Interview with 14 Year old Author, Writer and literary Phenom, Viktoriia Krechkovska

Interview Transcripts

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 – “Thanks for being with me today. I like your, partner in crime there, too.”

Roseann Harpold – “Oh, yeah. The kid he came to join me today and.”

Angela Barrett – “So, Rosann. Tell me, what in the world is Heart First, LLC? It’s hook ups, right?”

Roseann Harpold – Sorry.

Angela Barrett – “What was that sound like? A pop up. What we think at Christmas time, like these little pop up things. But this is something planted related.”

Roseann Harpold – “And I, you know, it’s it’s a little bit bigger than a pop up. To me, haunt Fest is kind of like a big Halloween party, but off season. So we do this all different kinds of the year, and have been trying to expand to different places. And so our next event is in Greenville, but there’s live music, vendors, activities, other themed entertainment, but it’s all centered around horror and the horror arts, the macabre.”

Roseann Harpold – Anything related to that?

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. I took a look at the website and the Facebook page. So your your event in Greenville. Is what starts December 13th, Friday 13th.”

Roseann Harpold – Yeah. It worked out perfectly.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah. So tell me about tell me about that. Particular, event.”

Roseann Harpold – “So this event in Greenville, we’re trying something a little bit new. Nightmare dungeon haunted attraction, of course, is already there. And me and my family have gone for years, and I really enjoyed it. But usually our festivals are different venues, like breweries or sometimes camps in the woods. But this is a new type of venue for us.”

Roseann Harpold – “So we thought maybe it would be fun to kind of combine our markets, because Nightmare Dungeon already has their Christmas event and they do events on Friday the 13th. And so with the addition of Haunt Fest, we’ll be outside of the haunted attraction during the festival with the music and the vendors, etc. on food and drink. And then they will also be hosting their haunted attraction that weekend as well.”

Roseann Harpold – So you could do one or both things if you come out.

Angela Barrett – “So tell me what the haunt fest, what y’all do? I know you said it’s a festival in your event, but tell me what happens with you guys outside of Nightmare Dungeon.”

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. So basically, it’s a ticketed event. You can come dressed in costume. I like to kind of describe this to people as a Renaissance fair, almost, but with a spooky twist. So you come, you can dress the part, enjoy food and drink that are all themed to the event. Go listen to some music. We have bands pretty much going the whole time and we’ve got flow artists there.”

Roseann Harpold – “All the vendors are, of course themed to the event. So, you know, someone just applied just now, actually, who does glass art? That’s all spooky themed. It’s like organs and things that you can wear as a necklace, which is a little freaky, you know? But, yeah, that’s that’s the kind of stuff we’re into. Sometimes we have animals on site.”

Roseann Harpold – “So this event, there’s actually a petting zoo. Emmett’s farm is coming and bringing various types of animals for the petting zoo. And we’ve had snakes in the past, and kittens dressed in Halloween costumes, things of that matter. But. Yeah. So we’ve got, burgers coming and, barbecue trucks and the traveling tavern is going to be selling beer and wine.”

Roseann Harpold – “So you just kind of come have a good time with your friends and family and hang out with us for a while. And we also have scare actors that walk around during the event to try to spook you while you’re hanging out. So that’s another,”

Angela Barrett – “There’s like live music and vendors. And you said, what kind of artist?”

Roseann Harpold – “Macabre or, sometimes there’s taxidermy. There’s, you know, individual artists that.”

Angela Barrett – Can be scary and.

Roseann Harpold – “Artwork, lots of jewelry artists. There’s also let’s see, there’s one that signed up for this event that I’m really excited about, the shrunk 3D Greenville. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them before. But they I think what they do is they put you in their trailer box and do a scan of your body, and they print a little 3D action figure of you, which that’s really cool, especially if you come, you know, all dressed up in costume, ready for the event.”

Roseann Harpold – “You know, this is it’s to go all out and then get a miniature version of yourself.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. How did y’all come up with this idea? Came up with this idea, I guess.”

Roseann Harpold – “I started the business. I’m a student, undergraduate at UGA, and I’m actually graduating that we can have the event.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Roseann Harpold – “But it was kind of an accident. I have always loved Halloween. My family’s always done a Halloween party, and we, used to have a hand house in my home growing up. So it’s always just been near and dear to me. And in college, I kind of learn, you know, I love getting together, having gatherings at my house, and, realized that I could kind of combine, you know, having a party and my love for Halloween into one event, and live music, because I’ve always loved live music.”

Roseann Harpold – “So, I ended up going to an after school program for entrepreneurs, and they suggested that I kind of tested the idea to see if people would want to go to a kind of horror event outside of the month of October. So I hosted one in Athens, Georgia, in May and it had an incredible turnout, and people were really excited about it and wanted it to come back.”

Roseann Harpold – “I had no idea it was going to pop off. And, so since then I’ve been trying to grow it.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And see, I know you have another one coming up. What is it after? This will be sometime in April, I guess. Back in Athens, right? Yes. Yeah. Cool. So now, you’ve got, Well, who are your entertainers? You already have your entertainers lined up for the December 1st in Greenville.”

Roseann Harpold – “Unfortunately, we are not going to be able to advertise them just yet. The books just came out this past week, so we’re still waiting on responses before that will be released. But, I’d say there’s going to be probably 5 to 6 bands a day. And they’ll just be going throughout the event switching out. Lots of different local bands.”

Roseann Harpold – “Some are volunteer, some are paid. You know, they when they sign up, they can choose either or, and some are kind enough to volunteer for the event, which is really awesome, especially for a first year event to get us off the ground.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Roseann Harpold – “But yeah. And that’ll all be released on the entertainer info page of our website whenever it’s ready in our socials. We also would love to share that. So if anyone’s interested in seeing the the music lineup, that’ll be coming out soon.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So now in combination I guess, with the what was it called? The nightmare.”

Roseann Harpold – Nightmare dungeon.

