It’s Wednesday, the second-most magical day of the work week. While it’s no Friday — the mad jailbreak of workers dreaming of two whole work-free days — Wednesday does have the unique charm of being the day people stop dreading the rest of the work week and start dreaming of the weekend to come.
Traditionally, media outlets like to tell you what they think is important. They’ll pick a handful of events and highlight the ones they find worthy. You can find out about some interesting stuff this way, particularly if you’ve got other things going on in your life than reading press releases and scouring local venue websites for upcoming shows.
While there’s not really anything wrong with this kind of story — I’ve written hundreds of them myself — it’s not really the kind of interaction I’d like to nurture here on the Spark. It’s that same kind of one-way, me-telling-you kind of thing I’m always complaining about from other local publications.
Today, I’d like to try something different. I’d like to start a conversation.
Here’s the idea: I’m going to name a handful of things going on this weekend that I think would be interesting to go to. I can’t guarantee I’ll go to all of them, but I’ll say why I find them worthy of my time — and possibly yours. Then, I’ll shut up about it.
Your job is to respond in kind. I’d like you to comment with what you’re planning on doing this weekend, think others would find interesting (even if you can’t go yourself), as well as your thoughts on what other people have suggested (assuming anyone plays along).
Sound easy? It should be.
Here goes.
Before the weekend starts in earnest, we’ve got the semi-weekend of Thursday. Since most people take their jobs a little less seriously on Friday — after all, the weekend is nearly here — Thursday is almost an honorary weekend day. And what am I planning to do on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 18? Well, it just so happens that the first-ever Art Walk Spartanburg is taking place, and I fully intend to be there for it. Art walks are open-ended walking tours for local art lovers, where local galleries stay open late (often holding receptions or events) to showcase their exhibits. There’s not the same kind of commitment one might expect at a normal gallery opening, because people are floating back and forth between several such events. And, as often as not, there’s free wine and cheese to aid the wooing of potential art buyers. Seven local galleries participating in this event, and three of those — Artery, Crescent Gallery and MYST — will be opening their doors for the very first time. Really, what more could you want out of a Thursday evening?
I’m also mildly interested in seeing the Spartanburg Little Theatre’s production of Peter Pan, if for some of the wrong reasons. I’m hoping the production will either be very good (that is, worth the $28 ticket price) or very, very bad (that is, a fiasco of musical theater that would make for a story I could tell time and time again — even though I have no reason to expect this). There are lots of performances this weekend (check their site if you’re interested), so odds are good that I’ll make it out to one.
The Hub-Bub is hosting Lost in the Trees (Ari Picker from The Never’s solo project) on Friday, Sept. 19, starting at 9 p.m. I’m not all that familiar with his work beyond what I’ve heard on his MySpace page, but the show is only $8 and I’ve never seen a lame concert at the Hub-Bub. The odds are good that it’ll be a memorable show.
Another event I’m interested in hearing more about — although I probably can’t make it this week — is the Homespun Bluegrass Jam in Chesnee taking place on Friday, Sept. 19, starting at 7 p.m. I get the sense that the event is very community-oriented, and somewhat informal. But, since I’ve never been to Chesnee and there’s so much going on within walking distance of my house, I think I’ll probably wait a week or to before I venture out.
I’m very tempted to swing by the “An Evening in Nairobi” event at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, on Saturday, Sept. 20. It’s only $10 to get in, and the press release claims that there will be plenty of food, live music and crafts from Kenya.
And I’m also making somewhat definite plans to check out the Sunday Songwriters at Sonny’s Brick Oven Pizza on the 21st. I’ve heard lots of good things about this event, and it seems to be the central meeting-point for most of the noteworthy local acoustic performers, making it a high priority.
But enough from me. Now, it’s your turn. Tell us, what are you excited about this weekend?
Steve Shanafelt
Here’s what I’m excited about this weekend!!!
This Sunday, September 21st GOkickball Spartanburg will have its last FREE pick-up game before the season starts on Oct. 5th! We we to see everyone out there this Sunday at 1:00 pm at our league field at Irwin Park. Thanks to all the folks who have registered already! Registration will also close this Sunday the 21st so make sure you and everyone you know gets signed up! The first season of GOkickball in Spartanburg promises to be a good one so you don’t want to miss out! To preview what’s to come if you sign up, we encourage everyone to join us at Mellow Mushroom after the game Sunday for FREE (yes, I said FREE) pitchers of Yuengling and discounts on pizza! Kickball, beer, and pizza…what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Sounds like a fun time! I played a very informal game of kickball about four years ago with a bunch of random people, and it was a blast. Nothing as organized at this, of course, but still fun in a very nostalgic way.
~ I live way way out in the middle of bump funk Egypt, and for a moment I’ll play in de-Nile, pretending transportation isn’t such a hindrance (which that situation is summed up nicely in my song “Da-Blues” on my music page at http://www.myspace.com/dangchang )
~ I’d go to the open mic at the Nu-Way tomorrow, see the Watts at Decades Friday, hit up the open mic at Ground Zero Saturday, and then the Acoustic Songwriters Jam on Sunday at Sonny’s. That sounds like a pretty stellar weekend to me, but most likely I’ll be here writing, doing 200 loads of laundry, and playing guitar for my dog.
