Sometimes you just can’t come up with a clever headline, so you go with a dumb one instead. Yet there’s still  lots of STUFF TO DO, even with Friday the 13th looming. In fact, our events are pretty Friday-heavy this week, including a couple of free showings of a certain film.

Remember, if you are attending an outdoor event, stay hydrated and please don’t smoke or vape around any humans who might find the associated stank to be offensive. Be mindful of your health and of those near you. Look for and offer to aid people who might seem frail, look like they’re about to pass out, or have had their pets eaten by ALF.  With that bit of a caveat, let me tell you about plenty of STUFF TO DO in Charleston and the surrounding area as we stagger our way toward autumn.

As I have been copying and pasting for some time now, this a good time to remind you that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS.  It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments. I won’t be offended if you volunteer to do the work I was too busy trolling on Twitter to do.

Our feature event this week sees The Settlement scaring up a hell of a gig at The Lost Paddle in Oak Hill. It’s a free show, Friday from 8 PM to 11 and you can read more about it at the Facebook Event page right after you drink in this cool poster for the show…

Live Music is on tap at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM.  Friday it’s Sandy Sowell and Gerry Collyard. On Saturday Steve Himes takes the stage at Charleston literary, art and coffee institution. There’s also a cool book event listed in the graphics below.

The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe has some great stuff this week  to tell you about.  Thursday at 5:30 PM Swingstein and Robin return with music for a cause. Later on Thursday the Golden Boy, Greg McGowan, traverses both time and distance to bring you an evening of acoustic music starting at 9:30 PM.  Friday Tim Courts holds down the forts for Happy Hour. Check the graphics dump below for more weekend events at The Empty Glass.

Sunday from Noon to 6:30 PM at Tamarack Marketplace in Beckley, it’s Fallfest. There will be vendors and food and music on two stages. And it’s quite the cool line-up…

Main Stage
12:30 – 1:15 : Carpenter Ants
1:30 – 2:15 : Kindred Valley
2:30 – 3:15 : Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns
3:30 – 5 : Mike Glabicki of Rusted Root with Dirk Miller
5:15 – 6:30 Kind Thieves

Courtyard Stage
12 – 1: Untrained Professionals
1 – 2: Randy Gilkey
2 – 3: Grace Campbell
3 – 4: Samuel James
4 – 5: Jonah Carden
5 – 6: Andy Tuck

Please remember that the pandemic is still not entirely over yet. It’s a going concern with the ‘rona still lurking about all robust and reinvigorated and now with Retsin™. Plus there are drought-fueled nasty seasonal allergies, evil Cole Slaw provocateurs, great orange whinging baboons, single-celled organisms with FIVE CELLS and other damned good reasons to be careful. 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.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Here we go, roughly in order…