Angela Barrett – “Dungeon? Yes, yes. So, this is going to be a pretty big event because, I mean, for people who don’t know what that is, help, help them there. Explain what that is.”

Roseann Harpold – “So Nightmare Dungeon is a haunted house that is permanent. It’s been there for years and years. I don’t know when they open, but, every time they have their events, it’s packed. So you go, get your tickets, you stand in line. They have games and things you can play while you’re waiting in line because they, you know, have a lot of people come.”

Roseann Harpold – “But they are one of only a few places that actually does events outside of October, which I think is super cool. Yeah. So they always have their Christmas event. It’s, I think it’s only one weekend. Usually when they do that and then, they’ll have Friday the 13th events, but they have their own website if you’d like to check it out.”

Roseann Harpold – “And kind of see more of what they do. But, you know, they’re professionals and it’s pretty awesome. Haunted house.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. And.

Angela Barrett – “Y’all will be right outside of there with all the vendors and the music and that kind of stuff. So and the tell me again, the event will be I know it’s that Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Right. The Toms.”

Roseann Harpold – “It’s from 2 p.m. to midnight each night. You know, whatever ends up wrapping up. So, you know, Sunday night may it may end a little earlier. Just depends on how long people want to stay out there. But we’ll have things to do up until midnight.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Pretty cool. Pretty cool. Now, what do you think? Where are you think this is headed? I know you’ve got another event. Do you think this is you’re going to keep doing this? I mean, are you graduating? But are you on this?”

Roseann Harpold – “The plan is, to see how far this can go. I’d like to make this a national event, if I can. And just, you know, after graduation, go full speed and see if I can get an annual event going in each area. And right now, this Greenville event, I’m hoping, you know, if it catches on, that this could be the annual event for South Carolina.”

Roseann Harpold – “But you know, it all.”

Angela Barrett – In all is Columbia. And by the way.

Roseann Harpold – “We try to avoid, bigger cities.”

Angela Barrett – Because.

Roseann Harpold – “I think that it’s really important to focus on the arts in our, you know, art based areas, music based areas that are kind of mid-sized, versus, you know, we won’t do an event in Atlanta, for instance, because it’s just too big of a city. They have enough going on there. There’s lots of things going on all the time.”

Roseann Harpold – “So we like to find areas that may not have something like this going on already and who people may want to, you know, have it in their backyard versus having to drive hours to go see something like this.”

Angela Barrett – “Right, right, right. Well, for that matter, come to Lexington, which is where I am. We are on outskirts of, Columbia. But, we have, lots of bands, lots of artists. So we’ve talked to many bands, but yeah, you should check us out and I’ll, hook you up with, maybe some people who could help get that started.”

Angela Barrett – “But, yeah, that’s exciting. I mean, I’m a big haunted house person, but I like a real haunted house. I don’t want somebody to really scare me, but. Not down. It’s up to you and I just go out laughing, but, just have that, you know, that thing where I remember taking my son when he was little and he was scared as I had to just hang on to the left or coming out on the left to the right.”

Angela Barrett – “It was just one of those senses that you kind of have, you know? So I’m waiting on the haunted house. That really scares me. But anyway. But I can’t get my husband to go with me, so I’ll have to find the key, but, Yeah, I like the idea. I think this is great. Now, what else can you tell me about the weekend that’s going to be going on?”

Angela Barrett – There at the festival?

Roseann Harpold – Let’s see. One of the.

Angela Barrett – Lot I know.

Roseann Harpold – “So on Saturday, Fridays and Saturdays, they’re more catered to adults. So if you’re looking to come and have, you know, see a lot more gore or have a lot more scares at the event, that’s when we tell our actors, you know, you go crazy. You know, this is the day for adults. Are the two days and Sundays are more family oriented.”

Roseann Harpold – “So if you have kids that you know might be too afraid to go into Nightmare Dungeon, for instance, but you want to come enjoy a Halloween themed event, that’s the day to go, less gore or actors or told, you know, be less scary. Be kind to the kids, you know, they’ll kneel down next to them, take pictures.”

Roseann Harpold – “And we have trick or treating on those days and other, you know, themed events for kids.”

Angela Barrett – The Lord knows if they didn’t get candy.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. But yeah. So if if you are interested in coming, just keep that in mind. You know, if you want to decide which days based on that information. But yeah, we also, you know, typically have authors come out that do thriller and horror themed literature. So if you are an author and interested and coming, vendor applications are still open as well as, we’re looking for event staff and things of that nature.”

Roseann Harpold – “But, another thing I had mentioned is we do crafts. So the Hunt Fest merch area, we have, activities like pumpkin painting. And even if it’s off season, we’ll have little plastic pumpkins that you can paint and bring home with you. The little ones are free. And then we have bigger ceramic ones if you’re really into painting, the purchase that at the the merch area.”

Roseann Harpold – “On Sunday we also do a release of The Ghouls. So Friday and Saturday the ghouls are out all day. But Sunday for the family friendly event at 6 p.m., I believe, we’ll have all the ghouls come onto the stage and have a little speech and release them out. So if you have kids that really seriously cannot even look at a scary person, you’re safe, you know, from 2 to 6 p.m. there won’t be any out.”

Roseann Harpold – “And then at six after, you know, well, it’s still won’t be super crazy, but it’ll just be like, here’s everybody that’s going to go out into the crowd and they’ll be released, into the festival.”

Angela Barrett – “And eat and eat meat. Well, now, when you talk about these, actors and actresses do, is there, they just kind of walk around doing their own thing, or they actually put together kind of what they’re going to do together, or is there a practice or it’s just really they just do their own thing.”

Roseann Harpold – “They really kind of do their own thing. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Mad World, but they kind of have, spooks within this area at the end of the haunt where you can just kind of hang out and there’s Fire Pit and they walk around. And that’s kind of what was there. They’re out there to get pictures with people that sneak up behind you when you’re not paying attention.”

