s I can’t say enough good things about it and it’s not too big. It’s not too small, it’s family friendly.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “The shows are on Wednesday nights and the vibe there is just unbelievable. People are there to have fun. It’s, So that’s one of my favorite places to play in the, you know, in the Carolinas. For sure.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now, what would you say? Where would your general be for the band? I mean, because I’ve listened to some of it and, you know, I get a little bluesy feel maybe, we’ll. And then I get a little, what I call shag music kind of feel. And then there’s some horror stuff. So where when you sing along.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, it’s, you know, it’s it’s tough to put a genre on it. When people ask me what kind of music is I like, it’s eclectic, you know, it’s, there’s a bit of everything. Just kind of a representative of of, of who I am. I say, you know, and my experiences and just, I think it comes out in the music.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So it’s all over the place. I mean, it’s rock and roll, it’s fog. It’s a little. Some of the songs are country leaning. There’s even some reggae vibes in there. Yeah. America, I kind of came up in the late 80s and 90s, and I think that’s reflected in the music.”

Angela Barrett – “So tell me, I understand that you played a birthday bash for James Brown. Yes.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – That’s a true story. That’s a true story.

Angela Barrett – I had to be there. Had to be phenomenal.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It was off the chain. It was one of the. I was so lucky to get to do that, in my late 20s at the time, probably. And that was back in 90 was in 97. We got to play with the band at the time was, one of my first, actually my first band. My first real bad is a band called mother of two, and we got to play, the James Brown Birthday Bash in Augusta, Georgia at the Bell Auditorium.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, thousands and thousands of people. It was, surreal looking back on it, I didn’t realize how fortunate I was that y’all just didn’t realize what was happening. And, but, yeah, it was cool. Got that? Not only play. I’ve got to meet him a few times, and we’d see him in Augusta. Riding around in his Rolls-Royce or at a restaurant.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – It was pretty cool. And I got the birthday cake with them. So. Yeah. But now and I look at.

Angela Barrett – “You know, only I think I would ask this. What kind of birthday cake? Oh.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah. What was it? I don’t know, is it.”

Angela Barrett – It’s long ago. Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – I they go white like cake. Got a little.

Angela Barrett – So now what point was it. Troll of Amsterdam. That was managed by the same people that managed James Brown. Or was it a different brand?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “No. That was that was my earlier band. That was a mother of two. We, you know, one of the guys working with, Mr. Brown’s organization had found us somehow. And then really, how languorous have really launched our career and kind of catapulted us and that was, that whipped us into shape. Really learned to learned so much from being around that organization.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Sure, sure. Just an amazing.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Because I would say that’s not small town.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Great. It was great.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now, how many, albums or records do you have published for right now? Okay. All the day, I guess.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Sure. I guess working backwards. I mean, my latest record was, came out in fall of 21. It’s been out about a little over three years. And that was, trolls of Amsterdam Wilson Drive. It’s a full length record, probably. You know, it’s it did good on the college charts there for a minute and, and back up before that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “2016, we put out an EP, Trolls of Amsterdam. That’s like 4 or 5 songs and really, man, we just put it out, not even worry about anything. It was some of it’s just skits and banter. It’s really kind of quite ridiculous. But, it was fun, you know? That’s where it all began. And, that, that was that’s the only two records that band has out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I did some stuff out in California, like I helped produce some records. One of them was a reggae record. It was called culture. Culture Canute and the Rock Stone players. Yes. I got some credits on that one. I did like some background vocals, but it wasn’t really my band. And that’s the legendary artists. His name is Can You Davis.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And he’s from Montego Bay, Jamaica. And he would tell us stories of when he was younger kicking the ball with Bob Marley. So that was pretty, well, pretty cool. And the funny thing is about that band culture, Canute, those guys, fast forward to now. Some of them, actually, the majority of those guys will come out and play shows with me.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Or if I go to California, some of them will do shows with, oh, neat. It’s pretty. Who knows? Because back then I was kind of like managing them and running sound for those guys, and eventually I become their reggae. I’m sorry, their rhythm guitar player. And it’s just been you never know what these things are going to fall into place.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. Never know. That’s for sure. And so how. Yeah. So we’ll say go ahead, tell me about the records and I’ll go about that. And oh that’s.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Not because it never was. That was fun. It was kind of like getting to do some reggae stuff for a while. We did some shows out West and a little bit of Trail of West Coast of that project. But the, the guitar player from that band, Matt Gilbert, who’s actually now my producer out in San Francisco, is the one I produced.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “My last record, Rolls of Amsterdam.”

Angela Barrett – “Nice, nice. And so how old were you? With the reggae band.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Did you do you probably, probably about 3 or 4 year chapter. Maybe a little longer? Yeah. No.”

Angela Barrett – And that’s nice.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Incarnations. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “One of my favorites is reggae. And my sons, Omar, especially his, technique is a Bob Marley, you know, big done band. Yeah. In fact, we there is a there’s a joke after we saw the Bob Marley movie, we’re like, oh my God, we really did raise a Bob Marley because he is a very piece, you know, everybody just please go along and you know he.”

Angela Barrett – “Is he doing right? He just fits right into that whole thing. Oh my God, we really did reservoir Marley, which is not a bad thing at all. I think we could all use a little more of that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, yeah? You any more Bob Marley? You’d realize for.”

Angela Barrett – “Sure. That’s exactly right. So from. So let’s do a timeline. Maybe so your first name was way back. Name one you said, I think.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I went, yeah, by 1991, I would. I got a little time I hear with the started USC Aiken in 91, I think I was in a band by 92, 93. Yeah, that’s kind of where it began. So in and out of bands for the better part of 30 years.”

Angela Barrett – Was the longest band stint you had?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Probably this one probably. I mean, if you think about when we started Trials of Amsterdam, it’s going on. Wow, over ten years. I’ll get to, you know, quite a while. You think about that.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, absolutely. Now there is a, encounter or story you have that I can’t wait to hear. Bunny Wailer.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, yeah. Speaking of reggae, right.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s right. Okay. So, yeah, it was, man, it was is too surreal looking back on it too. I was playing a show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. Yes. And we were opening up for The Wailers, which was, you know, out of this world in its own right. Again, just had no idea how amazing back then, you know?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, just too young and dumb and full of bubblegum to realize what was really happening. And we were, I’m backstage in the in the green room and, or, like, walking to a bathroom, water and in a serious do. Then there’s reggae guy in there. I realized, oh, man, this is this is one of the Wailers, and it’s Bunny Wells.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And he comes up to me and I say, how’s it going with the all good man? And then he starts asking me if me and my boys had any had any weed. Like, let me get this straight. I said, you’re the you’re you’re in the Wailers, you’re legendary member of the band. And you’re asking me I’m like, oh my God.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So, I said, let me see what I can do. You def. And so.”

Angela Barrett – That’s very.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, it was crazy. It’s just crazy. That’s my Bunny Wailer story. I couldn’t believe it. Wow. You know.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that’s big down there, too. I like it again. I love those guys for sure. So how did where did you start playing music? And then you learned as a child. Were you live by yourself or were you taught?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Not really taught. Not classically trained. I made it in college. I took maybe a piano class or two, took a couple of voice classes. And I just kind of had always been into singing and stuff and started singing very. I remember being at USC Aiken in my dorm, and I was so nervous at first. I go in the bathroom and close the door.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It had the microphone, but then my guitar player and some other, you know, people be out in the living room with, I would be singing, but you could even see me. Then eventually, take I did. My first ever show was at the Fremont Club in, Aiken, South Carolina, probably 1993, and probably stood there were my eyes closed the whole time, but there was, you know, hundreds of people there, and they were pure.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So no classical training, really just. And mostly I had been a singer and then I, I don’t know, somewhere along the line, I started picking up the guitar just to try to write songs, and I would describe myself as a, a decent rhythm guitar player. Maybe, you know, a not enough to get myself in trouble.”

Angela Barrett – So I ask every musician that I talk with and every answer is different. What comes first? The music or the lyrics?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, it just depends. I think it just depends.”

Angela Barrett – I get that a lot.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, it just depends. Sometimes. Sometimes all of it. Sometimes it just depends on how it comes flowing down. You know, a lot of times it’s just like a guitar riff, maybe. And then you just try to put something on top of it. I find for me it’s usually the best stuff is the stuff that comes first, you know, just go try to overthink it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So maybe, maybe lyrics, mostly, maybe words, lyrics, melodies and then try to work it out on the guitar. Sometimes a piano.”

Angela Barrett – “Is I know you have like you’ve written lyrics and they stay buried. You know what is more down somewhere down the line. And then you come across some lyric or, you know, I even put something to this, or are you one of those that you kind of write the lyrics and let’s go ahead and think of some, well, how the music’s going to play lyrics.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, probably have more lyrics laying around than I’ll ever deal with. You know? It’s like I’m probably lost so many stacks of boxes and stuff. But, you know, one good thing about technology, I feel like with the iPhone, you can just put them in there or make the notes and do a quick little. So that’s been that’s kind of cool.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And I’ll do it. Yeah. I probably got dozens of songs on there that haven’t been released yet and just like ideas and stuff, but, not to mention on my refrigerator, I’ve got probably eight, ten songs that have been up there for about a year, and I want to try to cut somewhere this year. And, that’ll probably be more like my own project.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I just do Steve and Russell Wilson and, finally be myself all these years later.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, somewhere along the way, I heard about you have these crazy dreams. And maybe that’s where song music comes from, but did you actually dream up above Beyonce at one point?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, that’s a true story. That’s that’s crazy. You’re asking me that right on. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Power of dreams, man. Don’t underestimate him. I’m not. Yeah. I’m not. Only have I got them like, songs kind of downloaded that way, but, Wow. And moved back to North Augusta from California. Was it? I guess they moved here July 2021.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And I remember I’d spent 14 days on the road by myself, drive across the country, and I stopped in Nashville to see my album was makes. It hadn’t come out yet. And, I met a songwriter guy there. And next thing you know, on the 5th of July, I’m on stage playing songs off the record before it even came out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, I couldn’t believe how wide open Nashville was in the middle of the pandemic because it way different than the West Coast in their part, you know? So it’s too cool. So that was kind of like my trek across the country, like, well, I could I was like, I could stay on the road forever. But I had to get back to Carolina cause my son Waylon was about to have his, it was his 10th birthday.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – 11th birthday? What are you.

Angela Barrett – Doing?

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah. Thank you. Right. As it is a good neck. Anyway, I, I got to Carolina and I’m sitting in my house out in the country, and I’m kind of like, wow, major changes had happened in my life, and I kind of surrendered and left everything I knew and love kind of behind in California. Kind of let the surfing, living at the beach and following my divorce and the pandemic.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And it’s July, August, September comes around and I’m just kind of like, still get my bearings. And I had this dream about this woman, and I’m sitting in this classroom like this old school classroom, and there’s this teacher writing on a blackboard. I’m sitting in the classroom and to my left is one of my best friends and the teacher.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You can’t see her face. And she turns and looks for the first time, and I see her face, and she looks at the class and she looks at me. She says, so which one of you is coming home with me? And I look at my buddy Jamie and I raise my hand. I’m like, I’ll do it. And and I woke up and so I woke up.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I’m like, Holy, holy moly, what was that? I couldn’t believe it. And I knew immediately who it was. It was, a woman named Marla Gibson, who I hadn’t seen in about 28 years how to talk to her. No contact whatsoever. And I just couldn’t believe it was such a powerful, powerful dream. And I said, man, I gotta find this woman.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “I gotta find her, and I, I like making my coffee, and I’m trying to, like, remember the dream in my head making my coffee. And I finally I get a light and I try to search her up. And I almost gave up because I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it. And I said, you know what? You can’t give up.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Let me just try one more time. That I remember. Someone had said she was in the yoga like a yoga instructor. So I type her name in yoga and boom, she pops up, but she’s got like a different last name. I’m like, oh, I’m on zoom in. Like, man, that’s her. I’m oh my God. She’s she’s she’s like more beautiful now than I remember us as crazy as it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh well she’s got a different last name. She’s probably married, but I’m just gonna say hello. We’re old friends, you know, so I find her on, like, Instagram. Two days later, she responds. Long story short, we have talked or zoom every single day sets a year. I’ve been down the matter for our first date in Panama. We just found out an amazing time and proposed to her a year after I found her.”

Angela Barrett – Wow. All from her dream.

Stephen Russell Wilson – Of her dream.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah. Dreams can be powerful. And in both ways good. And sometimes not so. But, my dad and I have this, through dreams a lot of times, sort of an ESB. And we’ll both wake up, we’ll call each other and go, and I’m like, I know what you’re gonna say. Or he’ll say, I know what you’re right.”

Angela Barrett – “But it’s just one of those weird things between dad and I. So I do know the power of great words. Yeah. It’s like, yeah, it is crazy. So now what do we have? Where are you going next? What’s what’s our next steps?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Gotcha, gotcha. Right now I’m waiting to hear back for some folks. Looks like we’re for all shakes out. We might have a nice gig right around Masters here in Augusta.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, that would be. Yeah. I’m kind of waiting to take some meetings and have some sit down with some folks, but I don’t want to say too much about that. I’m at. It is in development. That that would be. That’d be very exciting and pretty. Pretty big time if, if at all transit, you know, comes to fruition, which I think it will.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Other than that, I’ve got a little, like a Lowcountry run, shaping up in April, April 30th. I could I think we got one on the books and all wind up, and the boys have told me they looks like they can come out from, Louisville, Kentucky and Kansas City. My rhythm section, who I used to play with in California.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And if they can come, we’re going to try to stitch a 5 or 6 shows together, maybe do all in, Charleston, maybe hit. I would love to hit Hampton where I grew up, but there’s not there’s really no venues there. And probably so that will stop by Columbia, who knows? Waiting to hear from some folks in North Augusta and then probably wrap it up with a Sunday.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “There’s a festival in Augusta called the Somerville Porch Festival, which we played last year. It was it was one of the coolest things I did all year. I couldn’t believe it. You know, people open up their homes and it was just an amazing turnout. And I was like, wow, I just couldn’t believe it.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. That is that’s that’s pretty cool. So now that you mention your band, they’re not obviously in Augusta with you or.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “No, I’m the only one here. I’m the. Yes. That’s, that’s kind of a trip. You know, that’s like my my ATM. My guitar and I reached out. I always usually games with crazy enough. Speaking of dreams, I mean, it’s like I will if I’m doing myself. I’ll book the shows and not have any idea how I’m going to pull it off.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “You know, either get to get the gig, so don’t worry about the details. You know?”

Angela Barrett – “And so where the rest of the band, where do they live?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “My guitar player and my producer, who was in San Francisco. So that’s.”

Angela Barrett – The whole.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, he’s he more or less the other main part of my band. It is a hall and he’s got obligations and you can’t always get away, but, Oh, we we’ll probably go back out in the fall in California. We try to do like five cities out there. Waiting to hear back from there. So he with Matt Gilbert, Rock Stone records, Caesar, phenomenal producer.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “If you know anything out in California, anybody needs a record out there, he can help you. And then we’ve got, one of my bass players. Diego. Rumor also is in San Francisco. And so, guys, we have a drummer. They Wilmer who helps us out. And also Frannie, they’re all San Francisco bass. So that’s kind of my crew out there.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And then if it’s east of the Mississippi, I’ll do it, of course. And then, my bass player, Rob, Rob Freeland, is in Kansas City, and then Phil Brown lives in Louisville, Kentucky.”

Angela Barrett – “And get a gardens there. So, you know, we are spread out.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “There, spread out. And those guys are bad. Those two are better known as the Blues Brothers. We earned the nickname The Last Tour of the Blues Brothers in the better, for better or for worse, one of them ran into a waffle House neighbor backing up and had a little too much fun.”

Angela Barrett – Oh yeah. Waffle House I was always a good late night place to go.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh yeah, you play. So yeah, the band is scattered. I’m starting to do a few more like solo shows just for the sake of doing shows and, put put myself a little more out of my comfort zone to do stuff like that.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, well, that’s cool, that’s cool. So you didn’t you mentioned Matt Gilbert and, Rock Stone records. How long have you been working with them?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, man, I’ve been working with Matt off and on for fantasy, probably 15, 16, 17 years. We used to work together. Matt and I, we did audiovisual and, like, production work and some high end resorts sell the West Coast. And we did union work in San Francisco. We were always musicians and, you know, I, you know, I used to manage his bands and help him.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And then he offered, after building a recording studio, he said, hey, man, if you ever to record your stuff, you know, you help me build my studio so you can gave me a screaming deal I couldn’t refuse. And sure enough, the pandemic. We worked on my record and he kind of pulled me through and I came out. It just far exceeded my expectations, you know?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So I’m so grateful for the time and energy you put into it. So yeah, we’re pretty tight. We’re it’s nice to work with your wood, your friends, you know.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. All right. So I want to know Wilson a Scott Wilson Boulevard. Right.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – What’s his drive.

Angela Barrett – Wilson drive okay. Yeah. So tell me where that song came from.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, Wilson drives the name of the album.”

Angela Barrett – Okay.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “It’s. No, no, there is no song. That’s that’s not the name.”

Angela Barrett – “It’s not the song of sound, okay, I gotcha. I thought that was the name. That was one that I think, didn’t get to listen to. Hey, going on on Instagram, YouTube, listening to some of the others, but I go, oh, that’s interesting. So what is the meaning behind the Wilson drive?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Okay. So that, you know, and that’s a great question. Let’s see. So the record trolls of Amsterdam Wilson Drive was fully recorded, fully mastered. But I’m sitting around waiting on artwork right. Oh I reached I had artist and at this point, you know recorded everything at West and had it recorded and mixed and mastered in California and mastered and, and at Los Angeles, Burbank.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So the record is done essentially about a waiting on artwork, waiting on artwork. And I had artists, a couple of artists in California waiting to hear back from a couple of artists in either Atlanta or here in Augusta that I was trying to work with and hoping to work with and, some of them did help me out indirectly, but I didn’t exactly get the full art from the, and I’m talking to a buddy here in here in the CsrA who’s also a musician.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Billy is a very prominent artist and musician in his own right. He’s like, man, you cannot sit around waiting on this. He goes, your record is done, man. You got to get it. You got to let the give it to the people. And it kind of, it kind of stuck with us. Yeah. He’s right. You know what on what am I going to do?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Wait month and I kid you not like not even a few days later. Bing, bing. I get a text from a buddy down in New Orleans. And what it is is this picture of this wolf dog, his dog who looks like a wolf from, on Wilson drive down in New Orleans. You are honest. And for me, you were like, oh my God, that’s it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Because I have history with this dog. This very dog actually bit me on the beach in Half Moon Bay, California, running down the beach and bit my jacket, shredded my jacket like a mama was like, literally bleeding. I’m a Jim. You’re dog. You. What’s up? So me and this dog had this relationship and I’m like, you know what?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – I’m putting I’m putting magic on the record. That’s my. That’s it. I’m tired of waiting on art. It’s a really cool picture. So I had that picture that you see actually.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, it’s black and white right behind.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Oh yeah. So this dog is a new update. So this is out all this is the picture. The only thing over the logos overlaid troll’s out.

Angela Barrett – “Well it caught my attention. For one it was black and white photography. And I love black and white photography. I used to fool around with it back in the day. It was film. So I called my attention. That was the first thing that caught my attention eyes. But yeah, so that is so that that became the name of the album, the Wilts and Drop.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Yeah, yeah. You know, it’s funny and I actually scrapped the name of my working title for the record, wasn’t it? That was not even it, that just came out on a whim, last minute. The working title for the record was like a real, I didn’t even know if I was going to call it Trolls of Amsterdam before I was going to call Steven Russell Wilson.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s a whole nother debacle. And the working title for the record, was actually EEG by the sea, EEG by the sea, because I used to live in L Grenada where, where the bass were the band started and I’m like, man, no, I’m to I’m and I just grabbed that last minute and went with this.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot. Yeah. So, last question. You’re any film or TV hitting your direction? Okay. Yes. Yes, yes. Very. Tell me about that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Well, we’ve been working for a while, to try to get some play some songs and some, you know, film and TV. And I have been talking to music supervisors and so a few writer directors, just a matter of time, trying to sort it all out. But, definitely, if you’re out there listening to this podcast, I could, I could use a little help.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “And, you know, those side, the business side is always so much you can do it. I mean, I prefer I’m more enjoy, like, writing the music, performing the music and concentrating on that. But, you know, that is kind of the business side, but it would definitely be cool and kind of a dream come true to do that.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “So if you’re listening and you got any, you know, projects you’re working on, do you want to source some authentic original material? Give me a holler. Let’s do it.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. And when you say to play in the film or TV,”

Angela Barrett – Just sort of the music in the background of a scene or a beginning or an indie. Gotcha.

Stephen Russell Wilson – “That’s kind of what I have in mind. But I mean, certainly there’s other ways to do it, but, you know, like soundtrack essentially supper. Yeah, yeah. Or maybe it’s opening scene or somewhere in the movie or the series. You, you know, you hear you hear my song drinking problem in the background or in the bar, I’ll be like that or backroads or, I think it’s I think it’s, calling for that, you know, and certainly there’s a few, series that are filmed here in South Carolina to me.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Be cool to work with some people, you know, like here. Really boots on the ground. Maybe Charleston area. Augusta, Atlanta, but certainly whatever. You know, a lot of has done in California and New York and Canada, actually, a lot of it was done in Canada.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that is pretty cool. Yeah. So hopefully that will come to fruition soon.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – That’s right. Thank you.

Angela Barrett – “Well, thank you so much for being here today. And this has been a great pleasure and honor. I certainly appreciate it.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Thank you, Angela, for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely, absolutely. So, what do you think you’re headed back to? California?”

Stephen Russell Wilson – “Oh, probably going to be. Actually, I’m definitely heading back to California. I’m heading back in last week of March, first week of April to take away land out there for spring break.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice.”

Stephen Russell Wilson – Now to go see grandpa.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey guys, today I have with me Greg Vickery, who is Tokyo Duo, our, local band, who is not so local anymore. Thanks, Greg, for being here.”

Greg Bickley – “Thanks for having me on, I appreciate it.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. So Tokyo Jack the man or the band?

Greg Bickley – “The name is the band, right? It’s, Because I’m not Joe. Really? No one named Joe. It’s a term my guitar player used to play in Japan a lot. I started this band in 1990. 200. Different name is called Three Rings at the time. Like a three ring circus. Because I originally had this grand idea for a three part show with different things we were going to do, and it never developed into that.”

Greg Bickley – “So the name didn’t make any sense. And I’m terrible at thinking of band names, so I was trying to come to something new. Meanwhile, my current guitar player had come off the road playing in another band with my dad actually, and they would spend half the year in Japan, South Korea doing a lot of military stuff over there.”

Greg Bickley – “And so he’s like, he’s like, man, all I can think of was Tokyo Joke because I apparently was a name for an American servicemen stationed over there after World War two. So it’s just a term. And I was like, it makes no more sense than three rings. Did I know I liked it?”

Angela Barrett – “Well, that was one of my questions. Is where you came up with the name because I know there is a film back 1940 something, right?”

Greg Bickley – 47 I think Humphrey Bogart.

Angela Barrett – Right? Yeah. And there are two pro wrestlers that use the name Tokyo.

Greg Bickley – “I forgot about that. Yeah. Yes. There were yeah, I was actually just in Tokyo, so I.”

Angela Barrett – “I saw that, I saw that.”

Greg Bickley – “And I’ve tried to find the, the background of like, okay, what the term came from and it’s hard to find, but that’s what I’ve always heard as they would refer to somebody who was stationed over there as a Tokyo Joe.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. See, I didn’t come across that one.”

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, yeah, it’s it would be wiser to just tell people it was from the movie.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. That’s right. Or the wrestlers. Yeah. Or, there was even a song called Tall Tokyo. Yeah.”

Greg Bickley – “Bryan Ferry, I believe.”

Angela Barrett – “Yes, yes. Right, right, right.”

Greg Bickley – “Oh, we I’ve run across that quite a few times now.”

Angela Barrett – So you guys have been your band? Tokyo Joe has been playing together since you said 1990.

Greg Bickley – 96 under that name.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, okay.”

Greg Bickley – “I mean, not all the same guys like me and the guitar player have been together that whole time, and we’ve had various different drummers and bass players over the years.”

Angela Barrett – “I gotcha. And speaking of them, so your guitarist, who you’ve been with the whole time is Dale.”

Greg Bickley – “Correct, namely Burgess.”

Angela Barrett – “Burgess. And then, Carl Donald, who’s your bass player? Yep.”

Greg Bickley – “He’s he’s been with us for almost 11 years, I think.”

Angela Barrett – Wow.

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, it’s been a long time.”

Angela Barrett – “And then Jason Moore is your drummer, right. And then I guess what Anthony.”

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, we we’ve kind of have. Yeah. Anthony sight was the last name. Yeah. We’re kind of use him. Yeah too. Yeah. He’s we go back and forth between one of them being the main guy and the other one being the go to fill in guys. Sure. Yeah. License basically full time at this point.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? Right. So now you guys play, I mean, from like Virginia to Florida. Have you even expanded even more than that now?”

Greg Bickley – “Not really. We don’t even do that as much as we used to because it just it’s really not cost effective to go that far. So we’ve usually unless we do something like the the Elton John tribute or something, I mean, we’ll take that to Florida. If we can go down there and do 4 or 5, six, seven shows.”

