The Upstate Under Your Nose

Christmas Isn’t Over Yet

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 13:56:00 -0500

Don’t bother double checking your calendar or regret throwing away that dried up tree you tossed out a few weeks ago. Just bear with me on this one…

Christmas 2013 is not over for two reasons. One is that we still have Christmas gifts to mail and thank you notes to send out. The second is that we still have our Christmas story to tell. I have not figured out how to connect this website directly to UPS but this blog will at least allow us to share our Christmas adventure with the world.

Christmas morning… the children come storming into Mom and Dad’s bedroom way too early for a couple of people who were up way too late drinking wine and wrapping presents from Santa. Their excitement overpowers any hopes of just a few more moments of precious sleep and we are forced out of our beds so we can shuffle into the living room and display all the surprise and astonishment that we can muster at the fact that the miracle of Christmas happened once again. Blurry eyed, we watch as hours of delicate present-wrapping is undone in a matter of moments and only hope that hundreds of hard earned dollars spent are at least somewhat appreciated.

Well, that is how it goes for us… every other year. On those off-years, Ivan shares that experience with his mom, which is the way things have to go for parents with separate households. This year was one of those off-years and we woke up to an empty nest with his arrival not scheduled until 3 pm.

Some years we enjoy these quiet Christmas mornings with a Screwdriver or a Blood Mary. Others we frantically wrap his Christmas presents because sometimes there is really no better way to feel truly alive than to experience the pressure of waiting until the last minute to get things done. This year, however, we started a new tradition.

One of the best things about living in Greenville is the climate and the proximity to the mountains. Therefore we elected to take advantage of these geographic qualities and spend Christmas morning doing something truly unique.

Christmas morning we went for a hike.

It was a chilly but sunny Christmas morning, we had half the day to spend to ourselves and we live less than ten minutes from Paris Mountains State Park. So we packed a bag of snacks and drinks, laced up our hiking boots and Chris donned a Santa hat for warmth and festive Christmas-trail cheer. Our only fear was that like everything else, the park would be closed and our Christmas fun would literally die at the gate. I suppose we could have called ahead but that really is not our style so we cruised on up the road and hoped for the best.

We received our first official Christmas present of the day when we discovered that not only was Paris Mountain State Park open but admission was FREE. I guess the state parks and recreation division was feeling the spirit of Christmas as well and they made a kind gesture to the handful of adventurers that shared our desire to spend the morning in the woods. By handful, I mean we saw less than five other cars in the entire park and even less people to show for them. The natural serenity of the parks trails was certainly amplified by the almost complete absence of human existence.

We started at the furthest end of Paris Mountain State Park and ventured out on a roughly six mile loop around North Lake (also known as Reservoir Three because it was actually part of the Greenville water supply way back when). Just because we wanted to go for a hike does not mean we wanted to work too hard on Christmas so we picked out a relatively easy trails that resembled a casual walk more than a strenuous climb. We started on Brissy Ridge Trail, hopped on Pipsissewa and then did the North Lake Loop before returning the way we came in.

I should also admit that I spent most of our time on the Pipsissewa Trail just saying the word “Pipsissewa.” I think it might be one of my favorite things to say and I now feel compelled to say it out loud a few times right now…

…Ok, now I have that out of my system. Anyway, the biggest surprise of the day came about a mile from our car at the end of the hike. While we were strolling around the lake, some jolly soul hiked into the trail and decorated a random pine tree in the woods. Covered in red balls and gold tinsel, the tree also held a note to the forest ranger that promising that “the elves” would return to remove the decorations after Christmas. Furthermore, this note was signed by “Mrs. Claus.”

Naturally this gave us a pretty good laugh and we spent the last mile of our hike giggling about this random act of Christmas decorating with me still saying “Pipsissewa” from time to time. We got home just in time to take a couple showers, have a snack, snatch the kiddo, and head over to my parents’ house to watch them bicker.