Roseann Harpold – “But yeah, I mean, if they wanted to get together, do something, I can’t tell you if they’ve talked ahead of time, but that’s, as far as just, the free roaming, they will just be there for your enjoyment.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, it sounds like a lot of fun. So, again, the 13th through the fifth, December 13th through the 15th, 15th, in Greenville, and in front of the, ninth year dungeon. And where is that located? I was looking for an address.”

Roseann Harpold – I believe it’s 645. Let me double check before I say it. I’ve been typing it a lot over in a recently. Yeah. 645 Old Anderson Road in Greenville.

Angela Barrett – “Yes. Well, I, hope I get to come check it out. I’m not sure I’ll be able to that weekend, team turns out to be, I have a saying of that myself, sir. And a book signing with an author. Children’s books. Not scary. But, hopefully, maybe I’ll be able to squeeze that in, but y’all have a great time.”

Angela Barrett – Sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for coming. And tell us about it.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah, thanks for having me.”

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah. If you don’t mind, there’s actually there’s a couple more things. I just remember.”

Angela Barrett – That. Sure.

Roseann Harpold – The big deal.

Angela Barrett – About that was a lot. That’s why I asked.

Roseann Harpold – “And sorry, I ended up needing to scroll through the website. There’s so much to, to remember here. One of the things is we have trivia. So if you’re interested in horror themed trivia, we give out prizes for that. There’s costume contests. So really, we want to encourage you if you want to come out to dress up, cosplay, do whatever you do.”

Roseann Harpold – “Spooky, spooky, the better. But also, it is a Christmas event, so take that as you will. Some people may want to come out of this theme. You know, we’ve got Krampus. Krampus is a big one. And then where is it? We are also doing face painting, so there’s I, there may also be a balloon artist.”

Roseann Harpold – “So if you’re into any of that, you can go get your face painted. And maybe they’re spooky up for the contest. Who knows?”

Angela Barrett –

Roseann Harpold – “And then one other thing is, we do have a haunted car showcase. So there are several people bringing hearses off for display for the event. So if you’re into cars, it’s also something I. Sorry, I should have mentioned earlier. Yes.”

Angela Barrett – “Okay. That’s bull. I’m glad I knew there was a good bit I was, that’s why I was asking. Yeah. Well, the car thing that doesn’t. That does sound cool. Yeah. To fun. Do you think anything else?”

Roseann Harpold – “Right now? No. I’m sure something will come up later, but it’s all right. It’s all on the website. So if you’re interested in learning more about the event, we try to keep that as updated as possible. And our Instagram is at haunt, says Athens. Even though it’s for the Greenville event, I know, but that’s where we will send highlights about specific vendors and things as they come out.”

Angela Barrett – So good.

Roseann Harpold – “Yeah, you shouldn’t keeping up with it. That’s where of like.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, it’s heart fest dot net. Yes. And then the Facebook is Hunt Fest LLC and then yes.”

Roseann Harpold – “And there is a group. Yeah, there is a group on Facebook, called Haunt Fest, South Carolina. So if you’re interested in joining the group, any time we have an event in South Carolina, we’ll be posting information there.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, cool. Fantastic. Well, thank you so much. This was great. That that sounds like a lot of fun. Hope you all have a great turnout. I’m sure you will.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, Carl. Thanks. This morning from being here.”

Karl Wilkes – I had to be here. We’re inviting.

Angela Barrett – “Yes, absolutely. You’ve had some exciting times here lately. You’ve always had a pretty successful career, in the art world. But here recently, things have sort of exploded heavily.”

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. Let’s take quite well. I mean, it’s, me it’s a different world since the pandemic. And so I’ve just been, trying to push full Excel, as they say.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I think I think you’re there. I think you say there. I want to start out with, one of your projects. And we’ll get to some of the others, but you’ve got the the Harriet, Tubman project. Tell me a little bit about that.”

Karl Wilkes – “Well, what ignited that project was I saw this rendition, or drawing, if you will, Harriet Tubman that they, submitted for the $20 bill. And it was atrocious. In my opinion. They do it like a man. And, you know, I was like, kind of got a failure to a certain degree because, you know, this can be part of, American treasure.”

Karl Wilkes – “We should have more lead, image of her, not just something just to pass by. I said, oh, we got we’re on there, right? Took it personal, and I said, okay, you know what? Let me just submit, you know, my pay. And, my buddy Charlie has been with me forever since my career. That the when Farley, I really would be doing the things that I’m doing now.”

Karl Wilkes – “He’s been. And you have, Captain Kirk, he’s, like, started. Oh, send it to him. And he flipped it and doctored it up and put it on the $20 bill, and, I got great response from it. And I’ve been back and forth up the hill trying to make things happen with it. So it’s a slow process because at that time, Donald Trump was president and he just said that, or we’ll revisit it later.”

Karl Wilkes – I think like 2030 or some madness like that. Oh.

Angela Barrett –

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. But oh, like, so, well, I’ve been trying to do deal with just to make that happen. Not that, t shirts and things of that nature working with, Wilson Clyburn and a few other individuals to try and make this the come to fruition. If it happens, it would make me the only, American artist to have artwork on American currency.”

Angela Barrett – I think.

Karl Wilkes – “Present day. And so it could be really huge. And I don’t think there’s, an art gallery in the United States of America here or abroad that would not want to feature me or, show, exhibit my work.”

Angela Barrett – “Right, right, right. And speaking of art galleries that you, have been, featured in, you just recently were in New York and, had, some pieces in the, trying to find the, the Agora Art gallery there in New York for their I love, I love you exhibit, right.”

Karl Wilkes – “Yes, I love you exhibit. And, yeah.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. So that now that had to be a heck of an experience. Tell me about that. That’s that’s.

Karl Wilkes – “It was interesting. I mean, because when you’re dealing with art, it’s nothing but the person. And, you know, you got to be pretty cultured to really appreciate the way you was to be appreciated it. And I tell you, it looked like the world stopped and all nationalities of the world came together at this big melting pot called the Gore Gallery.”