Greg Bickley – “Right. But as far as just going to Daytona for a one off show, we typically don’t.”

Angela Barrett – “Write, you know, because you guys, I mean, I know you play around here a lot. And but I mean, all in all, y’all still averaging somewhere around the 200 a year or a little bit less now or.”

Greg Bickley – “No, it’s less. We backed it down because number one, I just decided a few years ago that I don’t need to sing four days a week, and it’s just you can’t sing, but so much, you know, it’s starting to take a toll. So I tried to average it out to around three and a half, you know, due for one week and three the next week kind of thing.”

Greg Bickley – “But then during Covid, I really just kind of realized how much stuff I’ve missed over the years, being the guy who’s always working Friday and Saturday and likely Wednesday and Thursday too. And I was like, you know what? I’m gonna dial it back. I’m gonna quit playing Saturdays, except for occasional private events and things like that, or the big shows or whatever, and just do Wednesday or Thursday, Friday.”

Greg Bickley – So we probably do more like I think we did about 130 or 140 last year.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. I mean, that’s still a lot. I mean, I guess, what do you do when you’re not playing music?”

Greg Bickley – “Other stuff related to the band. It’s literally almost all I do if I’m not on a vacation or some type of trip. I mean, because I do everything from make sure the oil in the truck is changed, to book the dates, to put them on the website, to put together the contracts. I mean, I do all of that stuff, so it’s it’s a 24 over seven thing.”

Angela Barrett – “And so, you guys now have, like you said, a truck or a van or whatever that hauls your equipment. And now do you have guys that help you set it up or.”

Greg Bickley – “Oh, no, unfortunately not. That’s that falls on us.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I.”

Greg Bickley – “Know, as I always say, that support you get paid for.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Greg Bickley – You do the music part for free.

Angela Barrett – “That’s the fun part. Yeah. Now you guys got some awards, that y’all received over the years?”

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, we won best local band. There were two different things you did. The state did it, and I don’t think they have that category anymore. But we won that one a few times. We wanted a lot of times of free times, which they still do. And we back. We play like Buford a lot. We want it down there one time to, one of the CDs won Best Local CD.”

Greg Bickley – “I think, when CDs were a thing a I idea how long ago that’s been. Which CD was that?”

Greg Bickley – “In this lifetime, what was the name of it? Yeah. And, so that won best Local CD. I think I won, like, the female vocalist or something. One time again. It’s been a minute.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Now what? And y’all do have some released albums?

Greg Bickley – “Seven technically, that we have hard copies of. Like, we just released the new song because now there’s almost no point even doing an album.”

Angela Barrett – You just do the sounds anymore where they call.

Greg Bickley – “Oh, no, because it’s really just sort of a collection of songs, you know, that everybody just releases individual songs anymore, which is what we just did with one that we have no hard copies of. But it’s I wrote a song up because I grew up in KC on a street called Sunnyside Drive, and I wrote a song about it called Days on Sunnyside that has been surprisingly well received.”

Greg Bickley – “I didn’t think anybody was going to care except me and the people who grew up in that area and realized it. I’m surprised how many people either relate to the area. They’re like, oh, my aunt lived on Sunnyside, or I lived on Northland, two streets over or whatever. And I guess because there’s a lot of detail in it and people typically don’t relate to details like my best friend Chris, you know, their best friend is not Chris, so they don’t relate.”

Greg Bickley – “But people who have their own Sunnyside, even though there might be days on Elmwood or whatever to them, you know. So it’s it’s really I’ve been surprised I get requests for every single night and it’s finally out. So last ten days on Sunnyside, you can find it anywhere.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. As in say, Spotify for sure.”

Greg Bickley – “Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, Apple Music. It’s pretty much anywhere you can find music. You can just Google it and find it. Yeah, you can even tell Alexa and she’ll find it for you.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I don’t think I don’t have Alexa. We did for a little while and then, I don’t know, I just decided that might be too much. Yeah, yeah. Now you’re being the biggest hit song that you guys have had. It’s been what.”

Greg Bickley – Of the original stuff? Obviously. It’s all about me because everybody relates to that one.

Angela Barrett – “Right. And then. And that, what in yours personally, I guess.”

Greg Bickley – My personal favorite.

Angela Barrett – “Or biggest hit, whichever one falls into.”

Greg Bickley – “Oh, well, that would be the most part. Well, I say that it’s, we’ve got a ballad two called It Hurts. It’s probably our. All right, honestly. Here are three most requested original songs ever. It’s All about Me. The ballad It Hurts, which I always say is our most requested song ever. We’ve actually got a song called Albert that is actually our most requested song ever, but we rarely play it.”

Greg Bickley – “It’s about a ghost that our drummer, our drummer at the time, many years ago, swore that he had in his house. And I had the music and no lyrics to go with it. We were getting ready to go in the studio and I was like, you know what? I’m gonna write a song about Jason’s ghost because he swears there was a short, fat, bald headed ghost living in his house.”

Greg Bickley – “And the way he described it, it just sounded like he should be named Albert to me. And I don’t. I’m. So. I just wrote a song about his ghost. Seriously, that’s probably been our most requested song ever. It’s been around longer and some of the others, mind you.”

Angela Barrett – Right. And so now what about your favorite song?

Greg Bickley – “Man, that’s a tough call of ours stuff you’re talking about, right? Sure. Man, that’s a tough one. All in all, maybe we got a song called. All in all, we’ve actually got a couple versions of that because we did it on our second CD. In fact, that’s the title of the CD was All In All. And then we did it with a producer on I think in this lifetime, I think it’s on that record.”

Greg Bickley – I’m trying remember what record songs are on.

Angela Barrett – “Now, right? Right. Bad problem to have when you got so many. So now, do you guys write all of your music and songs, or do you have songwriters that help you or.”

Greg Bickley – “No, we do. I write it all. You do, and then everybody else just adds their part. I write the the song, the lyrics, the chord progression and all that stuff, and then everybody else does their own thing to it. You know, I gotcha.”

Angela Barrett – “And so when did you, get into music or start music?”

Greg Bickley – “Forever. I mean, I’ve seriously played drums since I was like three years old. My dad has audio on me on the old, real, real things where he’d play piano and I would play drums along with him at three. I started playing guitar when I was about ten. Somebody taught me my first chords and I quit for a long period of time because, I don’t know, I just.”

Angela Barrett – It wasn’t cool.

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, well, no, it just, I think I decided I was just never going to be a great guitar player. I never took lessons, you know, so I never sat home and practiced anything. And I didn’t even start playing piano until I was about 16. My dad was a piano player, but he very much plays by ear and has his own way of going about it.”

Greg Bickley – “It didn’t really make sense to me until I was in a chorus class in high school, and a guy that I wound up being in a band with would come in and play piano. We started watching him do it. I was like, oh, I get it now. This is your bass note, and you know, I did take one music class.”

Greg Bickley – “Carolina other than three years, of course, in high school, less the only formal musical knowledge that I have.”

Angela Barrett – “So never learned. Like, I mean, obviously on your own, but, like, you write music now, so I mean, you had to learn the.”

Greg Bickley – “Yeah, but you is still done by ear a lot, you know. And you I mean, it’s music’s math, really. It’s all proportions. It, I did learn a lot in that one class at Carolina, let’s put it like that. Like before that, even though I played by ear, there was a lot more figuring things out. And now I can just hear a song and know what’s going on.”

Greg Bickley – “I may not necessarily know what key it’s in, but I know proportionately what they’re doing. Just from taking that one class kind of makes me wish I’d taken more classes.”

Angela Barrett – “I think we all say that, though. Now again, you y’all play not only in some of our local clubs and in local areas here, but you do play private events as well.”

Greg Bickley – “Oh yeah, we do. Like said, that’s pretty much all we do on Saturdays anymore is private stuff. And of course we do when we do the big tribute shows like the Elton John tribute and Tom petty tribute, we do those in theaters and sure, sure, things like that. Newberry Opera House for. But we’re getting our new Rocket Man Charleston musical in August, and we’re doing one at the Plaza Arts Center in Eatonton, Georgia in August.”

Greg Bickley – “And then, of course, we got the big one in September at Icehouse Amphitheater.”

Angela Barrett – “Yes, I’m looking forward to that. Yeah. One of my most favorite times that I saw you was at a private event. We were at a, someone’s house on the lake, and it was. It was nice not to be trampled over by all the young girls trying to get to you or from. I was like, oh, this is nice.”

Greg Bickley – “That’s it is it’s fun to do the private stuff because usually when you’re doing private stuff like that, you’re you’re playing for people who specifically want you to be there. Sure. You know, and I mean, that’s generally the case in a bar. I mean, when we play a bar, it’s people who came to see us. But sometimes you’re playing people who just happened to be there, you know?”

Greg Bickley – “And you got to figure out, okay, what are these people like? Are they going to like what we do or whatever, you know?”

Angela Barrett – “Right. Right. Right, right. Yeah. But that was that was a good time. Because I have been trampled for these young girls trying to get to you. Okay?”

Greg Bickley – Please. I don’t remember any of those.

Angela Barrett – “Well, this is, like liberty at the lake, and you’d have these big crowds and just huge crowds.”

Greg Bickley – “Oh, yeah.”

Angela Barrett – “And I haven’t been out there in years, so I, don’t know, these days, but, now you’ve got a big fundraiser coming up. The cancer research center.”

Greg Bickley – “Breast cancer research foundation. Yeah. We, this will be our third year doing the fundraiser. It’s also at Icehouse Amphitheater, like I said, and we always we’re trying to stick with it. Friday before Halloween. This will be our third year doing that. So it’s October 27th. It actually hasn’t even been announced yet. I think we’re announcing it like second week of August and I’ll put it on sale.”

Greg Bickley – “Yeah. And that’s now well, it was going to be eventually anyway. Right. And it really started out because three the one two years ago was our 25th anniversary, and I totally overlooked our 20th anniversary, which is pretty cool. A lot of bands don’t hang around for 20 years. And I was like, we got to do something big for our 25th anniversary.”

Greg Bickley – “And we decided to. I was like, let’s do something, an amphitheater. And I started thinking, how can we make it special as well? We can make it a fundraiser. And then I just called some of our friends to see if they wanted to play with us, like our buddies, the root doctors who were, you know, our. Yeah, those guys are prettier in the matter.”

Greg Bickley – “Our best friends, you know, local music scene. And, they were off because their keyboard player was going to play with us. I was like, would you guys be cool with coming and doing a set? And I was like, and then we could maybe all jam at the end or like, yeah, we’re in like all prettier. Matt. They’re like, yeah, we’ll do it.”

Greg Bickley – “So they that’s how we did it. We each do a set and then we all get together at the end and just have a big old jam session with all, I mean, both drummers, the whole thing. Everybody on stage at one time.”

Angela Barrett – Nice.

Greg Bickley – “It’s. And everybody it’s sold out every year. The first year we raised right at $48,000. Last year we did 59,000. I’m pretty sure we’ll do over 70 this year.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And again, so tell me a little bit more about this organization that you’re doing the fundraiser for.”

Greg Bickley – “It’s well, I specifically wanted the money to go to research because everybody’s aware. You hear about raising awareness. Well, everybody’s aware of breast cancer. It’s not or they haven’t heard of it. But I wasn’t aware how common it is. Honestly. It’s one of those things until somebody, you know, gets it and you become very aware of it, like 1 in 8 women in their lifetime will be diagnosed breast cancer.”

Greg Bickley – “And I was like, there’s been so much progress made over the years. It’s like, let’s make more progress research, you know? So I specifically wanted the money to go to research. I did my own research about what the best charities were, because you want the money to be used properly and not for administrative stuff. And I found the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which is a think, if not the top, one of the top research foundations in the world, because like a high percentage of their money, everything they take in actually goes to research something like $0.87 on every dollar.”

Greg Bickley – “So it’s only a tiny little bit of it. They just used up, you know, doing business.”

Angela Barrett – “So that’s phenomenal. And yeah, I had a mother and a mother in law with breast cancer. Really appreciate it much appreciate it.”

Greg Bickley – You’re welcome.

Angela Barrett – “Now you have, a sponsor that sponsors you guys kind of all year long, right?”

Greg Bickley – Maker’s mark.

Angela Barrett – Maker’s mark. But then you have a lot of sponsors who sponsored for different events.

Greg Bickley – “Correct? We do, like you say, maker’s Mark is our overall sponsor, and they take care of us and we promote which is actually good. We work that out because I actually like the product, you know. Yeah, it wasn’t just something arbitrary. And, you know, we do stuff with them, like specifically Maker’s 46 because even bourbon snobs like maker’s 46, Jim Beam orange, which is my on stage little thing is, maker’s Mark is a Jim Beam product.”

Angela Barrett – “All right. So let’s talk about, one of your biggest shows, if not your biggest show of the year, because I have lots of questions about this rocket man. Right. And it is a tribute to Elton John. So now, how did you come up with that? I have lots of questions. How did you come up with it?”

Angela Barrett – What was your inspiration and why? And all that good stuff?

Greg Bickley – “I always wanted to do it. All right. So going back to the three rings thing, I was talking about, where you had this grand idea for a three part show that was going to be one of the three parts doing all the way back to 1992. It took a lot of time to put it together because I did not want to do it halfway, you know, if I was going to do it, I want to do it right.”

Greg Bickley – “I do not look anything like Elton John. So I didn’t even know that it was doable, really, until I went to see some guys do it. And I was like, some guy was doing Elton John, Billy Joel face to face. I was like, these guys, especially Billy Joel. Dude doesn’t look anything like Billy Joel. I was like, if I get the exact same costumes, I mean duplicates of things that he wore, nobody’s going to care.”

Greg Bickley – “You’re so covered up. It doesn’t matter, okay? You’re two tall, big deal, you know? So that’s, That’s how we just decided to do it. We finally just committed to going for it, you know, which was fairly big investment because I had to buy a great big old grand piano shell. Oh, geez. So I was like, if we’re if we’re doing this, we’re doing this.”

Greg Bickley – “I mean, now and, I don’t know, I just like the music. It’s weird because I did not even grow up an Elton John fan. I found out I was an Elton John fan, completely on accident. I, I never was somebody to buy records of artists, like, forever. Many times I heard it on the radio. That was good enough for me.”

Greg Bickley – “Once I learned to play it myself, to make sure the thing and all these individual songs I loved, I didn’t realize they were all Elton John because they all sound different. And one day I bought his greatest hits because I knew one song and it started playing. I was like, I know all these songs, these are all those songs I love and didn’t know who did them.”

Greg Bickley – “So it all came about kind of totally on accident, but and then for years I’d have people go, man, you sing Elton John songs. You sound just like in my bar. And I was like.”

Greg Bickley “To let him see my fans all the way to the border to hear him say, I want a rock and I want, I want to build it for you. My alarm was all about bells. I them all this your care system makes you feel really horrible. The Greta here.”

Greg Bickley “Oh, no no, I was when I was on there somewhere of my song, like, oh my, you spell out your name. Yeah, I know about this. All right. Comes up. Stop. Like sign my son. I like sign. Nice. All right, all right, all right.”

Greg Bickley Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday Sunday. To live inside of a Sunday.

Greg Bickley – “Maybe I can do this, you know. And then, for the people who don’t know, for, gosh, 15, 12, 13 years, his old drummer, Charlie Morgan’s been the guy playing drums with us on that show, which also came about completely by accident. He was my favorite drummer on the planet in the mid 90s when he was playing with Elton.”

Greg Bickley – “And, just so happens he lives in Nashville and we wound up having a bit of a connection, and I got in touch with him and sent him some videos. And yes, and now we’re just old buddies and he plays with us all the time.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh that’s good. Now, does he still play with you all with those shows?”

Greg Bickley – “Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he’ll be at this house in September. He’ll be at Charleston Music Hall. August 18th. Eight in a Georgia on August 19th. Whatever those dates are, I think that’s right.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. September 8th, I know, here at the Icehouse. But, and then. Sorry, guys, that sold out. So if you don’t have your tickets, I apologize. But, you know,”

Greg Bickley – There’s always next year.

Angela Barrett – That’s always that.

Greg Bickley – “Well, there’s always, always Charleston two there. Tickets available. Charleston Music hall.com. That’s on Ticketmaster. But I don’t know exactly how to tell you to get there.”

Angela Barrett – Right. And the best way to make sure you don’t miss it again is follow the Facebook or Instagram where he’s that you got your web page too.

Greg Bickley – “Yeah. What I always tell people do search for Tokyo Joe Band because I do occasionally get a message for the Tokyo Joe restaurant. I’m sure someone will message me, like complaining of their teriyaki chicken with hung up or something like that. And it’s not frequent, but it happens anyway.”

Angela Barrett – “Yes, if.”

Greg Bickley – “You search, you know, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook for Tokyo Jug Band, you’ll find us on the regular website is Tokyo Jeanette. And there’s always a calendar on there, usually like I think it’s up through October right now.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. It was several months in advance as of this morning. Anyway, now. So have you ever met Elton John?”

Greg Bickley – “I have not, which is weird, because seems like everybody else I know has. I’ve had people run it. I’ve seen him like five times in Vegas, and I’ve had people run into him on an elevator and stuff like that. Yeah, I’m the only one who hasn’t for some reason or other.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, well, you have to make sure the drummer that you know, is he sent him any of the stuff.”

Greg Bickley – “So we actually sent him a, the happy birthday thing. We were playing a a Rocket Man show in Florida. I think it was last year on his birthday. And we had the whole crowd sing Happy Birthday to him and Charlie, a video. I think I just I don’t think he sent it to him directly. Senator David Johnson, his guitar player, because I still talk a lot.”

Angela Barrett – Right? Right now. What about the costumes? Where did you find all of that?

Greg Bickley – “I had a couple of them made at a place in Charleston, and ever since it’s been a place up in Greenville called Costume Curio. That makes them, because I was just looking for somewhere that did custom costumes, and at the time, I couldn’t find anybody around here. There may be somebody now, there was a place in Charleston that did a couple the very first couple and then the the people up in Greenville just do really good work.”

Greg Bickley – And they’re easy to deal with. So.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, well they’re fantastic. It’s all is a lot of fun. And I’m really, really excited.”

Greg Bickley – Good deal.

Angela Barrett – “Now the, Rocket Man is not the only show done. I don’t know if he still do it, but there was used to be a different show.”

Greg Bickley – We do a Tom petty tribute.

Angela Barrett – “Also, Tom petty was.”

Greg Bickley – “Called The Best of Everything, which is a great Tom petty song, by the way. I did not know that we were looking for titles. We ran across that song name. I was like one of the songs. Any good listeners? So we do it in every shows. Like, man, it’s a great song.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Greg Bickley – “So and that one’s way easier because I look a lot more like Tom petty. Oh, I got his wig and I’m golden, right?”

Angela Barrett – “Right. And now you’ve already had the Tom petty tribute this year, at least at the Icehouse.”

Greg Bickley – “We did it back in May. We usually do it in the spring, and Rocket Man in the fall is kind of in the pattern so far.”

Angela Barrett – “I gotcha, I got.”

Greg Bickley – “The Tom petty is relatively new because we we debuted at the fair the first time, right before Covid. And of course, we didn’t get to do it for two years or something.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, sure. So I guess the next big thing you have is, your shows here would be Rocket Man, the Big Things. And then you’ve got your local stuff that you still do, but, and then you’ll have, the breast cancer.”

Greg Bickley – “Right. And we got another thing coming up in October, but I can’t talk about it. Yeah. Keep an eye on the website, keep an eye on the social media and you’ll know what’s going on.”

Angela Barrett – Okay?

Greg Bickley – And hold open October 12th. It’s a Thursday.

Angela Barrett – Then October 12th. All right.

Greg Bickley – I’ve got to wait on them to announce that I can. And. Sure.

Angela Barrett – “Sure. Yeah. Well, I certainly appreciate you taking time out of your very, very busy week.”

Greg Bickley – “Thank you very much for having me, I appreciate it. Yeah. This is great. Thank you. Thank you guys for watching.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Berret – “Hey, Elliot. How are you?”

Elliot Poston – I’m good. Good good good good good.

Angela Berret – “So, things have really been rocking and rolling since the last time you and I talked. It was August 14th, 24. And now we’re in January of 25. And, as I predicted, and I’m saying this again, patting myself on the back here, you’ve gone beyond, I think, what you thought you were ever going to be at this point because you’ve been doing this this long, very long, right?”

Elliot Poston – “No, I’ve only been chasing this, chasing the dream, so to speak. Series, I guess. Really pursuing it. Probably since the beginning of last year. Yeah. End of the 2023. Because, I had my first gig in July of 23. But probably really didn’t, myself really start pursuing it until, In the 23 beginning of 24.”

Elliot Poston – “So it’s been good. It’s been, Yeah, it’s been fun.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah, absolutely. So again, the last time we talked in August, you released, you can’t spell Bush without USA. And, that went over like a rocket, didn’t it?”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. It, I ended up reaching out to 94.3, the dude in Columbia, and, shared the song with him, and it ended up, being a part of their, tailgate pregame show for every, every game day. So.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah. Yes. I figured I figured that pleasant surprise. Yeah. So tell you from then to now, tell me what else happened, and then I’ve got some questions I want to ask you to.”

Elliot Poston – “Well, not to be too anticlimactic. But honestly, it’s just, it’s just the grind. It’s, I ended up releasing four total songs, this past year to after. You can’t publish that at USC. I say a lot hasn’t happened, but I got nominated for, Columbia’s best solo artist. Nominated for that. Right. I got nominated for for, Metro Music.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. Metro Music Awards, Country Artist of the year. And I am neck the weekend. January the 18th, this coming weekend. I will find out if I’ve won Carolina Country Music’s male Artist of the year.”

Angela Berret – “Yes. I, for the Carolina Country Music Awards. Right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Excited about that one. A friend of mine, I think it was last year as a young one, female artist of the year in one of these, things that you guys are on. So I do follow it. But, Well, that is fantastic. Congratulations on the nominations.”

Angela Berret – And crossing my fingers for the 18th. Tell me about your new song. If only.

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. So I lost to close friends my last year. So, as in 23, I keep thinking we’re in 24. Holidays are in 2023. I lost two hush friends of mine. One of them, passed away due to, self-inflicted gunshot wound. You know, he he’d been unknowingly to me, he’d been battling with some mental health issues and, had gotten into, just to where he wasn’t sleeping well at night.”

Elliot Poston – “And, locked himself in his bathroom and took his own life. And, you know, it’s, one of those things that, you know, you never know. What someone may be dealing with and, you know, he, he lived in Indiana, is a good friend of mine. We lived down here, South Carolina. And, you know, we touch base and talk pretty regularly and, you know, I just remember being in the car around Thanksgiving 2023 and, my wife saying, hey, did you hear about such and such?”

Elliot Poston – “And I was like, no. She’s like, yeah. He, he chanserv.”

Angela Berret – Well.

Elliot Poston – “And, so that happened right around Thanksgiving. And then, another close friend of mine, ended up going into the hospital on Christmas Eve morning, the morning of Christmas Eve, or may have been Christmas Day morning, but went to the hospital healthy, otherwise healthy. 3637 year old. They’d done a couple Spartan races or was planning on going first try again this year.”

Elliot Poston – “And, when it never came out.”

Angela Berret – Wow. And do you know what was the calls or.

Elliot Poston – “No. No. They said he died of pneumonia. They said pneumonia had already started attacking his heart. From my understanding, because he was so healthy. Because of how healthy was and not. And being able to kind of face some of the symptoms that he was dealing with, that was worse than, he probably realized, rather than likely the violence inside to get to the E.R..”

Elliot Poston – “It was kind of too late, like.”

Angela Berret – That’s terrible. And so I guess those two people inspired if only.

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. So on September 3rd was, my buddy who committed suicide. Who committed suicide? It was his birthday. And I woke up that morning just really struggling. Just as far as feeling like, really, it’s a heavy day.”

Angela Berret – Sure.

Elliot Poston – “And, you know, just kind of let my wife know. Hey. Struggling your day just to give you a heads up, to fire. So I,”

Elliot Poston – “In in in that. Really? Then started,”

Elliot Poston – “Thinking about Pastor Travis, who had passed away a month after him because all three of us shared the same birthday month. The and past Travis was a day apart, and the mother body was said to a third, and, so I started thinking like, man, what if I would a what if I were to call or man, if only I’d known that they were going to be here anymore.”

Elliot Poston – “Sure. And, that’s all I came out of it.”

Angela Berret – And so did you kind of sit down that day or the.

Elliot Poston – “Yeah, I sat down that day and I wrote the lyrics. The majority of the worship. Right. I think I started in September of 20th September third and I finished it for the month. For the month was up.”

Angela Berret – Yeah. And so the music followed after the lyrics for that one.

Elliot Poston – “No, I wrote everything at once.”

Angela Berret – “Oh, wow. Oh, okay.”

Elliot Poston – Yeah.

Angela Berret – “Well, most often.”

Elliot Poston – “I don’t write words and then put a tune to it. Whatever I’m writing, I have a tune to it when I’m writing it.”

Angela Berret – “Gotcha, gotcha. You know, everybody does it so differently. And, but that’s, an interesting story, and I’m sorry for your loss. That’s tragic. And, I’m glad that something good came out of it. As in your next song, which is, the if only, which is, a really good song. So, you know, the there was, let’s see, we’ve got can’t spell Bush without us.”

