HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS with SC Philharmonic, Cola Rep Dance Co, Columbia Choral Society, Michael Hazin, Camm Wess, Cat Galan, Johnnie Felder and SANTA!!!

The South Carolina Philharmonic presents Home for the Holidays on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:00 PM at the Koger Center for the Arts under the baton of Music Director Morihiko Nakahara. The SC Philharmonic is bringing this community celebration back to the Koger Center for one night only after last season’s inaugural performance. As this concert is a holiday-themed variety show, the orchestra will be joined by singers CammWess (The Voice, Team John Legend), Cat Galan (Stankface, Boomtown Trio), Michael Hazin (musical theatre performer) and opera singer Johnnie Felder. The concert includes two performances by Cola Rep Dance Co. The Columbia Choral Society also comes to the stage for the thrilling second act. Finally, Santa will also be on hand for any last-minute requests. This joyful concert is a creative collaboration between Music Director Morihiko Nakahara and director Chad Henderson, the former Artistic Director of Trustus Theatre and current Marketing Director of the SC Phil. Tickets may be purchased by visiting scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center Box Office at 803-251-2222. 

Home for the Holidays is one of the last large-scale holiday-themed events of the season, with the performance scheduled on December 19th. This concert is a great way to entertain family and friends who have gathered for the holidays, and to those who are looking for new traditions. Created in collaboration with Music Director Morihiko Nakahara and local theatre director Chad Henderson, this concert promises to be an energetic experience that celebrates the Midlands arts scene. “This concert is a salute to our community,” said Director Chad Henderson. “Last year, we started out trying to create an exciting program of joyous music that would set performers up to shine with an orchestra. Once we got into the weeds, we realized we had created a multidisciplinary celebration of home.” The creative team of Nakahara and Henderson leaned into that aspect with more intentionality this season. 

Columbia Choral Society

Audiences can expect to hear holiday classics like Bing Crosby’s Jingle Bells, Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song and Leroy Anderson’s festive holiday treat: Sleigh Ride. Opera singer Johnnie Felder will join Cat Galan for a very special performance of The Prayer - made famous by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion. The Columbia Choral Society will join the orchestra for arrangements of Twas the Night Before Christmas and selections from John Williams’ Home Alone score, among others.

“Without giving everything away, we have some special surprises planned for our audience,” said Henderson. “With this concert being so late in December, we are really focused on creating an evening for families and friends. A lot of folks are about to travel to other places at that time, and so many are returning home as well. This concert is a great way to get into the spirit, and to be awed by the talent we have in the Midlands. We’re also collaborating with one of my favorite colleagues: lighting designer Marc Hurst. You’re going to get some epic musical experiences out of this one.” 

The SC Philharmonic’s Home for the Holidays will take the Koger Center stage on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:00 PM at. Concert ticket prices range from $25 to $55, and they can be purchased at scphilharmonic.com or by calling the Koger Center Box Office (803) 251-2222.

 For more information about the South Carolina Philharmonic, please visit SCPhilharmonic.com 

An Evening of Art – Opening Receptions for Exhibits by Janet Swigler and Christina Clark at the Koger Center

By Emily Moffitt, Visual Arts Editor, Jasper Magazine

Join us on Friday, November 22, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. for two art receptions at the Koger Center for the Arts. In the Nook on the second floor of the Koger Center, Jasper Galleries welcomes Janet Swigler. On the ground floor of the Koger Center, walls will be adorned with the work of Christina Clark. Both artists work with abstract forms and subject matter, yet in different ways that engage the viewer.

Janet Swigler moved around the United States often at a young age due to her Air Force family upbringing, but this had a beneficial impact on her adaptability, independence, and resourcefulness. She spent several of her pre-teen years living in Japan, which offered cultural aesthetics and philosophies that continue to influence her art and life. This, along with her musical training and experience in music education, created a synergy of artistic disciplines and ideas that transferred easily to the work she creates. Sewing has been a lifelong interest of hers, and her quilt-making studies under Nancy Crow helped her to reach where she is today.

Christina Clark, originally from Austria, descended from a family of artists and musicians. To this day, she surrounds herself with the joyous energy of visual arts and music through her own personal artistic endeavors and her philanthropic service to the University of South Carolina School of Music. Clark carefully considers the viewer’s experience when she starts to put pastel to paper. Recently, Clark created a series of pieces that served as companions to the Parker Quartet’s Beethoven Quartet cycle. Clark embraces the conversation that music can have with her work and is honored to be able to keep that conversation going through her donations.

Both receptions are free and open to the public. They precede the sold-out performance of Koger Center and ColaJazz present: Live in the Lobby Jazz: The Music of Miles Davis. There’s a lot going on in the Vista that night, including a concert at Colonial Life Arena, so be mindful of parking and get to the receptions early!

Jasper Partners with Black Nerd Mafia & Curiosity Coffee to Present the 3rd Annual Frightmare on Main Street 2024 featuring Autocorrect and Tyler Wise & So Much More!

We’re Back!