Karl Wilkes – “It was just fabulous. I, you know, featured artists there. It it was an amazing experience. And I just really, really. Yeah. Oh they felt it, done it and to get things going, going into 2425. So I’m excited about things to come and being there. You know, New York City is different.”

Angela Barrett – “And yes, I absolutely. And that’s, that’s, that’s no small for our gallery either.”

Karl Wilkes – No.

Angela Barrett – That’s a pretty big deal.

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. It’s up there. It’s it’s, top of the line, you know, top ten galleries in New York City. Yeah. You know, I’m I’m on the verge of having them or either signing on with them to be one of their featured artists that they represent exclusively.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Karl Wilkes – “Globally. So, it’s just a decision needs to be made, which is kind of a no brainer, but, playing with it.”

Angela Barrett – “You know, you’re going to do that. You know, you have to that be phenomenal.”

Karl Wilkes – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “And while we’re all the subject of New York, I want to read something to you that was written in the New York Wire. One such artist making significant waves is Carl Wells, whose innovative works are poised to set prominent trends in the art industry by 2025. How do you feel about that?”

Karl Wilkes – Yep. Well.

Angela Barrett – That’s that’s no pressure. No pressure.

Karl Wilkes – “You have to believe so much in yourself that, everyone else has no choice but to believe in you or witness. So, my belief in and who I am and what I’m doing, trying to share my gift, is basically inconceivable how far I can go. But. So, it’s. I find it all to be true and, pled to, push it as hard as I can to to make things happen.”

Karl Wilkes – “And then this will become a household name because, you know, I had this thing with me that I say, the history books rewrite itself every day, and I’m always chasing the greats, you know that? You dangle, Castle, you know, so I said, you know, as long as, you know, go after them. Present day, the.”

Karl Wilkes – “You know, you can’t you can’t lose. Can’t lose. You can. You can the place alongside them or get out in front of them. Because I found myself with the same relearning skills over the bench and, and everything that he wrote. It’s all in the history books and everything. So I’ve studied him exclusively. Everything that all the art critics had to write and what have he studied?”

Karl Wilkes – “It all and found myself, again, that have the same skill set. But he’s passed and I’m still alive.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? Right. So. Is that where you feel, Well, two questions. Who would be your biggest influencer? And if that’s it? Tell us. And then the second question is at where do you pull your creative. Thoughts to how do how do you create what what is it emotion. Is it something you see? Is it tell us about that influencer and your creative process.”

Karl Wilkes – “Well, the first question and as far as cellphones are, there’s a couple, I’ll just say two at the top again, Leonardo da Vinci and, Romeo Beard and Castle. It’s three.”

Angela Barrett – And why? Why the why them? What makes what pulled you there?

Karl Wilkes – “Well. The vintage said data separates a good artist from a great artist is versatility. And I found myself to be one most versatile artist in the country. I do painting, sculpture, photography. I’ve written plays, three books, performance art and what had me so, you know, I do. I eat and things that probably won’t go anywhere, but they work for me.”

Angela Barrett –

Karl Wilkes – “You know, a lot of creative anything I put my hands on to make the most esthetic statement, I’ll do it. Second question is, as far as my creativity, it comes from just, life in general. Anything that for example, if I hear if you and I having a conversation and you say something, it could be a sentence.”

Karl Wilkes – “And that synthesis will paint a picture for. Hey, it will probably be titled something I said, you know, we could be talking. You’d be like, I don’t know, it was something I said in my brain would just go away. Just, oh, something. I said, what? And then it just it creates its own picture. And I just, pretty much reproduce that image, in my mind, according to whichever way it wants to go.”

Karl Wilkes – “And I share it, and I have a theme behind it, as they say, content. Pretty much a, social commentary or an as I speak on things that, you know, happen socially within my life, within the world and what have you. You know, it’s just it’s different these days as far as artist. And so it’s a little scary, if I may just change course with Meryl Streep.”

Karl Wilkes – “Sure. Cause this whole I the it’s it’s like you can do anything that is, this is crazy. And it’s like, people are creating pictures and paintings, images. And this is worthless to me, but it is something to everybody else because we’re in the future. But it also made me very rare at the same time, because one of the most important things that a human being can do is leave the single prey.”

Karl Wilkes – “I mean, if it wasn’t for chaos, we wouldn’t know what went on back breakfast with the whole way. The, it’s just it’s changing everything, common in the just position of changing with it or stay as I am. I don’t, you know, I really don’t know which way to go on it, but, you know, you either get caught up in the way of looking at the bar.”

Karl Wilkes – “But spider, they say it’s so. You know, I’m just trying to do something relative where people who appreciate that another human being did in terms of physically not on a computer, you know.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. So let me ask you this. In this very same article, it says that Wilkes is art is not to be viewed but to be experienced. So I take that as correct me if I’m wrong, there is something you want in each piece. You’re trying to, Gain a reaction, a particular reaction by each individual. A lot of times people will say art is subject to whoever’s viewing it, but the you from all the articles that I have read and what’s been said about you, you evoke, against a particular reaction with each piece.”

Angela Barrett – Tell me how that works. How how do you make that happen?

Karl Wilkes – “Well, I’m on a constant quest to, to stop what I call the museum where you walk through an art gallery or museum is you just doing that type of thing? You know, when people see my work, they start looking. And it is something within the artwork. This, they can relate to or relative to them. Tell a story, tell a story.”

Karl Wilkes – “They have to be, oh, I don’t know. Sit back and turn this it, that guy there just give you an example. Matthew Ramos, and he shattered the world record, in the 1936 Olympics, only to come in second place. He lost by 4/10 of a second. He did. He wasn’t able it had no no sponsors.”

Karl Wilkes – “He ran with the shoe. The, he went to a junior college. He wasn’t going to go, but his older, his brother talked, committed to running. So you can beat it. Like. So he went in and he came in, said he lost to Jesse. All the like. You can retire, working at a private, white middle school.”

