It’s that time of the week when we tell you that there’s still a ton of STUFF TO DO in Charleston and all over the Mountain State and beyond as we find ourselves tearing through 2023 at the speed of light. Despite it being Mother’s Day this Sunday, there don’t seem to be too many themed events for us to suggest. But we still have a lot of good things to tell you about.

We start with a reminder about the latest show by Charleston’s most prolific playwright.

Charleston’s Contemporary Youth Arts Company opened a new gothic horror drama by playwright, Dan Kehde, “The Good Ship Barnacle” last week. This show will still be running it May  12 and 13 at 7 PM.

To say it’s a different kind of play is an understatement. It’s the story of a young woman’s apparent battle with her dark past as she is furloughed by her brother from a mental institution and taken to the isolated cabin of her childhood. Haunted by the voice of a kidnapped and murdered childhood playmate, Allie Burroughs, with the often unwilling aid of her older brother, relives the darker moments of her troubled life as she unravels the truth among twenty five years of lies and delusions.

The play features the extraordinary talents of local veteran actors Amanda Skidmore, Matty Connelly and Abby Connett. Not recommended for anyone under the age of twelve, this intense drama would probably be considered “PG 14” for adult language, situations and implied violence.

$15 Adult. $10 Student/Senior. Tickets are available at the door or online.

The New River Gorge Festival is back May 12 to 14 at ACE Adventure Resort in West Virginia. Folks can celebrate one of Earth’s oldest rivers that outdoorsy peoples all love to paddle, hike, bike, and explore.  Or you can take part in a film festival, shop vendors, enjoy live music and experience ACE’s Adventure Zones. Plus there is a rolling rodeo and race for whitewater paddlers on the New River and a river cleanup Sunday with New River Conservancy. There will be live music featuring Litz on Friday night, while Saturday it’s Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Magnolia Boulevard, Shawn Benfield & The Resolution, Moonlight Mile and Ranford Almond.  Ticket info can be found HERE.

For those of us who prefer indoorsy stuff, live Music is back at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM. Friday it’s Minor Swing. Saturday Arthur Deras entertains the crowd at Charleston’s beloved Bookstore/Coffee Shop/Art Gallery (details in the graphic below).

The Empty Glass has some great stuff through the week to tell you about.  Thursday from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, Swingstein and Robin play fiddle and piano and sing swing and early jazz standards. Each week they donate their tips to a local nonprofit or worthy cause.  Friday Tim Courts plays during happy hour. Saturday Fatetteville’s Aura Rising plays at 10 PM. Sunday the post-Mountain Stage Jam happens around 10 PM.  Next week they’ll have an open mic hosted by Unmanned on Monday night, and Songwriter Showcase on Tuesday. Plus there are shows listed below.

Please remember that the pandemic is not over yet. It’s still a going concern. And now there are seasonal allergies, the flu and other ferocious bugs in the mix. 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.

If you’re up for going out, here are a few suggestions for the rest of this week, roughly in order.