The Jasper Project is excited to partner once again this year with Black Nerd Mafia and our gracious host, Curiosity Coffee, to help kick off Halloween with one of our favorite and most fun events — Frightmare on Main Street!

Friday, October 25, 2024

5:00 PM 10:00 PM

Curiosity Coffee Bar — 2327 Main Street

The fun starts at 5 pm when you arrive and grab your bag(s) of votes for your favorite artisanally carved pumpkin, created for your viewing, voting, and purchasing pleasure by some of Columbia’s spookiest artists, including

Tennyson Corley

Devon Corley

Cynthia Bowie

Keith Tolen

Thomas Washington

Michael Krajewski

Regina Langston

Billy Guess

Artist - Olga Yukhno

5:00pm – Doors

$10 for all events and activities + 5 candy votes for the pumpkin carving contest.

Kids under 10 get in free!


5:30pm - Horror Movie Trivia

Bring your team and kick off the night with trivia hosted by Black Nerd Mafia.


6:30pm - Jasper’s 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving Contest

These aren’t your everyday jack-o'-lanterns. Vote on your favorite pumpkins carved by local artists and bid in our silent auction to take one home. All proceeds benefit the Jasper Project and the winning artist takes home a fabulous prize!

Candy votes will be available for sale and 5 votes are included for free with the cost of admission.


Cosplay Costume Contest

Contest categories include Best Children's Costume, and Best Adult Costume.


Winners for the Pumpkin Carving and Cosplay Costume Contest will be announced around 8pm.

Pumpkin Bidding with close at 8:45pm


8:15pm – Autocorrect & Tyler Wise


Artist - Bohumila Augustinova

Artist - Kimber Carpenter

SC JAZZ FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2024-2025 LINEUP: ORGANIZED

The SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble, South Carolina’s premier jazz big band, will kick off its new season on Saturday, October 26, 2024, at Harbison Theatre with “The Birthday Concert,” featuring internationally renowned jazz organist Mike LeDonne.

Following the October 26 concert, this season features the ensemble in Swingin’ Holidays, Dec. 8, 2024; Jazz is for Lovers, Feb. 15, 2025; An Evening with Cyrille Aimée, April 12, 2025; and Season Finale Virtuoso Trumpet Star Sean Jones, June 14, 2025. The SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble, under the musical direction of Dr. Robert Gardiner, features some of the most prominent and outstanding jazz musicians, soloists, and bandleaders from across the Carolinas.

“Mike LeDonne is one of the finest jazz pianists and organists in the world,” said Robert Gardiner, Executive Director of the SC Jazz Foundation. “We’re glad to be working with such talented guest artists, and I think each concert will have something that everyone can enjoy,” Gardiner said.

Tickets for each of the five concerts are on sale now, priced from $25 - $65 depending on show and seating section. Patrons may purchase a season subscription by visiting www.SCJazz.org through October 1 for guaranteed seats to each concert. 

Black Nerd Mafia Presents: “Live from the 803,” An Exclusive Local Arts Experience By: Liz Stalker

The only catch to these epic nights of entertainment is as of now, “Live from the 803” events are invite-only

Local arts organization Black Nerd Mafia continues to uplift indie artists in Columbia, particularly from the thriving though often underrepresented Black arts scene, through their new event series, “Live from the 803.” Hosted by The Player’s Club, “Live from the 803‘s” monthly main events consist of visual artist/musician duo, presenting a unique opportunity to experience the impressive range and passion that the Columbia indie arts scene has to offer.  

This month, “Live from the 803” will host visual artist Jakeem Da Dream (AKA Dominique Negus Hodge) and singer-rapper-songwriter JB SamSon. The event will take place Saturday, September 28th starting at 8 p.m. with a catered cocktail reception, where guests are invited to sit back, relax, and enjoy a curated display of artwork by Jakeem Da Dream, and will even be given the opportunity to chat with the artist himself about his work. Following the reception, JB SamSon will take the stage in a very intimate concert setting, allowing guests to get up close and personal.  

Such memorable special touches, from the box of worms to the live painting, truly set a remarkable expectation for what’s to come as the event series continues.

If the second installment in this series is anything like its debut event, which took place on Saturday, August 10th, the energy is sure to be electric. Painter and muralist Ija Monet set the tone for the evening with her stunning collection of work, which innovatively combined the mediums of painting and tapestry. She also gave attendees the chance to watch her genius in action, painting live at the center of the reception and impressing spectators with her speed and her technical prowess.  

For the musical portion of the evening, guests were escorted into a smaller room with a stage to watch alternative hip hop artist patX’s concert farewell to Columbia. The room was packed, but patX did not allow that to hinder his connection to the audience, a connection that he prioritized from the start, cultivating an environment of authenticity, and displaying a clear passion for his work. Alongside Airborne Audio–Live from the 803’s wickedly talented full time DJ–patX launched into a set of incredible musical diversity, showcasing his talent as a rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. In the middle of his set, he unveiled a surprise that evoked shock, delight, and perhaps some disgust: a box of dirt and worms for audience members to dig through for mixtape souvenirs. He ended the night by taking requests, once again centering that connection between artist and fans (some old, some brand new). 