Karl Wilkes – “No recognition. But his brother went on to be one of the most renowned, in American baseball players in American history, which Jackie Roberts, rainbow, all those type of stories, you know, I think need to be told, back and read a piece and will, gets people’s attention, make them wonder and see exactly why did he paint?”

Karl Wilkes – “You know, what was so special about this guy? I feel I never write a story about him that I think is important to, you know, American history to, you know, African American history, so, you know, doing those things. And Harriet Tubman moved in all of that, you know, I mean, I’m very diverse, can’t ignore my heritage.”

Karl Wilkes – “But at the same time, you know, I can try to help people find themselves in any piece of artwork. I mean, this is very. Very naturalistic work, but I do a lot of abstract painting that, you know, I just kind of all over the place. I get bored myself, really.”

Angela Barrett – I love some of your charcoals. Those are probably some favorites. Yeah.

Karl Wilkes – “That’s you know, that’s those are my babies. I love those. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett – “My mom did charcoal as well. So, I love those. Those are, those are great. Now you have, in addition to this, the project you have going on, the Harriet Tubman. Tell me about the my tour.”

Karl Wilkes – “Is the study. Well, I think I was at well, everybody told me there was a comedian, a student come up here to lie, and, it’s a is is is is a pull from Parliament-Funkadelic, P-Funk or tour? I found myself all over the place, you know, travel on a daily Paris, London, Japan. And I was like, okay, so I’m visiting all this places are kind of got a name.”

Karl Wilkes – “It so and this with the select group works. So I was like, you know what I said? This is an Earth tour. I said, because this planet is so small, because of the internet, you know, we almost forget what Earth is, right? Earth is like where we’re sitting right now rather than computer. So I feel like I’m getting around.”

Karl Wilkes – “I’m moving around. I said, so this is an Earth tour, so I will, bring the earth into my works and, let people understand that not only will we one big network, forest computers, but as this society that we live in the earth. And so to share my words, which comes from me and I come from the earth and the cosmos, so to speak, so this is what it is I want is kind of a funky, you know, what I would term is unspoken words heard visually.”

Angela Barrett – Right?

Karl Wilkes – Talk. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. In fact, did you not have an exhibit called that? Yes, yes. Can I say wait? We can get there. Yeah, but you brought it up. Go ahead.”

Karl Wilkes – That was my Carnegie Hall exhibit. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – I was going to say.

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. And, one thing with my art, it really is the springboard for something. And so. And it’s all one. And, try not to deviate from, my play and just stay consistent. What I’m doing, kind of what I call my McDonald’s theory, is how they got fame. It’s because they’re still consistency. So I’m just trying to be consistent.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So now being in, Carnegie Hall, that is an experience as well. I won’t tell us about that. I can’t even imagine this is.”

Karl Wilkes – “How the all. It’s interesting because I’ve always found myself, ironically, to be the first to do things first. You do this first. Do that. It’s like with Eric Clement, they’d be the first with Carnegie Hall. I was the first visual artist ever to do it. Full scale display here. And Carnegie Hall has just famous statements that I didn’t get to Carnegie Hall practice, practice, practice.”

Karl Wilkes – “But that’s for musicians. So, Earth visual artists who ever do a full scale display Carnegie Hall. To us, it seem like at the time it was the old school.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Karl Wilkes – “See, that came out so, so much worse. And it it catapulted me to, being at one point in my life, these call me the artists to start stars. And it just, it jumped from there to, you know, Bill Cosby when he was a good boy. During that time, he started playing in my work. And when people would visit him, they would, like, oh, wow, who’s that?”

Karl Wilkes – “And how can I get some of that work? And so it was just celebrities and started purchasing my work. And I went on to, catering to them to stayed there for a while just to, survive as an artist and not build on that, you know, starving artist cliche, which is this is kind of interesting because not everybody know where that came from.”

Karl Wilkes – Do you know where they came?

Angela Barrett – “I know I’ve heard it many times, but I can’t say that I know exactly where it came from.”

Karl Wilkes – “Well, is Vincent van Gogh with no soul a painting? Why, he looks a lot. But what he did was he gave away his paintings, food and shelter. Even though his brother helped take care of, This was his means of support. So that’s what they call it. The starving artist. Because I never saw anything where I think recently, one of his paintings, you know, sold for like $11 million and holy cow.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s a lot. Yeah. Speaking of your famous collectors, now, I know that, you mentioned, Bill Cosby, but, I mean, you have some other very famous collectors as well. While you run that list real quick, the ones that you can can say, I know some of them might not want you to say that.”

Karl Wilkes – “Well, the artist formerly known as Prince, James Brown, Michael Jackson, who else?”

Angela Barrett – Muhammad Ali.

Karl Wilkes – “I’m an Ali. Spike Lee, George, Laura bush, Jay Leno. You know, you just got.”

Angela Barrett – I just want to hear you say Michael Jackson was Michael Jackson.

Karl Wilkes –

Angela Barrett – Then did you get to meet all these people?

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. It’s, the thing about it is, it’s funny. You can actually go see some of these people, Dan Marino, all these people on my website, I had some, I said, oh, wow. You took some pictures with some very, very famous people. I was like, no, Ethan pictures with me.”

Angela Barrett – Right.

Karl Wilkes – “So I don’t chase them. And the thing about it is, most of the time when that happens, I’ve done any gate, and, I’m normally the key speaker or speaking at that particular engagement. And, we just sort of happened to be able to say car example or so. And Andrew Young was on the same card, the many things with many people, while, you know, Rosa Parks, person, artist.”

Karl Wilkes – “And she was the lie about selected a very young age. And so that that type of thing is like my artwork creates a podium for me to speak. And then you want to meet the artist that they heard me speak and, so I meet with them, even like when, but just before the pandemic, at the notes shortly after, I did a show with Dave Chappelle.”