Obviously it would have been my preference to wake up to an excited eight-year-old still enamored by the idea of Santa Claus. I have to think that we only have another Christmas or two (at best) to watch him cling to this innocent belief in the guy with the flying sleigh. Since that was not an option, however, we were delighted to spend a quiet Christmas morning together in the woods.

The hike reminded us that we live in a pretty awesome part of the world where we can go from downtown to a hiking trail in under ten minutes and, even better, not be miserable hiking through the woods in December. As a bonus it was a pleasure to see the Christmas spirit of the folks who elected to open the park for free and the mystery person (or people) who snuck into the woods to decorate a Christmas tree just for a laugh. After weeks of watching people attempt to trample each other to death or mow strangers down in traffic just so they can get the perfect pieces of plastic crap to put under their trees, it was a pleasure to enjoy the serenity of the woods with a few subtle hints of the true spirit of Christmas.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this might turn into an every-other-year tradition. Merry almost-a-month-after-Christmas folks! Now we just have to mail some presents…

Wood Pussy (And Other Musings)

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:55:00 -0400

I swear this is nowhere near as dirty as it sounds.

Last week we were enjoying a family game night with a round of Junior Scrabble. Since anything worth playing is worth winning, we had to get out the dictionary because Chris was challenging a word that I had played. I could have used the online dictionary to prove to see if the word that I had made up was going to pass muster, but I have a thing for old school Miriam-Webster edition that I have had since middle school. I just like scanning the pages and seeing what other new and interesting words I stumble across on the wandering path that may or may not lead to my intended destination.

That is when I saw the heading on page 1,361. That is the magical page that begins with “womanlike” and ends with “wood pussy”. Naturally I had to read the definition so I can immediately begin to insert this into my daily vernacular.

wood pussy n (circa 1899): SKUNK

Quickly forgetting that my son is only eight years old, I read the definition out loud. Naturally, Chris and I laughed as if we were the grade school aged members of the room but Ivan did not even bat an eye. I had barely finished reading the definition before Ivan inquired “So, wait… we’re actually going to the Albino Wood Pussy Music Festival next weekend?”

I have a couple of thoughts on this…

First and foremost, will my Father of the Year trophy be mailed to me or will someone hand deliver it?

Secondly, where in the world did this name come from? If skunks actually bore any resemblance to cats then, maybe it would work? Also, did you know that “polecat” is another feline-related nickname of the skunk? Did you have any idea that skunks were once classified as part of the weasel family before genetic research earned them classification as their own unique group? How about the fact that I am obviously such a nerd that casually stumbling across the word “wood pussy” during a game of Junior Scrabble leads me to research skunks on the Interwebs?

Finally, and most importantly, let us return to the significance of Ivan’s question. Yes, we most definitely are going to the Albino Skunk, Wood Pussy, and Polecat Music Festival this weekend. At this point, it is as celebrated a date in our household as Thanksgiving, Christmas and our wedding anniversary.

A quick search of this blog brought to my attention that this will be the fifth Skunk Fest in a row that I have used this forum to tell you about the best music festival in our area. So, after telling you to go see “LiveHumans Making Music”, getting all sorts of excited about “Spring Skunk 2.0” and even offering a “Quick Note From A Cripple” when I was incapacitated from shoulder surgery and pain pills, what more could I possibly tell you about The Albino Skunk Music Festival?

Well, since Zeigler is always adding, building and making Skunk Fest bigger, there are a few things, actually.

For starters, this fall’s Skunk Fest will not just feature The Community Tap serving delicious craft beer from under one little tent. Instead, they are going all out with a full-blown beer garden. Seven breweries will share their love of craft beer under one tent and keep your taste buds entertained for the duration of the three-day performance.

