Dance Scene at the Nick, a new film series

By: Susan Lenz

On Monday night, Restless Creature: Wendy Whelan kicked off the Nickelodeon's new special programming series Dance Scene celebrating the best in contemporary dance-based cinema. Four more films are slated over the coming month of Monday evenings. Programming coordinator Amada Torruella described the series as "riveting tales of spirit and commitment, capturing the passions and partnerships that subtend the dance world." Each film is partnered with a local organization to highlight area dancers, artists and community leaders and their relationships to international dance movements.

Before the theater darkened for Restless Creature, Columbia City Ballet's artistic director William Starrett introduced principal dancer Regina Willoughby. Regina discussed her journey into ballet, her support system, and future plans after retirement. For Willoughby, dance is the fabric of her life, and her upcoming retirement will be a time for celebration. Using all of the available space, Regina then performed the first half of a new work she choreographed on herself to a piece by Dustin O’Halloran. When asked about the musical selection, Regina commented on the soft, new beginnings of the piece that builds in excitement only to end, abruptly but peacefully, much like she envisions this, her final year as a professional ballerina.

Between the film and Regina’s presentation, I learned something new and was truly entertained. I highly recommend this enlivened and well-curated series. Hope to see you on subsequent Monday nights!

For tickets and additional information on the Dance Scene series, please visit http://nickelodeon.org/. Below is a list of the upcoming films:

Alive and Kicking, a dynamic exploration of the history of swing dancing, will be screened on Monday, October 30th and is partnered with a performance by Palmetto Swing Dance Association.

KIKI, a film set in the New York LGTBQ community's dance and ballroom scene, will be screened on Monday, November 6th and is partnered with South Carolina Black Pride, featuring MeMe Revlon and Babe Ebony.

Rize, a documentary on clowning and krumping in Los Angeles, will be screened on Monday, November 13th and is partnered with Fuse Arts Alliance.

Mr. Gaga, a documentary on Ohad Naharin, the artistic director of the Batsheva Dance Company, will be screened on Monday, November 20th and is partnered with both Columbia City Ballet and modern dancer Carolina Lewis Jones.

REVIEW: Jellyroll & Delicious Dish - Secret World,

By: Michael Spawn

With the October 21st release of its latest studio venture, Secret World, Jellyroll & Delicious Dish have taken a swipe at the dubious notion that bar bands should stay in the bar.

A frequent presence on Columbia’s performance scene, the JR&DD business model is a humble but time-honored one: Get people in the door and keep them placated with songs they already like or love while generously peppering the setlist with original tunes that fit seamlessly in with the established favorites, unabashedly showcasing the influence of the artists who made the original songs possible in the first place. In short, it’s music for it’s own sake, playing for the love of the game--unpompous, void of ego or pretense.

So it is with Secret World. Produced by fellow Columbia music fixture Rev. Marv Ward, the eight original compositions (plus one reprise) that make up the record reveal a JR&DD firing on every cylinder. The songs of bandleader and primary writer Bentz Kirby, which tend toward the mellower side of country and folk-influenced rock, succeed because Kirby has the faith in them necessary to let them stand on their own merits, be they politically charged lyrics, singalong choruses, or stirring sentimentality. Due to a near-fatal cardiac episode five years ago, Kirby takes it easy on himself concerning his vocal work, which has replaced booming power with an easygoing sweetness that services the songs without trouble. The vocal thunder comes courtesy of vocalists May Evans Kirby and Jenn McCallister, who mostly do backup work but take the lead (and writing credit) on two of Secret World’s tracks,  the jazzy, sultry “Emotional Glasses,” and the blues ballad “Take Your Coat,” respectively. As with Bentz’s songs, these two highlight the talents of their creators and recreate the relaxed atmosphere of the best JR&DD shows.

In all, Secret World is refreshing release from a band whose simple love of their craft and disdain for gimmickry is evident on every track.

Some Things Never Die: Decades of Columbia City Ballet's Dracula

by Susan Lenz

In the spring of 1994, William Starrett came to my little frame shop with an order for Columbia City Ballet. Easily, he talked me into exchanging my services for performance tickets. I took my six year old son to the next performance: The Ballet Tara. It was not critically acclaimed, but we didn’t know any better. We loved it and very much looked forward to the next season’s opening show, Dracula: Ballet with a Bite.  

We loved Dracula too. My son left the Koger Center asking for dance lessons. He wanted nothing more than to be on the stage with the Undead. Looking back, I can now see that even a six-year-old boy might feel the attraction of half-clad female vampires using their sexuality to lure men into rolling around on the floor of hot red and passionate purple stage set. What’s not to like when the contract-required long hair of the female cast is part of the choreography? Alluringly slung in full head tosses? The seduction hasn’t changed since Dracula debuted in 1991. 

Yet, much else has. And change is necessary. This is the twenty-second time Dracula has been part of Columbia City Ballet’s season (since 1991, there were a couple years when Dracula’s Revenge or Frankenstein was done instead of the original cult classic.) There is a constant need to update costumes, props, and sets. Every year demands a physically grueling number of rehearsals to introduce new dancers to their parts and ease seasoned dancers into new roles. Over the years, additional music has enhanced the original ASCAP award-winning score by the late composer Thomas E. Samanski. 

Jason Cobb, Office and Educational Outreach Manager, showing off a package of Dracula fangs.)

Even the fangs have changed. Early productions required dancers to visit Tom Hoffman, the company dentist, for full mouth impressions. Nowadays, thermoplastic fangs come in tiny coffin boxes from Dracula House. This year’s show will feature a new Gothic chair fashioned after a set designer’s recent trip visiting Eastern European castles. There’s a new character too: Renfield, Dracula’s weird, fly-eating minion.

Katie Heaton and Amanda Summey, members of the Undead.

Obviously, the cast has changed every year. In 1991 Gillian Murphy, now principal at American Ballet Theater in New York City, danced as a senior apprentice. William Starrett portrayed the protagonist, Jonathan Harker, but would later become Count Dracula before retiring.

In 1994, I left my younger son at home. He had just turned four and was in pre-kindergarten with Amanda Summey, one of this year’s Undead. By 1996, my elder son did appear in Dracula. He was one of the children in an idyllic picnic scene with Bonnie Boiter-Jolley, now a soloist with the Ballet and a Maiden of Darkness who is featured on this year’s advertisement poster.

Over the years, and now decades, I’ve seen Dracula: Ballet with a Bite dozens of times. It’s part of my never-dying Halloween tradition. I always look forward to the same campy, sexy fun as well as the updates and transitions that keep the production fresh.

For tickets to the show, please visit http://www.kogercenterforthearts.com

7:00 PM Friday, October 27, 2017
7:00 PM Saturday, October 28, 2017

There is masquerade “Gala with a Bite” ball after Friday’s performance. This ticketed event will be held at City Market Place, 705 B Gervais Street. Tickets can be ordered atbrownpapertickets.com/event/2962339 or by calling (803) 799-7605. On Saturday, there is a 6:00 PM pre-show lecture in the Koger Center Ballroom with Artistic Director William Starrett. During Saturday’s intermission, over $100 in prizes will be awarded through a costume competition for audience members. Dracula: Ballet with a Bite is also scheduled for Charleston’s Sottile Theater at 7:00 PM on Halloween night.