Angela Berret – “See, we’ve got. If only there’s one I’m missing.”

Elliot Poston – Better than I deserve.

Angela Berret – “Yeah, better than I deserve. Yeah. So tell us about that one.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. I mean, that’s just a song. Counting your blessings. You know, it’s, My daughter and son designed a cover up for, I wrote the song, and I was like, hey, I’m trying to decide what kind of what kind of, cover art. I wanted, so to speak, and I felt like, the greatest blessing I have is my family.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. And so, you know, I wanted to legacy above everything else. So I, spoke to my wife and my wife. I spoke to my kids and just, asked them if they would, create a. Draw something for me. Cool. And my son, drew the bottom. Or did the write out the better than I deserved part at the bottom of the page and had my, my daughter drew drew the picture.”

Angela Berret – “So that’s cool. That’s cool. And, so speaking of family, tell me, what are their thoughts? I mean, what are their reactions to all the publicity and fame and and things that you’re getting now? Cause that’s got to be a little bit different for them as well.”

Elliot Poston – “You know, is we just every day is just this the same. Same thing. Same old, same old, you know? Yeah.”

Elliot Poston – “You know, publicity and all that. It doesn’t really. I guess maybe it just hasn’t hit us enough yet. Maybe, You know, they love it.”

Angela Berret – They’re my friend.

Elliot Poston – “They love telling somebody that, Hey. Yeah, my dad wrote this song, or, you know, they’re my biggest fans. And my family is my biggest support. So, they’re all they’re always sharing, sharing my stuff or singing it, and so it’s fun. But we haven’t, quote unquote experienced the, I guess, stardom, so to speak.”

Angela Berret – “Right. Well, and I know I sent you a text or message or, you know, private message, the other day where I’m. Yeah.”

Elliot Poston – So I was like.

Angela Berret – “Well, and that was the first song that came up on the country music, so I guess it remembers what you listen to or whatever. I was like, where would you look at that? How cool was that?”

Elliot Poston – “Right. So it’s funny because, had another buddy of mine who sent me a, a message saying, his Spotify wrapped. You showed me a Spotify wrap and his most listened to artist was me. Bruce, it that day.”

Angela Berret – “Oh, yeah. And that was the fun thing. I’m usually riding in the car, so I have to sort of let the Spotify pick for me. I mean, I think look down to pick a song or an artist or things like that. So it was kind of really unique when you, you were the first one that popped up. I was like, well, goodness.”

Angela Berret – “And we had not even talked yet. So yeah, I mean, it’s.”

Elliot Poston – “I, I appreciate it. I’m grateful.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah, absolutely. So I got a question. What is with the hat?”

Elliot Poston – “Dang, dang.”

Angela Berret – Yeah. Your hat.

Elliot Poston – It was a Christmas gift.

Angela Berret – Yeah.

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. Why not? So mount my. What? My wife and kids, got me that hat for Christmas. So this is dang. My son’s got one that says golly, and it’s a it’s a brand. It’s a brand called Dirt Pile creative. No. It’s their. I’m not sponsored by them or anything. It’s just, one of us. We sell the hats.”

Elliot Poston – “We like them, man. My son got a got one that says golly and and he says, golly a lot.”

Angela Berret – Is that where the dang comes from? Because you say that all the time.

Elliot Poston – “I do, but it’s a lot of times a man. Dang.”

Angela Berret – Yeah.

Elliot Poston – “You know, I had a joke with my wife and some friends of ours and tell them I said I need to. I need to, find one that says if if because, like me, myself and, my business partners, kids in case for those who aren’t aware, I’m part of the largest wrestling company in the state of South Carolina also.”

Elliot Poston – “Right. And I don’t cuss, but we’ll say like f f, which is f. What’s the f? Right? Wrong. The ha a jerk has said I need to find the. Give them the make me a hat says f right?”

Angela Berret – “Right, right. But what?”

Elliot Poston – “But, Yeah. So I said, dang, I got a day, right? They got me the hat now.”

Angela Berret – “Well, I just saw a couple of things, post about it or, you know, comments and got quite the laughter. So I said I had to ask about that. And speaking of wrestling, said so tell us how how’s the how is the wrestling world going?”

Elliot Poston – “It’s amazing. You know, we, we we just signed a new deal with, Kershaw County rec department. Into the year to extend our contract with them through 2025. So it will be, there again in 2025 at Kershaw County, Old Army Gymnasium in Cannon, South Carolina. Every fourth Saturday of every month. So it’s been it’s been a wild ride.”

Elliot Poston – “We’re looking to hopefully, have more, expand our reach more this year with, different, sports shows, so to speak, which is where it’s, it’s, where you’ll go to a different town than you normally used to. And you, the main goal is, I mean, the goal is the goal is always the same to entertain, entertain, get new fans and retain old fans.”

Elliot Poston – “It’s it’s always the, the goal. But it’s, we’re hoping just to be able to expand our market some this year, expand our footprint and you see where it leads us. We’ve, we’ve grown exponentially over the past couple of years, with the way Netflix and everything with, has happened. It’s really kind of one of those things that we wonder if, if this might be a, a year that wrestling kind of burns,”

Elliot Poston –

Angela Berret – “Now, this is, where kids can go and. Learn or perfect wrestling techniques privately. Or how? Tell us about the company.”

Elliot Poston – Have you heard of WB?

Angela Berret – Yes.

Elliot Poston – That’s what this is.

Angela Berret – Okay.

Elliot Poston – Yeah.

Angela Berret – “Gotcha, gotcha.”

Elliot Poston – Yeah. This this isn’t the high school wrestling. Middle school wrestling. It’s not.

Angela Berret – This is real.

Elliot Poston – “There is professional wrestling, right? It’s. Storylines are written. It’s not fake. It’s. Yes, people. We know the outcomes. But someone fallen on their back on a, in a ring that doesn’t have springs. There’s no springs in a ring. It’s literally a metal frame. Two by sixes and a 1 to 2 inch foam.”

Angela Berret – That the. So let’s back up. Let me understand this. So you sponsor or you put on wrestling.

Elliot Poston – Myself into Yoder to two others. Palmetto championship wrestling. We are the largest professional wrestling company in the state of South Carolina. We have a monthly show just like you would see Monday Night Raw tonight. We have one of those monthly is the fourth Saturday of every month.

Angela Berret – And so different wrestlers sign up to be part of that show.

Elliot Poston – Well we booked in but.

Angela Berret –

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. So wrestlers are there. For now, they’re not they’re not under contract. They’re contract workers. Those like, the majority of times because we because of how we run our shows and when our business, we try to keep a lot of the same people the same.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. Because because our goal is to tell a story. Our goal is and have a match, and then it not makes sense. Sure. Because it’s it’s I tell people look at wrestling as a live action movie, okay. You’re going to come and sit for 2 to 3 hours and you’re going to get the prequel in the beginning, they’ll let you know everything that’s led up to this because of the because of, the video and set that we share in the, in the beginning of our, of our, shows.”

Elliot Poston – “And we do that intentionally so that people who may not have been there when they come, they then have the back story because not because we don’t want anyone to be lost. Sure.”

Angela Berret – “Well, now I think I have a better understanding of what what what that entails now. Because I was way off base for sure. Yeah, that. Just said just getting the logistics down would be a lot, for something like that and keeping the storyline going and things of that nature. That would be a lot.”

Elliot Poston – “We’ve got, we’ve we’ve got a great team. Like I said, me and my two business partners. We’re the owners, but we we have a guy who’s been in the industry for 20 plus years. He’s the producer of our show. He’s the one who writes. He writes everything. And again, it’s it’s he’s somebody who has 20 plus years of experience in the industry.”

Elliot Poston – “So for us, it’s important to, really invest in him and trust him to, to bring our vision to, to life. And he does an amazing job with it.”

Angela Berret – “Mogul I got to check it out. And and watch some. Now that now that I have a full understanding of what goes on, it, and you said Palmetto.”

Elliot Poston – Palmetto Championship Wrestling.

Angela Berret – Championship Wrestling. And I’ll have to write that down. Let me switch topics just one second. How fun was football season? Because you are the you were there most of the games.

Elliot Poston – “No, I wasn’t really.”

Angela Berret – I thought I thought I saw where you were at JSU out there.

Elliot Poston – “I went to, So I went to one game. Went to tech. Same game, because I played at a benefit concert before for Saint Jude’s. It was a tailgate concert. Myself and, two other music artists played. Played there, and then, we ended up going to the. We decided to take a trip after the new year and go to the Cheez-It Bowl.”

Elliot Poston – “I couldn’t go to the majority games, mainly because my son plays football.”

Angela Berret – “Sure. But now you play it more than one place before game, right? But I thought I saw Jake’s on there, and I know I saw,”

Elliot Poston – “The I put up for J’s corners, but that was before game. Oh, okay. That was just, I play there, and they, they market my song.”

Angela Berret – Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha.

Elliot Poston – “But, Yeah. Jake’s corner. I love Jake’s corner. I’m actually there Thursday night.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah. Speaking of your schedule, I was looking at it, I think the next three months, you’re you’re you’re pretty booked.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah, I went in. What? I was like, you know what? Normally what I do is I put, I put a monthly, schedule at the beginning of each month, and I was like, you know what? I can still do that. And accent and tag people. But I’m going to put it up there so that. Yeah, I had the first quarter out.”

Elliot Poston – “People got questions that can look find out. Right. It’s about being availability, especially during during the week and Thursdays and Sundays. But Fridays and Saturdays are pretty much taken up.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah. Yeah, I saw that. So what’s next? You working on a new song?”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah, I got a I got, a new song already written that I was originally going to record and in place of If Only. But after I wrote If only, I just something I feel like I really need to get out there and, even if, even if it’s just for me. Sure. So I found this other song that I’ve had it for a little while that I, I’ll be recording hopefully in the first quarter.”

Elliot Poston – “The guy who does my recording, he’s, in the process of building a new studio. So, he hasn’t taken in recording since the end of November, and I’m supposed to check back with him in the January mid-February. So.”

Angela Berret – “Well, good. But, any any hints about the song? I know you can’t tell us the name, but.”

Elliot Poston – I can tell you name out here. It’s called backwards.

Angela Berret – The back roads. Yeah. So now where did that come from?

Elliot Poston – “Well, I grew up in the country. There’s back roads to get everywhere, right? So, like, we had to take bad roads to get anywhere we wanted to go. And so it’s one of those things that, I don’t know, I feel like, people can relate to learning lessons on the back roads and. They’re also a name of that.”

Elliot Poston – “Seven because I’m talking about, driving backwards.”

Angela Berret – Right? Yeah. People who did not grow up in the country have no idea what they miss.

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. They don’t. It’s interesting, like, you talked to people and even, like, even something as simple as, like, food way. Right? Right. It’s like what you eat that it’s like. Yeah. Why not?”

Angela Berret – That’s right.

Elliot Poston – “Oh, I would, What? Would I not eat it? You know.”

Angela Berret – “I know that’s exactly right. Or just some of the things that we say, like where I’m from. I say this all the time. No one in this world knows what a K score is. Do you know the k score is.”

Elliot Poston – “A case quarter? No, I’ve heard it, but I don’t open up my head. I can’t place it.”

Angela Berret – “So. Okay, score is a whole quarter. Like you, I say I need a K for I want a whole quarter. I don’t want to round and a nickel, but, most people don’t. Because if you remember, though, and you had to have that for the vending machines or certain machines, they wouldn’t take too long. You had to have a case quarter.”

Elliot Poston – And I had the core. Yeah.

Angela Berret – That’s right.

Elliot Poston – “The my grandma on the old convenience store. And I remember, I remember like at her old convenience store, she had all Pacman machine that we play and, you know, she’d give us the, a quarter out, the, the old, register, or is old, old gray one that you had? It wasn’t digital, right?”

Angela Berret – “Yeah, yeah, but the numbers were.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah. My grandfather, he owned one do. And I remember, coke calls in the glass bottle and sitting on the counter, and there’s a jar of pig’s feet. Yep. And, now that I couldn’t do.”

Elliot Poston – “The my my grandma had a jar, pickled pig feet up on her counter. She sold, cow tails. And next to the cow tails was, red man chewing tobacco and chewing tobacco to send a brown packet I forget the name of.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah, just,”

Elliot Poston – “But she also saw Big League Chew Bell, and,”

Angela Berret – That was the best she had.

Elliot Poston – “But she had the, the coolers that you did that she reached down into and pulled the bottle bottles out. Right. And then she, And then she she started selling the says. A lot of people think sodas have always been 20 ounce bottles. But I remember when they were 16 ounce.”

Angela Berret – “Yeah, well, I remember the baby.”

Elliot Poston – The glass bottles were 8 ounce or 10 ounce.

Angela Berret – Right? They were baby like an eight ounce. And then.

Elliot Poston – Then you had the 12 ounce.

Angela Berret – Cans out. You.

Elliot Poston – So I remember the ten ounce glass bottles. I remember the 6 or 8 ounce glass bottles. I remember the 12 ounce cans. I remember the 16 ounce plastic bottles. Right. The the Big Gulps or whatever it was 20oz then.

Angela Berret – “Now I don’t even we wouldn’t have had any of that back in the day that no granddaddy had the store. But,”

Elliot Poston – “You know, when I was, you know, a neighbor’s.”

Angela Berret – “Yes. A pack, an ad and a Coca-Cola. That’s what we’re having for lunch.”

Elliot Poston – “A lot of people don’t know what nabs are. Well, sometimes we y’all listen.”

Angela Berret – “It’s the the square, orange looking cracker with peanut butter in the middle.”

Elliot Poston – “Yeah. Well, I’ll. I’ll tell you. Nabs or any type of crab cracker with something in the middle.”

Angela Berret – “Right, right right, right.”

Elliot Poston – “But if it was, I.”

Angela Berret – Have Nabs or Coca-Cola for the for lunch or what? Snack or whatever.

Elliot Poston – “It it’s not a brand, but more than likely you’re either eating Lance or Toms.”

Angela Berret – “That’s right, that’s right. That’s, I agree, but it’s just something about growing up in the country for sure. So, we talked about, you know, kind of you got your new song coming and hopefully it’ll come out this quarter. Any.”

Elliot Poston – Quarter?

Angela Berret – “Yeah. Where where are you heading from now? I know we got to get through the 18th with the awards, but we’re. Have you got any idea about where you’re headed next?”

Elliot Poston – “I’m. I’ve got a couple of, couple things that I don’t want to speak on too much right now. Sure. For the summer, I’ll talk to you about it. All fair. Sounds good. I don’t want to necessarily release too much information right now, because it’s just a lot of a lot of open ended us. Sure. But if everything works out the way I’m hoping, then a lot of big things.”

Angela Berret – “Good. Well, I am excited. And I have been from the very beginning, from the first time I heard you and, And, and, a big cheerleader here, for you. And I am excited to see where all this goes, for sure. And I thank you for coming back and checking in with me. We’ll do it again, because I think there’s going to be a lot to keep up with you for sure.”

Elliot Poston – “Oh, yeah. You just let me know. It’s too easy. The lately, you know, check. People make things more difficult than they need to be. You know, hopping on, hopping on a 30 minute car phone calling or zoom or whatever. Interview.”

Angela Berret – That’s right.

Elliot Poston – Yeah. Too easy.

Angela Berret – “Well, I appreciate it so much. Thanks.”

Elliot Poston – Absolutely.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, and thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of For All Things Light Central, the only show dedicated to Lexington, South Carolina, and where a spade is always spade. Here we’ll talk to and about people, places, birds, things to do and places to go in and around Lexington, South Carolina. I’m your host, Angela Barrett, and this is for all things Lexington, brought to you in part by Jervois Street Bridge, Yorktown, Colombia’s most unforgettable free to list business directory.”

Angela Barrett – “Hey guys, and thanks for being with me today. Today I have the Heart of Colombia chorus and they are an all women four part four, part harmony acapella chorus. Did I say that right? Yeah. And now my first question is, tell me what a four part Harmony acapella course is.”

Jamie Clair – “Sure. So, we sing four parts. All women, or women identifying, in the treble clef. So it’s like higher voices. It’s four parts, no accompaniment. But we the music that we make is just with the sounds of our voices. We do sing some modern acapella, which is rhythmic. We don’t have a beatboxer, but we’re open to, but mostly we sing in the barbershop style.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, cool. All right, so we have, Jamie, Claire and Jackie and Jacqueline and Pat. Thank you all so much for being here today. The privilege. So tell me, what, the heart of Colombia course is. What do you do as you sing? I know, but.”

Jackie – “I would say it’s, group of women that come together doing something they love every Thursday night, supporting each other in life, learning. You know, all of us came in different singing abilities. And so we all learn and grow together. And then we get to take that joy that we have on Thursday nights out into the community and perform.”

Pat – “It’s often said people come for the music, but they stay for the friendship. And I think it speaks to the fact that there are women who have been in choruses outside of South Carolina, and when they come to Heart of Columbia Chorus, they find a home and a welcoming that they frequently will tell us they have not found anywhere else.”

Pat – Despite how wonderful those other courses might be.

Angela Barrett – “Well, I did see again on your Facebook page where y’all y’all do a lot of photos and it looks like y’all have a blast when you’re together. I will say that you do.”

Jamie Clair – I sure do.

Angela Barrett – Now the heart of Columbia chorus is part of another organization. So tell me how this all works.

Jamie Clair – “So, heart of Columbia is a chapter of Sweet Alliance International. Okay. It’s an international singing organization. There are choruses in Sweden and England and Australia and all across the US and Canada. And so we’re broken into regions. And every spring, each region participates in a competition. And the winner of that regional competition then goes to the international competition, which happens in the fall.”

Jamie Clair – “And it’s there’s choruses. There are also quartets. So there are just four people that get together and, and sing their music. So there’s a competition for that as well. And we do have, we have had in the past and currently have several quartets that represent our chorus. And more than just Sweet Alliance as a competition organization.”

Jamie Clair – “That is one of the pillars of the organization. But not everybody gets to walk across that international stage. But, well, every student trying to get a sweet Adeline gets to experience is education. Education through performance education through rehearsal. We have, just actually this upcoming weekend, I’m teaching at an, speed online, regional event for education.”

Jamie Clair – “So we get together with people from the five neighboring states, and we learn about singing, and we learn about music. And, so we get to grow, not just as singers, but as musicians, with our community and those outside of our community.”

Angela Barrett – “So tell me, sweet Avalon’s what started a really long time ago. So tell me, let’s start there, and then we’ll move forward to some of the things that you talked about there. So sweet Caroline started I mean, really long and I don’t remember the day I was just say, I.”

Jamie Clair – Don’t have the date off the top of my head.

Angela Barrett – That time ago.

Jamie Clair – “Yes. And so, it started many, many years ago. It started actually as a quartet organization. There was a men’s organization before that. And so women are like, what women do, right? Right. We can do that and we can do it better. And so so it was for it. And so Heart of Columbia is a member of that, but our chapter is only 15 years old.”

Jamie Clair – Will celebrate our 50th anniversary.

Angela Barrett – This.

Jamie Clair – “Year. Right. But as far as you know, sweet outlines that started as a quartet and then it grew into choruses because not everybody is confident enough to sing by themselves on their own part with four other people. So it grew into choruses, and then it grew beyond that.”

Angela Barrett – “So now when you say you’re teaching, are you teaching people how to sing or how to sing in, y’all’s group?”

Jamie Clair – “That’s a good question. So, so I’m the director of the chorus, I’ve heard of Columbia, and I am also on the international faculty for SWE online, which means that I’m one of the 50 teachers worldwide that they’ve identified as their highlighted educators. And so I teach everything from how hearing loss impacts riser singers to how your voice works and how it’s healthy.”

Jamie Clair – “I’m also a speech pathologist that specializes in voice disorders. So I teach what is healthy and what’s not and how to sing in a healthy and safe way. We have other educators. It’s not my, it’s not my expertise, but we have other expertise that teaches how to sing in the barbershop style, teaches music theory, teaches how to read music, teaches chord structures.”

Jamie Clair – “We also we we like to dance. So we also have people who teach about movement in music and, not, you know, we’re not talking about ballet or, you know, but think movement like pitch perfect, but multi-generational. And so how do we infuse that joy in our singing and you can see it in our whole body, in our whole performance.”

Jamie Clair – So we have people that teach that too.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, well, that’s cool.”

Jackie – “And there’s also education, on the leadership side. And so I am the team coordinator for region 14, with administrative leadership. So we will.”

Angela Barrett – “Look, I need a chart.”

Angela Barrett – There’s a lot of parts and pieces. Go ahead. I’m sorry.

Jackie – “So we’ll help, you know, train courses. Not everybody is comfortable with, you know, Facebook marketing or websites or any of that. And so we’ll have items to change, like look at that. We’ll train people on the financial side. And, you know, as someone that has been doing this for a while, I find that those experiences help me be a better leader, not just within my chorus life, but also, have helped me at work and, and other nonprofit organizations.”

Angela Barrett – “But I saw were you guys were big on education. So I mean, education, obviously to make the course and quartets and all of that better. But it sounds as if maybe some personal is personalized education as well.”

Pat – “What I would like to build on top of what Jamie, Claire and Jackie have said is that anyone can come into the organization without knowing how to read music. You don’t have to have played an instrument when you were young. You don’t have to have sung a solo part in your high school if you can sing. My joke is if you can sing Happy Birthday and keep your pitch, you can be a sweet Adeline.”

Pat – “I came into the organization and with the guidance and leadership that I was given, I’ve developed my ear a little better. I know better about notes going up and down and through the skills that we have in our leadership. We have devices now so I can listen on my phone. I can listen on a CD. I have my paper that I can make thousands and thousands of notes.”

Pat – All of those help build me as a better singer. When I’m standing on a riser beside Jacqueline singing her tenor part. And I still stay on my lead part.

Angela Barrett – And so you said you’re lead.

Pat – And then lead just means melody.

Angela Barrett – Yes. And tenor.

Jacqueline – Yes.

Jackie – Baritone.

Jamie Clair – Director.

Jacqueline – I.

Jamie Clair – “Sing bits of everything so that I can demonstrate it, but I do sing with, chorus in Atlanta. And with them I sing the lead part, I sing, and in a quartet of some baritone.”

Angela Barrett – “Okay. And so lead you said, is the melody. Gotcha.”

Jamie Clair – “Tenor is the really the high part. The high harmony baritone is the counter melody. And then there’s a fourth part, the bass part, which is kind of the foundation of the chord. Often the tenor in the bass will hold the the key.”

Angela Barrett – “Gotcha. And so getting the back to the education part again, maybe some that because you said something about financials are you guys are nonprofit right.”

Jackie – We are.

Angela Barrett – And so but the financial would be I guess in general sort of a personal educational and or it’s.

Jackie – “More education on how to manage that. Right. It’s not like every chorus is blessed with an accountant. Right. So how to teach people you know how to use QuickBooks or what are the, things that are in the community to help you? So one example for our chorus, we have a grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission.”

Jackie – “And so by able to have that grant, we can reduce the costs to members. We have experiences, later, I guess beginning of October, we’re going to bring in a guest artist. And so, finding resources like that just allow us to be able to give a well-rounded experience.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, where do you guys, I know you you play out the gala, is it the gala of trees or the festival? Festival? Festival of trees, which is a gala. So I know that, but what are some of the other places that you guys are at?”

Jackie – “Maybe we can, what’s your favorite performance you’ve done? Like Heart of Columbia?”

Pat – “Well, it’s not fair to say Wreaths Across America at Fort Jackson. Yes. But I will say it is such a thrill to sing the national anthem at USC basketball game or the fireflies game. And I’ll stop there and let the others share. But to put our music out there for everyone to hear and to sing our national anthem.”

Jacqueline – “Yeah. How about you? I don’t have a favorite. I just love doing it. Yeah, the challenge is challenges you like I have one, but butterflies in my stomach before every performance. The only time I don’t have them is rehearsal. But when you say performance and when I go out there and I give it everything and the audience reacts, every performance is wonderful.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Jackie – “I think my favorite performance is where we get to be out in the community. So where we get, you know, share it. For Jackson or at a baseball game. And, you know, a lot of our friends and families, it’s that, you know, crazy hobby we do. Right? And so it’s always fun to be able to like, you know, that thing that we do every week just to share it with others?”

Jamie Clair – “I think for me, I mean, I’m naturally competitive. So I really enjoy competition. But beyond that, we’ve had some really cool opportunities. These to sing at the state House. For Constitution Day. So we, we sing to high schoolers, and we sing all patriotic music. And that was cool to be able to sing songs of our country in the place where they make the laws.”

Jamie Clair – It was really that was a really cool experience for us. I like the Festival of Trees gala.

Angela Barrett –

Jamie Clair – “But yeah, I mean, I think I’m with Jackie. Anytime I get out there and I get to share our craft and share our love for it, it it just lets us show a different part of who we are.”

Pat – We sang It’s Little Shoals. Remember that?

Jacqueline – I was so.

Pat – “Great because in the open air, our music is going out across, you know, the sound ways and people are walking and the looks of surprise and delight on their face to hear our harmony just ringing out. That gives me chills just to remember.”

Jamie Clair – “Kind of like what we sang at the State Fair to all right. Yeah, the stages at the State Fair, if people would walk by and we were singing and they’re like giving us this look. And that was great. It was really.”