How about a bike ride? This year Zeigler brings you Tour De Skunk. Provided you do not spend too much time at the beer garden Friday night, you might feel good enough to go on one of two Skunk bike rides on Saturday morning. The “short” ride is a 13 miler to Campbell’s covered bridge and the real athletes among you can take the 34 mile trip to the 1820 Poinsett Bridge. Proceeds go to Brown Bird’s Dave Lamb who is battling leukemia.

I will no doubt contribute to the fundraiser but I will do so from the comfort and safety of the beer garden. Take lots of pictures, folks. We will keep an eye on the kegs.

Finally, the festival is about music. Lake Street Dive and Seven Handle Circus have absolutely owned the Skunk Stage in years past and I am stoked that they will both make their Skunk appearances on Saturday night. That alone makes Saturday the can’t-miss night of the festival. Actually, from the time Tonight’s Noise opens up at 3:15 on Thursday, on through Sons of Bill, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Darby Wilcox, The Ragbirds and Lonesome River Band Friday night, the whole festival is just three can’t-miss nights in a row.

I guess this is why we go to Skunk Fest every year.

Make this weekend about albino skunks, wood pussies, polecats or whatever weird double entendre gets your motor running. As long as that motor runs out to Greer for the “greatest show on dirt”, you will be a happy camper.

Now for a brief moment of shameless self promotion… hey Anderson, folks – this week’s issue of The Upstate Be will contain an article on Skunk Fest written by yours truly. For more Skunk news and less juvenile skunk nicknames, pick it up and get the whole story of Skunk Fest.

Can I get a “FEST-A-VUUULLLLL!!!!!!”?

Carolina BrewHaHa

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Tue, 3 Sep 2013 20:50:00 -0400

I hate it when you guys have fun without us.

Now, I admit we are having a pretty outstanding time of our own right now but come Saturday we are going to be just a wee-bit jealous. Even though we would not trade our current plans for anything in the world, Upstate beer drinkers are going to have a damn good time of their own (that is, of course, those of you that plan on attending BewHaHa).

You see, if you are going to BrewHaHa this Saturday then you are in for a treat. Anderson, South Carolina’s first ever craft beer festival will feature the delicious nectar of more than 20 craft breweries, tasty offerings from Anderson’s best restaurants and great live music. If you are in town why would you want to be anywhere else? And please don’t say “the Clemson game” because they are playing S.C. State which does not really count…

To be honest, we’ve been looking forward to BrewHaHa for months. Our intent was to help out with our friends from Quest Brewing Company and catch up with a ton of friends from Anderson that we just do not get to see enough of anymore. Then we realized that I am incapable of reading a calendar and that I scheduled a separate trip that conflicts with BrewHaHa.

Whoops.

Good planning has never been my strong suit so I guess I should be used to mishaps like this. At any rate, I am just a bit dismayed that I will not be able to see what my favorite breweries are bringing to town for this event. From Quest in Greenville to Oskar Blues in Brevard and Founders Brewing Company from Michigan, some of my favorite breweries on Earth are going to be in attendance.

It is not just the beer I was excited about either; no visit to Anderson is complete for us without a trip to Summa Joe’s. Conveniently, they will be at BrewHaHa and even though I do not know what they are making, I can guarantee that it will be delicious. Also, Uptown Lounge has put together a great little menu that features some of the local breweries’ beers cooked into the food they are serving up. You need a little sustenance to compliment a day of beer drinking and I have little doubt that Summa Joe’s and Uptown are going to satisfy that need in spades.

Finally, since you cannot drink beer and eat good food in silence, BrewHaHa is bringing in four bands to entertain your earholes while you get your festival on. Local favorites TJ Lazer, Sam Anderson, and Peartree Music Company are all taking the stage but the special treat is the lovely Darby Wilcox. Although Darby is an Anderson native she has only returned to town for one performance in that last whole-bunch-of years. She is a great talent, one of our dear friends, and with her band The Peep Show puts on a show that should never be missed.