A Place for Every Dancer: Civic Ballet

By: Susan Lenz

When my husband Steve Dingman finished his PhD, he accepted a job here in Columbia. We moved in January 1987 and shortly thereafter, I got pregnant and we bought a house. We considered this the beginning of our "real lives" as tax-paying adults and felt the thrill of doing cultural things like attending the ballet. We'd never seen the Nutcracker and were excited to attend a Thanksgiving weekend performance at the Township Auditorium. Columbia City Ballet, a civic company, had guest dancer William Starrett performing the role of the Cavalier Prince. Little did we know that the local dance scene was about to change radically.

By the next year, Columbia City Ballet became a professional company under the direction of William Starrett. Instead of amateurs performing almost all the roles (hiring guest professionals only as needed, generally for leading male parts requiring complicated partnering), a professional troupe was hired. Paid dancers replaced local high school students. Ideally, this meant Columbia's audiences could expect a higher level of technical ability and better quality. It also meant that local student dancers had fewer opportunities to perform. That's when Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet was founded, a civic company to continue the tradition of training pre-professional dancers. 

Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet is still mounting the Nutcracker at the Township Auditorium over every Thanksgiving weekend. This is their 30th year. All 163 dancers who auditioned last August were cast. Co-artistic director John Whitehead said, "It is our duty and responsibility to find a place for everyone. We make the dancers look good because they make the production look good." Over the years, several have gone from being mice to Sugar Plum Fairy. A civic company provides a unique training ground with performing opportunities. When I asked about the difficulties of casting, John explained that age, ability, and height are important factors. Plus, there are only so many costumes and dancers in particular scenes. (For example, there are only twenty Bon-Bon outfits.)

Rehearsals for this year's show have been underway for weeks. The dancers come from a variety of different ballet schools and programs. Older dancers rehearse every weekday evening after their regular ballet class plus Saturdays and Sundays. Younger dancers come on the weekends from 2 to 5:30. There are guest performers too, including Chris Beattie, a character actor who has been the Rat King for twenty-three years. Miss Libby's Dance School in Sumter sends tap dancing soldiers for the battle scene. The second act opens to the angelic voices of Capella Pueri, St. Peter's Catholic School choir under the direction of Andrew Kotylo. Neil Casey conducts The Columbia Festival Orchestra throughout the show.

I asked John Whitehead if he ever tired of this annual production. Confidently, he said no. He finds personal revitalization in the energy of the kids. I asked his co-artistic director Mimi Worrell if she had ever been Clara, the most coveted role for a young girl. No. Her first part was as a Party Girl. Over the years, she has danced just about every other role either as an amateur in a civic show or for pay in a professional company.

Over the years, I've seen plenty of Nutcracker productions, with choreography as different as George Balanchine's to Septime Webre's and companies as far away as Pacific Northwest and London's Royal Ballet. Yet, the one I know the best is still Ann Brodie's at Carolina Ballet. I will always love seeing young dancers living their dream and growing up on stage from part to part. 

Tickets are available by calling (803) 576-2350 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com

Dates and times for the production are:

• Friday, November 24, 2017 - 7:30pm

• Saturday, November 25, 2017 - 7:30pm

• Sunday, November 26, 2017 - 3:00pm

Audition Hopes and Dreams in Columbia Dance

By: Susan Lenz

Columbia City Ballet is busy rehearsing both Emanuel: Love is the Answer for their October 20th performance at Charleston Music Hall and for Dracula: Ballet with a Bite that will be staged in multiple locations in the southeast.  Columbia Classical Ballet is busy rehearsing Imagine: Ballet Rocks for its October 13th show here at the Koger Center and for another weekend in West Virginia. These are busy, professional companies. 

And behind the scenes they are both also getting ready for the annual holiday tradition called Nutcracker. Most ballet companies in the United States depend on this one production to "pay the bills" for the rest of the season. This one show is a mainstay in Columbia's dance scene, and there's good reason for it.

In an online Christmas eve 2014 Time Magazine article, Sarah Begley and Julia Lull explain the relatively recent Nutcracker phenomena. Ten years after San Francisco Ballet first brought the full-length ballet to America in 1944, New York City Ballet's George Balachine cast thirty-five children in his iconic choreography. Ever since, children have been part of the visual and financial equation. As the article points out, "when your kid's in the show, you've gotta see it—and you probably have to reserve tickets for the whole extended family, too. That means whether you have a young star or just a young audience member, if you're only going to see one ballet per year, it will probably be The Nutcracker."

Music commentator Miles Hoffman once told NPR, "for thousands and thousands of children [The Nutcracker has] been their first exposure both to ballet and to classical music."  That is certainly the case here in Columbia. Over the years, I've personally watched young dancers grow up through the available roles, from mouse to bon-bon to party girl to a dancing flower blossom. Hopes and dreams hang on auditions. 

So, recently I went to Lancaster, one of eight locations where Columbia City Ballet Artistic Director William Starrett and staff cast children for their company's Nutcracker tour. I met fourteen-year-old Joey Effren, who has been on-pointe for four years. She's hoping to become a snowflake in her third appearance in the annual show. Eleven-year-old Grayson Knox auditioned on-pointe for the first time. She hopes to be in the party scene. It was eight-year-old Carmela Tiedt's first audition for CCB. She's seen the Charlotte Ballet's Nutcracker for the past several years. In two weeks, Carmela and the others will receive their audition results in the mail. If cast, the letter will include a twice-per-week over five-weeks rehearsal schedule. Columbia City Ballet sends a ballet mistress to teach all the parts and steps to every location. They also bring all of the costuming, from town to town and cast to cast. The logistics are mind-boggling. Little Carmela is hoping there are mouse ears and a tail in her future.

Columbia Classical Ballet isn't holding open auditions this year. They cast children from their official training site, Pavlovich Ballet School. Artistic Director Radenko Pavlovich said that past open auditions became "a nightmare" because of conflicting rehearsal schedules, family vacations, school commitments, and outside activities. Besides, Columbia Classical Ballet's professional dancers are having to learn two completely different Nutcracker choreographies. They have their own show, but are also dancing the major roles for a production with Charleston Ballet in Charleston, West Virginia. That cast will include local children who are learning directions and staging before the professional company arrives. Nutcracker is far more complicated that the fairy-tale picture it paints on stage.

As audience members, we are lucky here in Columbia because we have a variety of opportunities to see the production. My advice is to see the show more than once. This is an excellent chance to compare the two professional companies and to see hopes and dreams danced out on stage. Below is a listing of dates and ticket information.

But there's more!