Angela Barrett – Fun. It sounds like fun. If you can sing.

Jamie Clair – “Now, I tell this is one of my soapboxes. Okay. Everybody has that story of I was singing in church or I was singing in the radio, and somebody looked at me and was like.”

Jacqueline – “Oh, yeah, I’m struggling with that.”

Jamie Clair – “It’s hurtful. Singing is such a part of your spirit, and it’s so natural to us as humans. Right? If you could speak, you can sing, and if you can match that.”

Jacqueline – “But you can, you can. Okay.”

Jamie Clair – “We can teach you the rest. And I think that’s the thing that keeps most people away is self-consciousness. But as you mentioned, we have so much fun and we have this community of supportive, wonderful, kind, caring people. Why why should you, singing like a self-conscious bonus for singing keep you away from.”

Angela Barrett – “Me, right? I don’t disagree. I think that, you know, because again, when I started this, I was like, I don’t know why this, but again, I’ll say off the wall. So, it’s worked out, but, you know, it’s all intimidating thing you try for the first time is intimidating. And I think you just have to give it your best shot.”

Angela Barrett – “And so what if you fail? I mean, that’s right. You did try. You try and.”

Jamie Clair – You learned in the.

Jacqueline – Try.

Pat – “That’s right. But in Heart of Columbia you never fail because everyone’s there to pick each other up and just say, well, next time let’s try. How about try this, tweak this. And so that’s what the support is about of where you come in as a singer and where you grow as a singer.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And so let’s talk about how many of there are guys in the course where you meet for practice. I mean, if you had everybody.”

Jackie – About 25.

Angela Barrett – Okay. Yeah. Because y’all are pretty close knit group.

Jamie Clair – We are very close knit. It’s true.

Angela Barrett – “It and it shows. So you guys support each other obviously in singing, but outside of that as well.”

Jacqueline – Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – And so tell me a little bit about that. I mean.

Jackie – “I think it speaks to our chorus, next week, several of us are going to be at this fall school. A lady reached out and her mom isn’t even wasn’t even in our chorus. She was a sweet Adeline. And her memorial service is next weekend. And eight of our ladies are going to sing. You know, a lady they’ve never met that because there’s this common tie.”

Angela Barrett – That.

Jackie – They’re giving up time on their Saturday to be there. I think it just speaks volumes.

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Jackie – Who we are.

Angela Barrett – “And, I personally was excited about it being you know, an all women group. There’s not a lot of that. You’ll find a lot of all the in groups or, you know, mixed, groups that you don’t find a lot of all women. I know I have, had on, for all things Lexington, the thia group, which is the run group, and they’re all, you know, and they have a big camaraderie together.”

Angela Barrett – “But, you know, after that, you’re like, so and I think it was you that reached out, I was like, yes, we’re.”

Jamie Clair – There’s a safety in that. There’s a comfort in that. Yes there is. And we get we get silly and we joke during rehearsal. We joke about things that only women are going to joke about.

Angela Barrett – “Yes, or understand or.”

Jamie Clair – “Play. And so I think that there’s a, there’s a comfort and a and a safety and being able to come to a group of people who have a similar understanding to you.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Pat – “But the other things that we do outside, of course, are things like when somebody is in the hospital and they get home bringing them food, somebody has something go on picking them up, giving them transportation. So it’s a 24 seven. You can call on anybody in the heart of Columbia course and they will respond.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that’s great. That is great. So tell me a little bit more about the competition. I know you said you like to compete. Has everybody in here been in competition?”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “It is a ball. So how far is it? I mean, you obviously you can go all the way internationally. How far have you guys or someone in your group, how how far they’ve gotten.”

Jacqueline – They play. You like it so much I do.

Jamie Clair – “Okay. Well so before I go there, I would like to say that, Jacqueline and I both, are the our members of Heart of Columbia that have competed in other sweet and orange courses. So, Jacqueline found us.”

Jacqueline – “I was a member of a course in New York, which is my home. And, I was retiring, and I knew that wherever I moved was going to be a sweet Adeline forest. So the only places I was considering moving to have a sweet Adeline for us. And it was amid the pandemic. I couldn’t travel anywhere. I couldn’t get anything.”

Jacqueline – “And this is my mother’s home state. So here I am in Lexington because a Heart of Columbia, rehearses in Lexington and. I thought my original course was wonderful. I didn’t know what to expect because I’m not even. I didn’t even know how to talk. I, and,”

Angela Barrett – You mean you didn’t know how to say.

Jacqueline – Y’all know?

Jamie Clair – I’m saying same girl.

Jacqueline – “I’m. I haven’t seen you all. I came down here and I said y’all. And it was uncertain. No, I got comfortable, right? And they embraced me. They let me keep coming back.”

Angela Barrett – Are you kidding me? They keep coming back. Yes.

Jacqueline – So? So it just encourages me to give my all. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Good of what? We’re glad you back in Lexington.

Jamie Clair – “So, so I have I also compete with a chorus that sings in Atlanta because, like I said, we’re an international group. But. So Heart of Columbia, we go to our regional competition every year. And we have in the last, what, eight years, we’ve increased over 100 points and our overall score. I probably am the only one that actually knows that fact.”

Jamie Clair – “I just, but it does result in some pretty.”

Angela Barrett – “Do. I know I’m,”

Jamie Clair – “So, heard of Columbia has been the most improved chorus in our region for, three, three time, three consecutive times that it’s been awarded. There was a pandemic in between, obviously. Sure. So, so we have lots of time for improvement. But we’ve been the most improved chorus, which means that our score from the previous year to the score of this year is more than that.”

Jamie Clair – “Improvement is more than any other chorus that competes well in our region. So that was we like to compete against ourselves. We can’t hit a moving target. Everybody else is also working as hard as they can. But if we can beat what we did last year, and grow as individuals and as a group, that’s what we want.”

Jamie Clair – “And this year that also resulted in a third place division medal for us, which was very exciting. And then, like I said, I sing with the Atlantic chorus, which, is third in the world right now. So I was able to be on stage with them when they, competed and came in third in the entire world.”

Jamie Clair – So that was a whole pretty cool experience.

Angela Barrett – This was impressive.

Pat – That’s for big.

Angela Barrett – “Jewelry. Yeah, a lot of jewelry. Yeah, those are nice. Those are really, really nice. So what do you guys have coming up? What’s the next big event? I know you have something going on at the craft draft in Irmo, but beyond that.”

Jackie – “So in October, we’ll have coaching. And we love to learn. So we have a guest artist coming in, from Austin, Texas, and he’ll be with us for the weekend. And then, a group of us is actually going to international competitions. So that’s in Louisville, Kentucky. And we like an excuse to travel. So we’ll go watch the show.”

Jackie – “And then we will, Pilgrim Lutheran Church is doing a festival. In December. And so we’re going to do the acapella music for that on December 6th. And then we will be at Wreaths Across America, which is always the third Saturday and December.”

Jamie Clair – “16th, I think it is.”

Angela Barrett – “And y’all, that is kind of a group that y’all partnered with. Y’all do that every year and it’s near and dear to the heart is correct.”

Jamie Clair – “Yes, very much so.”

Jackie – “So we work to salary’s. They’re $17 apiece and we’ll sell those so that we can make sure there’s a wreath, on every grave. And then we provide the music that day.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. So tell us, for those who don’t know what that program is, you said it was the, Wreaths Across America, right? And so tell everybody what that the the group that y’all partnered with, tell us what that group, what they do.”

Jackie – “So it’s an organization, nationally that works to put wreaths on the graves of every, tombstone, National Cemetery. So.”

Angela Barrett – Our veterans.

Jackie – “Of our veterans. So and it’s amazing, you know, we’ve been doing it for over a decade, at Fort Jackson and Fort Jackson’s are relatively new. Cemetery. But each year, I mean, thousands are buried there. So the need, to keep getting, more money for wreaths increases because we keep burying, more of our soldiers.”

Pat – “Sure. What’s special about, selling the wreaths is that the person who purchased the wreath or multiple ways can actually designate it in honor of someone and in remembrance of someone. And if they have a family member buried at Fort Jackson and they’re able to attend, then they are allowed to actually place a wreath on that tombstone. And their families should request to not have any slate.”

Pat – “And we honor that too. But I think what makes our performance there so incredible is to see the surviving veterans for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people and families that show up in recognition of the deceased, that we are honoring our performance, through laying of the wreaths.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. That is I mean, I’m sure that is a beautiful, ceremony out there. I mean, just kind of makes your heart go.”

Jackie – “And I, I’m always amazed because it’s, you know, at the busiest time of the year. Yeah. And people find time.”

Jacqueline – In December. Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “Yeah, regardless of the weather. But, I mean, until you’ve stood there singing Let There Be Peace on Earth, looking out at all of those gravestones with our flag flying over it.”

Jacqueline – It’s it’s a.

Jamie Clair – “Chilling, an amazing experience to honor those that fight for us.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, absolutely. What what a great what a great charity. And our organization to, be a part of that. So, yeah, it’s phenomenal. Now, how long have each of you been in the group? You said it was. The group itself was 15 years old, right?”

Pat – “No, probably about 12 years. Okay. Wanted to be a member sooner, but I had some other obligations. But as soon as that was over with, I said to the then director, do you think I might be able to come? She said, of course. The first night I showed up, I spent time in the bathroom. They won’t tell you what happened next.”

Pat – “But the warmth that I had from Laurie Bruce, one of our former members, is something that, will stick with me always and kept me coming back every Thursday after I tripped in the bathroom and just saying. And I will sing as long as my voice and my director will allow.”

Jacqueline – “I came amid the pandemic. I, started rehearsing with, out of Columbia in 2020. So am I.”

Jamie Clair – 33 years?

Jacqueline – Yes.

Jamie Clair – How long were you with the. The course before the course.

Jacqueline – “I was with the in 2000, 14 seven before I got it. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett – Okay. This wasn’t your first rodeo. No. No.

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Jackie – I joined in 2014. So nine years.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, of.”

Jamie Clair – And I joined in the fall of 2009. So I guess we’re looking at 14 years.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “And, I have been directing, just over eight.”

Angela Barrett – Wow. Okay.

Pat – “Can I take your horn? Yeah, please, if I’ve had not. No. Course can exist without a director. And not everyone can be a director, despite their good intent and their musical knowledge. So, Jamie Claire stepped up so that our course, after our national search was not able to find someone. She stepped up and did what it took to be a certified director.”

Pat – “She completed all her training, her videos and her classwork faster than any.”

Pat – Faster than anyone else has ever done that in our region. Because of her passion for music and giving back to the community. And so we have her as our director because of that commitment she has.

Angela Barrett – “Yay! Yeah, I had no doubt you would do it fast.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. Yeah, well that’s fantastic. You’re right. It does take, someone, no matter what you’re doing, no matter what group it is, it takes someone’s at least help guide if you have to be the leader, but at least guide, or else everybody’s just kind of flounder. We do that in my family. My family calls me the general.”

Angela Barrett – “And it’s not because, I mean, it’s just because they’ll just sit there and chit chat and carry on as I’m running around like chicken with my hat. So I just started going, you do this, you do this.”

Pat – That is Jackie. Our chorus made it intact through the pandemic because of Jackie.

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Keep it onto.

Pat – Zoom. And she was right there telling everybody how to do it through emails and texts.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, right. Practicing through there and yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Pat – I’ve had our rehearsals going. Jamie Claire was there. Tom was sending out things for us. We knew how to be prepared on Thursdays. Then when we came back to perform. We are so fortunate. They had an outdoor area. Jamie knew the opportunity. Jamie Lee and Jackie knew the CDC better than the CDC. They had face masks we had from suicide.

Pat – “We had plastic that on the floor outside, everything to ensure that when members felt comfortable, we could sing and keep up that love of music and that camaraderie, while still respecting those who did not feel comfortable. Then through technology. Jackie and Jamie Claire, we now record our sessions. So if anyone has to be away, they still can participate.”

Pat – “And being present present when they can, but still be able to be part of the course. Now we do have an attendance requirement, but again, it’s that passion for music and the sisterhood that keeps of Columbia going. And that’s the heart of who we are.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, and and not to take away from the music side of it, but I would imagine with a group as close as you guys, that’s probably a lot of what keeps the group together. I mean, I know there’s a passion for music, but when you have a group of women, especially that close, I mean, it helps tremendously, at least in my experience, to keep a group together and to feel more accountable for what when you need to be there.”

Angela Barrett – “You know, I know that you said you had, attendance policy and but that probably helps is the closeness.”

Jamie Clair – “I mean, happy singers sing better.”

Angela Barrett – That’s right. Yeah. And say.

Jamie Clair – “As we as a group grow closer, we also challenge one another. So if I’m on the risers and I hear that Pat really has this section and I’m struggling with it, I might pull Pat aside and be like, hey, will you sing this with me? Or, you know, I see members after rehearsal and before rehearsal and they’re getting together and they’re singing songs and they’re duetting and they’re doing things that, I didn’t ask them to do, but it makes them.”

Jamie Clair – “Makes all of us better. Yeah. And mostly because it’s fun and it’s a judgment free zone. It’s a safe zone for us to come and learn and grow and make mistakes and, learn from those mistakes and, and become better.”

Angela Barrett – “So speaking of that, let’s talk about you all have an open practice. In other words, we could watch, but people who are even thinking about, singing can come. And you encourage that, right? We do. And so you all meet on Thursday nights at the Pilgrim Church.”

Jamie Clair – “7:00, seven, rehearsals, 7 to 930. I usually take us pretty close to 930, but, afterwards, we have a group that likes to go and socialize. So they go to Applebee’s afterwards, and, so you get your singing in, and then you get your socializing afterwards.”

Angela Barrett – “So, for anybody listening who is thinking about singing, you need to come and meet this lovely group of women here and, and and try it out. I promise I will not, I will watch. So if there’s one thing that you could tell, everybody about your group other than the closest, tell us what we’re.”

Angela Barrett – What have I missed? Tell me what you think everybody needs to know about you guys or what you do. Obviously talk about how they get in touch with you if they want you all to come and perform. But anything else? Sometimes I miss the boat. Sometimes. Right.

Jamie Clair – What’s the essence? The part of Columbia.

Jacqueline – “Oh, I think it’s.”

Pat – “The idea that music does bring joy to everyone, like Jamie Claire said. And so the essence of Heart of Columbia is the joy of learning to sing a piece of music. When you get a first piece of music. And because I don’t like read music, and I have fear and terror in my heart and stomach, and then we break it apart and through the guidance, Jamie Claire, through the guidance of our section later, like our speech section leader who just left.”

Pat – “Awesome. Awesome woman. She’s going to Richmond. Lucky them. But we have another fantastic woman who will be helping us. So we see the birth of that piece of music that then we get to present. Like when we go sing at Barbershop in Bruce. And I think that’s the essence of what Heart of Columbia is, is always that newness, that freshness, that learning.”

Pat – And you may come in feeling that prepared and you leave on a high a legal high.

Jacqueline – “I feel like you have, your life, your challenges, your daily challenges or your vision you don’t have any challenges in. And you get up and you go to. So rehearse them. And 100% of the time I’m feeling lighter when I’m in rehearsal than want to enter. It’s like, yeah, come, come, come, come, come out of dark. Yeah.”

Jacqueline – “And then besides that, learning, making friends. I’m singing. I’m not. Music is what I love in life. So then I’m enjoying that, right? Yes. Yeah.”

Jackie – “I think for me, it’s, you know, there’s always something going on and we do a lot of things for other people. But singing is something I do for me and it’s something, you know, we share this. We do a lot. But it’s something I look forward to each week that fills my bucket.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Jamie Clair – “I think the essence of Heart of Columbia is that music is universal. There’s it’s not an age or, gender, ethnicity or any specific box that it puts you in, but music is universal. We have ladies that are in their 30s. We have ladies that are in their 80s, and we all share this special thing that makes us all the same.”

Jamie Clair – And I think that’s what Heart of Columbia is for me and that it’s universal.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I love it. All right. So if you could tell if you had five minutes to tell the world one thing, what would it be? And start with you. With me? Oh, okay. Five minutes. So her world watching five.”

Jamie Clair – Minutes is a long.

Angela Barrett – “Time, and you have to use five. Okay, good. Let me go limit it to that.”

Jamie Clair – “I would say, as a communication is really important to me. It’s how I make my living. I would say find your voice and use it. Your voice is meaningful, and it’s. It’s just yours. And there’s no one else like it. So find your voice and use it. And then live your.”

Angela Barrett – Truth like it?

Jackie – “I would say do something you love. You know, we we go to work, we do all these things, but you have to get up every day, and it’s your life. And so find the thing you’re passionate about and chase it because you’re here for a limited amount of time, and you have to have that joy.”

Jacqueline – “I would say I would like everybody to know that, sometimes, people will say, I don’t sing or I can’t sing. And especially in children, I would encourage everybody to sing. Sing in the shower, sing in the car. Because even when rehearsal is over and I get home and that I’m not in bed when I wake up, there’s a song here in my head.”

Jacqueline – “And I would encourage. And I don’t let anybody convince you that you can’t sing if they don’t like your sing. They when, when you’re not around them, sing.”

Angela Barrett – “I agree, absolutely.”

Pat – “And I would say everyone has value and worth. And sometimes it’s a challenge to find that in someone. But if you look, you will always find it. And then you have to turn that on yourself, and you have to find some value and worth in yourself and not let others limit you and cause you to say, no, I can’t, I won’t.”

Pat – “If I had done that, I would not be a member of this chorus today. And it’s the idea that when you treat others as you want to be treated, it comes back to a thousand fold, and it lets you then ripple that back out to others to make the world a better place. And if there’s music involved, it’s even better.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? And I like it. Yeah. I think what you guys do, I mean, music speaks to everybody. It’s, it’s a language I think of its own because everybody can relate somehow, whether it’s the music they like or they don’t like it still speaks to them. So I think what you’re doing is phenomenal. Keep doing it.”

Angela Barrett – “And, I’m excited. I want to go and, see you, and I will come to practice as a, audience member. And.”

Jacqueline – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “I’ll catch you all there. And, I look forward to it. Thank you all for being here.”

Jamie Clair – Thank you so much.

Pat – Thank you for the opportunity.

Unknown Doo doo doo doo doo.

Jacqueline – Doo doo doo.

Unknown Do do do do do do do do do do. The edge of the beach. All the trouble. Always with stars. Why you do I feel like the dark side of my face. The me all the times. Girl is always used to me. You done sure I know I love you for the I should show I love the sound stage.

Unknown “But to jump, jump, jump, jump. From time to time the world needs you now. Know that you never, never, never have to. Your job on the job. Just don’t get it down.”

Jacqueline – The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never, never. Yes, this is a warning. As soon as you walk through that door, everyone needs you again. The world’s gonna love. Is gonna stop your whole run down. Always gonna be your chance to keep that energy I know. Just let you feel like the end of the road. If you don’t let go. You know the just rest of the world into the hands of the bass.”

Unknown “Always know you’re always in the shadows. My here. Oh, you are in the dark. The side of the face. We all know side stand. So if you ever play the love of the show I know I love you, love you are essential to shine on the show tonight. The John show. John, John. You just don’t get you down.”

Jacqueline – The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never. Everybody has to change our John. Good job.”

Jacqueline – Don’t get you down. The world needs you now.

Unknown “Know that you never, never, never be. Knowledge of others and Jesus reach just to save you from the stretch up in the air, from the bottom to the top to the business that give us all this is for you. You make me fearless. John, John. Strong. Don’t get you down. The world needs you now. Know that you never had a better man.”

Unknown Who would show to John. Who you. Who you and I could show up.

Unknown Every.

Jacqueline – Who?

Unknown When all the clouds suck it up the sky away. There’s a rainbow I make you leave us up. Somewhere over the rainbow. Way up. Fine. There’s a man that I love. Once in a long love. Us. Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue. And the dreams.

Jacqueline – That you dare to dream.

Unknown Really do come true. They come true. Some day I wish upon a star. And wake up. When the clouds are far behind me. Behind me.

Jacqueline – When troubles.

Unknown Have life. Let me just the way. All that you need to swear. Where you’ll find me. Somewhere there over the rainbow to earth.

Jacqueline – Up the sky.

Unknown “Over the rainbow I know I us all. The light and light is happy. Little blue bird fly me on the rainbow. Why, oh, why does oh nice. Why dress up?”

Unknown “Me be angry. You’re always changing your mind. You’re unhappy most of the time. And here’s the reason why I love you. You can’t, but you want. You don’t want it all. And if I give it to you. If you tired I love. Get to joy like a baby. You want what you want, but you want it all. After you are peace.”

Unknown “But you want yours to know. You’re always watching. Want for something. And when you get what you want, you are you know. What would you get? You know I sit up on your knees. Oh, you’re so tired of me.”

Jacqueline – Because you get what you want.

Unknown “You know what you are. You know what you are. You on your own. I hate so wishing and wanting for something. When you get what you hold, you what you want. You don’t want. What you get. What you know I sit upon your needle. Your side of me to you. You get what you wanna say. After you. You get what you want.”

Unknown You want what you want. It up. You want it up. All.

Unknown Right.

Unknown Hey.

Angela Barrett – “Thanks for hanging out with us today. And we hope you enjoyed the show. If you’d like to be a guest on the show or have a person business idea. An event that Lexington needs to know more about, email me local at. For all things lexington.com. That’s the number for y’all.”

Speaker 7 “This episode was brought to you by the real estate agents at Home Matters, building on service relationships and on what matters to you. Find out how you matter and how they can help you with buying and selling your home at home matters. Sc.com.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, Daryl. Thank you for being with me today.”

Daryl Howard – Thank you for having me.

Angela Barrett – Yeah. I’m excited.

Daryl Howard – Pleasure.

Angela Barrett – “To know Daryl. You are, the lead singer with Cash Money Experience Band, right?”

Daryl Howard – “Yes, I am.”

Angela Barrett – And you guys have been together for about 20 years.

Daryl Howard – “Well, this band, that I’m speaking of now, been together for 16 years.”

Angela Barrett – 16. So almost. Yeah.

Daryl Howard – “Yeah, almost.”

Angela Barrett – And you guys are a five piece. R and b.

Daryl Howard – “A we we we classify ourselves as R&B, Motown top 40.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. A lot of beach music because I. I’ve listened and danced. Yeah. So, Daryl, tell me one thing. How do you see yourself as have gotten to where you are today?”

Daryl Howard – “Well, since I’ve been doing this since I was young. My brothers, it’s a family thing with my brothers. We were called what we are called now, the new rods, because we are still together.”

Angela Barrett – “It is, but again.”

Daryl Howard – A new Ron’s.

Angela Barrett – “Okay, Ron.”

Daryl Howard – “That is a group I first started with. With with my brothers. Two brothers and cousins. We’re a family, a group, right? We had some small recordings out, regional stuff still in Philly and, Delaware area. We had a song called I’m a Loner and that put us on the charts a little bit. We used to open up for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, The Temptations, and Gladys Knight and the pips.”

Daryl Howard – “Wow. All that. And, my other brothers, they just decided to go their own way and do their own thing. But I stuck with it right? It’s like a passion to me. Like it wouldn’t let me stop. So I just kept going and getting into different things. And then I came down here, South Carolina, and got with the band called the Ocasiones.”

Daryl Howard – “I’m a girl watcher, right? I was a lead singer for them for, wow, 20 years. Came down here in 93. I was lead singer for them, Wayne Pittman for 20 years. And through that band I came up with Cash Money because a lot of couple his members were in the occasions as well. So they decided to retire.”

Daryl Howard – “But I didn’t want to stop. Sure. They asked. That’s when I put together. I asked my bass player and my guitar player. They were with occasions. I asked him, did you want to keep this thing going? So we all got together and that’s our cash money experience came together.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, how did you guys come up with that name?”

Daryl Howard – “It or not, we were doing gigs and people was paying a spot checks. Couple checks bounced up. So we said we have to make a statement on this thing. Let’s call ourself cash money. So that way that would kind of make it make the people say okay. And it works too, because they say, now we would like to pay you my check, but, does that cash money mean anything?”

Daryl Howard – “I say, well, you know, we we ran into a couple couple problems with checks, so that’s why we came up with the name Cash Money. So they say. Oh, yeah. We just. I mean, well, we we accept checks and everything. Don’t get your. But that’s how that name came up. We said, man, we need to make it.”

Daryl Howard – No cash money.

Angela Barrett – “Right, right.”

Daryl Howard – “And the experience came in. There was a, there’s a famous rap group called Cash Money in Los Angeles. And every time they go on and look for us, they would pull them up because they was more famous than we were. But we said we need something to set us apart. So that’s where the experience came in. Right. Money experience?”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I get it. That’s a great story. I love it. Bounced checks? Yeah. I now, Do you guys, like, do y’all have other things y’all do y’all work other places besides just playing money or. I mean, music or y’all just, play music?”

Daryl Howard – “No, we are blessed to do this full time.”

Angela Barrett – “Phenomenal. So, how many gigs do y’all do? Let’s just say any given month. Wow.”

Daryl Howard – Well.

Angela Barrett – I don’t know. That varies.

Daryl Howard – “But to sum it up, we do around 82 jobs a year.”

Angela Barrett – “Wow. So where do you feel the. This band. Where’s the biggest place or biggest scene you’ve ever played? Because I know, you know, like, just here and that.”