So, get your tickets and get your butts to BrewHaHa. The event itself should be motivation enough but just in case you need more of a reason, do it for us. Take lots of pics, tell us all about it, and let us live vicariously through you. We will do the same and swap stories later…

Artsy Fartsy Sunday Funday

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 11:06:00 -0400

ACT I:

Weekends are rarely as relaxing as we would like. Housework, yardwork, baseball and soccer games, birthday parties, etcetera devour much of our free time. The little time that is left is often filled with recreational excursions such as hiking trips, concerts or dinners with friends. As much fun as these “play days” always are, it is often something that involves advanced planning and a filled-in square on a calendar.

So, imagine my surprise on a recent Sunday morning when Chris asked me a question that I have not heard in ages… “What should we do today”?

Seriously? We do not have anything planned? Neither of us is working, the lawn is mowed, the dishes are done and the laundry is all washed and put away? We are not due at somebody’s house at some time to celebrate somebody else’s something-or-another? How is God’s name did this happen?

Chris’s first idea was to take the dogs for a long walk. I cringed a bit since this sounded too much like “work” as our dogs are not the most disciplined creatures on four legs. I was quickly relieved, however, when she remembered that Rocco, our mentally feeble canine, chewed up his own leash and therefore a walk would require a trip to the Laurens Road Pet-Smart. On this particular morning, neither of us had time for that.

Conversation wandered as we lay in bed and I told her about an odd encounter I had a few days earlier. I was in front of our house getting something out of our car when a random older gentleman approached me and started telling me how nice our neighborhood was. Naturally I prepared myself for a sales pitch and silently debated how obnoxious or sarcastic I would be when I told him to take a hike. Naturally I was thrown for a bit of a loop when he turned out to be nothing more than an art lover from North Carolina who parked on my block and walked to the Greenville Museum of Art.

Instead of being a salesman, this guy was just a thrifty fan of art who did not want to pay for parking on his trip to the free museum. It made sense, too, because we live that close to the museum. On a nice day the short walk is totally worth the two or three dollars one might spend on paid parking. For some reason, though, it is a walk we have never made. Fortunately for me, this gentleman was more than happy to tell me what we were missing and insisted that I see the “amazing exhibit that leaves in September”.

I would be willing to bet that my new friend named, and even described, the above-quoted exhibit in our conversation but I have to be honest: I am just not that attentive to total strangers. I was probably thinking about the weather, a drink, work or my family (hopefully not in that particular order).

Anyways, several days after this odd encounter, it was decided on a rare, lazy Sunday morning… Let’s go to the museum.

ACT II:

First of all, check the hours before you go to the Greenville Art Museum. They open at one o’clock on Sundays, not noon like you may (or may not) assume. If you have to kill an hour, do not go to the Children’s Museum next door. They do not allow time-killing walkthroughs and, as a rule, adults are not allowed in without children because that would be “kind of creepy”. As much as we did not consider this before walking in, it makes perfect sense.

Instead we went to Roost, which was only two blocks away and enjoyed a Bloody Mary (for Chris) and a Quest Kaldi Imperial Coffee Stout (for me). I am 100% certain that Kaldi is the best breakfast beverage that has ever been invented but I suppose that is a story for another day. I digress…

Two blocks away from home, the Greenville Museum of Art is pretty damn impressive. I had some weird memories of being there as a child around Ivan’s age but this time I was actually interested in the art (as opposed to focusing on nagging my mom and dad about when we were leaving or why I had to whisper). I would like to go back in time and whisper in that kids ear and tell him that one day he will grow up to appreciate this place. On the other hand, a strange adult whispering in the ear of a child is probably as creepy as strolling through the Children’s Museum without a child, even if you are a master of time travel.

On to the actual art… The first floor featured an exhibit entitled “Wyeth Vs.” which compared works of Andrew Wyeth alongside comparable works of his contemporaries. I was reminded that I have known of Andrew Wyeth since I was a child but besides knowing him as an “artist from Greenville”, my education never evolved. We saw some great pieces but, as a whole, the point of the exhibit was kind of lost on me.

