I’m still recovering from witnessing the incredible concert by Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber (seen at left) last night at LiveMix Studio, and a full review will be forthcoming late Sunday, but in the meantime, there is still plenty of way-coolness in which to indulge in Charleston this weekend!
We’ve got open mic nights, improv comedy, cool rock music (from guests on Radio Free Charleston, no less), beer and the West Virginia Symphony.
First off, tonight is the monthly Unity Open Stage at the Unity Church in North Charleston. Hosted by Mountain Stage’s Ron Sowell, this is the place to go for a diverse assortment of some of the area’s finest singer/songwriters. Tonight Jeff Ellis will be on hand, and Mel and I will be there with an eye on possibly taping some performances for RFC. Admission is five dollars for non-performers, two bucks if you come prepared to sing. It’s a cool, laid-back atmosphere, with coffee and pastries for sale and a wonderful vibe. You can check out loads of great video clips from Unity Open Stage at The Gatecrasher blog.
Across the river at the La Belle Theater in South Charleston, The No Pants Players return with their gut-busting, yet family-friendly antics. Opening for them on both Friday and Saturday is InFormation (as seen on RFC number 24). The NPP always put on a great show, and this is a great chance to see live improv comedy. Tickets are six bucks and the shows start at 8 PM.
My pick for the downtown show of the night on Friday is at The Sound Factory, where Doctor Senator (left) and Seven Minutes Till Midnight (below right) are playing, starting at 10 PM. Seven Minutes Till Midnight are familiar to fans of RFC from episode 24, while Doctor Senator, if all 
goes well tonight, will be on episode 27 in less than two weeks. Adding to the fun, Seven Minutes Till Midnight is pencilled in to appear again, on episode 28 of RFC. See how all the synergy works!
Cover is five bucks and the show, while scheduled to start at 10, will probably kick off a little later than that.
Tomorrow RFC stalwarts, Whistlepunk (above), fresh from episode 26 of RFC and the big Gazz profile (written by yours truly) will take the field at Applachian Power Park to entertain the beer-soaked masses during Oktoberfest, a fundraiser for The Clay Center. Twenty five bucks gets you in the park to hear the band plus unlimited access to all the beer in the world!
Of course, being a non-drinker, I’m going for the music, but if getting sloshed is your idea of fun, then why not do it for a good cause? You can read more about the event here and here. The drinking begins at 1 PM, while the band kicks off at 2 PM. At 5 PM everybody staggers home.
Which is cool, because this weekend is also the opening of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s new season, and Mel and I will be heading out to hear Maestro Cooper and Guest violinist William Preucil (right) kick out the jams with some Beethoven, Wagner, and Monster-Rachmaninoff. The Symphony plays Friday and Saturday, and you can find all the details for the performance here.
After the Symphony, if not totally wiped out from two solid days of live music (three in my case), Mel and I may head out to hear Whistlepunk at the Vandalia Lounge, just to see if they’re still standing after playing for three hours at the beer blast earlier in the day. Their show at the Vandalia kicks off around 10 PM, with a five-dollar cover charge.
If you want louder music, and don’t mind driving to hear it, be sure to check out this two-day show at The State Theater in Point Pleasant:
Several past and future guests of RFC are on the bill. If you go tonight, you can hear RFC faves, The Concept, but if you can’t make the drive, you can still go to their MySpace page and listen to their brand-new song, a cover of Tom Petty’s “Learning To Fly” done up all punky.
Remember to check Nick and Jessica’s Gatecrasher blog here at the The Gazz for late details of other area shows, plus cool video recaps of recent musical goings-on.
And if music is not your scene, you can catch some Professional Wrestling at St. Mary’s. RCW’s“International Incident” , featuring Trik Nasty, Juggulator, and dirk Extreme among others, will take place at the St Mary’s International Festival on Saturday, September 15. It is on 5th St in front of the church. ADMISSION IS FREE TO ALL AGES. Bell time 7 PM
And they say nothing happens around here.
Sunday is a day of rest, for me, anyway.
Sounds like a full weekend. How do you keep up with all this stuff?
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