Despite what you may have heard before, nobody hates saying “I told you so.” One of the few universal truths about people is that we all love being right. Some of us may love it more than others, but nobody hates it. Needless to say, I’ve never hated being right. In fact,... »

After weeks of begging and pleading for the citizens of Spartanburg to get their vlog on. I’m pleased to announce that we’ve had someone answer the call. Local musician, blogger, Photoshop aficionado, and all-around renaissance man Bryan “ChAng” Teague posted this cool video critiquing a jam night event at Blues Blvd. Speaking... »

When it comes to local blogs featuring artists whose work is inspired by nature, Middlewood Journal (literally) stands alone. This week artist Helen posted a cool looking drawing of some sun-bleached deer bones, and as always, she posted a nice description of how she came to create this particular drawing. Then, as I crossed... »

In sticking with the Spark’s recent appeal for more people to participate in local video-making and video blogging, this week we’re highlighting a few local musicians who have already made the leap to video. If you think about it for a moment, online videos are actually a big leap forward for local talent in... »

Hey Spartanburg! Do you have some interesting plans for the weekend? Something you’d like to share with the rest of the class? Here’s the place to do just that. Someone has to go first, don’t they? Allow me to take that first plunge into the icy waters of sharing. Just don’t get your hopes up. Thursday:... »

Several months ago, I reached out to Community Journals, the regional publisher behind the Spartanburg Journal, offering to help them turn their then-terrible website into something people might actually want to visit on a regular basis. Initially, there was some interest in the possible collaboration, but after I sent a list of simple, common-sense... »

UPDATE: It’s fixed. Sorry for any problems. Let me know if you run into any issues with the new install. I’m fixing some issues with the online calendar. Assuming I don’t screw anything up, all of the events should still be safe. There was a problem with how it was connecting to the database which... »

This week on the Hub City Brew Review we’re taking on RJ Rockers Buckwheat Ale. This American-style Hefeweizen is a winner in our book, with a fruity, white wine-like nose, and a refreshing, golden malty taste. RJ Rockers pulls this style off pretty well, making an ale comparable to some of the... »

At Monday’s meeting, Spartanburg City Council gave final approval to two rezoning requests. 700 Wofford Street was originally designated B-1 (Neighborhood Shopping District) and will now be designated R-8 (General Residential District) to allow for the construction of new Habitat for Humanity Homes. 778 South Church Street was rezoned from B-1 to... »

Cleaning the fridge is undoubtedly one of my least favorite tasks. That is mostly because I am highly squeamish when it comes to odd textures and anything that time has altered its make-up to the point that it starts to produce spores. If you are like me you will relate to the following, if... »

There are weeks where I’m so anxious to write this column that I can barely contain my excitement (as lame as that sounds). Other weeks, I look at my Monday obligation to the local political blogosphere as a Sisyphean labor, the sort of maddening task that no person of sound mind would ever... »

Easily the most tedious post each week here on the Spark is “Video-O-Rama.” The reason for this is pretty simple: There just aren’t that many people in Spartanburg posting videos, unless you count the local car dealers posting video ads. So, rather than do yet another post where I put up the Library’s Monday... »

Hey, remember that one time last weekend when it snowed? That was pretty awesome right? Still, it’s pretty sweet to be able to walk outside and not freeze your ass off. To help hold those two conflicting thoughts in your mind, walk outside and enjoy yourself for a minute, and then... »

This week, I thought I’d go for something very simple and suggest that we all take a few moments to check out John Watson Video on YouTube. Watson has been capturing a lot of local concerts, most notably the Live at The Showroom series, and since we’re pushing pretty hard for more video coverage... »

As the various members of the Spark team experiment with their own variations on video blogs, I thought it was high time to post a video blog about how Spartanburg could benefit from a few more voices in the local video blogging community. Which brings us to this week’s Big Idea: Spartanburg needs more... »

This week on the HCBR we’re taking on RJ Rockers Bald Eagle Brown. This is a solid English Brown Ale from the hometown brewery. It’s got a nice toasted, chocolate malt flavor, with just enough hops to balance it out. The Bald Eagle Brown isn’t a very complex beer. In... »

According to a story in the Feb. 17th edition of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, a new nightclub called Rome will soon be coming to downtown Spartanburg. Local businessman Josey Wells recently signed a lease on the 28,000-square-foot building, which formerly housed Kimbrell’s Furniture. According to journalist Trevor Anderson, plans for the “upscale” club include “extravagant... »

When I informed people that I would be venturing out to local rock venue Ground Zero to catch a show, I immediately received mixed reviews on my choice. I was told it was in a bad neighborhood and that I should “watch out.” Now I’ve been to many punk and metal shows in my... »

Have you ever tried to do a simple task only to have so many interruptions that you pretty much want to give up and walk away from that task? If you are a parent, I am sure that the answer could be a resounding YES. So with that scenario in mind, I decided to... »

The easiest thing to write about in the political world is hypocrisy. It’s an easy topic because usually, you don’t have to look very far for examples of it. It’s everywhere, especially in South Carolina. Every time you turn your head in our great state there’s a politician taking a principled... »

Here’s a good tip for any of you aspiring musicians out there. Learn the name of the town you’re in, and mention it in a song that you “make up” on the spot. Got that? Well if you don’t, here’s a clip of up-and-coming singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson performing at USC-Upstate to... »