Artistic Sophistication: 1 Brett: 0

Everything changed in the next room. “Southbound” takes a fascinating look at the evolution of Southern culture through the work of artists spanning the 20^th century. Artistic works spanned from the early 1900’s, to examinations of the Civil Rights era, into various perspectives of racial identity in modern times. This exhibit grabs your attention in a big way. Some of these works moved us to second and third viewings, not just for the quality of the art itself, but for the story the work told. If our museum tour had ended here, we would have left fulfilled. Instead, we had three more rooms upstairs to visit.

Upstairs we stumbled on the exhibit the random stranger had recommended to me in the street earlier in the week. The “feature presentation” (or whatever they call it in the art world) was entitled “Masterpieces of American Landscape from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston”. That is pretty self explanatory, right? The Boston Museum of Fine Arts lent the little Greenville Museum of Art their collection of landscapes dating from the 19^th century to today. To compliment this, the museum displayed “Landscapes from the Southern Collection” to add a more local feel to the main attraction.

The work in both of these rooms was incredible and, in some cases, breathtaking. The final exhibit of the day got me, though. The last room we visited was dedicated to David Drake. Before I stepped foot in that room I did not have the first clue who David Drake was but now I am totally fascinated by him.

David Drake was a slave in South Carolina. Unlike many slaves, David was taught a skilled trade and worked in pottery. David further deviated from the norm by learning how to read and write. Apparently this knowledge was deemed dangerous and illegal at the time but David took things a step further… he openly and defiantly inscribed many of his works with poetry and his signature. To this day he is the only known slave to produce signed, identifiable works of art.

I have to be honest – I am not a sophisticated art lover. If I see something I like, I can point at it and grunt “wow, look at that”. As far as art history and sophisticated analysis go, though, I am not much more educated or sophisticated than my eight-year-old. When I looked at David Drake’s pottery I saw some clay pots with some somewhat-legible scribbles on it. Once I learned who he was, though, my appreciation swelled.

Of all the slaves that lived and died in America, all but a handful remain anonymous. Of all the members of that suffering populace, despite all talents, abilities and creativity, only one can be named as an artist. David Drake stands as the lone representative of artistic creativity for an entire culture. Once I read that, I realized that I was no longer looking at a clay pot but a rare artifact representing a lost chapter in American history.

This was way better than taking the dogs for a walk.

ACT III:

So, I lied a little bit earlier. We did have plans for Sunday but I had forgotten them when we were in bed making plans for Sunday. Whoops.

Every summer The Warehouse Theater presents their Upstate Shakespeare Festival. The festival lasts most of the summer and is split between two plays every year that are performed every weekend at the amphitheatre in Falls Park. I have known about this for three or four years now but, for a variety of reasons that include hectic schedules, prior obligations, absentmindedness, and general stupidity, I have never made it to a single performance.

True to form, it came to pass that this particular Sunday marked the last Shakespeare performance of the season. I knew that if I missed it again than I was doomed to kick myself for the entire fall, winter and spring… I have done that the last several years and I resolved not to do it again.

Now, I admit that I hated Shakespeare in high school as much or more than the next guy. Memorizing and reciting Romeo and Juliet with an assigned partner in front of my freshman English class was never my idea of a good time. It was only slightly worse than watching my classmates stumble through the same assignment. I maintain that whatever members of academia decided that this was an effective method of teaching kids an appreciation for Shakespeare should never be allowed around children again.

As an adult, though, I have different views on Shakespeare. Call it maturity or something…

I suppose that there are reasons that Shakespeare is still celebrated almost 400 years after his passing. Once us modern day ‘Mericans get past all the funny-speak, it becomes obvious that his plays are brilliantly scripted and superbly written. Most importantly, they are totally original which is a concept most modern day entertainers know very little about.