Such memorable special touches, from the box of worms to the live painting, truly set a remarkable expectation for what’s to come as the event series continues. The only catch to these epic nights of entertainment is as of now, “Live from the 803” events are invite-only—in other words, you have to know someone, or at least know someone who knows someone, to receive an event ticket. That being said, “Live from the 803” also hosts a variety of smaller-scale events and meetups at The Attic Lounge–including jam sessions, DJ sets, artist networking events, and other opportunities to both appreciate local arts or show off your own skills–which provide the perfect opportunity to express your interest in the exclusive Player’s Club events.  

To stay up to date with “Live from the 803” and all of their awesomeness, follow them on Instagram @803.live.

The Attic Lounge


Have You Heard About the Monthly After Dinner Cabaret?

At the Jasper Project, new art is our M.O. And we applaud the artist who, whatever their discipline, steps out of the long line of folks waiting patiently for their big breaks to take control and make their breaks happen for them with their own vision, fortitude, and faith in themselves and their sisters and brothers in the arts trenches.

This week we’re applauding The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret, a King/Henderson project - that’s Vicky Saye Henderson Van Horne and Clayton King - both prolific performers with a history of making art happen in the SC Midlands and beyond.

The pair offer a great explanation of their history and mission on their website, which we share with you below:

The Story of The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret

The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret offers a chance to enjoy some of the Midlands' most celebrated cabaret and theatre performers once a month in an intimate and lively atmosphere. Sharing an eclectic mix of music and stories, our performers have over 400 years of combined experience delivering lively and entertaining programs.

 We started small in 2023 with a six-month series in a small venue on Two Notch Road. As word got out that this fun event was happening every month, audiences started to grow, and over the course of the next year, we knew we were on to something. 

Our goal was (seemingly) simple. Provide an evening of live music without the need to purchase dinner or drinks. In other words, enjoy a dinner with a friend at your chosen place, and then come join us at the cabaret! Easy, laid back, and fun!

The Monthly After Dinner Cabaret is moving to a new performance space next month. We are excited about performing at Columbia Music Festival Association Artspace in downtown Columbia. Our new venue offers a more comfortable setting with better seating and acoustics, providing an improved experience for all. The intimate atmosphere you've come to enjoy will remain, with the added benefit of enhanced staging. We look forward to welcoming you to our new location for an evening of entraining and quality performances in a fresh environment. If you're not already on our mailing list, please subscribe by using the button below to receive updates as they unfold.

Congratulations to the entire troupe of MAD Cabaret performers, and thanks to Columbia Music Festival Association for providing this company a performance home.

MAD Cabaret’s next event is Tuesday October 8th at 7:30 at CMFA and features Mandy Applegate, Jonathan Monk, w/ Greg Boatright.

Purchase Tickets Here.

SCETV and USC Press Celebrates Jazz Legend Marian McPartland with Book Launch Event at Koger Center for the Arts


South Carolina ETV and Public Radio (SCETV), in partnership with the University of South Carolina Press, is proud to announce a special event celebrating the launch of Shall We Play That One Together: The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland, a biography by acclaimed jazz historian Paul de Barros. The event will take place on Oct. 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Gallery on the second floor of the Koger Center for the Arts in Columbia.

This unique evening will feature live music from a jazz trio led by Mark Rapp of ColaJazz, light refreshments, hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet author Paul de Barros, purchase signed copies of the book, and delve into the life and legacy of one of jazz’s most influential figures- Marian McPartland.

Paul de Barros, known for his extensive work in jazz, has crafted a compelling narrative that chronicles McPartland’s journey from the British novelty circuit to becoming a revered jazz pianist and the voice of jazz in America. Shall We Play That One Together: The Life and Art of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland explores McPartland’s 30-year tenure on her NPR show, Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, where she introduced tens of thousands of listeners to jazz music through interviews and performances with legendary artists.

The event will also mark the kickoff of a new season of ColaJazz Presents, a series dedicated to showcasing the rich jazz culture in South Carolina, featuring the ColaJazz Trio.


Shall We Play That One Together? Book Launch and Jazz Celebration

October 1, 2024, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

The Gallery, 2nd Floor, Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene Street, Columbia, SC

Free admission; books available for purchase onsite

This event is free and open to the public.



The University of South Carolina Press is a leading academic publisher, dedicated to advancing knowledge and scholarship through the publication of outstanding books across a range of disciplines, including history, literature, and the arts.



Tom Hall -- His Soul Was as Clean as His Garden By Kyle Petersen

 

When the various members of The Plowboys yet again took the back porch stage at City Roots for the 14th edition of Columbia’s Mardi Gras festival, I didn’t quite know what to expect, what to feel. I’m not sure the band did either. 

Just three weeks earlier, the group–which was really more of a rag-tag musical gang, as all the best bands are–had lost its frontman, songwriter, singer, and lead rabble-rouser, Tom Hall, in a car accident. If you read any one of the many, many tributes that poured out across social media and various publications to Hall, you’ll know he was a great many things–a son, father, husband, friend, lawyer, activist, outdoorsmen, restauranteur, festival organizer, raconteur, and many more things besides. But to me, the connective tissue of his many interests, projects, and passions can be found in his music. 