Daryl Howard – We’ve been in we recently been to California. We did a big car show out there.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Daryl Howard – “And, they they booked us and then and we get a lot of we’re getting a lot of jobs behind my, neurons fame angle is why I say that. Because we have recordings in London. The neurons. We have recordings in California. They love us in California. So when they see my face with the cash money, they automatically go to the new rod’s name.”

Daryl Howard – “So. Right. Matter of fact, people in London think cash money is the new. You know, because I see my face. So, my, one of my biggest things is, is with cash money is what we would do. And, not, I can’t think of the name Fontana, ill. That’s where it was.”

Angela Barrett – Gotcha.

Daryl Howard – “Ontario. Yes. And, we did a big car show out there, and, they accepted it real well. I mean, it was like they made us feel like rock stars.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah, well, you are.”

Daryl Howard – And and we just just had our another one that was up with this. We just had our 16th year anniversary.

Angela Barrett – Right.

Daryl Howard – As knew shows.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – “The concert that was in May. Our manager, Debbie Fries and and, our PR person, Joanne Benson, they really did their staying on that. I mean, the decorations up, putting it together. Oh. It was nice. It was. Yeah. It was. They they flew my family in which I didn’t know. They said.”

Angela Barrett – Oh.

Daryl Howard – Nice family from new Jersey. They they flew them in and surprise me with that because I didn’t know they was.

Angela Barrett – Just.

Daryl Howard – “If it was that that was another big, big, landmark in, in, cash money.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah. Well that’s great. Now, so about the Bay. Now, what about, you told me a little bit about your background. What about the other guys? What? What? Okay, what backgrounds do they have?”

Daryl Howard – “The name of the guys, in the band or bass? My bass player is named Teddy Jackson.”

Angela Barrett –

Daryl Howard – “Keyboard player Lucious fire. We call him doc. The drummer. Danny Kelly. Guitar player, which he’s from new Jersey with, with where I’m from. That’s why we get along so well. Eugene Williams, he used to play with Kornegay.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, go. One of my favorites.”

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. Yeah. He used to play with Corner Gang because, you know, Corner Gang is from up that way.”

Angela Barrett – “Jersey, right? You know, those long celebration.”

Daryl Howard – “Blues and nation. We, the songs he played on was, celebration. Get down on it. Hollywood swinging and she’s fresh. Yeah, we we do them in our shows. So.”

Angela Barrett – “The celebration song, when I was a very young, white, married woman. That used to be my toilet bowl cleaning. Then I think about it. Several.”

Daryl Howard – “Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, that’s requested a lot. Because when we do birthday parties and stuff like that. Well, can you play celebration?”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. You know.

Daryl Howard – “It’s it’s a, it’s a it’s good too.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Yeah. I’m sorry.

Daryl Howard – “And people start singing with it, you know, every night are singing along with it. So what? Yeah. Those guys, like I said, they’ve they’ve been sticking with me for 16 years. We actually took cash money into a business, where it’s not a we play a gig and everybody’s full of money, right? We too.”

Daryl Howard – We turned it into a business.

Angela Barrett – Sure.

Daryl Howard – “Matter of fact, we just got a record deal.”

Angela Barrett – Right? I was going to ask you about that.

Daryl Howard – “Okay. Yeah, we just got a record deal from Stock Warner Records out of new Jersey.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – “Amanda. The music, we’re affiliated with them in, And. And Los Angeles. Wow. Georgia. Atlanta, Georgia. They do all our marketing PR work stuff like that. So we just released a song called outside Looking in, which is one of the neurons that I was telling you about, my brother’s group. It’s an old song that the record company in Atlanta gave us.”

Daryl Howard – “They said, you know, go ahead, take that song and redo it for cash money. So that’s what we did.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. I was going to ask you the story behind that song. Yeah.

Daryl Howard – And so it’s a it’s a new Ron’s a remake of what of the neurons old songs. And we did it our way.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – “That matter of fact that’s going to be, fully released tomorrow.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, I was going to say the 19th was a day for you guys. Yeah.”

Daryl Howard – “The record company put together a, a big package for us. We have a clothing line, that’s going to be launched. We have a website that’s going to be launched. We also have the the song. So all that’s going to be launched tomorrow.”

Angela Barrett – “So is this coming out as a single or is it going to be in a single a gotcha. Well, great. Well congratulations. That’s phenomenal.”

Daryl Howard – And I’ll send you a copy.

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Please do. Now, when you guys are on stage, is is the way you dress a very well thought out, first of all, ourselves. I mean, I know there is, because I’ve seen you play, but, Tell us the story behind how y’all came up with sort of. I’m not going to call it outfits, but costumes are, you know.”

Daryl Howard – “Again, all this is stemming from the neurons.”

Angela Barrett –

Daryl Howard – “When we opened the show for Gladys Knight and the pips in at the Convention Hall in Camden, she called us in her dressing room.”

Angela Barrett – Now we all is this. And oh.

Daryl Howard – Wow. This is back in the 80s.

Angela Barrett – And the.

Daryl Howard – Before I came down here.

Angela Barrett –

Daryl Howard – “And she told us, she said that dressing is a very important part of the show because number one, it shows respect for the audience. If the audience is going to pay money to travel, to come see it, you should have respect enough to look presentable on the show. Sure. She also said that’s how she was taught from Motown.”

Daryl Howard – “Motown taught her that, how to do that because that was part of their success. So all their groups, they went through grooming process, how to talk, how to dress right, how to do interviews and conduct herself on stage. So she sat us down and said, follow that rule. And that is 75% of your show, the dress. Because people, people’s going to see you before they hear you.”

Daryl Howard – “So I told the guys the same thing. I said, look, we’re not going to go out there looking like, we just got off work. If you see cotton grass, you know, jeans, and I’m not down in the other other bands because if that’s that’s the way they want to do, that’s fine. But I want to stand out.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, and you sing a very particular type of music, right?”

Daryl Howard – “Right. We do more show. Show. Our band is more of a show band career and then getting up there and just playing, you know what I mean? We want to entertain our going audience and and, interact with the people and, and make them feel a part of the show.”

Angela Barrett – “And it almost, a little old school bringing you, throwing you back a little bit in time when. Yeah.”

Daryl Howard – “Well, that’s where I came from. The old school.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? Me, too. And. And when and when you could understand the words in the song. Right. And you could say them in front of children saying.”

Daryl Howard – “Right. Yeah. We try to do we try to do shows up now we, we we can get, we can get down that we really wanted to we can we can go there and we, we want to do you know what I mean.”

Angela Barrett – What if requested a lot.

Daryl Howard – “Of our artists, a lot of our, performances is more like, family oriented, you know, and, and older people. So we always try to, respect that some. That’s the thing that we try to do and bring people together to have fun.”

Angela Barrett – “Right, right, right.”

Daryl Howard – “We that’s why we get a lot of gigs. Because they say, man, if you want to have fun, call Cash Money.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that’s.”

Daryl Howard – “You know what I mean. And and just like, get back to the dress. We got a reputation now where when we walk in, I mean, we’re not dressed when we walk in, because we got to set up and all that. Sure. People come up to which are wearing night club owner, which you are wearing tonight, it’s a surprise.”

Daryl Howard – “We’ll let you know because now it’s got to the thing. They want to come see us to see what we’re where. You know, I got all that works. You guys together?”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Now the creative process with you guys. How how does that work for us.

Daryl Howard – The shows and.

Angela Barrett – Yeah I mean like that. Yeah. You don’t get up there and do the same set every where you go.

Daryl Howard – “We, we had different sets. That goes back to what I said about, different, different audiences. We have different sets for different places.”

Angela Barrett –

Daryl Howard – “If we go, for example, the Myrtle Beach, we got a beach set. Yeah. My girl, under the boardwalk. I know things like that. When we do a dual club. That wants to party, then we come with with, Marvin Gaye, the temptations. You know, Cuzwhen the gang, right? If we don’t like a wedding or something, then we can come with the Righteous Brothers.”

Daryl Howard – “Al Green, you know. So we had eight sets that Sharon’s incorporate with, you know, like last night. It was, like a concert. So we mixed it up, right? Beach for beach people. We did some R&B for R&B people. Then we did some top 40 for the younger people. So, sure, we make sure that we have enough material that we can do that.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, where are some of the top 40 songs that you guys do?”

Daryl Howard – “Well, we they like to we do Bruno Mars. People love Brandy on Mars. We do. Let me see Bruno Mars now. Now that.”

Angela Barrett –

Daryl Howard – “Well, we do most most of the the popular. Not most of it, but the popular stuff that you hear on the radio. Sure. We try to, put do about learn about least 5 or 6 of them. Right. Would cooperate with our show.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, where do you guys practice at?”

Daryl Howard – “My keyboard player’s, he has a building on Beltline.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice.”

Daryl Howard – Is set up.

Angela Barrett – And y’all are all here in Columbia?

Daryl Howard – “Yes. He has a studio. He has a studio where we rehearse. Everything’s set up. What we do is go in, plug in, and. Yeah, first. Yeah, we we try to rehearse twice a month. Yeah. You know, at least twice a month.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, I, I say I interrupt you with my celebrations. Say you were, you were telling me about the backgrounds and and of course, we got to the guy that played with Kool and the gang and. Yeah. Tell me about the others.”

Daryl Howard – “And and the other guys, the keyboard player he’s played with, out of Atlanta. He’s coming from Atlanta. He’s played with, artists, R&B artists like, cameo. The Gap Band, things like that. He’s played with them. Bass player. He’s played with old school guys like, Clarence Carter.”

Angela Barrett – Oh.

Daryl Howard – Johnny.

Angela Barrett – “That’s something you can’t play for children. Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. That’s what we’re not saying, that we can go there now when they want us to go there. We bring out class car. You know what I mean?”

Angela Barrett – You got to be from certain places to know. Yeah. Yes. By the way. Oh.

Daryl Howard – Yeah. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – “And the drummer, he he he’s he’s the youngest guy in the band. Matter of fact, he hasn’t played with too many groups, and. But he’s been with us for 16 years, so, you know, we kind of, groupings in.”

Angela Barrett – Sure.

Daryl Howard – “Yeah, we kind of groomed him. So, so. But the rest of the guys have played with, big artists, so they kind of know how to conduct herself. Sure. They, you know, they know the game. We know they know the business.”

Angela Barrett – “So now, how do you think, out of the people that, you know, that you played with Gladys Knight and the pips and I think you said temptations and.”

Daryl Howard –

Angela Barrett – “What do you think was your favorite band that you, you know, played with.”

Daryl Howard – “Well, well I was the nicest and I’ll go back to Gladys Knight.”

Angela Barrett – “So now I know,”

Daryl Howard – “They, they treated us. They I mean, don’t get me wrong. Everybody has an ego to your point. All the other groups, they got a little ego. I mean, of course they got hit records in famous. You know what I’m saying? So. So that the groups were mean to us. They treated us like, musicians and with respect.”

Daryl Howard – “You know, as much as they could, because we were the only one that didn’t had the hit record and stuff like that. Right. Well, Gladys Knight, she took her, took the time to sit down with us. And tell us what I was speaking about, about the dressing and how to conduct herself. She took the time. I mean she is she is a very down to earth lady.”

Daryl Howard – “She is. And, I real and I, I’ve told that story every time because, she, she really gave us some gems on that. I mean, and and we I follow that too, till the day, you know. Right. So I would say Gladys Knight in the pips, and we we we performed. Matter of fact, other top 40 stuff that she was asked me boys to man.”

Daryl Howard – “Oh, I know them box personally. Boys did well. Yeah. Yeah. You know, and, we met back there from Philly. We’re off in Philadelphia. So I know them guys personally. So, we do. We do a lot of their stuff. You know, speaking up top 40 stuff. We do some of their stuff, like, you know, and, end of the road was our biggest hit, called Engine Road.”

Daryl Howard – “Right? And we do that one. So. So, yeah. We, like I said about Gladys Knight is about my favorite. Get back to that. Yeah. Dance. You question.”

Angela Barrett – “So would you say would you say that was probably the,”

Angela Barrett – I guess the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given by another musician? Or can you think of something else? Best piece of advice?

Daryl Howard – I think that was it.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that’s a pretty good one, though. I mean, it’s.”

Daryl Howard – “That put me on the right track right there because we was going into it. I mean, we was going into it at that time. We were young. All we wanted to do and, be honest with you, we didn’t care about getting paid. We didn’t care about, the business in all we wanted to do, to be honest, to sing with girls.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. That’s it.

Daryl Howard – “I’ll be honest with you. I mean, we were young boys coming up. Sure. And we loved the girl hollering it all that and making eyes at us. Waving at us. And, that’s that’s that’s all we were really, you know, into it for at the time. But when Gladys Knight set us down and told us, look, you could go further if you follow these steps, because that’s why I’m that, she said, that’s why I’m where I’m at now, because Berry Gordy claimed room the all his groups and yeah, I took it from there.”

Daryl Howard – “So that was one I think that was the best piece of advice. Yeah. That groomed me and made me, think about how to do this, get me in this business, because the business is very competitive and hard. I mean, people see you on stage, and. Oh, he’s having so much fun in which we are, but they don’t know the behind the scenes.”

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. You got to deal with, the rehearsals, traveling and stuff like that. You know, they don’t they don’t see that part. Yeah, you see that part of it? So they buy some. Gladys made me think about it more on a business point of view than just us. And we can do this for a living, you know.”

Daryl Howard –

Angela Barrett – “Right, right.”

Daryl Howard – “So that piece of advice really made me, made us take more.”

Angela Barrett – “So you just mentioned there, about the traveling and sort of what the people don’t see. How do you guys handle all that?”

Daryl Howard – “Well, as far how it far as,”

Angela Barrett – “Dealing with that? I mean, it’s a lot it’s it’s a lot of stress.”

Daryl Howard – “And also I say again or. We we we exactly. We, constructed it so it can be like a job. Like somebody going to a 9 to 5 job. We know yours.”

Angela Barrett – Is not 9 to 5.

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. It’s. No it’s not nine five. But, but we treat it as a job right. And a business. We set it up that way and all the guys know when we, have a gig, we treat it like a business. We be there on time, right? All the time and everything. Even far as the business go.”

Daryl Howard – “As far as money’s. We set it up that we don’t run in the back room, split the money up. We. We have everybody, gets paid at a certain time when they get that pay at a certain time. Now that we had that record deal, we get royalties from, the record company. So we we try to set it up like a business.”

Daryl Howard – “Sure. We have that mindset, you know? And the fun part is onstage. That’s the fun part. Well, we know when we’re not on stage, just like now, I’m doing this right. Always sustain. And this is a pleasure, you know? But these are some of the things people don’t see, right?”

Angela Barrett – “Well, they’ll see this.”

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. I’ve seen it. Yeah. You know, and but.”

Angela Barrett – “Marketing, your marketing and. Yeah.”

Daryl Howard – The marketing. Exactly. Exactly.

Angela Barrett – Which is part of it. With any business. Right.

Daryl Howard – Right.

Angela Barrett – If you don’t have that and you don’t have good marketing. Well.

Daryl Howard – “And I’m proud of the guys because they, they, they, they, we all have the same mindset.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – That helps a lot.

Angela Barrett – Right. That’s right.

Daryl Howard – That you don’t have to explain why I’m doing this or why we’re doing that. They already know.

Angela Barrett – “That. It’s it’s nice to work with people who, not that you want to think alike and agree on everything. It would be. Yeah, that would be a great learning.”

Daryl Howard – Yes. Yes. But everybody knows what the goal is.

Angela Barrett – The same.

Daryl Howard – Exactly. Exactly. Exactly.

Angela Barrett – “Might be some little trials and trees to get in your. But goals the same. And that’s always nice. Yeah. Yeah. So you mentioned, singing for the girls and all that. Yeah. Well, so give me your most unusual fan interaction.”

Daryl Howard – “Oh, goodness. Oh my goodness. Wow. Wow. Fan interaction.”

Angela Barrett – And you’re very you know you’re the most unusual one.

Daryl Howard – Most most unusual. Well let.

Angela Barrett – “Me, let me, let me one of the give me.”

Daryl Howard – “Give. Gimme a second. Because there’s a lot of stuff happens out there on the shows. I’ll tell you, it’s the in all of that. Yeah, yeah. Let me see. Okay. I’m I’m I’m I’m I’m a little embarrassed to say this, but, but, we’re we’re talking now.”

Angela Barrett – Yay!

Daryl Howard – “And I’m I’m I’m okay. They’re. We was at a show. There was this person sitting over, to my left. Oh, man. I’m just saying. Beautiful, beautiful woman. It was a woman. Sure. I’m just. I’m just a saying in in. Make it eye contact and sang it in. Doing my little moves and everything. So I goes over to the table and saying to all, you know, I wasn’t being disrespectful or anything, but, you know, I seeing that she was really admiring the so I go over and saying to her and hit my high notes and everything.”

Daryl Howard – “So after the show was over, my best friend came over to me. Sit down. You know, that was a man you were singing to.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, okay. Well. See you.”

Daryl Howard – You know who you were singing to? I know that can look good without a doubt. That was a man.

Angela Barrett – Oh my God.

Daryl Howard – “So who right there? I can say that that was one of your. The most the most. Well, yeah. So I’m like, oh my goodness.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Right. That’s a good one. Right. That is a good one I like it. Thank you for telling that story.

Daryl Howard – “Yeah. Well again I don’t tell that to everybody now. Oh. So wow. This is going to be on air, isn’t it? Oh, wow. Oh my goodness.”

Angela Barrett – Not so.

Daryl Howard – “Bad. What are you doing? And, And I’m quite sure, though, it I’m the only one that it that’s happened to.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, yeah. I’m out. Yeah. So now you you’ve done this for a really long time. So tell me what you think’s about the industry, what it was when you started versus now and good and bad.”

Daryl Howard – “Oh, well, let me start. Let me start with the with it. Well, nothing’s really bad about it. It’s just changed a lot. Back in the day, when we first started, for example. Equipment wise, I always tell people that. Now, remember, we had guitar, the bass and and the drummer and the singers plugged into the guitar and the thing out of.”

Daryl Howard – “We didn’t have monitors, we didn’t have ear monitors. We did have, cordless mikes. It all that right? A lot of times the new lines didn’t even have a mic, you know? So, now when you do a show, you got a thousand cords hooked up? Yeah. You got do you got ear monitors? You got, you got, gotta have a sound man to be sure to sound right?”

Daryl Howard – “Right. I mean, that that changed, drastically. I mean, that that’s a big change. Now, that’s in the entertainment part of it. Now, the business part of it really didn’t change a lot, too, because, for example, if you want to get a record deal, you would have to go from, record company to record company. You got to audition.”

Daryl Howard – “And that goes for getting gigs, too. You would have to go sometime. You have to do a gig, you know, the club owner say, well, if you can’t do a gig, I can’t pay you. But that’s exposure, right? Okay. But that’s what we had to do. You know. So. So we had to. We had to do those things, even with a record, with a record labels and stuff like that.”

Daryl Howard – “But you have to go to go and stand up and sing from the record. Exit in front of them, stuff like that. What now? All they got to do click. But let’s YouTube. Instagram. Right. Talk. Yeah. You know, and that part of it I love. I don’t have to leave the house now. Yeah. You know, and club owners and stuff.”

Daryl Howard – “You don’t have to go to their club or they don’t have to travel round to see a band, or they got to do when they call me, they say, Daryl, I never seen your band. Where can I see you? Click YouTube, right click Instagram, Facebook and let me see everything you want to see. How we look, how we sound and everything.”

Daryl Howard – “So that’s what it has come to now. And getting back with the zoom thing, I say I’m kind of new at it. Technology is changed so much even with the equipment. Now the sound man can walk around in the audience with a pat and adjust your sound.”

Angela Barrett – I mean.

Daryl Howard – “Back then you had to sit there on the board, but now he got this, got this pad.”

Angela Barrett – You can just walk around.

Daryl Howard – “He can go into it. He can go, sit in his car if you want to and do the sound. So I guess now that’s how it changed. And it’s good. I mean, it never was bad, like I said, but I love it now the way it is, because it’s more easier. You don’t need as much equipment, you know, equipment is scaled down to speakers.”

Daryl Howard – “Used to be the speakers used to be bigger than the band. You know, to me. Yeah, but now you can carry 2 or 3 speakers and you have the same sound.”

Angela Barrett – Right?

Daryl Howard – “So that that that that’s the way. That’s the way it has changed. You know, from back then till now. And I am blessed to see it.”

Angela Barrett – Right.

Daryl Howard – “Yeah, I am I am really blessed to see it.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. That is. What do you think about your audience. Has that changed.

Angela Barrett – “How they react. No participation. Yeah that’s a good thing. Yeah. Yeah I do think it’s you know I say this with every musician that I ever interview and talk with. Music is the one thing that will bring everybody together because everybody loves it. And it doesn’t matter, I mean.”

Daryl Howard – Right.

Angela Barrett – “You could be country music fan. You could be. Yes. But when you’re at a live performance, like you guys, everybody wants it.”

Daryl Howard – “That that warms my heart to see. To see it. I’m just going to go ahead and say it. It warms my heart to see the black and the whites. Yeah. Everybody’s sitting there laughing, dancing together. Yeah. Clapping.”

Angela Barrett – Almost as if the outside world just stopped.

Daryl Howard – “Exactly. Yeah. And I think, and that is one of the things that fuels me.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Daryl Howard – Because it makes me feel good.

Angela Barrett – Right?

Daryl Howard – I really love that. I love that I can touch people like that. I really do.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah I agree. It’s a it’s a great experience. Oh you’re fine. I’m sure it certainly is. Oh, man. Yes, yes.”

Daryl Howard – Yes it is.

Angela Barrett – “So you you’ve touched on this a few times. But tell me what your favorite part is about being a musician. Well, that.”

Daryl Howard – “Well, that what I just said about bringing people together and making someone smile and of course, doing it for a living and getting paid for.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Well. That’s right.

Daryl Howard – “Don’t worry. And that I love to do. And getting paid for it. I mean, it’s it’s it’s a, it’s a, it’s a real good feeling. And sometime I gotta, I tell the guys, I said, look, man, let’s not take this for granted, because I sure don’t. Because we were up here singing, having a good time, doing what we love to do and making a living that we love going to work.”

Daryl Howard – “That’s one. We love doing it. Yeah. You know, and, that that is my most, most, thing about being a musician. That is one of the most rewarding jobs you can have, right? Is is doing something like that. Getting paid for your talent.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. That’s right. So now, we talked about your new single comes out tomorrow. Yes. And along with the merchandise and all that good stuff. What’s next for cash money? More to come?”

Daryl Howard – “Yes, more to come. Well, right as we speak, we’re working on another single. Eventually we want to get a whole album.”

Angela Barrett – And is this going to be original or is it still going?

Daryl Howard – “Well, that’s that’s see. And going back, see, always go back to new bars because a lot of stuff we do stems from them. I left the band here to New Rod’s catalog. They love 2 or 3 songs.”

Angela Barrett – Right.

Daryl Howard – “And we need to redo that one next. We need to do that one next. So we haven’t decided whether it’ll be original. Well, I can I can really I haven’t go off the, reservation right now and say it’ll probably be another new rod.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, because it was not broke. Right.”

Daryl Howard – “I feel like the love of some of our songs. And be honest with you, it’s easier. This something year making up’s making up or, you know, creating something thing already has its own format. All we gotta do is put our ourself into it. So it’ll probably be another new rod salt.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, good. Looking forward to it. Looking forward to it. So the, new website, the, that’ll come out. And I know you can find you guys on YouTube and Facebook and Instagram and all those good things, but, what will the website be called?”

Daryl Howard – Cash money experience.

Angela Barrett – Right? Oh. That’s easy. Yes.

Daryl Howard – “Yes. And and also it everything will be incorporated in our link tree. We have a new link tree where, you have links, so you can go to the hear the song, to the merchandise, where we can go to how the books, where you can go to our bio, our pictures. So, everything is going to be linked up to that link tree.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, good. Website. Yeah.”

Daryl Howard – And have all the links that you can click on to try to do all these things.

Angela Barrett – “Right, right. It’s so, tell us, tell me what? Your net. You guys. I guess the next biggest gig you got coming up.”

Daryl Howard – “Let me see the next biggest one. Well, I like to say all our gigs is big because I don’t want to. Well, yeah, nobody’s told but the big, big, big one. Right now, we don’t we don’t. We have a big thing coming up around Christmas time. Oh, yeah. Greenville? Yeah. At the point said a club.”

Daryl Howard – “No, that is, that is a real big thing that we do every year. People have on their gowns and tuxedos and stuff like that. We wear our best suits and stuff. So that right now I think that’s the the biggest, prestigious one that we got coming up right now. And, let me see. It is about the biggest one.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Gotcha. So people will be able to find out, where you’re going, where you’re playing, and, how to put you.”

Daryl Howard – “We have that on our face right now. That’s on Facebook. Facebook. We we we post our schedule on Facebook, a whole mass of our schedule, right? Every month. You can find it on Facebook. Go go to Cash Money Experience. Facebook, go to cash money experience. Instagram. Yeah. And you’ll see all our, performances there.”

Daryl Howard – That’s where we’re going to be at there. We posted the month.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And when this website, which we’ll come out maybe tomorrow with them released so they can go to the Cash Money.”

Daryl Howard – Dot.