I haven't mentioned the civic company here in town. Ann Brodie's Carolina Ballet is a pre-professional civic ballet company that annually presents The Nutcracker at the Township Auditorium over Thanksgiving weekend. Most roles, even the major parts, are danced by local talent. Casting happened in late August. They are already well into rehearsals and I'll blog about this upcoming show at a later time!

Columbia City Ballet's Nutcracker performances at the Koger Center:

3:00 PM Saturday, December 9, 2017
7:30 PM Saturday, December 9, 2017
3:00 PM Sunday, December 10, 2017
3:00 PM Saturday, December 16, 2017
7:30 PM Saturday, December 16, 2017
3:00 PM Sunday, December 17, 2017

Columbia Classical Ballet's Nutcracker performances at the Koger Center:

7:30 PM Friday, December 1, 2017
3:00 PM Saturday, December 2, 2017
7:30 PM Saturday, December 2, 2017
3:00 PM Sunday, December 3, 2017

Tickets to either company's complete season are available on the Koger Center website:

www.kogercenterforthearts.com

JerryFest in Five Points: A Celebration of the Life and Art of Jerry Garcia

By Karie Grace Duncan

On Sunday, October 1, Loose Lucy’s and The Five Points Association will host JerryFest in Five Points to celebrate the life and art of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. 

This will be George Fetner’s fourth year playing at Jerryfest with his band George Fetner and The Strays. The band formed just in time to perform at JerryFest in 2013, the last year that JerryFest was hosted at Jake’s on Devine.

Fetner emailed Jenn McCallister, owner of Loose Lucy’s and host of JerryFest about the opportunity to play at Jerryfest. When she said yes, Fetner and another guitarist friend from college, Anthony Charles, formed a band with Matt Fenech on drums and Cory Takach on bass. 

“That’s where I got the name The Strays from,” says Fetner. “Anthony was from a different time in my life. Cory was from a different time. Matt’s from a different time.”

The band instantly clicked with each other and with the crowd at JerryFest. “We had a lot of people who were really enthusiastic about it who said ‘you guys really took the spirit to another level,’” says Fetner. 

Fetner and The Stays performance at JerryFest is different from the band’s original performances because they feel a responsibility to represent the vibe of The Grateful Dead.

“We try very hard to recreate the sound of the group,” says Fetner. “We want the people in the audience to close their eyes and say, ‘this feels like a show’”

“Hopefully after a couple of minutes, they’re hooked and can trust us with what we do,” says Fetner. 

But getting the vibe right isn’t just about sounding like The Dead for Fetner and JerryFest goers.
“Part of The Dead’s music was the experience and having fun,” says Fetner.

“Especially in the early days of their band, they didn’t see a separation from their band and the scene,” says Fetner. “So they didn’t see themselves as getting on stage and performing for you, they saw themselves as sort of a medium for having fun and having a community. It’s hard to find that in a genuine way with original music.” 

Going to see JerryFest at the Five Points fountain with a group of Columbia area Deadheads comes close to that experience for Fetner because it fosters that community aspect. 

“It makes you feel like ‘I wish this could happen every time that we played’ or ‘I wish this could happen to every band in the scene every time,’” says Fetner. 

Even more than that community aspect, JerryFest brings back the peace, love, and music spirit of the ‘70s that was embodied by The Grateful Dead. 
“It’s hard not to be in nostalgia a little bit with a band that is around 50 years old,” says Fetner.

As the second biggest Five Points event each year, JerryFest is a place for everyone. 

“If you are a Deadhead it’s probably the most fun event to go to without having to pay $30 to see a touring cover band. This localizes it,” says Fetner. “If you’ve never listened to them, but you’re curious you should come because it’s super fun and it’s free and you get to experience the crowd aspect and some interesting people.”

Fetner will play with Fetner and the Strays and Alien Carnival at this year’s JerryFest. The other bands in the line-up are Cletus Baltimore, Stillhouse, and Ring Around the Sun.

In between sets, JerryFest attendees have the opportunity to participate in the Columbia Community Drum Circle and buy from a list of vendors. 

“If you ever went to a show, in the parking lot there was always people selling stuff and people who live on the road with the band and go from show to show,” says Fetner. “It wouldn’t be a JerryFest if there wasn’t some kind of vending going on.” 

The drum circle gives everyone at the concert the chance to be a part of the community that surrounds JerryFest.

“One of the biggest things that you can get from this kind of show is the feeling that you’re in it together, you’re in it with other people,” says Fetner. 

Deadhead or not, open yourself up to the experience of the Columbia arts community and you’ll have a great time at JerryFest. 

“Usually the people who are open like that can sneak right in the crowd and start high fiving people and the people who have seen a million Dead shows don’t know that this person is new to the scene, says Fetner.

JerryFest is a pet and family friendly, outdoor event. Vendors include food, clothing, and crafts from: Drifter Merch, Emerald’s Artistry, Hermana Luna, Hippy Do-Da, Sun.Salt.Moon, Sunshine Terrapin, Waccamaw Naturals. 
 

Up Close and Personal: Columbia Classical Ballet's first "Studio Series"

by Dance Editor Susan Lenz

Yesterday was the first time I've been inside Columbia Classical Ballet's rehearsal space near the corner of Trenholm and Forest. I came for the first of three "Studio Series" events. Two rows of folding chairs lined the mirrored wall and were filled to capacity.  Everyone was personally welcomed. Wine and light hors d'oevres were served in an adjoining area, with the Ballet collecting monetary donations and distributing information about season memberships, program advertisement opportunities, and company sponsorship levels. The event began with several brief pleas for financial assistance.  I didn't really mind the dollar-and-cent focus.  Arts funding in Columbia really is at an all time low.  More people need to both attend and contribute to performing arts…and, well...to ALL OF THE ARTS.

The dancing started nearly on time. Testosterone spun, leapt, and was barely contained by the six bare-chested young men who began the program with new choreography meant to feature their athleticism. The energy and applause grew, however, with classical variations, especially the pas de deux from Le Corsaire. The entire company filled the space for the final number.  As impressive as the talent was, the nearness to the performers was the highlight of the experience. The audience could see muscles flexing, sweat beads forming, and truly feel the strength and passion that goes into the lives of these dancers.

Afterward, I asked Hayden Slaff, a new recruit fresh from two seasons with National Ballet in DC, what he enjoyed most about the afternoon. His answer in a nutshell:  Seeing the faces in the audience. What he liked best was a two-way street. Columbia Classical Ballet's "Studio Series" is an up-close and personal opportunity to witness dance and dancers. I highly recommend this series.

"Studio Series" continues on Sunday, November 5, 2017 and Sunday, February 11, 2017.  Both begin at 5:00. To attend, visit http://columbiaclassicalballet.com and fill out the online reservation or dial (803) 252-9112.  I hope to see you there!

The Dance Season Starts (with Gamecocks Athletics) by Susan Lenz

Fall is my favorite time of year! It's a seasonal thing. The local dance scene gets kicked off and college football swings into action. The only thing better would be an event featuring both. 