The first time I saw The Plowboys play live was in 2007 or 2008, at a late-night gig at the  Hunter-Gatherer on Main Street. My brother, having heard some of Hall’s songs on Uncle Gram’s Red Bank Bar & Grill show on WUSC, talked me into going. My musical memory of that night has dimmed some, to the point where any description of what went on would probably be a figmentary amalgamation of all the times I’ve seen them since. I can likely say, on good authority, that it was loud, shambolic, spirited, and fun as hell, largely because Hall didn’t know any other way to perform. 

The other thing I hung on to about that night, something that seemed silly at first but ultimately became incredibly telling, was a (possibly improvised) talking-rap jam about Thomas Ravenel and cocaine that Hall did to start the show. It was bawdy and salacious, sure, but in a sly, roundabout way it hinted at his sense of tradition and history, musical and otherwise, along with his subversive glee in barreling through them like a bull in a china shop.  

The Plowboys seemed to have formed around 2001, and I can’t rightfully say what they sounded like then. At various points in their history they’ve sounded like string band folk revivalists, blues-groove purveyors, alt-country iconoclasts, and zydeco-inflected New Orleans swampers, often seemingly dependent on the players and mood that surrounded Hall at the time. But the difficulty in putting your finger on them was exactly the point–Hall’s passion was the driving impulse of the group, whether that means recording an 81-track, 3 CD concept album The Sharecropper’s Daughter, soundtracking his DIY experimental film Black Elk Speaks, or entertaining his desire to improvise backing music for a fifteen-minute rendition of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl.” To paraphrase Walt Whitman, Hall–and by extension, the Plowboys themselves–contained contradictions and multitudes. 

For much of the time I followed Hall’s music, I was always struck more by his charisma and aim than by his execution. There was always so much to take in, and his voice and sense of meter could often be uneven. Instead, I loved how much he reveled in the music we both loved–the legendary Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt, the alt-country cult favorite Blue Mountain, and local indie rockers like Can’t Kids–and how much he breathed that passion into his own work.  

Given that, it was quite lovely to return to his 2020 pandemic album, Porch Songs, when I first heard of his passing. A sparse, low-key effort billed under his own name (a few Plowboys chip in), it’s a warm, sweet recording that shows off how much of a true songwriting tunesmith he could be, independent of anything else, when he really wanted to be. 

That album also reminded me, quite tellingly, of Bob Dylan’s early 1990s recordings of traditional folk songs. Dylan made those two LPs at a time when his songwriting had seemingly dried up and he was a critical and commercial low-point. With no stakes, there’s a looseness and vitality to his performances, but also an undeniable sense of picking up the long-circulating baton of American roots music and finding their place in it. I don’t know if Hall thought much about this or considered himself a worthy enough performer to place himself in that pantheon, but to me–and, I think, to so many of us in this community–he was, and always will be, part of that tapestry.           

Before The Plowboys played their set at Mardi Gras, one of the Krewe de Columbia Ya-Ya members, Paul Hinson, gave a short speech and called for a toast in Hall’s honor. It was a fitting tribute, naturally, but it meant the emptiness at center stage loomed all the larger. 

And yet, somehow, as the band launched into their first tune, it didn’t feel empty. Whatever was missing musically, the spirit of things was somehow right. That vivaciousness, that veritable roots music wellspring that Tom Hall always was, remained. The band passed around singing duties and often sang, as they always did, with gang vocal ribaldry, charging through a set of Plowboy originals and favorite covers with a kind of aching timelessness. It wasn’t always perfect or pretty, but that was part of the Plowboys too. 

I don’t know if the group will ever play again, but there’s a part of me that hopes that they do. That, in fact, the various sundry members will convene again and again each year on that City Roots stage, confident that the spirit of Tom Hall will be waiting. And the faithful Columbia denizens who so loved Tom will return too, not unlike the Deadheads that continue to return to the group in its various post-Jerry Garcia incarnations. 

After all, as Tom loved to sing, “his soul was as clean as his garden.” In all that toil and dirt, the living and dying and sprouting again, his music should only continue to grow. 

A version of this essay appeared in the spring 2024 issue of Jasper Magazine.

On Jasper Radar -- Upcoming Events at NBT by Emily Moffitt

What’s been lovingly referred to as the “New New Brookland Tavern” by Columbia denizens, (or maybe just me) the freshly relocated Columbia staple New Brookland Tavern in the former Cotton Gin bar has reenergized the nightlife of Five Points and continued to bring communities together. There is a show for everyone there, and with new programming taking place almost every day, there is no shortage of things to do.

