Early Autumnal STUFF TO DO

STUFF TO DO is PopCult‘s weekly guide to just a few of the great events happening in Charleston, Huntington and a few other points here in West Virginia, and sometimes a little beyond our borders, in the coming days.  Last week we wrapped up Summer and hoped that on the first day of Autumn the temperature would instantly plummet 20 degrees and…damned if that didn’t happen.  We have a pretty loaded week ahead of us in town. Tommy Stinson of the Replacements will be at Pumzi’s, Ann Magnuson will be at The Empty Glass, there’s a new Mountain Stage, and you can read about all those below and more.

Before we get into the big, wide-open events, I do want to tell you about a memorial gathering for my friend, Eliska Diller, who we tragically lost a few weeks ago. Mel and I have a prior engagement in Baltimore this weekend, and we will not be able to attend, but all of Eliska’s many friends are welcome to come share stories and memories and celebrate her life at Fireside Grille, in Teays Valley.

We’re not straying too far from Charleston this first weekend of Autumn. I will tell you real quick about a show happening the day this post goes live at the Capitol Theater on Summers Street.  The Moses Jordan Band, a conglomeration of respected locally-based musicians who are getting together for the fun of it will debut, and the lineup includes Dave Dunkley, drummer extraodianaire, and someone I’ve known since the first day of first grade about fifty-eight years ago. The show is ten dollars at the door and I’m running this small graphic to the right because it’s short notice and we have events to tell you about all the way to next Tuesday.  Also, the guys went a little AI-happy with their graphics, and I’m trying to minimize that here in the blog. Don’t let that stop you from going to see the band, there’s no way in hell that they won’t rock the roof off the Capitol Theater.

I also want to plug the new play by Dan Kehde that’s happening at CYAC’s Elk City Playhouse beginning this weekend…

…this should be an incredible show, and I’m hoping we can crowbar it into our schedule next week. This weekend we’re going to be in Baltimore. Dan is a local treasure and his work is always worth seeing.

Speaking of local treasures, next Tuesday Ann Magnuson will be unveiling her Bongwater Caberet at The Empty Glass with two shows next Tuesday.   This is part of this year’s FestivFALL. If you act fast, you might be able to snag a ticket to the 9:30 show. The 7 PM show has been sold out for some time. We will be back in time to catch this one…

Each week I try to tell you about a few cool events all around the state that you might not know about.  If you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future you can still contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky, Spoutible, Instagram or Twitter.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote.  I do ask that you send a graphic that includes the date, time and location, of the event, as well as the cost to attend.  I can’t promise that I’ll run it here,  but chances are I will unless it’s something completely offensive or an event happening in South Carolina. If it looks original and charmingly weird and not like something AI farted out, you have a better chance of seeing it here.

Keep in mind that I’ll need this several days in advance, so please don’t send me a graphic on the day of the event and expect it to show up in this feature.

For much more comprehensive guides to things you can get into in our region, check out these two wonderful resources:

Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

Mya Ross at Status Quo does a much better job of compiling a list of local events than I do, and you can find the WTSQ guide to events HERE. Toss ’em a donation while you’re over there.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.  Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Among the notable music venues in town are The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe, Live at The Shop in Dunbar, Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, In Huntington, there’s local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club),  The Wandering Wind Meadery is on Charleston’s West Side, Plus there’s music in Charleston at The Blue Parrot, Sam’s Uptown Cafe and Fife Street Brewing. Plus there are free concerts almost every weekend at Taylor Books.

You might also find cool musical events at Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Here’s a few select suggestions for STUFF TO DO in and around Charleston and Huntington this weekend…