Guess what? It's going to happen on September 23rd during the Gamecock vs. the LouisianaTech Bulldog halftime show. This summer, athletic band director Cormac Cannon teamed up with USC dance company director Susan Anderson to stage "Dancing with the Stars." Dance majors with partner basketball great A'ja Wilson, WIS weatherman Tim Miller, student body president Alex Lordo, and Anya Martin (the men's basketball coach's better half).  All involved have been practicing long hours.

Unfortunately, the Gamecock team will be in their locker room during the show. They'd be good dance critics.  Sixteen members took Susan Anderson's Dance Appreciation course over the summer. A'ja Wilson took it during her freshman year. At the University of South Carolina (like the mission of Jasper Magazine), interdisciplinary approaches are fundamental. That's team spirit!

So ... a-one-and-a-two and a Go Cocks!  Dance your heart out this season.

Later this week I'll be posting my impressions of Columbia Classical Ballet's first "Studio Series." It will be my first, real review. My hopes for the season are to initiate critical conversation about the experience of seeing dance performances as well as to inform the public of upcoming local dance events.

Susan Lenz is a full time, professional studio artist in Columbia, South Carolina. Her studio is located at Mouse House, Inc. at 2123 Park Street where she has both a studio for 3D sculptural and installation work and a separate fiber art studio. Susan's work has been juried into numerous national and international exhibits, featured in solo shows all over the United States, and shown on television and in print. She has been awarded six full scholarship art residencies and several "Best of Show" ribbons. She also serves as Jasper's Dance Editor. 

New Staff Writer Susan Lenz Introduces Herself

My name is Susan Lenz and I finally accepted Jasper's invitation to write about dance. I was asked before, more than once. I turned the offers down. Why? Well, I didn't feel qualified. I'm still not really qualified to be a dance critic. My personal experience is mostly confined to elementary school Friday afternoons inside the Slippery Rock Volunteer Fire Department using the back of a folding chair as a ballet barre. This experience, however, let me fall in love with the idea of dancing, so much so that in the early 1990s I agreed to exchange my services as a custom picture framer for tickets to the ballet. I took my six year old son. He begged for lessons. I gave in when he was eight.  He's now a principal dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet in England. Since that time, I've seen a lot of dance, all over the world—and more than just ballet.

While I don't really know dance vocabulary or history, I am now undoubtedly an expert audience member. I will be writing about local dance from that particular point of view. I plan to address theater etiquette, the difference between civic and professional companies, realistic expectations from productions, and background information regarding all those items listed in dancer's biographies. I'd like to write about live music and canned music, costuming and set limitations, education and outreach, as well as touring, auditions, and special previews. I hope to interview a few artistic directors, corporate sponsors, company staff, parents, and, of course, dancers! My aim is to increase awareness of the opportunities to witness dance in Columbia but also to provide insider information that will make our audiences better informed, eager for quality, and excited about every upcoming show. To that end, I invite dancers, dance organizations, and anyone interested in dance to make suggestions for future blog posts!

Susan Lenz is a full time, professional studio artist in Columbia, South Carolina. Her studio is located at Mouse House, Inc. at 2123 Park Street where she has both a studio for 3D sculptural and installation work and a separate fiber art studio. Susan's work has been juried into numerous national and international exhibits, featured in solo shows all over the United States, and shown on television and in print.  

Curator Catherine Walworth Talks That 70's Show at Columbia Museum of Art

By: Jasper Intern Karie Grace Duncan

The main text of That 70’s Show sits in a beanbag-filled room on a citron wall, right alongside two optical art pieces that move more on your eye the longer you stare.

“This gallery in particular is about experience,” says Catherine Walworth, curator of the exhibition at the Columbia Museum of Art. “This gallery is meant to just have beanbags and [to be] experienced slowly. And you can pull them up to whatever piece you want.

This room is one of the two galleries that comprise the colorful ‘70s exhibition where Walworth will give a gallery talk on July 18.

“I think that so much of the exhibition is about getting back to that old-fashioned id ea of lived experience, [so] a gallery talk is fitting,” says Walworth. “I'm excited to have a more informal format so the audience can share their own historical memories and ideas as we go along and touch on certain points that the works themselves raise.”

The 27 works in the exhibition certainly have a lot of points to raise about the ‘70s and what that radical decade means in context today.

“People often wonder what was the most dominant art form; well, there wasn’t one,” says Walworth. “It was about all of these other voices emerging, making artwork about their personal experiences.”

Many of those emerging voices can be found on the geometric wallpaper timeline designed for and displayed in the That ‘70s Show exhibition. The decade was a hotbed of political and cultural firsts, including the women’s liberation movement, the gay liberation movement, and the American Indian movement.

“All of these people suddenly have a seat at the table and their artwork does as well,” says Walworth.

Each work is also from the museum’s collection and most aren’t often or haven’t recently been on view because of their medium. Even some pieces that the museum had hoped to show, like an Emma Amos print that had long lingered in storage and a faded Sam Gilliam painting, ended up missing in action due to their lengthy archival stays.

Still, museum goers will be happy to see that several big name artists like Andy Warhol, James Rosenquist, Robert Indiana, and Robert Rauschenberg made it into the exhibition, but their impact on the exhibition is greater than their celebrity.

“A lot of these artists that are big names were making big shifts in their careers in the 70s, so it’s great to have that conversation and see their work in context this way,” says Walworth. Some of those shifts are to producing hand-made, woozy art that exemplifies the essence of the ‘70s which is the focal point of one section of the exhibition.

The other focus of the exhibition is a political one that asks, “what was going on in the ‘70s? And why does it matter today?” A question that Walworth says is important for people to ask.

“All of the civil liberties that came about in the 70s, they came roaring forward and [people] said ‘we all need to be heard and have rights and dignity,’” says Walworth. “That [listening] is what museums are supposed to do all the time. So, I think [the exhibition] is a lovely reinforcement of that idea.”

As her first fully curated, in-house organized exhibition for the Columbia Museum of Art, it’s a personal one for Walworth. “I finally get to have my own voice. So, this show is just mine, which is great,” says Walworth.

Between getting her masters from University of Washington and doctorate from The Ohio State University, she worked on “Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique,” a large exhibition about the 1900s World’s Fair with multiple international loans and large Faberge eggs at the Cleveland Museum of Art. But not every exhibition needs to be so large to be so impressive.

“The exciting thing for me since I’ve been here are the little moments when people come up and say that they really got it or it was exciting for them,” says Walworth. “It’s not the big Faberge eggs, it’s the little chestnuts that are really great for me.”

Walworth wants to continue cultivating those little chestnuts by displaying more of the museum’s little-known modern and contemporary art pieces in the museum’s 2018 reopening.

“The museum's collection belongs to the people of Columbia and the people of South Carolina,” says Walworth. “So I want to bring surprises out to them and show them more of what belongs to them.”