On Sunday, July 21, from 6 – 11 p.m., grab a ticket for Daddy Lion, Husband, and Moses & the Wilderness. The concert focuses on celebrating ten years of “introspective indie pop.” It also functions as a touching reunion for Daddy Lion, a dream pop group whose lead singer Jeremy Joseph moved away from Columbia not too long ago. The electro-pop duo Husband consists of resident Jasper Board of Directors member and Managing Director Bekah Rice, along with her husband Adam Corbett. The duo features local sound engineer MIDIMarc in this performance as well. Moses & the Wilderness is the solo project of Moses Andrews III, a live performer and session musician that brings soul and wit to any genre. Tickets for the show are available online for $10 before fees..

Join Mirci at New Brookland Tavern on Wednesday, July 31 for a family-friendly night of comedy, Laugh Therapy, presented by Healthy Laughter. Featuring side-splitting stand-up sets by Comedian Akintunde and "Atlanta's Best Clean Comedian" Joel Byars. Beats courtesy of your DJ & host for the night, Preach Jacobs. Participate in raffles, mental health trivia, and more! Entry is $9.88 to honor the Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline. Proceeds from ticket sales go towards Mirci and supporting their mission. Tickets are available online or at the door.

The New Brookland Tavern adds programming to their schedule weekly. Check out their website for other great events and concerts.           

News from Harbison Theatre -- Jazz with Chris Potter and the Art of Barbara Yongue

Saxophone Colossus: Chris Potter

Presented by SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble
Saturday, June 15 | 7:30 PM 

SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble is overjoyed to present one of the best Jazz Saxophonists of all time and Columbia native, Chris Potter. Since emerging on the scene as a sideman 30 years ago with Red Rodney, Chris has gone on to play with everybody from Pat Metheny to Steely Dan. Down Beat magazine called him “One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet” and Jazz Times identified him as “a figure of international renown.” Potter’s impressive discography includes 18 albums as a leader, as well as sideman appearances on more than 100 albums. 

Join The Jasper Project and Barbara Yongue as we celebrate the opening of her exhibition in the gallery space at Harbison Theatre.

At 6:30 PM, Barbara will be available to speak and give you the opportunity to enjoy her work prior to the opening curtain for Saxophone Colossus: Chris Potter presented by SC Jazz Masterworks Ensemble. During intermission, you’re invited to revisit the art. Her work will be available for purchase. Learn more about Barbara and her work below.

The exhibition is free and available for viewing from June through August 2024.

Barbara Alston Yongue, born in Memphis Tennessee and raised in Ohio, has studied and continues to study art for almost as long as she has been alive.  An art major in college she has continued her education with such well-known artists as Daniel Greene, Nelson Shanks, Janet Fish, Tony Ryder, Charlie Hunter.  She is a member of Oil Painters of America, Trenholm Art Guild and the art group known as About Face.  She enjoys Portraiture, Still Life painting and Plein Air.  

Awards Include:
2023 - Facilitator Plein air competition ARTFIELDS 
2022 - Facilitator Plein air ArtField 
2023 - Second place and peoples choice TAG … Still Hopes 
2022 - Peoples choice TAG …BEST MATTRESS
2019 - 1st place  Trenholm art guild spring show
2018 - 3rd place Trenholm art guild
2017 - 1st Place Pawleys Island Seaside Palette- Plein Air
2017 - People’s Choice award- Arts on the Ridge
2016 - 2017 – 9 time winner of the Columbia Museum of Art monthly challenge
2017 - Merit Award – Trenholm Art Guild
2016 - 2nd Place Pawleys Island Seaside Palette- Plein Air
2014 - Merit Award – Trenholm Art Guild
2013 - Painting Award - Garden of Dreams, Magnolia Gardens
2011 - Judy Faye Moyer award- Crooked Creek art League
2010 - Merit Award – Crooked Creek Art League
2009 - Best in Show- Crooked Creek Art League
2009 - Merit Award- Trenholm Art Guild
2008 - Special Award- Crooked Creek Art League
2008 - Merit Award – Trenholm Art Guild
2004 - Merit Award- Crooked Creek
2004 - Carolina Gallery Award – Crooked Creek
2001 - Merit Award- Crooked Creek
Champion 2 Times – Columbia Museum of Art – Face Off event
2nd Runner up – Artfields portrait competition
2015 Judge for Arts on the Ridge Ridgeway, SC
President - Fairfield County Arts Council  2018

Artist Statement:
I paint primarily from life because it is my belief that what is created by doing that gives a certain touch of LIFE that cannot be achieved any other way. Most of all … I try to paint Beauty.

New Brookland Tavern Welcomes THE WOGGLES and the Release of Their New Album

New Brookland Tavern welcomes The Woggles with special guests, Brandy and the Butcher, to help celebrate the release of their new LP, Time Has Come on June 12th. According to musician and Jam Room director, Jay Matheson, “The Woggles have been one of the best garage rock bands in the US since the mid 90s and put on a stage show that is beyond compare.”

Check out their new single as well as their new LP in its entirety.

According to Matheson, the show will be a 2 band affair with Matheson’s own local Rock and Roll band Brandy and the Butcher opening.

Cover tickets to the show are $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the show.

Doors are at 7:30 with music starting at 8:30.

See you there!

Read more about the Woggles from Jasper Magazine music editor Kevin Oliver here.