For me the change came several years ago. Being that I am a total geek for Roman history, I revisited Shakespeare's Julius Caesar for the first time since 10th grade. I picked up the flow of the language in just a few pages and immediately found an appreciation for Shakespeare that I had never thought possible. I quickly realized that the animosity I had harbored since high school was unwarranted and I began to develop an interest in more of his work, be it print or on stage.

So, Chris and I packed up a cooler with wine (for her) and a Stone RuinTen IPA(for me) and headed downtown for a little extra culture on an artsy Sunday. The selected play was The Comedy of Errors which is about as an accurate title as one could give this production. Simply put, it was a comedy based on a series of mistaken identities. With the emphasis on comedy, this play was a far cry from any of the Shakespeare I was force-fed in high school.

I have no interest in recapping the story but I must say that The Warehouse Theater did an amazing job with this presentation. They followed the script and stayed true to the soul of Shakespeare’s story and inserted a healthy share of modern day twists and shenanigans along the way. We sipped our tasty beverages, laughed out of our folding chairs and tried not to kick ourselves for ignoring this production for the last too-many years.

So there you have it… from waking up without a clue to appreciating Shakespeare in 10 easy hours. With a couple hours at a museum somewhere in the middle of it all, we are now officially sophisticated, cultured, refined and, well, all sorts of other words that did not previously describe us. We will be back here in a few days to talk about a beer festival, which is typically more our style, but if you need us in the meantime you should probably check the local museums…

Hoppy IPA Day

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Thu, 1 Aug 2013 11:33:00 -0400

I honestly do not know who declared that today is National IPA Day. I could probably look around the interwebs for a bit and find out if this is government-recognized national holiday or just something a bunch of beer geeks dreamt up in their mom’s basement. It really does not matter though… I am celebrating and I don’t care why.

When it comes to beer I want India Pale Ale, the hoppier the better. Pale ales, stouts, and porters are all delicious and have their own special places in my diet but ultimately I want hops, hops, and more hops. So if somebody has declared today as the day to recognize my favorite style of beer then I am all in. I am typing this at 10 AM… Is it too early to get this party started?

First a bit of history… The IPA is a great example of the old proverb about necessity being the mother of invention. In the 1700’s British beer drinkers were wetting their whistles to their standard ales. Since England was a world power and had men all over the world, really important supplies like beer had to be shipped to whatever new land thirsty Brits were claiming as their own.

India posed a problem though: It was too far away for the beer to travel without spoiling. Since it is a scientific fact that it is impossible to take over faraway nations without a good beer in hand this was a major dilemma. Science came to the rescue, though and it was soon discovered that hops had a preservative effect on the beers England was shipping to its men in India. More hops were added to the brew and it traveled safely to India without spoiling.

The imperialists were free to conquer India with a good buzz and all was right in the world once more. That is, unless you were a native of India, but I suppose that is another matter altogether. The point is that eventually beer drinkers in England took notice and decided that even though they did not give a flip about preservative effects, the hopped up beer tasted delicious. The IPA became a hit and (thankfully) became a fixture in the beer world for centuries to come.

Does anyone else want to drink a good IPA and conquer something right now, or is it just me?

Anyway, our actual IPA Day celebration kicks off at The Community Tap for their IPA Day tasting. I have no idea what those guys will have featured for this celebration but I know I am excited about it. It starts at 5:00 which means we will be there around 4:45ish because you just cannot be too early for a tasting at TCT.

From there we head over to Quest Brewing Company for their new Thursday night concert series. Quest’s Ellida IPA is a great beer and I would be satisfied just having that as my celebratory beverage on this great day. However, there is a limited supply of Ellida that was aged in a freshly dumped Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrel and I am pretty sure that this will have the majority of my attention as long as it lasts.

Quest will also feature local guitar prodigy Marcus King making Quest’s third attempt to stage a performance outdoors without getting rained out. Performances were moved indoors due to showers on the grand opening and Darby Wilcox lasted all of two and a half songs last Thursday before a monsoon nearly swept her away. We worked pretty damn hard building that stage in time for the grand opening and it would be really nice to see someone actually perform on it... here’s hoping tonight is the night.