Call For Jasper Artist of the Year 2017 Nominations

Nominations for

Jasper Artists of the Year 2017

in

Dance, Music, Theatre, Literature, & Visual Arts

Will be accepted from Tuesday, July 11th thru Monday, August 14th

For the period of July 31, 2016 – July 31, 2017

Individual Artists, 18 and older, working in the greater Columbia arts community are eligible for the title based upon their artistic accomplishments during the period from July 31, 2016 through July 31, 2017.

Nominations MUST be sent to editor@Jaspercolumbia.com with the subject heading “Artist of the Year” and MUST be accompanied by a numbered list of works or accomplishments produced or performed during the designated time period.

Results will be announced in the September issue of Jasper Magazine. Upon closing of the nomination call, a panel of judges will select the top three candidates in each field, and the public will be invited to vote online for their top choices.

The category Dance includes:  performance, choreography, or direction of any form of dance including, but not limited to ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, folk, or dance-based performance art.

The category Theatre includes: directing or acting in one or more local performances.

The category Music includes: conducting, directing, writing, or performing any style of music in one or more local concerts or recordings; both individuals and groups are eligible.

The category Visual Arts includes: the completion & presentation of a form of non-performing or non-literary arts, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, print-making, mixed-media, etc.

The category Literary Arts includes: the completion, publication, and/or presentation of any form of prose, poetry, or non-fiction writing, as well as playwriting and the writing of executed screenplays.

Only individual artists may be considered for nomination. While arts groups, such as musical groups or arts troupes, are no longer eligible for consideration, individuals within those groups may be nominated. The purpose of the awards is to recognize artistic achievements accomplished within a calendar year. There is no fee to enter. Artists may nominate themselves. Artists should be made aware of their nomination before their official nomination and agree to participate in the competition.

Guitarist/Composer George Fetner Plays Tapp's Songversations Series

Jasper Intern Bradley Dountz Learns More about Guitarist and Composer George Fetner leading up to his July 11 Appearance at Tapp's Songversations Series

George Fetner originally started to play piano when he was a kid, then his family moved and that was when he decided to pick up the guitar.

“I had a summer where I just didn’t know anybody so I taught myself a bunch of stuff,” Fetner said.

This got him to start studying the techniques of musicians like The Dave Matthews Band, but it was his piano origins that still clung to his musical sensibilities. Fetner has a strong affinity for classical, chamber, and orchestral music, which has led him to compose more classical pieces on the guitar and in other outlets even as he pursues “popular” music at the same time.

“It’s always a balance for me; that’s just a big balancing act between wanting to do the rock stuff or focus more on composing,” Fetner said about his musical direction.

It wasn’t until he went to the University of South Carolina, when Fetner got to study under and become influenced by composers like John Fitz Rogers and Reginald Bain, that he really hit his stride.     

“In different ways, they’re very concerned with timbre and orchestration,” Fetner said. Rogers does more classical music while Bain does more electronic music, but Fetner connected with both, and the diverse lessons helped him grow as a musician. He has composed both classical and electronic music for musicians to perform in such far-flung places as the Netherlands and Italy.

“It was cool to go over there and work with musicians, most of them were American who had come over, too,” Fetner said about his time working in Europe. 

This past March Fetner released his latest album Some Things We’ll Change, a cozy booklet of acoustic folk ballads that call back to greats like Paul Simon and James Taylor. Fetner recorded the whole album by himself, a process which helped his perspective on music as a whole grow in a new way.

“It takes a lot of objectivity, a lot of cleansing your ears, your palate, to kind of go back and go ‘What am I listening for? Does my voice actually sound good? Is my timing right?,’” he explains. “I’m sure if I listened to it now I would find so many mistakes in it.”

This isolated way of working, of personally trying to be so many different elements to the recording process was something Fetner was glad to do, but he thinks he knows what truly makes music so important to so many people.

“Music is collaborative in general; I have been classically-inspired [and composition-driven], but music is meant to be performed, it’s meant to be heard. Up until 100 years ago you experienced it once and if you wanted to hear it again you had to wait until somebody was gonna perform it again. I still think that’s part of our DNA,” Fetner said.

That’s what makes his performance in Songversations on July 11th so special. After going to past Songversations, this will be his first time performing there as well.

“It’s pretty fun. It’s kind of a cool thing, I wish more solo shows would be like that where people could just yell stuff out,” Fetner said.  “Any chance I can get to do this format where it’s just me and the guitar and I’m super exposed and gonna mess up and kind of see what happens, I’m excited for that part of it.”

After Songversations, Fetner’s band, George Fetner and The Strays, will be recording a new EP in August, but he still loves to compose for other people.

“Just in the past couple of years, I’ve gotten comfortable with or more okay with the fact that every time I’m in the middle of something, I wanna do the other thing,” Fetner said. “Trying to continue to just write and just try and get better at it, that really is all that I ever want to do.”

The performance will be at Tapp’s Art Center on July 11th at 7 p.m. and will be co-hosted by Fetner and poet/arts organizer Al Black.

Preview: "Overdue: An Evening of Art and Music” at Richland Library on June 30

By: Jenna Schiferl 

Attempting to imagine what death feels like is uncomfortable. People rarely discuss it in casual conversation, despite it being one of the few shared experiences that every individual in existence will have in common.

Evan Meaney, a professor of Art and New Media at the University of South Carolina, has created an artificial way of experiencing what death may feel like through virtual reality.  Meaney is also a filmmaker, photographer, and a freelance programmer. In addition, he has previously worked at Tennessee Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which houses the supercomputers of America.

“We Will Love You Forever,” Meaney’s most recent VR project, debuted in Brazil two weeks ago. Guests at “Overdue: An Evening of Art and Music” at Richland Library on June 30 will be have the unique opportunity to experience it for themselves.

Meaney described his project as an exploration of imposter syndrome, a phenomenon where high-achieving adults constantly question their success and are unable to internally recognize their own accomplishments. This is often paired with a constant fear of being exposed as a “fraud” or feeling wildly under-qualified for certain tasks they are expected to perform.

It is difficult to accurately diagnose, so there is little concrete information about the prevalence of the syndrome; however, feelings of uncertainty and self-doubt are incredibly common.

“It’s how I think Kanye West feels sometimes. Love him or hate him, he is kind of a genius and he is misunderstood.  So I feel like he probably questions himself more than he lets on,” Meaney says.

In the simulator, the user creates what has been formally acknowledged as the most beautiful piece of artwork ever consumed by man.  After receiving copious praise from nondescript, featureless bodies, the room begins to collapse and eventually you arrive in hospice care, as you watch a generic PowerPoint presentation on how to die.

Meaney identified his project as one of dependent interactivity.  In the simulator, the user can walk around, nod ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ and even pick up items.  All of these opportunities lead to a greater and higher level of interactivity on a spectrum of user involvement.

“We Will Love You Forever” allows for users to “make art in the abyss, die on Earth, [and] decay on the Moon.”  Through this piece, Meaney ultimately asks one of the most poignant questions regarding death: “What if it is just nothing?”