Angela Barrett – “Com and, and do that as well.”

Daryl Howard – Yeah. It’s on the Linktree too.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah.”

Daryl Howard – “So, a lot of ways to find us.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Perfect. All right, last question.”

Daryl Howard – Yes.

Angela Barrett – No. 2 to 2.

Daryl Howard – Okay.

Angela Barrett – “Two questions. Okay. Well, I missed one a while back. If you could explain the band in flavor, what would it be?”

Daryl Howard – Our flavor.

Angela Barrett – “It’s a it’s a bayan. Could be a flavor. What would you. Well, let the experience be.”

Daryl Howard – “Oh, Chocolate.”

Angela Barrett – “I like that. And,”

Daryl Howard – Hot chocolate. There you.

Angela Barrett – Go.

Daryl Howard – Yeah. Absolutely.

Angela Barrett – “Love it. All right, so this is the last question. Promise. Give me your life in five breaths.”

Daryl Howard – In five riffs.

Angela Barrett – In the six.

Daryl Howard – You got me there.

Angela Barrett – “Dang it. So, All right. Well that’s good. Well, thank you so much for being here today. And, I look forward to, talking with you again and, seeing you the next time I have the opportunity.”

Daryl Howard – “Oh, okay. Okay. I’ll be looking forward to seeing, Yeah. When you when you come, to one of our shows, let me know. Oh, well, I know that you there.”

Angela Barrett – I have your cell phone now. Yeah. Okay.

Daryl Howard – Nothing here to douchey to the guys is.

Angela Barrett – “What? Oh, absolutely. A great. Okay. Thank you so much.”

Daryl Howard – And thank you. It was my pleasure.

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Daryl Howard – And I’ll be seeing you soon.

Angela Barrett – Okay. Sounds great.

Daryl Howard – Bye bye. Bye bye.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Thank you so much for being here today, mayor. I’m excited about this.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, I am too. Appreciate you having me.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So my very first, question for you. How does game day.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Hey, it was unbelievable. I tell you, the excitement that was in Williams Rice Stadium and the excitement around it was incredible. But you know what? Really, I thought was amazing was an opportunity to hear a lot of the conversation going on, between the broadcasters. And it was really, uplifting to hear them talk about what a great environment our community had.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And, you know, even one of the announcers said, you know, I never thought I’d be in Columbia, South Carolina. Do you guys? God, I’m glad I’m here. You know, and so when you hear that. Yeah. Far.”

Angela Barrett “And then stands, we got the chicken egg with certain serving, sir. Yeah, that was fun.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But, you know, for us as a community here, that it’s what we know. It’s just we haven’t we haven’t shared it with everybody. So we’re excited to share our story.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. And, meeting Lee Corso. How was that?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, the legendary coach, you know, been watching that show forever. It was pretty special.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I’m sorry. You know, I loved it. The fact that, ESPN, wanted to do something with the community, and I thought it was a great opportunity for us to to showcase who we are.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Well, enjoyed watching it, and, I was didn’t I had no idea that you were going on. And my husband was like, you know, the mayor. I didn’t get the show. I’m like, what? So that was fun to watch. It was exciting. So, your Columbia streams art. Let’s talk about that. A lot of the project, give everybody sort of the overall, picture of that project.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “The, you know, we wanted to, to get a, a project that was really engaging in the community, you know, and stream art. You know, it was a way for us to to pick all the different media and to promote visibility and conversation. And we’re like, we got to do something to get people excited about. I’ve been in Lexington, Kentucky, and they had the horses.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, I knew as a kid when the cowboy parade started. And places across the globe are doing all types of art like this, and we’re like, well, let’s do something that celebrates our river. You know, we just announced, you know, the collaboration between Lexington County, Richland County, Casey, West Colombia, Colombia, Armada Cape and and Saluda Shoals on where they had 27 miles of riverfront available for walking and biking and hiking.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so having that opportunity said, alright, let’s do something. So we got we found somebody who can make four foot trout. We said, so let’s do this and let’s use the fish and decorate and auctioned it off. Not to raise a ton of money, but really to create more awareness and get people excited. A way to put art into promoting.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And and so we ended up doing, 36, different tryouts. We were able to auction those off. We raised a little bit money that we’re putting back into other programs. So we’re going to do ten turtle sculptures, only allow these artists to do it, and put those turtles out in the riverfront and around town for public display.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “There are about six trout being, going to be displayed publicly. People bought them and donated them back and, to be placed across, the city. So just creating some, some fun around it, you know, and so that was like project one. And then Steven Chesley, an artist in town, had done what they called, canvas art program during so bid and they partnered with the city of Kaiserslautern, which is our sister city in Germany, to, to to cross-pollinate art during this period of time.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so what they do is they project this art onto canvases and then you could display it. It’s, a unique and inexpensive way to share art. And so I was like, this is a great idea. Let’s figure out how do we do this and do 5 or 6 of these and spread them around town. So it’s constantly moving.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And what they were able to do was incorporate poetry and art and other things. So as we do these canvases, you got multiple artists, Symbolist, and our goal is to do a lot of these and just keep rotating them across the city. So you got to kind of it’s kind of a game, figure out where it is, but it also ties you to some artists you may not know of or you never heard of this, this, this artist, this poetry, author who, you know, lives in a neighborhood.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And it puts everything together. But we’re also partner with Sister cities and and we’re going to do one with Accra, Ghana, which we’re excited. You know, we had the mayor of Ghana here not too long ago just had the ambassador here. It’s our other sister city. So really excited about what can happen with that and do an exchange.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But it’s opened up our opportunity really to display art in an inexpensive way around town in a bigger way. Just had a conversation with, the folks in the organization they’re organizing, 80th year Holocaust mural. And I’m like, why don’t we do it on a huge canvas that then can be transported to different parts of the community so people can see it, but also it’s something that you can reuse.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You can roll up, pull out again and take it on a traveling, exposition or, you know, bring it to the university for a while or bring it to a couple of high school. So you. Yeah, that part’s been been pretty cool to watch and see it roll rolling in what it could be. It really opens up the door to sharing more of what’s happened in our community in an inexpensive way, but enough to draw people to it.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Right. And then we had another program as part of that was called the Mini Libraries program.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, idea reason. The, newspaper boxes. That was pretty cool.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, try to figure out, you see all these mini libraries, neighborhoods, more like, you know. So we first started off calling local the statewide laugh. We ended up found somebody who recycles and picks some fixes on the map. We got them kind of painted in different colors. Blues, greens, yellows, reds. And then we took them to our part that had the young folks in the summer camps decorate.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So there was the hands on decoration from, the kids that were taking part in our summer programs. And then we went from there to, hey, we want to, but drop suddenly we are overwhelmed with. But yeah, so we could fill all these and get them in to neighborhoods where there may not be an opportunity for somebody to put in a little library or create access on the wall, come from some of our elementary schools really getting a lot of placed in North Columbia.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And some of our more challenged. It is a way to just start building out the community in a little different way. You know, hopefully this is the beginning. We want to do some community art on some empty lots there as well, just really trying to build back block by block, one house, at a time. And we also were able to put some funding behind the Finney Center.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Artist, Benny’s daughter and several other folks created, the fitness center, which is located on Lawrence Street, right over, by Hampton behind railroad barbecue. And it’s really it’s part of a neighborhood revitalized Zation there. Kevin Gray was the founder of Railroad Barbecue Community. This, grew up in Spartanburg, was one of the first kids to integrate in public school, in the 60s.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And just, you know, all of that incredible individual did not always agree with Kevin, but log cabin energy for the community. And here I got to be great friends. And if you haven’t been in this restaurant, it’s worth checking out. It’s like a museum itself. It has artifacts basically from political, from civil rights, political through the years, basketball.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But everything’s localized South Carolina. And so you just spend hours in there walking around city. It all the pictures. But it was a way to help that art program and that gallery really kind of grab your hub. Don’t be a multi-purpose space where they can have theater shows, they can do art shows, community programs, but it’s really in the heart of our African-American district and is really going to play a vital role to the future growth in that community.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So excited. And then we’ve been meeting we did an art artist roundtable and got a lot of feedback from artists about what we could do better. And, you know, pushing. There was a little bit of pushing and pull in there, which is good, but we hope to have a follow up and really engage more. Oh, we get how we can help from a cultural standpoint in our community, really bolster all the arts, you know, and, you know, virtually law for us to have some big festival.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We taught in music and food and performing arts, visual art and really tired all in together. So you can bring all this, this great creativity, across the city. So, you know, we got to keep try different things. We’re, we got some micro grants for our project. We’re looking to do a holiday market and being more of a gallery market where we can invite all these artists to display for free and give them a place to really kind of showcase their arts, much like Christmas Market, but focused on the arts.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Can the arts and crafts of our community really looking forward to that?

Angela Barrett “Yeah, that’s a great idea. So I’m sorry. Interrupt that. Yeah. Perfect idea because I know, just trying to chase down the chicken man to get some ice. I mean, so is that a yes? You want to buy a local art? Yeah, you just do. Or most of us do. But sometimes you don’t know where to find them.”

Angela Barrett “If they’re not, don’t have a gallery of their own or you don’t, you don’t know of a gallery that holds that particular, let’s say you wanted something very specific, like an artist. Lee, you know, you were looking for something, but sometimes you don’t know where to go to. So having a one place where you can go around and and look at everybody’s is as great.”

Angela Barrett “Maybe not even a $1 a year if they would have been, that would be, maybe.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So I’ll take the long term. That would be our goal. You know, I’ve always said, you know, there are other kids have done this, and I’d like, figure out how we do this, you know, have a made in Colombia, you know, store where you’re rotating these different, artist potters, you know, sculptures, everything in and out so that people could really enjoy local art and do that.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But, you know, it was interesting. Somebody came out with a great idea. And so we’re looking into which is, you know, we get a lot of, hotels and businesses come here and then, you know, they want some type of tax break or incentive and so the trade off should be, well, we’ll do this for you. But you know what?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “When you go to fill your building with art by local and make that part of the stipulation, just another way to get, you know, a few larger economy, but also, you know, really show the best in the brightest, of Colombia. To all the visitors. I mean, you know, we’re very fortunate to get 16 million visitors a year.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, yeah, one more sale, one more day. You know, hopefully we can keep doing things like that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Great idea. So going back to, I guess, the beginning, where did you come up with this, this idea for, quality streams, art?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, I think we were a little bit in a transition at time. We did have a permanent director at one Columbia. At that time, they didn’t have a public art, director. You know, since that’s change. But we want a little flexibility where we could do a couple little splash projects, really to to to to uplift people.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And, you know, my goal really is to create more awareness, but we can raise some money. And while we’re doing it, that means we could get money back out to grants on top of the money that’s already out there and and hopefully pushing harder to get more grant money and opportunities out there, but also another transitional way to to get businesses engaged with our local artists as well, you know, kind of really getting them excited about, you know, maybe our mission stop more, you know, maybe we should buy our arts or there maybe for Christmas.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We’re giving art, you know, is gifts to our our best clients. Just, you know, look, everybody gets a bottle of booze and a bottle of wine, and Lord knows we can’t eat all that food yet during the holidays. But a nice piece of art or pottery or something, you know, something that lasts for a long time. So just just trying something different, you know, we’re we’ve gotten to the point in Colombia that we’re not afraid to try things that we want to try.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And the one one thing we’ve always said, we want to promote our small businesses in our community is a small business.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. I totally agree. Love the arts. How about any photography in this country anytime soon?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. As a matter of fact, they’re they’re I think one of the upcoming canvases is going to have some photography art as well. Yeah. So taking advantage, of all arts and visuals, in our community is obviously, important. And we’re trying to get the kids more involved to, you know, getting the high schools. We even had some the couple high schools decorated trout.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, that was exciting. So we can keep doing things like that. I think, you know, we’re promoting and get people excited. We just want to plant the seed. You know, we this I don’t know that is our role in our job to to try to sustain it and oversee it. But we certainly can help promote it and, and and feed it and get it and excited and let it grow and morph into its own, really destiny.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And I think ways we can do that is, you know, have this gallery space. We’ve been talking to, realtors about putting artists into spaces that have at least, you know, and let it be in there from month to month. But at least there’s excitement in there. People walk by and there’s activity and they see something. So then maybe they start to visualize, well, maybe I should go in that space, you know?”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, just try and.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Different things work, you know, across the different community lines.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Yeah, I like it, I like it. So now tell me where we where can we find these trout right now. What’s up though a lot.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We have six of them over in our parks and racks. And all of that is are going to be out on display. They’re being coated with a special weather resistance coating, but you’ll see some at five points. You’ll see something in, the vista you’ll see down at the Riverfront Park. I’m actually got bought the Benedict one, and we’re donating that back to Benedict.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So that’s going to be prominently, on their campus. So also there’s so there’s a lot.”

Angela Barrett

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Of unique pieces, that were done that you’re going to see start popping everywhere. And then we’re going to weed in those turtles a little bit. And who knows what’s next.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Now, going back to the, Phinney Center. I know that right now they’re housed in what, a big warehouse they, But they’re working on a redoing a form that is going to be to help help me there because I, I sort of lost it in the translation, reading about it.”

Angela Barrett

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. They’re, they’re they had bought one of the historic house across the street, and that’s going to be our artist and resident, program, as well as having some, more active space specially to help artists and folks. Yeah, we different funding opportunities and so forth. But I think the artists and residence piece is actually owned by family.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Who? I don’t think any of the descendants still live here, but I could be wrong about that. And they were able to get that, which I think is a, you know, a great additive to what’s happening in that corridor there. It’s going to be exciting. I’m going to tell you, the artists are building a couple of events there, and the enthusiasm that there is around this, the Penny center and, you know, it’s and it’s in another district, you know, so much of our art is always been centered downtown or in the vista, which was, you know, the original Arts Village.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And so things are becoming a little more spread out, which is good because I think that gets more people engaged, you know? Yeah. The Chicken man, Andre Street, you know, up there, you.”

Angela Barrett “Know, we’re in that. But yeah. Well that’s.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Great.

Angela Barrett That’s great. That’s just sweet. All right.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “But yeah, there’s a, there’s one being, there’s an artist village being built over by, the hangar at OSP. Oh. Do you got, our streams down it, everything happening down it, Yugi Street, you know, you still got a lot of folks. It 701 Whaley said it’s really started going on low Carlyle Street, which is tucked up off.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “No, what has become a little corridor? I think there’s like 6 or 7 different artists that are working out of there as well. So a lot of little pockets everywhere.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And I know that there’s always a big art. Well, it’s kind of like, I guess the Arts and Crafts festival, but it’s mainly some of your, artists down there. And I think that is in Cotton Town, and it’s they usually have that at least once a year.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann Yeah. They had.

Angela Barrett Always been fine.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “There had their art crawl. They also have a one in Melrose High. So you got into kind of historic neighborhoods. It play a big role and it’s fun because you stroll around the neighborhood and you get to see some really unique art, and there’s there’s jewelry making. There’s a topiary guy there. And, but some really cool, boards.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “The this lady here in town makes that, she gets some unique pieces of wood from around the southeast, makes these beautiful charcuterie boards, which we use for different things. Not just charcuterie, but they’re just all the handcraft stuff just gets you so excited. And then, of course, Soda City can’t forget it. There’s always art down here, especially pottery and other.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, there’s a lot of opportunity for people to grasp local art. We just got to keep promoting it, lifting it up.”

Angela Barrett “Right? Right. And and speaking of so the city, I love all the stuff. And I know you’ve had a hand in it, even to the lights. You know that. Now on Main Street and you’re so city and, you know, just the, I don’t know, the, bringing or upcoming or how how you would say that, of how Main Street is.”

Angela Barrett It’s pretty cool. Now.

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, I think, I think I was so to say city. You know, Emil started that, on Whaley Street with like, ten vendors, and now it’s, you know, 150 to 200 vendors. And what’s exciting is, is how many people I meet. And so to city that are from the city or don’t really have a connection to the city, and they’ve heard about this and they come here and they’ve been exposed to Colombia and they’re like, well, you know, never would have thought about coming to Colombia or stopping by on my way to the beach or on my way to Florida.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Now it’s become a ritual for us to stop here and spend the night. And we, we love. So to city, you know, we bath all over the place in the music there. Like, there’s so much going on in this town. And it’s it’s things that we did realize. And the hospitality, I think, is what really get people excited about our community is we got a lot of compliments this weekend, not only from, you know, folks who were here visiting for game day, but there also is military graduation this weekend.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So and all these families in and they they could not stop asking about the fact that this community not only was so embracing, everybody was nice. People like, oh, you should go try this or you should go see this. You need to do this. It just made us feel excited about being here and we want to come back on this.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So, you know, I think it’s a testimony to who we are in the Midlands. I think we’ve been the best kept secret South Carolina for so long. That’s now the people are starting to realize the value of the Midlands and what we have to offer.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. As a real estate agent, you know how it pays the bills anyway, it’s not this, but the I tell all of that out-of-state clients as they are not going to believe we really are nice people. I mean, genuinely take the clothes off our back and help you. Whatever you need. You see you in a couple months.”

Angela Barrett “I should have had time to settle in there. You are kidding. And y’all love hugs a lot. Yes, we do, I think we really do.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And you know what I always tell people? Yeah, you steal this line. Just give me credit for it. But I always tell people nobody retires up north, so why even start your career there? Started here. I tell my young people that I’ll time.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right, that’s right, I love it. It’s so, tell me about this forbidden bourbon.”

Angela Barrett “I read somewhere that you had, co-founding or whatever, this forbidden bourbon. And she was the first female. Or it how do they call it the mass lavender distiller? Yeah. I was like, well, I love it, but it’s an art. That’s an art form, by the way.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, it is very much an art form. Very, hands on, very exciting. Now there’s some friends of mine and I got together. We really wanted to do, a spirits company, and obviously, bourbon is the only American spirit. Had this idea of using white corn. And winter white wheat is ingredient. And didn’t know that there it really.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I’m not sure that there’s another bourbon out there. Uses white corn. But we, you know, we first started, you know, trying to use silver Queen and it didn’t work, you know, as a nod to South Carolina. It was too sweet. So we had to get, just a regular white corn strand. But, I read an article about Marianne in her career, and she was in intern at Brown-Forman.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Ended up becoming their master to blender, like 29. And she left there to be a star castle and key, which is old Arnold Taylor, distiller, reached with two other folks and I reached out to her. I said, I hey, I have this idea. And she goes, well, we’re taking all contracts on our clients. You know how much you want to do something?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And we said, yeah. And after about 14 variations, we came to the agreement of a project we like, and we like what we had so much sip. Marianne was actually leaving, Castle and in to try a couple other ventures in. We said, hey, you know, she goes, I want to stay with the brand. I said, we want to stay the brand.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “So she came in and, stayed with us. And as a partner and equity partner, and she’s just doing an incredible job, with the product. And we do the spin out of here. And, you know, it takes a long time in the bourbon industry, you know, working on this nine years. So, got a lot of, juice and barrels, I hope, watching it, mature.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And she, she’s like, artisan Julien. She’ll tell us when it’s ready to be served. So we wait. We wait. But it’s been fun and it’s been a great project. And, you know, having a product where we were able to just come up with, we got a Grammy nominated designer who helped us design, handcrafted bottle custom made for us, and the labeling and the in the time and the effort nearby put in the fact that we use full quality grains over feed quality grains, just these different nuances.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Mary and I had a lot of thought of old distilling tricks, but using new products and, you know, different strains of yeast, it really produced a unique blend. And so, yeah, we’re real happy with this fight.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. The and I brought that up because, yeah, I know your world of art and you are big into the arts, but I thought, well, that is kind of an art form. But I know he’s not physically making it, but it is an art form. And it takes, a lot of patience, I think, on your side and her side.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, there was a lot there was a lot of creativity, a lot of people putting ideas together to get to where we were. So, you know, that that that was the important part. And it it really is an art. I mean, for someone to have the talent to be able to, to know when it’s time and how to blend.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, our small batch is about 48 barrels blended together, and, and create striking that balance in the knowing on a single barrel which one it actually do you release as a single barrel because, you know, you have to blend the others. And so having that, that magic tongue and that sense of smell and you really use in your sets is and I’ve learned a lot over the last few years about that.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And it I have so much respect for folks who have that talent. You know, and are able to do it because not everybody can do it. And the fact that she’s the first female master distiller in Kentucky is, you know, says a lot. You know, I mean, until 1974, she couldn’t even have sold that business, which is interesting.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Yeah. You know, so, well, there are there’s a lot of things out of that make you smile.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I loved it. The part about the first female master distiller yet. Distiller? Yes. Now you have a podcast of your own, called Around Town. I enjoy listening to that. And, you do that every other week, right?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann We did. We did.

Angela Barrett “It. Is that in line with, your spotlights as well? The do you highlight, this is or that different or, you know, they’re they’re a little gem.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We we try to use the different avenues to highlight, you know, very different folks in, in the podcast really started is because it is always campaign campaigning and, and it was different than campaigning before. I just met so many incredible people. And, and one of the things that that I learned from talking to a lot of people is, is that Columbia’s just such a hit, hit gem, and now we’d never really market ourselves.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “You know, when people are at Columbia, they just assume we’re a college town and that’s all we have to offer. They really don’t understand what we have. And so my goal was always to highlight people from our community and their unique story, its nonprofit or their business or, you know, the things that they’ve done in the community. They are somebody who, like the Boy Foundation had in this Susan Boyd on there, talking about why her family decided to set up this foundation and donate 6 to $7 million a year to projects and enhance our community.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “People really gravitated towards that. And I’ve had a lot of people set up a newcomer and I’ll listen your podcast. That’s where I learned about where all these restaurants are and, you know, learned about different programs, things I didn’t even know about. So really for us, it was trying to highlight, the folks in our community that we use our spotlight either hire, you know, highlight businesses that we also do on highlighting employees.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “We we think it’s a great idea for people to get to know the people behind the seat, and the setting to make things happen.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Good idea, good idea. I might steal it. Doing a certainly appreciate, you coming on today? My final question is, what’s next for the city of Columbia? What you got? What? What you got up your sleeve?”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Oh, well, yeah, we have a lot of things really focused. Excited about Riverside Tennis Shop. I think that’s for us is a priority. And we’ve got a couple projects that will really help us tie it in. And, you know, I think our goal is to finish a lot of projects that have been, you know, going on for decades.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “And and they’re very important because they’re all connected pieces. And today we hear a lot from folks about connectivity and walkability and downtown living. So that’s where our focus is. And, you know, the other one is is really creating more homeownership opportunities, but also housing. We need about 16,000 units over the next decade. So what can we do to help move that faster and make sure that we’ve got, you know, great properties, affordable, attainable properties in every level across our community so that we can keep, a diverse community, especially in our downtown.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “I mean, I think it’s important we’ve seen some other cities that have struggled with that, and it got too late and a lot of their workforce and other folks might come in, and it’s detrimental to the small businesses. We want to make sure we’re thinking ahead and not reacting, but actually being proactive.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah. Well, I certainly enjoy, again, your podcast and, pretty much anything that you have a hand in, it is great to watch, it come to fruition. And, I appreciate you being on today.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Well, I appreciate it. You know, it’s great to work with a great team and have a lot of people, you know, pulling in, I think Columbia, you know, there’s the city itself and the Midlands itself and has gotten out of it’s gotta be your stage. Well, reality we are. You know everybody kept comparing nasty, Charleston and Greenville and they all want to be the one of that is I want to be Columbia, South Carolina.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann I want to be the Midlands. And I think we ought to just keep waving the flag and being proud.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I think you’re doing a great job of that. That. Well thanks again. Thank you.”

Mayor Daniel Rickenmann “Thank you so much for having us. And, this was fun.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, it was.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey guys, thanks for being with me today on top in South Carolina, I have Ashton Reed from the South part South Carolina venue crisis. Thanks Ashton for being with me.”

Asheton Reid Thanks for having me.

Angela Barrett Yeah. So let’s talk about first what the South Carolina venue crisis is.

Asheton Reid “So what it was is a team that we formed back in April of 2023. It was started with three people and went to four. And we had other volunteers on the team as well. But it started because in trouble, your own ship was buying grill and Piedmont, South Carolina received his renewal quote for the liquor liability insurance, and it skyrocketed even more so than the previous year.”

Asheton Reid “He brought it to Sheila marques in my attention, and he contacted his insurance provider, and they said, best thing you do is make some noise. We are rock n rollers promoters. We were like, you know what? We can do that. And so we set out to be, our main goal was to bring awareness to this issue because we, none of us had any political backgrounds, knowledge, very, very disconnected from that world.”

Asheton Reid “But we were all very willing and able to to learn and to bring awareness to this very, very serious topic. And here we are.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So, let’s talk about, I guess, where this all started, how it came to how you guys formed or why you formed the South Carolina venue crisis.”

Asheton Reid “So when we started doing more research, we found out that in, 2014, there was a horrific, horrific crash in Dillon, South Carolina, and we’re going county. And, it was a naturally leading a bar, and the bar was uninsured, which technically they should not even been open, because if you don’t have insurance or a bar or liquor liability, we like the license, then you should take may not even be open.”

Asheton Reid “So I’m not quite sure how that fell through the cracks of why the state even allowed them to even be serving alcohol without this, because it’s if you have when you had your liquor license, which is distributed by the state, and you have to have the insurance, it goes along with it that you had to provide to the state showing up.”