Karl Wilkes – “That was kind of interesting because it was breaking in South Carolina house moratorium and Allen University worlds memory, building in his father’s grandfather’s day. This grandfather was the president of Allen University. He came together like that. And like everybody you meet, we wind up be best friends. Got them all speed down. Because the thing about it, if they’re not purchasing my work, that’s sold out to be, I normally will donate the work to them, to their organization.”

Karl Wilkes – “I just get them because they have shared their life with us, getting us so much, and everybody goes out to them to get something from them. Probably on a personal walk around, say, hey, I want to get this right, right. Very thing.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right, that’s right. Now, you mentioned Rosa Parks and I was going to ask about that. Tell me, well, one how that came to be in there. I want you to tell me a little bit about Rosa Parks herself. I mean, you worked exclusively with her for a while.”

Karl Wilkes – “We met in Philadelphia. I have my friend. He owned. I was the general manager of the Marriott in Philadelphia to call. You said I got some of his folks coming in. I want you to meet. By who? Oh, yeah. I just wanted to be a mother to you. I said I’m fine. Now that, like. Yeah. I said, okay, well, what do you want me to do?”

Karl Wilkes – “He said, I just, you know, I want you to meet her. And at the time felt like, okay, but me as a giving person that I am, I was like, wow, at being so special or so it is fortunate at right when I was doing it, he gave her husband my number and he called me to do so and I which was raining, I was like, wow, I’m already working on something, but oh wow.”

Karl Wilkes – “So just from meeting her, you know, we fell in love with each other. Her and Rami could ever get children. And so she, publicly announced me at some of God’s, and on special. But her as the person, it was very special and unique in terms of. If I she would give, for example, she would say, Carl, you know, he really don’t to argue with people.”

Karl Wilkes – “Their best weapon is silence. Wow. Okay. So, you know, I took all that kind of stuff. She made a difference in my life in terms so.”

Angela Barrett – “That she made a difference. A lot of people, pieces.”

Karl Wilkes – “People. Miss Bishop. She actually taught me how to be. How to let you know I was a basketball player. You know, just Pastor Eric arrogant, you know, but she. Abby, she made me a better person in terms of how to be respectful to every living human being teaches you how to be a better human being. And, you know, just to respect people, hold door to ladies, you know, this country boy out of South Carolina.”

Karl Wilkes – “Of course I’ll do that. But, you know, she just enlighten me on how to make it in a world that I never knew, you know, just to be proud. Well, put your head up. Always remember who you are. The difference you can make. And that’s. There’s one thing I want to say. She told me. She said.”

Karl Wilkes – Card. You really. You’re really.

Karl Wilkes – “You really good. You said. But you make a difference. The gift that you have. And I’m just like, wow. She said good, you know, and I’m just the I’m just this great artist and would like you looking kind of funny. Why are you looking like that’s it? Just what you just told me. She said no. He said, when I tell you to make a difference with the gift that you pay for, the gift that you have, that you I had nothing to do with your, when you know who you are.”

Karl Wilkes – “Because I. You know, I say that I am art. We all, you know, is art to the way we walk, the way we we we dress I, we comb my hair. Or as we drive the buildings we live. It is all art. And, you know, it’s important to be able to share that gift. Some people back in the day.”

Karl Wilkes – “When you talk, we call it it the gift of gab.”

Angela Barrett – “That I have this is it, this all? We’re doing this right now that I.”

Karl Wilkes – “Really bought because people say you know. Oh, I heard what Andrew said that was really special or whatever. So just once something can change people’s lives. Like they saw all after one more day, you know, I guess I’m. I stand on it clear. And the song you hear is a song with a guy going by the road radio.”

Angela Barrett – Right?

Karl Wilkes – “He says not the job. So, you know, it’s just this sharing our life as human beings and make the difference in any kind of way we can example, with my white House or, a, we’ve had them with the history lesson number five. Which one? My famous or my flagship piece. I have to visit all 105 story black colleges and universities within the white House initiative and.”

Karl Wilkes – “This makes a difference because this is lesson number five and so important not only to African American history, but our history. I mean, American history is history is so broad, is boring, and it’s like, no, where do I start? So what was the select group of individuals and put them in a piece where people walk up on and say, who’s this up there?”

Karl Wilkes – “And start to educate themselves? And they’re prominent and important figures in world history that all of them were responsible for helping shape society. It’s virtually all Americans. So that piece goes out to the university that, you know, it helps the students find out who they are, learn more about themselves. And, you know, for those who don’t know us, it educates them in terms of understanding.”

Karl Wilkes – “And African American people hold the pie or, you know, society or African American or like race looks speak, because we’re all in this melting pot together. And I tell people, you know, we’re all one under the sun and we and if you know what I mean. And, that’s just how it is.”

Angela Barrett – Right?

Karl Wilkes – Know about each other.

Angela Barrett – “Now, I think. Through all that I have, read and, and I would need a year read everything, actually, Carl, but, what I can gather is that you are pretty darn good at bridging the gap between past and present in the stories that you tell through your artwork. In addition to that, the way that you do it, like you said, how you do it is based really the entire the physical part based on some old school methods way back.”

Angela Barrett – “But yet you’ve brought it to present day. Not again. Just the physical aspect, but what your message is sending through this art right?”

Karl Wilkes – Correct?

Angela Barrett – Correct. Get it? What’s throughout that?

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. Well it’s it’s just part of you take yourself everywhere you go. You know, being raised old school, you know, parents, grandparents and really paying homage to what they’ve tried to teach. And you just want to, you know, each one teach work. You all have one. Go out and find one is to make sure that everybody understands.”

Karl Wilkes – “You know, your past dictates your future.”

Angela Barrett – Yes. Right.

Karl Wilkes – And so if I can share that and let people know that that is a gift as well as call the present. So you take your present and apply it every day and let people know how wonderful the life that you’re living can be and what kind of person you are. Because if you were. I say that there isn’t any bad people.

Karl Wilkes – “You know, you got some people with that, of course, you know, they might be metal, mentally challenged or something. You know, they do need be put away, but I see no art any better. People. I teach kids a basketball and all that stuff, and I see that any time you’re in any situation long enough, you become that situation.”