Wray Bowling is another artist and programmer that will be presenting his work at Overdue. Bowling is currently an employee at the library as a user experience programmer and web developer.

After studying interactive multimedia in college, Bowling started experimenting with using code as a creative medium.

“I’m still a web developer, and I’m still an artist,” Bowling says.

The program that he will be using at Overdue is a jigsaw puzzle synthesizer.  It runs on a web browser and allows users to manipulate and adjust different variables in order to create a completely individual puzzle layout.

 After a puzzle is created, the file is exported and uploaded to a silhouette maker, where it is then cut onto old vinyl record covers. The entire process takes about 20 minutes to complete.

“It’s called a synth as opposed to a generator because it’s a synthesizer in more of an open interpretation of what that word means,” Bowling says. “Synthesis doesn’t mean a keyboard that looks like a piano and makes be-boop sounds. That’s not what it means at all. Synthesis is about taking lots of small, concrete ideas, and, when they work in unison together as a single unit, you synthesize something that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.”

Jordan Morris, a maker coordinator in the studio services department at the library, is one of the primary event organizers for Overdue.  The purpose of the event is to celebrate the opening of the first level of the library. The first level now houses an expandable auditorium that can seat between 150-200 people.  In addition, the renovations created a gallery space for local artists and the film and sound department.

The library hosted a similar event last year of the same name to celebrate the opening of the second floor makerspaces and studios. The second floor hosts everything from practical skills including woodworking and sewing classes to technical courses for recording equipment and computer programming.

After the passage of a bond referendum in 2013, RCPL has been challenging traditional norms associated with a library is capable of, and Overdue is no exception.  According to Emily Stoll, a media relations specialist at the library, many guests are surprised to learn about the courses that the Main branch offers.

Currently all of the technical equipment available for patrons to use must be kept in house, but the library staff has aspirations to one day have a lending library established.

“We’re always thinking ahead, we’re always thinking to that next step of how we can provide people access, and not only access, but free access.  It’s always something that we are exploring,” Stoll says.

Many of the artists at Overdue blend the lines between technology and art with what they create.

“It wasn't a conscious decision — just one of many aspects of making that we wanted to be able to offer the community.” Morris says, “It's a way to showcase some of the equipment that Richland Library has available for people to explore. This technology might be too expensive to invest in personally, but it’s free here.”

This year, there will be double the amount of artists and interactive opportunities at Overdue, in addition to three fresh new bands.  RBTS WIN, Contour, and DJ Siji will perform at the event, which begins at 7 p.m.

Q&A with Barbarian Rap League Founders--Next Battle June 11, 2017 @ New Brookland Tavern

Interview by Jasper intern Jasmine Ranjit

Battle rap is an art form unlike any other, combining insults with beats and boasts with rhythm. None do it better than the Barbarian Rap League from Columbia, S.C. The BLR, founded by rappers Marvolus and Gemstar Da Goldenchild, aim to create a platform where talented musicians can reach a larger audience. I interviewed BLR and asked them a few questions about rap battles, their ongoing feud with SEBL, and their performance this weekend.

How did the Barbarian Rap League begin?

The Barbarian Rap League was founded by the artists Marvolus and Gemstar Da Goldenchild, out of Columbia, S.C. The League idea came up by us watching URL SMACK battle rap on YouTube all day, and we wanted to bring that kind of platform to talent from our city. We got a venue and booked 3 battles. The event was a success, and the rest is history.

What is a major goal for BLR?

Our goal is simply to create a platform for talented battlers that want to pursue a career in battle rap and get them the exposure that they deserve whether it is locally or nationwide. For example, helping them get on URL SMACK stage the biggest battle rap platform in the world was a big accomplishment.

So you have Rap Battles between other groups including SEBL…?

Well, it's just friendly competition between leagues, SEBL, a league based out of Greenville, and us, based out of Columbia. It's pretty much City vs. City, their best vs. our best. We've had two big events: ‘Civil War 1’ which was in Columbia and ‘Civil War 2’ in Greenville. After the first Civil War, we gained a lot of respect for each other. There was a lot of animosity between us, but now those guys are like our brothers, shout-out to SEBL.

Is the environment of the event different from a concert setting?

Yes and no, because the music is like watching spoken word, boxing, and a comedy show combined. You’re still putting on a show. It's a different feel, but a good feel because you’re up there watching raw skill and talent. Any fan that has never been to a battle event live that finally comes becomes a constant fan.

Why is it important that your music is introduced through a rap battle?

It’s a new audience. You have battles that reach 1,000-6 million views…that market of fans that are interested in you as a battler will be interested in your music too.

There’s a battle this Sunday; what should the audience anticipate from this performance? 

This is going to be a hard-hitting, super dope event on Sunday. The co-owner and talent scout from URL SMACK, the biggest rap-battle stage in the world, will be in attendance and will be looking to give these guys a shot. Everybody will be coming with their absolute best.

The Barbarian Rap League is hosting a battle this Sunday at New Brooklyn Tavern. The event begins at 7:00.

Q&A with Southern Rockers Atlas Road Crew

By Jasper Intern Jenna Schiferl

Headlining Five After Five on June 4 is Atlas Road Crew, a South Carolina rock band with contemporary Southern flares. Jasper sat down with lead guitarist Taylor Nicholson to discuss new music, touring, and the band’s evolving sound.  

Q: When you were a student at USC did you know that you wanted to pursue music as a career?

TN: I wouldn’t say quite as much as a career, we just had fun playing around with our friends and stuff. I would say it was probably a couple years into school when we thought you know, “maybe we should give it a shot and see how far this will go.” So we did, but that was kind of toward the end — in the beginning it was just something to do with friends.

You guys go on tour a lot.  Is it difficult being on the road so often?

It has its ups and downs. I personally enjoy being on the road.  When I’m home I feel I like I should be doing something.  But when I’m on the road it’s always “go, go, go,” you know nonstop doing things, so I always feel occupied.  I enjoy meeting new people and getting to see different cities that I never would have.  Our longest time on the road was when we toured Europe last year.  We were in a van for about six weeks and travelled about 16,000 kilometers across Europe.  Definitely by the third week or so you’re kind of ready for it to be over, and then you realize “I have another three weeks.”  But over here in the states, our tours aren’t that extensive.  So if we’re gone for two weeks, that’s not that bad.  And we have a van so it’s not too cramped.  But I think for the most part we all enjoy it.

Your latest single, “My Own Way,” has a different sound than your previous album.  Was that a conscious decision, or did it just evolve naturally?

Yes! You know when we did Halfway To Hopkins we were fairly new to the whole thing, and we’re still kind of figuring that out now. We’re trying to develop a sound that is a little more, I guess just in general develop our own individual sound as a band, Atlas Road Crew. On Halfway To Hopkins some songs were kind of rock ‘n roll, and then others were a little toned down, it was kind of mixed up. So for this next album, we’ve been working on that and trying to really hone in on a sound that is very cohesive with all of the songs. This next album it is going to be different from the first album, but I think it’s going to be different in a good way. We’re excited, we’re going to be getting into the studio to start recording some of the tracks. We don’t have an exact release date yet, but we are excited to start working on this next album.