Asheton Reid “So some things help from the crash. That’s a different topic, I believe. Sure. But were they the, the patron was intoxicated? I’m not sure if that is due to the bar or if she was maybe possibly drinking from her car or her purse. Something else was going on. There’s so many caveats that can lead to this, but there is a police officer was responding to a call, so he was going very fast, but she was also apparently very drunk.”

Asheton Reid “Hey, why did he has brain damage? Passenger in her vehicle very, very fortunately passed away. So was that leg. It was the catalyst to Bill 116, which in 2017 was but and to act which means every shot which meant that was open after 5 p.m. that serves alcohol. And even though liquor liability you think liquor but it also includes beer and wine.”

Asheton Reid “So it’s more types of up. But you have to carry $1 million policy, which in turn should not be that big of a deal, or that much of a monthly or annual fee for the business. But with there being no percentage, fault or, percentage or personal responsibility attached to that, it has become a a wild, wild west for the trial lawyers.”

Asheton Reid “And so there’s no room in there. There are victims and the actual victims, it’s it’s tragic. And they should become saying that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, we are advocating drinking and driving by any stroke.”

Asheton Reid “Absolutely. No. Absolutely not. But it’s more of the frivolous lawsuits that have caused the insurance premiums to completely skyrocket. Back in 2017, the average, liquor liability annual policy was 5 to 7000 or a per year. Now it we’re seeing, like, the cheapest, 35 grand up to 250 plus. And so small business. Yes. During that even it can afford that.”

Asheton Reid You shouldn’t have to because it’s just not it’s not fair.

Angela Barrett “Right. So in other state, how how is this done. Because I understand this is everybody has to have the insurance.”

Asheton Reid But it’s very.

Angela Barrett Differently in other state. In that the laws are more specific as to the percentage of fault and how that’s determined. Correct me if I’m wrong and then explain.

Asheton Reid “So I can’t speak to the other states. I’m not. We’re knowledgeable on that topic on this more. No one was going on within our state. So I don’t but know that we’re one of the few, if not the only, state that is facing this right now. Alabama did have a very have a Siri at a similar situation last year, and they I guess after I had get actually what they did to rectify this issue.”

Asheton Reid “But they, they saw the value in making sure that this, that their issue was no longer an issue because of the tax money that’s coming in just from the tourist industry itself. Sure. And in South Carolina, with the employment, one and nine people are employed through service industry. So think of the limited rate that well, it’s mind blowing.”

Asheton Reid Absolutely mind blowing.

Angela Barrett Right. And so because there are guests. So tell me the reason that y’all are going with or fighting with legislation and and what that is exactly that you’re fighting for.

Asheton Reid “So to our knowledge, what would help rectify this issue is Bill 533. We encourage everyone to educate themselves. Look it up, laugh for yourself in your own words. But also you can visit see venue prices.org and it breaks everything down perfectly. Sheila Merck is a genius when it comes to organization. And she she is she’s the one to thank for the entire website, but it breaks it down perfectly.”

Asheton Reid “But Bill 533 is the SC Justice Act, and it’s gotten several. So talk four, which wouldn’t just be beneficial to the service industry, but the trucking, the housing, manufacturing, everything within the state and it helps it bring it back to a fair trial. So it’s the percentage of faults. And so it’s not just the it’s you are 1%.”

Asheton Reid “As of right now it stands if you are 1% ball, you can be held responsible for 100% of the payout, which is mind boggling to me that if, if when 533 is passed, join several be statewide which be able for you know percentage vote. So it’s the if you’re 1% vote then yeah you’re going to pay for that.”

Asheton Reid “But if you’re only 1% ball, you should not be held responsible for 100% of the damage. When there’s especially when there’s no personal responsibility attached to it.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And so. I’ve got several questions. But I’ll start with let’s talk about what’s the timeline sort of with legislation and where we are right now, because I know they the state you know, the Senate they dismiss for this hour. And and we’ll come back, you know, in the fall of the year. But go ahead and tell.”

Asheton Reid People.

Angela Barrett The timeline.

Asheton Reid “To January through May is when the House and Senate in session, and they are able to come back for an emergency session, which, there was a press conference on June 5th that was at the state House to say, hey, you guys, you’re coming back in for an emergency session for a bill for dick hack that most people don’t even want or is too concerned about.”

Asheton Reid “But this is an actual issue at hand. So it’s you guys can come back or do get the act meeting and the first bill, why can’t you come back or go on several when this is a very serious issue and a lot of people are talking about it. You know, a lot of people are contacting their legislators, which we highly encourage them to do respectfully.”

Asheton Reid “Let them know how this is about you and why it should be at the forefront to be resolved. But they are only in session January to May. But they can be. They can be called back. It’s not super common, but it’s it’s it’s possible.”

Angela Barrett “So as it stands right now, have they turned this down, tabled it, keep tabling it for the next time. I mean how how this what’s been happening there.”

Asheton Reid “So I did make it to the floor with the, the last session. Oh fortunately it was shut down because they tried to add in section F and section F would allow 533 to not apply to any alcohol sales. So there would be completely just it would help, it would help other industries in, in the state, but it would not help be like a liability issue at all.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Asheton Reid “So as long we would for about three, three without section F to B B to be passed. But it did make it to the portion master who is I? I have been extremely impressed with him. He is a true advocate. It’s that it’s been amazing to watch. And he has, you know, he has a backbone and I appreciate the heck out of that.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I like that explanation of the perfect storm. Yes, yes. Yes. Because less when people think of serving alcohol, they think of the bar. The bartender and the patron, whoever’s you know, being served. But that is not who all this affects. This trickles down to so many people. I mean, it is when bar.”

Asheton Reid “The yes the branches that this reaches from the power companies to the local farmers to the beverage distributions to the cooks. So, I mean, it’s not just the bartenders, most everyone that’s employed from that establishment, it’s it’s just the outreach. And the ripple effect is just is heartbreaking to think that this many people could be impacted if something is not done right.”

Angela Barrett “And I understand the impact of this is Memorial along the lines of not your bigger restaurants that serve lots and lots of food because they make money there, but it is more impacting those bars that just have, a couple appetizer things because I think it’s our food if they have alcohol. But They don’t have they’re not the pin, it turns out.”

Angela Barrett “I think part of it, it’s the drinks and the, you know, that’s the way they’re bringing in their money. And I understand those are the places that it is affecting more so than some of your bigger food restaurants that serve alcohol. Right.”

Asheton Reid “All right. So a bar tavern, they’re they’re playing the margins with any restaurant that sells alcohol. Typically the higher margins are from sales. Sure. So a lot of places and people that, you know, rightfully so, don’t comprehend that part of it, but they’re saying, oh, why don’t you just not sell alcohol? Well, that’s not really an option because the business is going to go under because that’s where the the money in the margins are coming from.”

Angela Barrett But it is mostly one people are there.

Asheton Reid “Oh, exactly. Exactly. And it’s the this isn’t a necessary like drinking thing because a lot of people are like, oh, you’re just, you know, you’re fighting for alcohol. It’s more just a fight for freedom also. But it’s the response for freedom. And so, you know.”

Angela Barrett “And and the way I’m, the way I’ve read it correctly is a fairness, you know, it’s left up to the server, the bartender, whoever, to determine whether somebody is intoxicated or not. And you may not know that in the in, in the initially I’m just going to throw this out, again not promoting or, you know, warning people to drink and drive.”

Angela Barrett “Absolutely not. But what I think I have seen and I agree with is the unfair this of where, first of all, the responsibility lies to that server to decide if that person is in fact intoxicated, because, again, you may not know that initially somebody comes in who’s been drinking all day somewhere not there, they ask for a drink.”

Angela Barrett “You haven’t met them more than three second, you serve them a drink and then they leave. You served one drink. You had no time to make any kind of you know, I think that’s what I got out of a lot of what I was reading in the videos I was watching is where it needs to, percentage wise, means to lie and those kinds of things.”

Angela Barrett Is what I understand.

Asheton Reid “Yes. So it’s saying we we’ve been calling it the million odd mimosa. It’s because it’s the if you go, we have brunch at noon and you have one man. They sir, as a salesman, you go out, you’re on the lake, you go to a friend’s house, you go 13 different places, which I do not condone whatsoever. Because that not smart, right?”

Asheton Reid “By any means. But if you just at that speaking that if you so if you if you’re at one place at 12 p.m. and then you’re at another place and then at 3 a.m. you crash and something just like tragedy happens, that first establishment as the as the law stands right now in be held 100% responsible for one of the those, someone’s personal actions and choices to go gallivant all over drinking.”

Asheton Reid “Right. So it’s it’s it’s hard for me to comprehend and understand how this is even sort thing and why we know that, you know, some trial lawyers are not the most, most ethically driven, but I urge them to maybe be a little smidge more driven instead of just taking on anything and everything and trying to just get a easy and out for themselves.”

Asheton Reid “Because, I mean, typically, trial lawyers are receiving at least 30 to 60% of the pay. It. And so it’s hard for that for me to understand. But when they’re saying, oh, it’s for the victims, well, was truly for the victims. And why are you receiving the exponential amount? Oh, they’re paying. Right. So if you know the math is math and you can just put two and two together and know that.”

Asheton Reid Yeah.

Angela Barrett “The and so the next move for you guys what’s, what’s what’s up next.”

Asheton Reid “So as Zach the line of any crisis stands right now we are we we originally just set out to bring awareness to this issue. We did not have intentions to get heavily involved in politics that we were we saw that you you’re a captain. And here we are the though about some of the teeing. We’re going to, be taking a little bit of a step back.”

Asheton Reid “There is an association that’s being formed. We’ve not been very involved with that association. So I can’t speak a whole lot about where they are in terms of membership or what that really entails. But, it’s the they’re called the South Carolina Bar and Tavern Association. They are there are newer but we we’re not going to be necessarily going anywhere, but we’re not going to be as we’re going to be tearing up the row like we were last year with the town halls and all the time and effort, because this is volunteer work and we’re, we’re we’re tired, we’re burned out or we’ll burn our things, but we’re going to see it through, but not”

Asheton Reid to the time and resources that we were doing the last two.

Angela Barrett “And so if people organize, you know, businesses, whoever it may be, want to be more involved. Where do you suggest they go?”

Asheton Reid “Yes. We, we would love, love to see more business, especially businesses that this has direct impact on to get more involved. I mean, the as even you process work the website it is a tell all, be all answers, pretty much every question that you could imagine. But people have to do that for themselves instead of just, you know, a little bit of effort.”

Asheton Reid “There’s a roll a long, long way, but we encourage them to reach out to their legislators. That’s the biggest thing to say. Hey guys, we know that you guys made this happen and we need you to fix this issue. But again, respectfully, that’s that’s our biggest thing is be respectful because you’re not going to get anywhere by just being mean versus from the get go.”

Asheton Reid “I’m I’m terrible at it for that. But at first please be respectful. But it’s just knowing that this is an actual issue that this will have an impact on at Bar Restaurant Tavern, even if it doesn’t have a direct impact right now. That is that’s we have found out that people are not understanding the severity until it directly impacts them.”

Asheton Reid The service will give you proactive instead of react right?

Angela Barrett “How many? Just off the top of your head if you if you have any idea, have closed due to the increase in, drastic increase in insurance.”

Asheton Reid “So I was I was I was expecting that question. That’s a very, very hard question to answer because there is a vast amount of businesses within the state, and sometimes we’re made aware of them, sometimes we’re not. Sometimes the reason is part of liquor liability was, an added to them closing. But there’s also been some, some pride that has gotten also in the way.”

Asheton Reid “But there’s not been a full. So people don’t come forward and say, hey, we’re closing because we can’t afford this. They’re disclosing or then saying they’re closing. So we’re not really exactly sure, but there’s been at least 10 to 12, I thought in my head so far, but I know there I know there’s more than that. I know there’s more.”

Asheton Reid “And that’s just in the upstate. Right? I’m we’re outside Greenville, South Carolina, so. But within the whole state itself, I, I’m not sure, but I’m, I know it is a hefty numbers of bar.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. I know there was I don’t I’m not sure which bar it was. And it was a pretty big establishment and, I think people were kind of shocked when it closed. And that’s just been realignment, I guess. Maybe that was it. Yeah. If.”

Asheton Reid “They’re in business for 29 years, it was out of the blue that, you know, they they made the announcement. It was I think it blindsided a lot of people. It sure is understandable. But it’s also a IT guys that we’ve been trying to bring awareness to this and where we got and then crying wolf at. All. Right. The dumb people don’t believe it.”

Asheton Reid “And so it has a direct impact on their business or their local watering hole, which is very unfortunate. Very unfortunate. But, we’re we’re believing that more people are starting to understand and comprehend the severity.”

Angela Barrett “Right, because that’s a good example of how far it reaches, ear musicians and, you know, in the art, you know, the art world that that side of things, not just the employees of that business there, or the people who bring in the alcohol or feed or whatever. But now, you know, throttling musicians as well so.”

Asheton Reid “That the music is my language. And that is why tribal, Sheila, Lauren and myself with the venue processing started this because music is our language and we don’t know where we would be without it. We’re appreciative and it would be just heartbreaking. Detrimental to see venues that support live music fade away.”

Angela Barrett “Right. And you know, I know a lot of these businesses are small, but everybody has to start somewhere, musicians included. They didn’t just walk up almost. They start somewhere at a watering hole. And I mean, nine times out of ten, I mean, you don’t get that lucky usually. And that’s how they build the following as well. So that’s kind of where they want to start is, you know, your local smaller places where people that you know are going to come see them and then it grows so.”

Asheton Reid That that’s how you better fan base.

Angela Barrett “That’s right. That’s right. Well, I thank you so much for, talking with me today. And, you’re definitely going to have to keep me posted as this goes. And, give us, some updates, as it goes along, but, good luck. And, I can’t wait to see how this goes.”

Asheton Reid Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Angela Barrett Absolutely.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey, guys, today with me. I have the defibrillators. It’s a band at the beach down at Myrtle Beach. I have Warren here with me today out of the three piece band. Hey, want.”

Warren Wood Hey. How are you.

Angela Barrett “Today? I am doing good. Thanks so much. So, you guys are down at the beach, right?”

Warren Wood “That’s correct. We’re a band, three piece band based out economy, and we travel from Wilmington down to Florence and then back around through the Grand Strand area.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Cool. Now, you guys are not originally from the beach?”

Warren Wood “That’s correct. Yeah, that’s sort of our a melting pot from different areas. Yeah. United States. We had, myself, I played the DC Baltimore circuit for 35 years in two separate bands. And then that came out here in 2000, and now I bought a house in 1215 and live here full time since 2022. Drummer Deacon Hughes is originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma.”

Warren Wood “Went into the Navy, and then now is stationed in Anchorage and went to Las Vegas. And that’s where he met and played with the classics for you might have heard them. They played a speakeasy back in the city. Yeah. And, so he’s, moved here to Conway back in the early 2000 and played with, some other local bands and then, Rena Dillon’s RV park player.”

Warren Wood “He’s originally from the Finger Lakes area in New York. Played regionally up there, with numerous bands. And then, I moved out here as well. About 50 years ago. He has played in numerous local bands, and we just passed medical here through, Typekit. And they a lot what they call open mikes, ten band jams and stuff like that throughout the areas where you can meet up and play with other musicians.”

Warren Wood “And that’s how we sort of met. And, we’ve been having fun ever since.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, good. Now, how long have you been playing together?”

Warren Wood “So we’ve only been together since May this year. But, at that time, he’s done over 30 band out already. We’ve got our. We’ll be playing at the Cambridge tonight. That, I mean apart at in Arles and Mike and then September 11th, which is a big thing, obviously. My background I had 20 years from timeline of security is that’s a big date for me, but we’ll be playing at patios, Tiki Bar and Grill up in little River.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I’m a speaker.”

Warren Wood “Special things going on up there. Yeah, that tunes and our first responders know everybody decent come out for.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I’m a frequent flier down little River. That’s where my parents are. So, I’m there a good bit, and I know exactly what you’re talking about. Fun place now. So you told me how you guys met. How long did it take you kind of to meld together? I mean, say you decided, hey, we should play and.”

Warren Wood “Well, if it doesn’t take too long, if you’ve been playing for 30 or 40 years like we’ve all been doing, right? Luckily, all of it. They’re very seasoned musicians and played with some, pretty big name artists I had the pleasure of playing with, like Chuck, Mary Louise, marriage and stuff like that. Wow, that that opened up.”

Warren Wood “We got to open up for them. So we got to meet them both. But deacon and I in separate bands opened up for Kansas, so that was neat. So some of our passes sort of cross the years in different state. So just from just playing so many paying jobs and just the experience of playing so much, is sort of falling pretty quick.”

Warren Wood “All right. So it’s learning each other’s style and and then, you know, obviously working the harmonies and that sort of thing out for a while because it doesn’t take too long usually if you’re, if you’re pretty stiff and music.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. There’s some pretty big names there. Now you guys play like blues, classic rock and oldies.”

Warren Wood Yes.

Angela Barrett So mostly cover songs of Nero started writing anything.

Warren Wood “No, no, they all cover songs. So, you know, if you enjoy, good beach music’s like back in the band or pipeline or something that brings back memories from the 60s. But you can do that. But we can also do you know, your, you know, rock and roll stops and if you want some Leonard Skinner or not, something like that, or, bad company, we can do a little bit of that, or we can also be some queens, like, you know, Kansas City or, you know, that kind of thing, or sleep up until, Johnny back at the fountains.”

Warren Wood “So we do a little bit of everything, and we do some country as well. He kind of mixed in. So we try to please everyone. We’re there to complete the crowd and and have fun and enjoy ourselves, too. So it’s, it’s a it’s a real nice to be able to have the people, man. A lot of great people down here.”

Warren Wood “If the, grandstand area where we can link that some of them, we actually met, playing music. It’s pretty neat because I’m not going to come down here and be safe and go. I remember seeing this band back in this day.”

Angela Barrett Yes. Ever. Right.

Warren Wood “So we’ve we’ve had a lot of not a lot of nice people this year and, you know, so it’s been, you know, really, really fun. The fun part for all of us, we enjoy what we do. So and that’s and that’s 99% of it. You got to enjoy what you do. But that and I’ve been to tearing down some of the late nights.”

Warren Wood “That’s, that’s not some fun, but. Oh, that’s, all that’s made up with playing music. So that’s what we love to do.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah. You’re right. Staying up in the in the taking down and in the late nights. I bet that wouldn’t be fun.

Angela Barrett “So now what brought you guys? I mean, because, again, not from here originally. What brought you to the beach? And it’s the beach house.”

Warren Wood “Well, I’ve made some for myself. It’s place where I came as a kid growing up, and. And from meditation, like most of the lot of people that are transplanted here. And I can remember being a little boy, and I get, you know, when I get older, I can never retire, I can never get down here. This is where I want to live.”

Warren Wood “So for me, it was that, and in far drummer accommodate envy. He got here by way of, sort of buying music. He did, karaoke business for years and, he was, working resorts and that sort of thing. And back when he had the, he was working with the when they used to have the, gambling, houses back in the late 80s and 90s and that sort of thing.”

Warren Wood “He dug up in that in around early 2000. He beat that work off. Oh, and that’s how he got transplanted here. Reno, came down just by, by moved down here because, again, he loved the beach. And, being from New York, obviously the cold didn’t agree with him as he got older. So he he transplanted down here as well.”

Warren Wood “And, for that reason and just the people are always so nice and that, you know, it’s it’s a great area to prosper. So, we, we all that’s how we are back down.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, we’re glad you’re here. You know, I’m originally from South Carolina, born and raised, never lived anywhere else. And I grew up, down close to the beach. So that is what I really call my home. But, now in the Midlands, here in Columbia, right outside of Columbia. But, Yeah, I love the beach down there.”

Angela Barrett “And like I said, frequent flier down there. Little River and.”

Warren Wood Hey.

Angela Barrett “That’s right. So, now tell me you guys haven’t been playing together, I guess two terrible. But I have a lot of experience in the music world. But how do you handle mistakes when you make a lot of stuff on the state?”

Warren Wood “How do you, you know, on the state? You act like you say, you just smile and do it. You know, most people that that don’t play music, if they get laughs at something very egregious, you don’t even know it most of the time because it is so good. It so going to cover it up for, some of your best fans and actually some of the ones that are on tape, it’s, you know, some of the songs I myself can hear a couple of songs where they’ve made mistakes and the producer says, love it.”

Warren Wood “We’re going to take. But just like that on the record, they go, what? And yeah, they, you know, it’s just a matter of sometimes, just being able to cover court and just they just move on. It’s like anything else and they can make you, like, try to do better the next night. And, you know, you practice and, and, and, and to work.”

Warren Wood “But after a while, it’s muscle memory. Once you have the arrangements that it’s sort of like riding a bike you don’t forget. Right. You know, like I said, for the most part, every once in a while you make a mistake. But, for the most part, you get on. And, like I said, it’s just muscle memory from some just years of learning.”

Warren Wood “Once you learn the arrangements, if you reach deep music. And you were young, you played, some, some bar, classical music or maybe a band, high school or college or whatever the case may be. And you read. Need some more theory? You know, it’s easier to go ahead and understand. And Neil, oxytocin arrangements. I want you to know that, me me me.”

Warren Wood “What still, the percentages have had on the state on on a state they minimized greatly. So again, you didn’t make a mistake. You just you just do to.”

Angela Barrett “Right? Right. Yeah. I say that about all the eyes all the time. I am famous for mutilating names or the pronunciation of something. I’m like, oh, well, it’s just who I am. Fool is on like.”

Warren Wood That to me.

Angela Barrett That’s right.

Warren Wood “It’s in there. Freeze up, that’s for sure.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right. Keep it real. Keep it real. So, now, you guys, you said something about practice. How how often do y’all get together in practice?”

Warren Wood “So for practice, usually just about once a week. And when we do practice that these are just to go over an arrangement for in a week, in about a three hour span will earn 4 or 5 new songs for the next. Yeah. Normally we, we, we have about that anywhere from, like, 8 to 10 shows a month.”

Warren Wood “So we try to in between, we try to change it up because obviously we have people following us. And again, you can follow us on Facebook under the, defibrillators. So, you know, when we’re playing next, but, again, in between shows, we do that, we try to keep it fresh. Cheater sets up, so with our different samples, and if people come up and request a song, we don’t know it.”

Warren Wood “The first thing we do is we go back and write those notes down, and. And that’s what we practice. So for the next time it be there, when we’re there and that person’s there, we’ve been playing. But the bad thing we want to do is, we, we, in the, you know, kind of a business you want to please.”

Warren Wood “You’re proud of pleasure. I sure that’s that’s sort of what we do, really. We structure our practice. Contrary areas of improvement. And then for any sound to be requesting and writing new material. So that way, it keeps our setlist fresh. So when people come, they’re not naming your song. That’s probably one of the worst things that bands can do.”

Warren Wood “I can remember coming down, we used to always stand, so, might be making. So we would. They always had band, so we would go down to list to the bands, but some of the bands would play the same fans on the same set every day. It’s like a life in an arcade you could name off with.”

Warren Wood The next on was that.

Angela Barrett Was one you.

Warren Wood “Definitely don’t want to hear. You want to be able to mix it up and keep it fresh like that for the, for the public there. So that way they’re not bored as well.”

Angela Barrett “Right? I get you, I’m going to guess you get a lot of requests for shag songs. Yeah. Beach music.”

Warren Wood “We do, we do? Yes, we do. Like,”

Angela Barrett Where you are in the shag capital of the world.

Warren Wood “And we do beach music. We do like, the old, get down start up like that and obviously stand by me and back in the band. You know, Margaery, of all the all the fun songs that people can sing along with, you know, Sweet Caroline, I like that stuff. So, yeah, if you want to have a big time and you come out, you know, free dance, you have sing and dance with us, then enjoy yourself, have a great time.”

Warren Wood “And, you know, there’s lots of great place. And that’s the good thing about it. You follow a band, you learn a lot of great restaurants. It’s so many great restaurants. Mark goes to you and different paid food, food and and beverages and atmosphere atmospheres that you can go to, you know, right on the water or you can, you know, you can go to a theater.”

Warren Wood “There’s just so much to do and so much to follow the band that, one night you may be playing in a, a formal dinner tie. You know, it’s one more formal event with, you know, tuxedos on. And then the next night you’re playing, you know, I take. Are you for a colleague? Get some.”

Warren Wood “It’s like it. You have to be ready for anything. And that’s one thing about being in a band at the be ready for any situation and, be able to adapt quickly. For instance, especially down here, a lot of venues are our Sky team is there and thunderstorms. Yeah. So anything we do inside. So then we at the we keep doing figure out what you’re going to play.”

Warren Wood “You know softer inside compared to outside. We can make it louder. So that’s always, you have to be prepared for any takeaway. So, you know, and, and, and and that’s happened in the past, you know, we’ve traveled is, I know that when I was on it where we were traveling and sometimes we travel to an event and, you know, somebody’s wife, we go out or you had a case that was going out saying so.”

Warren Wood “Yeah. And being able to handle any situation to, are truly through the job. So a lot of times that’s why a lot of us think, the thing about our band, all three of the things, which not very many pretty band, you know, I can’t go on dates and all night, so we can have three part harmony.”