Announcing the Jasper Project's THE ART OF ONE BOOK 2024 CONTEST for Literary, Visual, and Musical Arts!

The Art of ONE BOOK 2024 – Cassie Premo Steele’s BEAVER GIRL!

Want to bring your own interpretation of 2024’s ONE BOOK  selection? The Jasper Project has an opportunity for YOU! Read Cassie Premo Steele’s Beaver Girl, then write a poem, paint a picture, or craft a piece of music with or without lyrics.

Entries

A panel of experts in the art of your entry will review submissions and choose winners in the following categories:

·         Poetry

·         Visual Art

·         Original Music

Winners will receive prizes, be featured in the Fall 2024 issue of Jasper Magazine, and be celebrated at the ONE BOOK 2024 Round-Up Party on Sunday, September 22nd at the One Columbia Co-op! DEADLINE JULY 1, 2024!

All submitted work must be original, family friendly, and capable of being performed or displayed in an outdoors setting. Both 2D and 3D work will be considered for the visual art competition.

Submission Instructions

Email your files to submissions@jasperproject.org. In the email please include your name, mailing address and phone number. Submissions are limited to 3 entries in each arts category.

Include the following attachments in your email:

·         Poetry – Word Document or PDF

·         Visual Art – Hi-res photos or scanned image of your work.

·         Music – MP3 or WAV (If files are under 150 mb you can attach them to the email). For larger files please send a Google drive, Dropbox or One Drive link. Youtube, Vimeo and Sound Cloud links are also fine.

Black Nerd Mafia Presents All My Friends are Dope – An Immersive Interactive Art Experience

“All my friends are dope, you could pull a name out of a hat and whatever name you pulled would be amazing”

This brag about members of Black Nerd Mafia’s artist collective, The Cool Table, from founder and Jasper Project board member, Kwasi Brown, last year was the inspiration for their upcoming event: All My Friends are Dope – An Immersive Interactive Art Experience. Returning for a second year on Saturday, April 6th at the Ernest A. Finney Cultural Arts Center, the experience features a variety of art disciplines. The event starts at 5pm and features a panel conversation, poets, visual artists, and live music. The lineup includes Tam the Vibe, Eezy Olah, Kenya T, Airborne Audio, Cre the Creative, Wannapoundjuu, Niyah Dreams, Moonkat Daddi, Kuma The Ambassador, Yyusri, Dooozy, AC3 Sage, Bugsy Calhoun, Roc Bottom Studios, Dogon Krigga, Jakeem Da Dream, Dr. Napoleon Wells, Deidra Morrison Wells, and TBRH Co-Heaux. There will also be food trucks and vendors as well.

Check out the video below from last year’s event and learn more about Black Nerd Mafia in the Fall 2023 Issue of Jasper Magazine.

Facebook Event

THE JASPER PROJECT PARTNERS WITH THE SC PHILHARMONIC ON THE ART OF SYMPHONY

“Eyes closed, I listened to the piece and was surprised by the immediate imagery I experienced …” - Eileen Blyth

The Jasper Project is delighted to announce a collaborative project with the South Carolina Philharmonic – THE ART OF SYMPHONY.  

When Chad Henderson, marketing director for the South Carolina Philharmonic, first posited the idea for the Art of Symphony project to Jasper, they were immediately intrigued. As Henderson explained, the SC Philharmonic had scheduled an upcoming concert on April 27, 2024, at the Koger Center for the Arts, around which the SC Phil hoped to engage with local visual artists. The concert would feature: Karen Tanaka’s Rose Absolute, Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op.33, and Shostakovich’s Symphony Number 5 in D Minor, Op. 47 and be conducted by Morihiko Nakahara featuring guest artist Sterling Elliott on cello. Henderson proposed that the music be divided into 14 singular sections and the Jasper Project invite and work with 14 of the Midlands’ finest visual artists, who would each respond to a unique piece of music artistically.

The newly created art will be projected on screens during the live performance of each of the 14 sections of music, as well as presented as an arts exhibition in Jasper’s Nook Gallery on the grand tier level of the Koger Center for the Arts.

The Art of Symphony Art Exhibition will open on Thursday evening, April 18, 2024, with a reception that is open to the public from 5:30 – 7 pm. The Art of Symphony Symphonic Convergence of Music & Visual Art will take place on Saturday, April 27th with the concert at 7:30 pm and a Meet the Artist Reception in the Nook Gallery at 6 pm. 

In keeping with the Jasper Project’s founding priority of cultivating multidisciplinary collaboration, Jasper will also publish a book of the featured art, entitled The Art of Symphony, which will be available for purchase at both events. 

The 14 visual artists participating in the project include Fred Townsend, Wilma King, Lori Isom- Starnes, Eileen Blyth, Stephen Chesley, Thomas Washington, K. Wayne Thornley, Alejandro Garcia-Lemos, Anthony Lewis, Lindsay Radford Wiggins, Michael Krajewski, Keith Tolen, Regina Langston, and Laura Garner Hine. Garcia-Lemos created an animated short in response to his designated section of music which will be shown on monitors in the Koger Center lobby before the concert, during intermission, and at The Art of Symphony Art Exhibition opening on April 18th. 