Has Southern heritage or Southern culture influenced your music?

I think it definitely comes out in some of our songs, with me personally being born and raised in South Carolina, as well as our keyboardist. I think there’s definitely some accents in there that kind of stick out. But you know at the same time some of our influences are The Rolling Stones and British rock bands, or like a Kings of Leon sound. Our influences are all over the place and I think you can kind of see a little bit of all of that in our music.

Is it ever intimidating to share music that can sometimes be pretty personal with the world?  Do you ever have that fear of rejection or that people aren’t going to accept it?

I mean yeah, of course.  Even within the band, if someone has got a song it’s always a little difficult or nerve-wracking to bring something that means a lot to you to get the opinion of someone else who might not be able to relate as well. It can be a little scary at times, but we’ve kinda gotten past that part and we can share whatever with each other. We do a lot of co-writing, not all of our songs are just from individuals. We like to work on it together, and start from scratch and kind of build it. That way everyone can kind of weigh in their thoughts on it or how they perceive the situation.

Five After Five is a free monthly concert event that features local music, food vendors and entertainment.  Catch Atlas Road Crew perform on June 4 at the Five Points fountain, along with opener The Herbie Jeffcoat Projekt and closing DJ Bois Obscur.

Q&A with Barnwell Frontman Tyler Gordon, Who Plays New Brookland Tavern Tonight, June 1, 2017

by Jasper Intern Jasmine Ranjit

Hailing from Columbia, SC, Barnwell is an alt-rock band with a dash of country crooning. Barnwell’s lead singer, Tyler Gordon, answered a few questions about the development of the band, their first two albums and the future.

Q: How was the band formed?

TG: Barnwell started in 2014 when I had a set of songs I'd written and wanted to record. I hadn't really done much in the way of writing or playing live in a few years and I was very eager to get back at it. I recorded them with the help of a couple friends, and it became The First Ghost. From there we started playing live with some rotating people and now it's a set lineup with Ross Swinson, Nick Fogle, and Nate Puza. 

In Motel Art, your voice seems to take on different personas, from protective in “Some One” to vulnerable in “Talk Me Down.” Were your inspirations for these tracks different?

 Yes, they're about two totally different things. “Talk Me Down” has a lot more uncertainty to it, so much so that there's multiple people talking in that song. It's pretty common for a song I write to end up being about a feeling, or a broader concept rather than an event, or a specific person, or something like that. But both types of songs do happen. 

In an interview with the Free Times, you said that “faith in God” was a major theme of The First Ghost. Do you see that influence in your present work as well?

Not nearly as much. The First Ghost was, unbeknownst to me at the time, my processing religion through songs. Motel Art has some of that in there, but not a ton. My feelings about religion shifted drastically about 5 years ago, and The First Ghost was a reflection of that. It's still something that ends up in the writing sometimes, but I've never really sat down and intended on a theme for a record, or anything like that. 

Is Barnwell working on new music?   

Yes, we're writing a new record right now. It's much more collaborative as far as the actual songwriting process this time around, and it's really fun. It also makes for better songs than were on The First Ghost or Motel Art because Ross, Nate, and Nick are great musicians, and humans, and we all work well together. I like to think I know when to get out of their way at this point and let them take the song sketches I show up to practice with to a way better place.                        

Should listeners expect a departure from The First Ghost and Motel Art?

--There's definitely a different feel to the new material we're writing now. I'd say the new record will still sound like a Barnwell record, but so far it's got a lot of elements to the songs that we didn't really use much on Motel Art, which is exciting for us. 

Barnwell has a concert this Thursday at NBT, what should listeners expect from the set?

We're going to be playing some new songs (3 of them, I think) that we expect will be on the new record, whenever we end up recording. So we hope people will come out to have a listen to where the new material is going. But of course we're also still going to be playing a lot of the songs from Motel Art, and probably a couple off The First Ghost as well. Listeners should also expect to be super disappointed if they don't get there early enough to see the whole bill, because Mel Washington, Danny Black, and The Gardener and the Willow are all really great. We're excited to be on the bill with all those guys. 

This Thursday, June 1st, Barnwell is performing at New Brooklyn Tavern alongside acts Mel Washington, Danny Black and The Gardener & The Willow. The concert will begin at 7:30.

Flash Plug: Charleston's Stop Light Observations Play WXRY Music Crawl This Thursday, June 1, 2017

By Jasper Intern Jenna Schiferl

Music Month in Columbia kicks off this Thursday with the WXRY Music Crawl, a free event that features over 30 musical acts spread across a two-block stretch of Main Street.  Headlining the event at the WXRY Stage at the intersection of Main and Hampton Street is The Unlikely Candidates, Columbia’s Debbie and the Skanks, and the Charleston-based Stop Light Observations.

The latter band is one of my personal favorites—after its formation in 2011 and the release of a debut album in 2013, the group quickly built a loyal fanbase by constantly touring across the Southeast.  The band plays shows locally at St. Pat’s in Five Points, Five After Five, and at Music Farm Columbia — as well as major festivals across the United States.

If you’re unfamiliar with Stop Light Observations, here are a few songs to listen to for a preview of their performance on June 1:

“Circadian Rhythms (Dusk),” Radiation — This track opens with a basic piano melody, but then an upbeat percussion rhythm and a simple guitar riff join in for the kind of melancholic groove that is the SLO’s calling card.  The song is full of energy and an easy listen, but the haunting lyrics add a deeper level of complexity.

“Dead,” Toogoodoo — In August 2016 the band released their most recent album, titled Toogoodoo.  The entirety of the album was created over a two-week period in a historic plantation house on the banks of the Toogoodoo River. “Dead” is a rich transitional track, replete  with raw vocals and ghostly, echoing harmonies. It was allegedly recorded in a haunted cabin, and you can hear from the microphone on the porch the sounds of crickets and the creaking of wood as the song is performed.

“Idle Hands,” Toogoodoo — This song drifts through themes of lust, mortality, and self-reflection in the span of about four minutes, yet effortlessly manages to do so with allegorical lyrics and a recurring religious metaphor. A strong bass line and heavy drums create some sense of angst, but the overall tone of the song is one of confusion.

“16 Years’ Dream,” Radiation — This hidden gem is featured on the band’s debut album.  The breathy falsetto of keyboardist John Keith “Cubby” Culbreth results in a sultry summer rock anthem.

“Dinosaur Bones,” Toogoodoo — This quintessential Stop Light Observations track was initially released as a single in 2016.  It features poetic lyrics, synthesized melodies, and ambient bass lines.  The gritty vocals of lead singer Will Blackburn puncture the song with powerful bursts of emotion.