Warren Wood “So we do some Beatles and stuff like that. Oh, no, it’s a three piece band. Well, you, so do a lot of stuff. That’s, It’ll be fun. I do have a great time listening to us. We we enjoy what we do and, you know, show on stage, and, it’ll be, infectious to you guys out here.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, I read some of the reviews, and, that was one of the things that was brought up that all three of you sing, and it was great. And, you know, obviously, along with all the other rookies, like, I had a great time. Best band ever, you know, love these guys. So, yeah, that was but that was going on was that all three sang?”

Angela Barrett “I was like, oh, that’s interesting.”

Warren Wood “Yeah, a lot, a lot of bands will, do that. And then, because it’s hard to find, you know, the singers. But it did help too, in the long run because you’re able to, you know, it’s the same thing if you hear the same voice over and over and over again accidentally, you sort of get bored as a patron, you know, like, okay, I’ve heard of this voice for an hour and a half.”

Warren Wood “Listen, come on out. And so, you know, with the different voice inflections and stuff like that, it keeps it fresh and and keeps everybody involved. And, and every band member has a different style on stage. Who would give you a different stage present? So, it’s a lot of fun, a lot of interacting with the crowd. A lot of good times.”

Warren Wood “We did some stuff to our playing. We’ll send out trivia questions and you can win a defibrillator, tea or booties or something like that. So we’re always doing stuff that makes it, get the crowd involved and, you know, making sure they’re, they’re having a good time because without them, and without them support local music. You know, the bars will survive.”

Warren Wood “We will survive. So, we really appreciate all their support.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Now, how did y’all come up with the name? The defibrillators?”

Warren Wood “So those were. We’re all getting older, right? So, back in the day, you know, it’s it’s like. Yeah, he was sponsored by Jack Daniels on a quad tree. Yeah. You know, you’re on, right? You were young on that. I said, well, now we need to be sponsored by, like, you know, Metamucil cause, well, being up there and, let’s do a defibrillators.”

Warren Wood “That sounds good, because, I mean, I clicked, so I can, we could music, so I picked so that’s number egg. So that’s how I thought I came up with an accent. Well, you know, we’re all getting a little older. We might need it. We might need a defibrillator there on on the stage, you know, while I’m down.”

Warren Wood “He was gone. So, but, you know, that’s sort of how we came up with it as a joke. And now it’s sort of stuck. So, you know, and so it was it was pretty neat. And, people liked the name, so like, it’s funny because, I remember at first, right up in that, in pa myrtle Live.com, it was like love the name.”

Warren Wood “That was the first thing. And I started laughing. I was like, wow, must have done something right. So it was, it was too, but, you know, you gotta have something catchy. So people remember the names, so I figured they’d remember this.”

Angela Barrett “That’s right, that’s right. So, That did. I can’t really stop laughing. Excuse me? This whole the Harris. And I like, no matter where you subject take. So now tell me some of, like, the best and worst gigs, places that you’ve played or since you’ve been together.”

Warren Wood “Oh. So, you know, for some of us, you know, in the past, some of our best gigs, like, I guess I got to play these, you know, not for Chuck Berry. That was great. You know, and I can’t out a great show. And like I said, deacon has opened up for Kansas.”

Warren Wood “Played the same circumstance, Thorogood and stuff like that. And it was fun. Down there. Some of our best days have been, you know, we played locally down at, like, if the CFL will be around, we do like, a tempo, you know, we do. Okay. Cuz, you know, Patty is is always just any time, garden city beach bar dot garden city.”

Warren Wood “That sounds that great place. So a lot of these venues you need to support because they’re not we have a good time. Some of the worst one day ever played at, Well, we we ended up playing, this a few years ago, but we played at this place in a monsoon and hit and, let’s just say the tents that were over top of the stadium scavenges probably for like 5000 people and the poor town that we lost all our and the lands from, about $50,000 at the time.”

Warren Wood “Lots of equipment. So it was dark arts? No, that wasn’t real. No, no, no it’s not. You have to deal with, Woolies and stuff like that, you know? But for the most part, we have never had that problem down here in the Mile Beach area. Everybody’s been very accommodating. We have not had any issues as far as you know, anybody being unruly in a restaurant or bar or anything like that.”

Warren Wood “Every once in a while that would happen. But down here, everybody, it’s it’s very calm. They have a great time. They, they really enjoy themselves, get something to eat. And, we’ve had nothing but positive experiences down here. And, working on the grants.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Well, good. I tell everybody, when they’re moving from other states to here, we are some of the nicest people you’re ever going to meet. They really don’t believe me. Then they’ll come up, you know, months later okay. You work Cheering I’m like nope. We really are.”

Warren Wood “They doing the best part about it is when they do move down here from other states they’re adapting to be nicer which is great because it’s I see a lot of people down. I’m having a hard time slowing down and I do. It’s not a problem once you get there. It’s great because people are so helpful on both when they get down here and they’re like, the people are so nice.”

Warren Wood “And I say, yeah, that’s the way they’re brought up and that’s what you can be. That’s why, you know, it’s great. You know, like I said, Beth moved my life down here. Everyone’s knife. We we really appreciate everyone’s support that comes out and, and follows us and, you know, it takes a time out of their day because they could be doing other things.”

Warren Wood “They come out and, dance and have a good time and sing along. So, you know, without them and and without people, like, eat or hang out and, and and having a farm, you. Yeah. You know, you know, local music to triathlon. We definitely don’t want that. But we really appreciate you. Taking the time to, like.”

Warren Wood You miss.

Angela Barrett “It. Well, I’m so glad y’all did. I was excited. So have any of you guys learned how to share the.”

Warren Wood I’m sorry.

Angela Barrett “Learn how to do the dance. The shag, our Carolina. Yeah.”

Warren Wood “Okay. That’s the one thing about being in a band. You’re terrible. So, have I been to, like, Fat Harold’s and try to learn it? Yes, but I’m not a great. I’m not a great stagger. But I have done it. My, But I would probably say I need some more laughter purchased before they did that, but,”

Warren Wood “Yeah, it’s, It’s funny now you have rhythm to play music, but when it comes to, trying to dance, most musicians have to let feet, Wow. But they do. So, Yeah. I’m not the best. Yeah, I if I had to, I, you know, like to go out.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, yeah, yeah. We’ll just get out there and shuffle around everybody. Oh no. Okay. Let’s say right. Right. That’s what my husband does anyway. He can’t dance either. Well he he could. He just doesn’t like to eat. He can dance. He just doesn’t like, So what do you guys got coming up now? What’s next?”

Warren Wood “So coming up for this, Thursday? I’m sorry, not desserts, but this Saturday, September 7th, we’ll be at the, how to clean and check the, my girl that’s located on highway 707, in Myrtle Inlet. We can make two. Oh, right down the road from Saint James, school, if you’re familiar with that. And then on September 11th, began September show, with nine, 11 children there at patios Tiki Bar and Grill.”

Warren Wood “Oh, my little rabbit. I know that that. Yeah. Any of them remember, they’re they’re planning some special thing. And, we’ll probably be giving out some small, American flags and doing some trivia, given out some, defibrillator t shirts and koozies. And,”

Angela Barrett “Every time you say that, I’ll laugh.”

Warren Wood “So, you know, we’ll be honoring the service.”

Angela Barrett Absolutely.

Warren Wood “So, again, all first responders that drinks, make sure you show up near full.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah, absolutely. Now, further down the road, y’all got anything big plan to.”

Warren Wood “928 will be at, craw daddy, in, down on the polyp island. Stand back. And, October, first weekend of October. We’ll be back at, Halloween, Texas bar. And now the 16th of October will be a tongue garden seat, beach bar. So. Yeah. Oh again. You know, come out and see it.”

Warren Wood “Yeah. You know, we’re always, we’re always there for how many good time. And like I said, you can follow us on the Facebook and you.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. And now let me ask you this because I know a couple of our local bands here in the town like home. Have y’all found a home yet that you play more at that you than other places.

Warren Wood “Well, there’s a few. There’s a few. We play it, Lucky Sports Bar in Conway on the patio. That’s our, I mean, we we sort of circle around. So the ones that have had us quite a bit, are the bars that have us quite a bit are Lynchburg, which is in murals and like, patios up in little River.”

Warren Wood “810 both Williams and Conway like lucky sports. All right. Conway, we asked to do, quite a bit, like fetish fakers. Animals. So, you know, we sort of travel around, all around we all to you like Moose Lodge at American Legion. Private entity like that. Eagles clubs. Any of those types.”

Warren Wood “Elks. So yeah we do those types of nice as well. So again, you know, yeah, the patios and like I said, that’s probably one of our main theme as well. And they’ve been very good.”

Angela Barrett “So. Yeah. Yeah. Great people. Well, Warren, thank you so very much for being on today. And, I, look forward to, I’ll have to make sure when I’m down there that you guys are playing close by and, goodbye and get to hear you, in person. And not just, on the Facebook, reels.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. Which is great, but I would like to see it in person as well.”

Warren Wood “All right, well, we appreciate you, taking the time to, interview us today. And again, don’t forget, to come on after September 7th and have a Barbara’s name. And your letter to Pat is. We really appreciate you taking the time to, interview. Awesome. Thank you for your support.”

Angela Barrett Absolutely. Thanks so much.

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett “Hey, guys. Today I have with me, Nicholas Palmer, who is the music director and conductor of North Charleston Pops. Hey, Nick. Thanks for being here.”

Nick Palmer Hey. No problem. I’m thrilled to be with you.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, well, this is exciting. I don’t know that I’ve ever talked with a maestro. 1 to 1 before.”

Nick Palmer “I think we’re just, like regular people.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. yeah, you say that, but, the creativity and the, that you guys have. And the knowledge is just beyond anything. I mean, it’s just amazing to watch. tell me what North Charleston Pops is.”

Nick Palmer “Well, we are a professional pops. Like a Strat. yeah. The difference between a pops orchestra and any other orchestra. I mean, there are jagged or there pops orchestras. There are, what people would call classical orchestras. the the difference between a pops and those is that we play primarily popular music, fill out like be different genres from, you know, that movie music, popular music, Broadway, Americana, Great American Songbook.”

Nick Palmer “you know, every, every kind of popular music you can imagine. But all of it is played with a full symphony orchestra.”

Unknown You you you.

Nick Palmer “So that’s kind of the difference. so we wouldn’t do a concert with, you know, a bunch of Mozart and Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, although once in a while we do classical orchestral pieces on our program. So that’s pretty much what we are.”

Angela Barrett “and you guys have all different kinds of, concerts and, free concerts as well as some educational programs. So let’s start with some of this. Y’all have a season and people buy seasonal tickets. I think and and so tell me about those concerts.”

Nick Palmer “Well, yeah. The main, the main theory is, right now, six concerts, we went from 5 to 6 this year. And, there are three concerts in the, fall and, you know, up to December and then three concerts starting in January. So the season basically goes from, October to here late April. And that’s again the main thing, right?”

Nick Palmer “That, the series of concerts that we perform at the North Charlotte’s Performing Arts Center and, there’s a lot of variety in that. you can talk about that particular concert, that we’re going to do. that’s the main thing. And then we, we do a series in the spring called Jasmine Riverfront Park. Another fun park and beautiful park, North Charleston on the water.”

Nick Palmer “And we do a series of, jazz performances that are outdoors, that are free. every couple of weeks, starting late late March, early April, all the way through June. Sometimes we even do them in the fall. and then we provide educational, service news for the North Charleston community, where we go in two schools and teach kids and have a chorus for, area students and a string ensemble.”

Nick Palmer So those are the main thing we do on a on a seasonal basis.

Unknown “To, to to.”

Angela Barrett “and now, the regular concert, the six concerts, for the season, do you have to buy the season tickets or is this something like you can go and get one for one night or and I’m asking, oh yeah, I might be in town. So yeah.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah, yeah. Sure, sure. Yeah. You can definitely buy single tickets. we encourage everybody locally to buy season tickets just because they get certain benefits. They get, free parking and, you know, it’s it’s a lot cheaper to buy a season ticket than to buy a single ticket. So, you know, obviously we we, you know, we try to push that as much as possible.”

Nick Palmer “and the, the theories that we have, this year, we’re going to be featuring a lot of, regional artists that are going to be performing when I, the first concert is October 19th and it’s called Bewitched. it’s featuring hey, it’s Finger Lakes and actually in North Florida with connections to the Carolina, Alaina Flores.”

Nick Palmer “And he is going to be performing all kinds of interesting things, everything from the, the Queen of the night aria from Mozart’s Magic Flute. And so they’re a little of a classical music fine tune, and Hallelujah by Cohen and never enough, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. And then we’re going to have some, interesting orchestral music.”

Nick Palmer “you know, everything from The Devil Went Down to Georgia to, Rocky Horror Picture Show. And so it it’ll be a really, really fun night. I think he sponsors November 9th, and it’s called by the Philharmonic, and we’re going to be featuring a local artist who is now living in, Texas. But he was here for quite some time in our area, Robbie Maddox.”

Nick Palmer “And then we’re going to be doing a lot of fun music. even under Ray Charles. Earth, Wind and fire, you know, even from shaft, things like that kind of really great, you know, the 69. Neat. And then we’ll consider, you know, go ahead.”

Angela Barrett No. Go ahead. Tell me about the last concert and then I’ll ask.

Nick Palmer “Well, know what the last one of 2024 is? Our holiday pops, which we just started last year. We did it for the first time. and we’re going to be featuring local singers. Martin Schock, Suzanne Fleming Atwood and Heather, right, who this year performed a Joni Mitchell show at us. you know that Paul Meadow City Ballet and, so, yeah, it’s going to be a real fun, concert to celebrate the holiday.”

Nick Palmer So those are those are the concerts for the rest of 2024.

Angela Barrett “Right. So in and what I was going to ask is, you guys, when I think of an orchestra, I just think of music being played. You don’t normally or I don’t think, you know, vocalists, singers getting involved, but you, you guys do.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah. We need a lot of time to the future vocalists or sometimes instrumentalist. We had, pianists perform with us before, we had, cover band perform with us. yeah. So, you know, there’s there’s a lot of variety. this year, we just happened to have several singers that are that are performing with, in our cottage.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. the well, that’s kind of cool. and now as far as, like, the fun concerts down at the rear of the Riverfront Park, you said those about every two weeks or.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah. I mean, that’s what we’ve done the last couple of years to do the second season that we’ve done the concerts, jazz Riverfront Park and and sometimes we’ll have maybe a jazz trio playing, you know, great American fan, like, stop. So maybe, you know, classic, crooner tunes or we’ll have maybe, a Latin group performing, like, you know, recently in music or, you know, whatever.”

Nick Palmer “I mean, it’s all different kinds of jazz, big band sometimes. there’s a lot of variety. It’s. It’s become a very popular band. It’s right outside, the la mo restaurant, which is that right up there? Yeah. Riverfront Park, so people can have early night, you know, there. And listen to the line. Jazz outside. a lot of people bring picnics, and it’s been, you know, when I really.”

Nick Palmer “It’s not a really, really popular thing.”

Angela Barrett “Yeah. it sounds that way. And, you know, a great way for people to enjoy not only the music, but the area as well. So,”

Nick Palmer Right.

Angela Barrett “Because that is beautiful down there. And isn’t it the educational part of what you do? Cause you love a lot of. And we’ll talk about how much in a minute, but, the educational part of is this something like you go and you guys teach a, a class for a day, or you’re there for them for the whole year, or how does that work?”

Nick Palmer “well, it it’s, it can be both white. We know the main, part of our program is that we we have some part musicians are going in after school, to teach. Yeah, in, like, Charleston. And and they have a program there called kaleidoscope, which is an afterschool program and enrichment program that we we are partnering with at different schools.”

Nick Palmer “So, so it’s teaching kids, instruments, usually string instrument, vocal music. and then some of those kids that are taught are part of our ensembles. We have, we have a string group, and then we have a choir that perform with us every year on stage, at the Performing Arts Center. in addition to that, we do, performances for the kids, featuring our players, so they get a chance to hear small groups, play their school.”

Nick Palmer “And, this year, in addition to the elementary school programs that we’ve been doing, we’re also going to be partnering with the Lagrange Charter School in North Charleston, which in some middle school and high school. So our expansion of what we what we can doing and, you know, that’s that’s a really important part of what we do because a lot of the schools in, in North Charleston, kids are, you know, they’re, you know, title one schools sometimes.”

Nick Palmer “And a lot of time, they don’t really have a lot of music education, especially in that in earlier years, like in elementary school. Right. We want to be a part of that.”

Angela Barrett Right. great exposure for them for sure.

Nick Palmer “You’re right. Yeah. We also do a summer camp, which we’re going to be doing, later in July. And, in music, but it also has dance and light and different things. So that’s an opportunity for kids. Yes. And concentrate in music education over the summer.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, yeah. Neat. now, do I understand that this is not the only orchestra that you are to right? Train conductor ever.”

Nick Palmer “Are you star? no. It is an inch high pass on. And now it’s kind of common for conductor. Yeah. You know, I have more than one orchestra. and I traditionally at 2 or 3, I have another one in, Pennsylvania that I work with. And so I go there almost every month to, to work with that artist.”

Nick Palmer “Right. I have the summer music festival in the Boston area that I’m, I’m actually going to next week where I conduct in the summer. and then I do a lot of conducting different orchestras. Oh, I’m in, all over the world.”

Angela Barrett I was going to say all over the world.

Nick Palmer “Yeah. No. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it’s a lot of fun. It’s very exciting. And, over the past ten years or so, I’ve been involved in a project record eight, music at the Abbey Road Studios in London with the London Philharmonic. That’s really exciting. Yeah. Recording new music out for New Night. And composer Arnold Rosner, who’s written a lot of wonderful music.”

Nick Palmer “So we’ve been putting it on, desks now. And, you know, that’s been really cool. So, yeah, it’s it keeps me busy, let’s put it that way.”

Angela Barrett “I would imagine so, yeah. so where is your when you, when you travel and you do all these guest. appearances, as the conductor. What’s your favorite? You think?”

Nick Palmer “well, I really love working here as much with any anyone.”

Angela Barrett Home.

Nick Palmer “Spot, right? Yeah. I mean, it’s it’s great. And because, you know, it’s our it’s our local orchestra. I’m a big part of the city of North Charleston, which is, you know, which is a very big, city. And, it’s a, you know, business, for this area. And, it’s the third largest city in South Carolina.”

Nick Palmer “And so we take great pride in and be connected to the city. And, partnering with the city and with the performing arts center with, you know, two, narcotics on so but, you know, obviously, I love going other places, you know, that you get to do different things and it’s nice to have a little variety in my work.”

Nick Palmer So I enjoy that a lot.

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So, when did you for well, what was the first indication of your love of music that led you here?”

Nick Palmer “well, I, I started really early in music. you know, I started well when I was five years old. Piano lessons.”

Angela Barrett “And then that, you know, instrument.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah, but I didn’t. I didn’t play for very long. so I, I ended up going, you know, playing other instruments and, you know, I played the clarinet and the saxophone and, and that I played yellow bass and the electric bass and the tuba, and I studied copper, listening to music and all that. And then what? I went to college, I started two doc, and, that’s when I really got excited about having a career like, dang.”

Nick Palmer “And I had my first job. well, I’ve been in the profession for 40 years at the time. Profession professional conductor. I got my my first job and I in my 20s. And, you know, I’ve been doing it ever since. and, when I, I’d already had an interest in, in this job. the orchestra was only a couple of years old when I came here.”

Nick Palmer “and I found out about it, and I, I thought it sounded like a really great opportunity. And then there, you know, a connection between the that one, like, music director and and doctor and I, you know, interviewed, not listened to the position and got the job. And I’ve been here about almost ten years now.”

Angela Barrett Place.

Nick Palmer “but for the first part of it, I commuted, I was living in Kentucky, and we would commute. My wife Clara come down here to South Carolina, and I really loved the, the low country. So about three years ago, we moved. And now we’re really excited to be here.”

Unknown “It’s time to do you, too.”

Angela Barrett “well. Good. Good. Yeah. now, let me ask you, the musicians that are in the orchestra, are they all local?”

Nick Palmer “Know that? I mean, a lot of them are from, here from, you know, North Charleston. Charleston. some are down Mount Pleasant area, but then we have quite a few that. Well, not a challenge. Well, you know, we had people who come from Colombia, I mean, now and Santana came, you know, all around, the area because, you know, when you have a professional orchestra like that, you know, work were selected and the people that we that we have performed, like, not sure.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah. So sometimes we, we go outside of our immediate area, in fact, most of the time, so most of the people come from a wide radius, even people from Atlanta. So I say within a five hour radius, our our first trumpet player actually drives up here from Tampa. So yeah.”

Angela Barrett Oh wow.

Nick Palmer He’s got the longest one of the longest drives. No. Anybody know. Yeah. They come from all over.

Angela Barrett And how many people are in a full orchestra? at least your orchestra.

Nick Palmer “And it’s about if you get 50 people. Oh, really? but yeah, it’s the thing. Orchestra. yeah. And, you know, sometimes through the orchestra, we will have a band within the orchestra, you know, like, though piano, bass, drums, guitar, you know, it’s part of the orchestra and and saxophones frequently. So, it’s kind of a, you know, it’s a hybrid orchestra, I would say.”

Angela Barrett “Sure. Because, like, for the counselors at the, down the river front, you wouldn’t take the whole full orchestra. You just call it. Yeah, we would just be little whoever parks and. Yeah, I gotcha. That sounds neat. Yeah, that’s a big orchestra there.”

Nick Palmer “Yeah. Oh, yeah.”

Angela Barrett “So, who’s been your biggest, influence, sir? you think in the music world,”

Nick Palmer “You know, I if I’m talking specifically about pop, and pop conducting and pops orchestra, I can. Yeah, I would say John Williams, he has been kind of a mentor to me in, in, in the pop world for a long time now. Yeah. I won an award when I was, like, 30. and he wrote a personal letter to me gradually, which is really cool.”

Nick Palmer “And then about, ten years later, when I left, one of the jobs that I had, he sent a signed, first original page copy. Oh, original. I got, the first page of the Star Wars score, the first one that he did.”

Angela Barrett Wow.

Nick Palmer “And then I got stuck for Star Wars. You know, I’m not quite sure. Or something. Hang on, 70.”

Unknown “Two, you you.”

Angela Barrett sure you had that phrase hanging on a wall somewhere?

Nick Palmer I sure it.

Angela Barrett I.

Nick Palmer “Very old and it out and and you know, the Taj and, Yeah. I would say for the pop world esthetic huge. And so, you know, I had a lot of other end points and, for the classical end of what I do because you know, I, I’ve always been a classical orchestra conductor ever since I started, and I’ve always done pops as well.”

Nick Palmer “Now I do about half and half, in my career.”

Unknown You do too.

Angela Barrett “So you had done pops, before?”

Nick Palmer Yeah.

Angela Barrett Okay.

Nick Palmer “Yeah, I when I my first professional job. Well, now I can make money. Oh, yeah. I like going to the cafe in Florida. And I did a lot of pops now and, and that continued for quite a while, I guess that’s no standard in the orchestra after I left last year. I do a lot of pops. yeah.”

Nick Palmer “You know, 15 years or so, 20 years or so.”

Angela Barrett Gotcha.

Nick Palmer “So, yeah, I’ve always done that.”

Angela Barrett “Now, the award that you’re talking about, are you talking about the Helen M Thompson Award?”

Nick Palmer Yeah.

Angela Barrett “Yeah, very. Yeah, I got award.”

Nick Palmer “Well thank you I got that award when I think I was 35, I it’s that word that they give me, they would give one year to a conductor and one year to an executive director of an artist. Yes. They alternate. Yeah. And I was I reached. Oh wow I did I got that award when I did.”

Angela Barrett Yeah. Yeah.

Nick Palmer Kind of like they thanked me.

Angela Barrett “Yeah. And well would be for anybody. Yes I, I didn’t read up on that. I have to admit I did not know what that was at first and was like, what is this? And then I was like, wow, you know. Yeah.”

Nick Palmer I’ll I’ll make it.

Angela Barrett “Yeah. So, and tell me again, the next, concert is coming up.”

Nick Palmer “Well, our first concert of the season.”

Angela Barrett “Oh, yeah. The first and.”

Nick Palmer “Take up in October. Yeah. October 19th. we actually have one more jazz at Riverfront Park in September, but then the first actual concert on stage in November at the. You know, it’s not performing arts center is October 19th. and it’ll be a little bit, like a Halloween style concert, even though it’s a local for Halloween.”

Nick Palmer “But, it’ll be fine.”

Angela Barrett Yeah.

Nick Palmer We’re back.

Angela Barrett “Well, thank you so much for, being with me today, and and, I guess you can find out more, about, all these concerts and all these events. There’s a Facebook page, and I think it’s, I’m standing right on it. Now, watch. Here we go. North Charleston pop. So that makes sense. And that’s the same.”

Angela Barrett “It’s the, website address. North Charleston.”

Nick Palmer You can also just put in and see pop. Oh yeah. Dot com. Yeah. So that’s another way to get there. Yeah. We also had my Instagram. So yeah please follow us on social media. And we’d like to see people come out to North Charleston. They hear some.

Angela Barrett Concerns. Yeah absolutely. Well thank you so much.

Nick Palmer “Thank you Angela, it’s been a real pleasure being with you.”

Angela Barrett You as well.