Eileen Blyth, who created Overheard Overhead in response to the first movement of the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, said, “Eyes closed, I listened to the piece and was surprised by the immediate imagery I experienced. I was eye level before a roof top. Bird-like objects dipped and soared. Buildings stretched tall and then wide, up and down, back and forth. Objects moved in harmony. I saw the Maestro in my painting directing the symphony of shapes, lines, and color.”

Wilma King, who painted in response to the third movement of the Shostakovich said, “This project, much like a symphony itself, goes deep into the hearts, minds, talents, and expressions of myriad artists, culminating the various parts and facets into this paramount event.”

For more information visit JasperProject.org or SCPhilharmonic.com.

OVERDUE: CURATED FOR THE CREATIVE SET FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 15th - in connection with The Jasper Project's BIG TINY GALLERY featuring 20+ Jasper Artists!

Join Richland Library for This FREE, After-Hours Program

WHAT: Overdue

WHEN: March 15 | 7-11 p.m.

WHERE: Richland Library Main(1431 Assembly St., 29201)

WHO: Adults, ages 18 & olderExperience a night of creativity and entertainment at Richland Library's Overdue: Curated for the Creative event on Friday, March 15, from 7 - 11 p.m. at Richland Library Main (1431 Assembly St., 29201). Join Richland Library after hours for interactive activities like block printed stickers, zine making with Eden Prime, and more! Be entertained with live music performances by Dear Blanca, Niecy Blues, and Katera. Enjoy delicious food from Dae's Delicious Dogs and drinks from the cash bar by Transmission Arcade. This free event, open to those ages 18 and up, promises an evening of artistic exploration and community engagement.

Attendees of Overdue will have the first opportunity to view Richland Library's newest exhibit, Jasper Presents: A Big Tiny Gallery. The Big Tiny Gallery is a collection of small artworks created by a collection of local artists previously showcased in The Jasper Project’s online exhibition series. Over the years, Jasper's Tiny Gallery series has allowed artists to show a selection of smaller pieces offered at affordable prices. The exhibit will be on view in the gallery from March 15 - April 26th. A closing reception for the gallery is scheduled for April 19, 2024.

A complete list of activities, musicians and partners is available online.

This event is sponsored in part by the Richland Library Friends and Foundation.

For questions, please contact Tacara Young at 803-351-5616 or tyoung@richlandlibrary.com.


Congaree Trio featuring Hometown Talents of Phillip Bush, Claire Bryant, and Ari Streisfeld perform with Dan Sweaney at ACKC

From our friends at the Arts Center of Kershaw County …

The Arts Center of Kershaw County is proud to announce a performance by the Congaree Trio entitled Spring Romance. Spring Romance is described by the group as "a luscious program of romantic music for strings and piano." The program features an incredible mix of pieces by Lili Boulanger, Felix Mendelssohn, and Antonin Dvorak.

Made up of USC School of Music professors Phillip Bush (piano), Ari Streisfeld (violin), and Camden-native Claire Bryant (cello), this trio is a testament to the world-class talent that can be found right here in South Carolina.

In this performance, they will be joined by guest violinist Dan Sweaney. Sweaney is a renowned violist and educator with an extensive background in music education and performance, having studied and performed across the United States and Europe. Sweaney has performed with the Camerata Salzburg at major venues and festivals globally, and has collaborated with violinist Annette-Barbara Vogel, earning critical acclaim for their recordings.  Currently, he serves as an Associate Professor of Viola at the University of South Carolina.

 Thursday, March 7, 2024
6:00 pm (doors open), 7:00 pm (performance)
Wood Auditorium
$25 (adults), $15 (students) 
 
Part of the Claire Bryant & Friends Series. 

Purchase Tickets

CALL FOR VOCALISTS to Sing the National Anthem for the Columbia Fireflies at Segra Park

Are you looking to join the ranks of the greatest performances of the National Anthem? A list that starts with Whitney Houston, encompasses Jimi Hendrix, Luther Vandross, Chris Stapleton, and more? Now’s your chance!

The Columbia Fireflies have opened auditions for 66 chances to sing the *Star Spangled Banner at their home games this season, but you must schedule an audition for that opportunity by calling or emailing John Oliver at 803-888-3007 or joliver@columbiafireflies.com.

Soloists, duets, and assembled vocalists in any group size are encouraged to step up, but singers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

*Controversial ever since it was written in 1814 by the attorney and amateur poet, Francis Scott Key, The Star Spangled Banner began as a poem that was set to the music of a popular British tune by John Stafford Smith, and adopted as the US National Anthem in 1931 under President Herbert Hoover. Thankfully, the third stanza of the poem, which references slavery, is rarely sung.

The ART BAR Brings Back One of the Baddest-Assed, Pearl-Clutching Acts Around -- BERNIE LOVE'S TRIBUTE TO ELVIS

Don't miss this Tribute to ELVIS Sat March 2nd at the Art Bar!