Karl Wilkes – “So if you take a good girl and put her in a group of bad girls at about three months, she’s a bad girl. So that means she’s mimicking or imitating that situation. So people around me and I conduct myself in a certain way, old school, in school, a date, be tomorrow and around me long enough it will gravitate, it will rub off on you and you start to see things differently.”

Karl Wilkes – “And start to appreciate the past because not all about the future where we came from, how we got there and how we can respect and bring that forward. But just because we went past it, you don’t forget about. Sure. I’m trying my best to allow people not to forget the past, because what happens? It changes the thinking patterns because they would think that what they came, where they came from and needed to get to that point.”

Karl Wilkes – Wasn’t it poor.

Angela Barrett – Right.

Karl Wilkes – “Is about where I am now. I am not forget everything else is not. No, we’re not going to play that game, you know.”

Angela Barrett – Right?

Karl Wilkes – “Remember what got you to where you are, your struggles. You know, the good times, the bad times, everything. Let it be known so people can know more about who you are as a person.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? I agree, I was there was something I was going to say to that, but it went right out the door. So what was the very first piece of art you ever actually sold?”

Karl Wilkes –

Karl Wilkes – “It was, actually, I won in South Carolina, the state there art contest, did a painting of a doll, my best friend’s doll, eating out of a bowl. The doll may recall, was it was a collie, and I drew it, went home and painted it, put it in the state of mugs like, oh, that’s really good. I had a little quick story for you this Mother’s Day.”

Karl Wilkes – “Oh, that’s really good. Just put it in that state there. So want to put it in. You know, actually once that time somebody bought it and that was the case.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. So then you were how old when that happened.

Karl Wilkes – So Jesus that was a great.

Angela Barrett – “Oh great day. Yeah. I hope you got your piece back from the state Fair quicker than my son got his, but it took us forever. He had a piece that was a blue ribbon, art. And it was one of those abstracts where I went. And. What, son? What is that? You not. But he and my mother.”

Angela Barrett – “He and my mother got it. I forgot a little bit of tears for me. But they are the artist, the true artist in our family. And she knew exactly what it was. I’m going what is stuck at? And but it was great. But it took us forever to get that back. What do you what? You’re going to tell me a funny story?”

Karl Wilkes – “Word art. It’s so, you know, everybody is the size of the brain that you have to operate on. But, I was again in fifth grade, and I drew Bambi and Thumper. Okay. And my, teacher wanted to meet with my mother, and I was like, why? She said, I need to speak with my.”

Angela Barrett – And see.

Karl Wilkes – “I told her mother. So we came to the school and she was like, you know, your son is really talented. She said, what do you mean to to look at this? And it was the drawing with Bambi in thought, red color with markers and everything, you know, she said, I have never seen someone draw a Disney character better than the Disney character.”

Angela Barrett –

Karl Wilkes – “As of the day, I’m a student with this, like, rid of me that that man up the studio.”

Angela Barrett –

Karl Wilkes – How do you draw something better than it is?

Karl Wilkes – Yeah.

Angela Barrett – Yep. That’s kind of where this thing about you in New York right now.

Karl Wilkes – “They say New York is a big deal. Is is it’s, it’s growing out of control. It’s it’s getting really, really big.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Karl Wilkes – “Okay. I’ll be back in New York, in January, then, to do another short Agora, for the entire month.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Karl Wilkes – Knowledge black history Month or a recognition black history course. A quarter of tour lands. There.

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

Karl Wilkes – “It’s called, Does the show in February. It’s, another Gotham. Believe it is something like I was like, okay, it’s not that bad.”

Angela Barrett – “So yeah, we let me ask you, are you creating new pieces for this? Is this still part of some of you have some of your works, that you’ve already done and are known for, I’m sure. But are you creating new pieces for this.”

Karl Wilkes – “Or the show coming up in February? My focus is to pretty much unload, give it all the energy I got, one man show off. I get one shot at the time, and I’m here with everything that I have, so I don’t have time to create anything new, But I’m, You know, I do have piece that are current, but, you know, I don’t.”

Karl Wilkes – “I won’t be able to I won’t sell, will be able to, but I don’t plan to have anything new to show. That’s not important to me right now. I want to give them everything that I see, where I stand, and see what changes and adjustments I make in order to, take me to the next level. So I’ll let them see where I’m at.”

Karl Wilkes – “Arthur, chill.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. There you go. Now, what would you say your favorite piece that you’ve ever done?”

Karl Wilkes – I don’t know if you have it before you. This is blue piece called the Dark.

Angela Barrett –

Karl Wilkes – It’s a bridge with this one. Okay. Yeah. That’s I mean if you see the paint on it is powder like van.

Angela Barrett – Go on.

Karl Wilkes – “It is so spiritual to me and it’s everything that I am my whole life. Yeah. Yeah. The turbulent waters and this soul old boat is going down a river by itself, almost unmanned. But that’s me there in the abyss of life. Feeling so alone that you’re not really there. But same time. This light down stream, it channels this way under the bridges, all the way up under the boat and then out of the picture.”

Karl Wilkes – “But it’s like, no matter what I go through in life and bridges, I have to go easily. Three oh, I was to follow the light, which, very spiritual in my work. So I’m always following the light no matter how bad it gets or whatever. Still on this court, right? It’s not a drawing line, but it’s a line of light.”

Karl Wilkes – “So as long as that continue to follow the light, whichever way it can go, it can go in any direction, because the waters are crazy.”

Angela Barrett – “No, it’s not a straight line.”

Karl Wilkes – “So yeah, it’s just, you know, that’s that’s my favorite piece because the, the, the, the ranges that I’ve taken, with all the different, you know, light loops just, I think I’ve taken it to a rate that it would most go to as well as purple. Kept it in the North.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So now what was going on at your life at that time that created that? I mean, do you,”

Karl Wilkes – The pandemic.

Angela Barrett – Now? Yeah. Gosh. Yes.