~ I do, however, hope to lay out of work to make it to the reincarnation of the Hub-Bub hosted “SoapBox Sessions !!” out at the Nu-Way, as those are THE best jam nights/open mic events EVER! That’s next Wednesday, by the way, and they’ve been in hiatus for about a year it seems, but it’s not just music, I’ve seen people do impressions and comedy, juggle, electrify fruit, rant off bizarre poetry, reenact death defying feats by Evel Knievel, pull the crowd into interactive skits, and all kinds of other interesting stuff. So, I’m looking forward to that obviously, and not to mention having the chance to play some new songs for someone other then my dog.
Sounds like a very full weekend indeed, chAng.
The art walk sounds like a great event. Oh wait. I work till nine Thursday evenings. Maybe they will do it again soon. Several interesting things happening Friday evening too. Oh wait same work schedule. Saturday? Never mind as I will be a cutting, foiling and blow dry fiend until 7pm. Saturdays are always busy. After which I do my usual Saturday evening activity, Crash on the soft and horizontal surface at my house. AH there is Sunday. No wait. I have a continuing ed class I need to take to maintain my licensing. So hope it is not boring of the mind numbing variety like that last two years. I’d rather be going to that kickball event. I suck at kickball, but it’s so much fun to play.
That Art Walk sounds interesting.
I’m not sure what we are doing on Saturday, but on Sunday we are going up to Charlotte. The Discovery Place science museum has an exhibit on Pompeii that we have tickets to see. Last year they had the Dead Sea Scrolls traveling exhibit which we enjoyed. So, I’m looking forward to this one. I think our son will find more to interest him at this exhibit since he has read about Pompeii in some of his books. He didn’t really understand the significance of the the Dead Sea Scrolls last year, but then what seven-year old would.
I know it isn’t a “local” event, but my wife is from the Charlotte area, so it feels local to us.
So far, it seems like the winner of the weekend — or pre-weekend, rather — is the Art Walk. I wish I’d known about it earlier, or I would have hyped it a bit more.
Thankfully, they’ll be doing one a month through next August, so you’ll have plenty of chances to do it again. Even in the cold of winter, art walks can be fun. I mean, you can dress up (or not) and wander around town talking about art and looking at stuff, all the while mingling with other people doing the exact same thing. Sounds like a blast to me.
Sylvie: Any chance you can knock off from work an hour early or something on Thursday? I mean, this is for art, after all.
Hi Steve,
The site looks good. The weekend for me, here in AV, will revolve around Brewgrass!
Edgy Mama: Thanks for swinging by, and giving some cross-blog love. For those of you who don’t know Edgy Mama, she writes the best darn parenting column in the whole of Western North Carolina. Check her out at http://www.edgymama.com or http://www.mountainx.com/features/edgymama/
Brewgrass, eh? Would you believe I never went to one? I bet there’d be quite a demand for a similar event here in Spartanburg.
Hey man,
I appreciate that you might go to the theatre for all the wrong reasons. Actually sometimes I go, hoping that it’ll either be really good or really bad, because, you know, middle of the road just gives you nothing to talk about.
But as the Director of Peter Pan (and a resident of your home neighborhood) I’ll give you this much. Get out there, spend your $28 bucks and if you don’t like, aren’t impressed, and aren’t surprised that we can put something like this on with Spartanburg talent on stage and behind, then I will personally refund your $28.
There you have it.
Love your blog and your contribution to Spartanburg. Keep it up.
My hubby is playing Captain Hook in SLT’s Peter Pan so I will be babysitting.
So that means maybe blogging, having a glass of wine, reading this blog, etc. SO y’all keep me entertained.
t
Jay: The gauntlet has been thrown down, eh?
Don’t worry — I wasn’t ragging on your production in particular. “Peter Pan” is a notoriously tricky musical to pull off flawlessly (people flitting about on wires, audience participation for Tink, working with kids). While I’ll cop to a little schadenfreude in my theater-going experiences, I’ve not heard anything that makes me think your production isn’t worth the ticket price.
I’ll certainly make an effort to catch the show. If you feel like comping me a ticket, I’ll even write about the experience.
There’s also a potluck lunch this Saturday at the city of Spartanburg’s oldest surviving house, the Seay House. The Hub-Bub Artists in Residence have been at the house creating artwork all week and everyone’s invited to come see what they’ve made.
The lunch begins at noon on Saturday, so bring a tasty dish and sample some local treats! The Seay House (built around 1795) is located off of Crescent Avenue on Darby Road. There are signs at the intersection of Crescent and S. Church St. and Crescent and Reidville Rd. The house is only open a handful of weekends through the year and is maintained by the Spartanburg County Historical Association.
He he, yes it has.
Didn’t take it as such. Believe me, I’ve seen enough bad theatre to the point where I was clinically depressed by the thought. And if it’s not going to be good, then at least let it be REALLY bad.
It’s a gauntlet, but a friendly gauntlet.
Email me.