Rapper Jermaine Dupri is coming to the Township Auditorium Friday June 2 on his SoSoSummer 17 tour

By Jasper Intern Karie Duncan

Dupri is a hip-hop artist from Asheville, North Carolina, but he’s called Atlanta his home for most of his life.  He has been making his own music since the 90s, but he’s also well known for the artists that he’s discovered and produced.

Dupri discovered artist Chris Kelly and Chris Smith in a mall and formed the group

Kris Kross, which produced the hit song “Jump.” He also discovered Bow Wow and produced albums for Usher and Mariah Carey during their early careers.

The SoSoSummer 17 tour is different from others because while performing, Dupri will also be mentoring.

Dupri has made a career of producing young hip-hop talent. On his show, The Rap Game, Durpi brings young musical talent to live in Atlanta and learn the ins and outs of the industry. At the end of the show, he picks a winner to sign to his label, So So Def Recordings.

On the SoSoSummer 17 tour, Dupri is performing with the artists from The Rap Game as well as two other stars he discovered, Bow Wow and Da Brat. The opportunity to mentor young artists is the reason Dupri sites for agreeing to be a part of The Rap Game. He’s taking the mentorship he’s known for on the road with the SoSoSummer Tour.

“The process has been a mystery, and this [is] an opportunity for me to show you how it works. People really want to understand that,” Dupri told Atlanta Magazine about his famous knack for molding young talent.

Tickets start at $39.50, doors open at 6pm, and the show will start at 7pm.

Pray for Triangle Zero Talks to Jasper About Their Music & Playing WXRY Music Crawl This Thursday, June 1, 2017

By Jasper Intern Bradley Dountz

With personal technology evolving every passing year, it’s not too surprising the way people make music would change as well. In 2009, University of South Carolina studio art major Lucas Sams hopped on the DIY element to music and hasn’t let up since.

“I got a Macbook for the first time, it had Garageband on it and it just kinda changed my life,” he says of his nascent musical identity.

After practicing his craft while attending USC, Sams is now the brainchild behind local Columbia band Pray for Triangle Zero, who will be performing at the WXRY Music Crawl at June’s First Thursday on Main. “I think we’re probably the weirdest band on that lineup,” Sams said.

Sams was inspired to get involved in music from an early age, with David Bowie and Peter Gabriel as his early influences. However, music wasn’t always a clear-cut path for him walk down. “I always wanted to make music,” he said. “But I quit piano lessons. I never would ever even now consider myself like a good musician at all.”

No matter what Sams says, his music doesn’t sound like someone who is not a “good” musician. His countless songs cannot be pinned down to one genre. His own words describe his music as “space age post punk, very 80’s inspired,” but even that doesn’t cover it that well. His latest self-released album, Pastel Seascape, sounds like a washed out drug haze, that keeps you alert with constant techno beats blaring and scorchingly layered echo drawls.

“I wanna make stuff that doesn’t sound like anything else,” Sams said.

Pray for Triangle Zero’s image has been marked by the rise of vaporwave, a form of electronic music that relies heavily on 80’s and 90’s production design and cultural ambiance. Sams now looks up to similar artists such as himself like Toro y Moi, Neon Indian, and Skylar Spence.

Sams says he was making music “under the radar” for a while, but it wasn’t until he fell into the “experimental crowd” when he arrived in Columbia almost a decade ago, and hearing bands artists like Space Idea Tapes and Jeff South, that his true ambition grew.

Sams looks at his work and how prolific he has been over the years as just a byproduct of doing what he loves to do. “It’s just mostly being obsessed with the work, with making music, especially since I didn’t come to it naturally,” he said. “That uphill climb, that learning curve kinda made me want to do it more.”

Pray for Triangle Zero still has more plans for the future, they are already planning on performing at Future Fest 2017 this year. But it’s the WXRY gig that has him excited.

“I feel good…it’s our first local show this year, pressure is on, it’ll be something,” he says chuckling. Even for all of his upcoming exposure, Sams still looks at the actual music as his end goal. “I still definitely prefer being a producer to playing live...that’s where I really find enjoyment from it.”

“We All Fall Down” about to hit Columbia

 

Local alternative circus is the perfect balance of theatre and circus.

by Jasper Intern Brad Dountz

Soda City Cirque, a Columbia-based alternative circus, is preparing for a brand-new performance that is designed to challenge your expectations of what performing arts can be. Combining different aspects of the circus and the theatre, Soda City Cirque has created an entirely new experience entitled “We All Fall Down” that is built for people of all ages and incorporates multiple fairy tale stories and circus performances into a cohesive narrative.

Performer Kendal Turner and Soda City Cirque stage manager Crystal Aldamuy sat down with

Jasper for a closer look at how alternative circuses have evolved over time and what people should expect from their forthcoming show.

Turner and Aldamuy point out that alternative circuses have been a part of Columbia for a decade and that Soda City Cirque is made up of performers who have had professional circus training from all over the country from, San Diego to Charleston. At first, performances started out in more humbler settings like Art Bar’s parking lot. As the performances became more serious for those involved, a change of venue was necessary, and the troupe has moved into increasingly more ambitious spaces.

That ambition makes sense given their success—since their founding in 2013, Soda City Cirque has steadily grown in numbers and respectability. “We’ve done five full-length shows, we’ve sold out all of those shows, and we’ve gone from having eight members to 13,” Turner says. “We just kind of keep upping the game every single time. We do it in terms of skills that we add, and the type of performances that we do,” she continues. They have performers who do aerial art, balancing tricks, juggling, and fire tricks. “We’ve got all kinds of different people doing all kinds of different things. What we do is kind of mush those skills into a cohesive show with a storyline.”

The company is also quite proud of “We All Fall Down” as an example of the synthesis they hope to achieve. “I’ve always been fascinated as a writer, as a theatregoer, of the show within the show,” says Turner on the production’s structure. “There’s no curtain, and the audience sees the setup of the show and what goes on behind the scenes. We can incorporate the moving [parts] of the show into the actual story.”

Soda City Cirque has worked with different nonprofits with each of their shows, this time with Turning Pages, which is dedicated to ending adult illiteracy. “It just happened to be so perfect—it’s a fairy tale show about stories and we’re partnering with a group that promotes adult literacy, so it just seemed to be such a beautiful fit,” Turner says. After months of preparing, organizing, and constantly changing what would be in the actual show, Soda City Cirque think all of their hard work will pay off and the audience will be rewarded big time. “This is the biggest and best show that we’ve put on so far,” Turner says of “We All Fall Down.”

Soda City Cirque has put in an effort into getting their message across of pushing the limits of what a circus is supposed to be. “It’s that dream of growing up and running away with the circus, it really is that sort of embodiment, it becomes very accessible,” Aldammy said. Their long-term goal is to truly create a circus scene within Columbia. “It’s about getting people excited about creating different forms of art,” Turner said.

“We All Fall Down” will be performed at 914 Pulaski Street on May 26-27 and June 2-3. Doors open at 7 p.m. Ticket prices range from $10-15 and $50 for VIP package.