Karl Wilkes – “The pandemic, we.”

Angela Barrett – All kind of fell over swimming fish out of water that fall into an absolutely.

Karl Wilkes – “Endemic was, was, were unreal. I created within three months time because I had to go home stay gone.”

Angela Barrett – There.

Karl Wilkes – “And I, I lost my, my create large scale paintings 53 months. Matter of fact, Harriet Tubman was done during that time. And it’s because up there with the hood of a car, also restore frames. I get 15, 16 17th century frames that pretty much ready for the dumpster, and I restore them to like it was brand new.”

Karl Wilkes – “So I restore 12 frame Lord. Now and then I’m down repainting all remade corners. All of that did the paintings because when I say I lost my mind, a pandemic hit and I thought it was the end of the world, I really did. You know, I got into my artistic morning, I was like, oh my God, what am I going to do if we’re going to die?”

Karl Wilkes – “And then let them not works here for people that’s got to survive and come behind us or whatever the case may be. I have to do more. And I just went on this tear house. I was painting, I was probably getting 2 to 4 hours of sleep, three months. So yeah, I was gone. I want to tell you.”

Karl Wilkes – “And I’m I’m sending it, working on the frames and restoring these old center frames, trying to bring the parts to the present to start a new type there. I was just I was here, and and that was just, you know, the pandemic did all that.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. It was it was tragic, too, for a lot of people. And and I don’t mean tragic in used the way of death. I just mean as in how they felt during that time, it’s such as such a shame that they, the world was shut down at the time. I understand now that that was probably not even necessary, but, the everybody has their opinion about that.”

Angela Barrett – “And each year you don’t do another one do so. But yeah, it was, not a good time and I for really feel sorry for the children that went through that because you know, they socialization is a big part of education. And a lot of that was taken away for a very long time for them. And I think a lot of them were affected greatly by that.”

Angela Barrett – You.

Karl Wilkes – Probably.

Angela Barrett – I’m sorry.

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah. It was a terrible thing. Yeah. And you know me as an artist, of course. You know, they say all artists are crazy here, but it just it did. It did a number on me. Because I never thought about myself. I always thought about everybody else. And trying to, help people through my works, you know?”

Karl Wilkes – “Right. The stay smart, how to keep, you know, keep doing, look, I have this thing that where once you get older and time starts to play through tricks on you.”

Angela Barrett – “It’s not for the weak of art, that’s for sure.”

Karl Wilkes – “Feel more like, you know, things go as they do, as they do. One of the first things they do in a doctor or a nursing home or whatever, they put an easel and some paint brushes in your face, and you sit near old and pay. They make paint. This because painting and art is like gymnastics for the brain.”

Karl Wilkes – “Yeah, it’s just like a kid that won’t speak or talk or, you know, had an unfortunate anything in their life. Put the paper and markers down and whatnot, and they would draw you the whole story. You know, something terrible happened in the house or something happened to them. They would they they won’t see it, but they will draw it out.”

Karl Wilkes – “So it’s a, you know, universal language that can relate to all of me. So language. So I try to teach it. So pandemic, you know, I’m trying to say, hey, look, you know, this is how I was. This is what went through history. This how you can have a better life if you survive this mess.”

Karl Wilkes – Soup.

Angela Barrett – Absolutely.

Karl Wilkes – No. I I’ll be the first to.

Angela Barrett – “So let me ask you this, Waltz fine Art gallery, which is. And, Renaissance Plaza here in Columbia. When can people when is it open for people to go and see your works?”

Karl Wilkes – “Used by appointment only. Because, sometime.”

Angela Barrett – “Near an event, then. We need to get together and have an event.”

Karl Wilkes – “Absolutely. All of my thing is to, plan an exhibit, for myself once every four months. But at the same time, try to give the, unknown artist or have place of origin for the artist that can’t get in seems or galleries because they don’t have exhibition experience. Give them that place of origin so they can have a place, put up the words, you know, have the proper reception of function and then we can move them on to the next level.”

Karl Wilkes – “And that’s the problem. A lot of artists, they don’t have a place of origin that work. You showing your work that, nowhere and that nowhere continues to be their life. So if I can change that. Yeah. By helping them and saying, hey, look at that place for you. We can show you work, we give you a reception.”

Karl Wilkes – You like that? That’s what Wilkes Gallery and Fine Arts is.

Angela Barrett – “I love it, I love it. So last question. As an artist sum up in one sentence, your message to the world. One sentence.”

Karl Wilkes – And I still.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, sure. Does your message.”

Karl Wilkes – Message to the world is make a difference with the gift that you have. And the gift that you have is your life.

Angela Barrett – “I love it. Yep, I love it. That was, Rosa Parks told you that, right? I love it. Yep. That’s a good one. Well, thank you so very much. This was so exciting. I’ve been waiting for this one, and I’m glad that we finally got to, talk. You are my first visual artist. Finally. And, I am excited, to talk with you today.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. And let’s let’s plan an event for sure.

Karl Wilkes – Absolutely. Yeah. So I have a challenge for you. Okay.

Angela Barrett – I.

Karl Wilkes – “Oops. And being the first artist. There we go with the first thing again. Well, the first year, to send me to your show about all of the check in. So, yeah, people like myself and, you know, other unknown celebrities, they. I don’t think.”

Angela Barrett – “You’re unknown, but go ahead.”

Karl Wilkes – “We do say three months a quarterly. So it’s chicken time. We’re going to check in with this person. That person better just don’t do the show and then thanks for doing the show. And then people with your audience, like one would have to say so and then.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, I love it. That’s a great idea. I’m going to implement that absolutely immediately.”

Karl Wilkes – Oh like oh the chicken.

Angela Barrett – Yeah love. And I’m stealing the check in two. Yeah. We’re too late. I’ve already tagged it.

Karl Wilkes – Hey there. You know.

Angela Barrett – “Perfect. Well, thank you again for being here today at the.”

Angela Barrett – All right.

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.