Bernie Love featuring Patrick Baxley, Jay Matheson, Marty Fort, and Kevin Brewer delivers the goods.

Early 9 p.m. show, 21+ Comedian Mike Reed kicks things off.

Bernie Love only offers this show about twice a year, so come on out!

More at www.bernieloverocks.com

A Musical Mosaic of the South – Short Stories, vol. 1 by David Garner and Greg Stuart By Emily Moffitt

The University of South Carolina’s School of Music is filled to the brim with ambitious creative minds, all leading the newest generations of musicians while simultaneously maintaining their own artistic endeavors. One of the newest projects born from the walls of the Assembly Street building is Short Stories, vol. 1, a new collaborative album by David Garner and Greg Stuart. Garner and Stuart are both Associate Professors at the School of Music, with the former teaching Composition and Theory and the latter teaching Experimental Music Performance and Music Literature. This album is composed of original accompaniments by Garner and Stuart, performed along archived recordings of Southern folk songs. 

Ever since his graduate school years, Garner found the genre of American roots music fascinating, and he continues to use the genre as source material and inspiration for his own work. The existing relationship with the genre led Garner on the path to creating Short Stories, vol. 1, but he notes that “I don’t know that there was a single ‘a-ha’ moment to start this project, but rather a thousand small discoveries that built up over many years.” Short Stories, vol. 1 utilizes recordings from the Southern Mosaic: The John and Ruby Lomax 1939 Southern States Recording Trip collection, which Garner has worked with since 2016, composing a piece called “DwnByThRckyMtns” that was also built around a recording from the collection.  The Lomax collection is a massive one, containing nearly 700 sound recordings, field notes, dust jackets, and other pertinent manuscripts that encompass a 6,500-mile trip taken by the eponymous travelers. Garner notes that listening to the original recordings before his renditions is not necessary but worthwhile. “I think some listeners might enjoy hearing the original field recordings in order to hear how the recordings were transformed in our album,” Garner says. “There are many thousands of hours of incredible early 20th century field recordings...these recordings might not be beautiful on the surface—with amateur performers and grainy, crackly recordings—but I find they are all so intriguing and rich with history, meaning, and culture.” 

When asked about the process of choosing which pieces to adapt, Garner mentions that he has kept a list of favorite recordings over the seven years he has worked with the collection. The six he chose were picked after “lots of play and experimentation to see which ones would work well in these transformed settings.” He took into consideration the particular nuances, shapes, timbres, and emotions of each recording, then set on the journey to create something new but still complementary. Garner started making entirely electronic settings for the pieces he chose a few years prior, but it was not until the fall of 2023 that he brought them to Stuart’s attention after working on a new composition together, and the duo followed through to create Short Stories. Garner shares an interest in archival field recordings and has played pieces that incorporate recorded sound as well as pieces that focus on timbre and noise elements. After long periods of brainstorming, structured improvisation, and testing what worked and what did not, the duo came to conclusions that achieved their ideas yet allowed room for the addition of piano, vibraphone, and percussion: the path to creating a finished piece finally laid bare. The structured improvisation is a key aspect of the creative process for this album. Garner says, “A few of the pieces are almost completely written out in traditional notation, but most of them are left much more open for improvising using a set of guidelines that we follow—note choices, rhythms, chords, gestures—we are improvising within predetermined time spans.” Garner also values the power of nostalgia and acknowledges the power it holds to shape how someone listens to music; he says “I think I have been fascinated by nostalgia and have felt it deeply my whole life; it is so important in music and so crucial to how I listen.” With the nature of the album’s contents focusing on folk music and storytelling, it is natural for the listener to also long for a time and place they may or may not have been to before, yearning to listen to a new voice that could remind them of another. This is intentional on Garner’s behalf—in his own words, he is also fascinated by the cultural and societal nostalgia that influences and informs how we listen to older music. 

Amplifying marginalized voices is a key goal for Short Stories, vol. 1. Many of the folk songs featured stem from southern African American communities, and Garner’s work celebrates that. The listener is beckoned into feeling a sense of longing and contemplation, with a vein of Southern Gothic darkness and mystery throughout. The pure emotional connections made via this music show through on "Lost Train," where the recorded voices are but a suggestion, looped in as an additional undercurrent to Stuart and Garner's instrumentation. On "All The Way Round" takes a Livingston, Alabama field recording that sounds like a playground chant and lays it bare in its repetitive style against minimalist accompaniment." Garner continues to compose pieces that surround the histories of other recordings in the Lomax collection, which also includes work from white and Mexican American performers. Garner beautifully describes the importance of a collection like this in his description of the album: “I hope to give forgotten voices another chance to be heard, histories to be told, and to highlight moments of particular beauty that might otherwise be overlooked. Embedded in every crackly field recording is a wealth of knowledge, experience, history, and humanity from which we can learn.”

You can listen to Garner and Stuart’s album on YouTube here. The album will be released on all streaming platforms starting January 24; Garner and Stuart will also perform the album in two concerts at Emory University and the University of Georgia on January 24 and January 26, respectively.