Also, Neue Southern Food Truck will be in the parking lot slinging their delicious fare. I am still dreaming about their BLT that I devoured on Sunday and cannot wait to see what they are serving up for dinner tonight.

A tasting, a brewery, a concert and great food… yeah, I would say we have a good day ahead of us. This is going to be fun. Happy IPA Day, folks!

Not As Lazy As I Look

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:44:00 -0400

May 1? I am a little embarrassed that it has been this long since our last post. What the hell? Has Brett been too busy drinking beer to post anything at all in the last three months?

Actually, um, yeah, that’s part of it.

The truth of the matter is that I have been extremely busy but I cannot lie and say that there has not been a lot of beer consumed along the way. This is what happens when you find yourself stationed at a brewery six or seven days a week. You see, I have the pleasure of being friends with the guys at Quest Brewing Company and have been helping them out on the construction of the Upstate’s newest brewery.

If you are unfamiliar with Quest Brewing Company, you are missing out on the best new thing to hit the Upstate in quite some time. An entrepreneur and a nationally award winning brewmaster have joined forces to create Quest and after only a few weeks since their official launch they are taking the Upstate beer scene by storm. Their launch party at Barley’s Taproom on July 3 packed the house and their retail launch at The Community Tap introduced their brews to even more Upstate beer lovers. It really hit the fan at their grand opening, however, when almost 2,000 beer drinkers from all over the southeast swarmed their grand opening and consumed an inexplicable amount of delicious craft beer.

I promise that I will share more about the Quest saga on this page with increasing frequency in the very near future but today I am being egocentric and just talking about me. For more Quest news check out great stories here, here, or here. For more about what we have been doing the last few months, please read on…

As I was saying, I have been very busy at Quest. What began as “contractor helping out friends” turned into “can you be here every day?” and that eventually evolved into what one can almost define as “hostage crisis”. In the beginning I intended to install a couple pieces of glass and maybe hang a door or two. Somehow that snowballed into a to-do list that involved building rooms, sheds, and stages, painting, plumbing, remodeling bathrooms, finishing concrete floors and a host of other construction tasks that I am sure I have forgotten. Even now, the list continues to grow and I hear the words “Guess what you are building next?” every few days or so.

We Built This Between Beers

I am not complaining, however, and can definitely not blame Stockholm Syndrome for the fun I am having at my never ending jobsite. Working with great people that are making delicious beer is spoiling the hell out me. At some point soon I am going to be devastated when I find myself on one of our normal jobsites in somebody’s home or on a commercial construction site with no access to a Kaldi Imperial Coffee Stout for breakfast on a Monday morning.

In other news, my super awesome wife has been consumed with studying for a physics exam. I enjoy math and English but always abhorred science classes in high school and college. I can only imagine the torture of the things she had to learn but I was one proud hubby last week when she passed the exam that will soon lead to her earning her official certification in her position at St. Francis. Kudos to her for kicking the crap out of a subject that I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around.

What does anything of this have to do with a lack of updates from Upstate Under Your Nose, you ask? Really, it is just me making excuses and saying “I’ve been pretty buzzed, exhausted and mentally drained for three months, and I am sorry”. This is not to say that I have not been writing, however…

A few months ago my friend Jake asked me to contribute to the Upstate Be which, coincidentally, was the subject of my last blog post so many moons ago. Since the first week of June I have been proud to be included in this great entertainment publication in Anderson. Having had writing aspirations in some form as long as I can remember, I have been absolutely thrilled to see my name in print in a real publication every two weeks. I never thought I would be able to put the words “paid” and “writer” together in the same sentence in reference to myself but I have to say that I am enjoying the hell out of it. Big thanks to the Upstate Be for letting me contribute.

So, Anderson folks, if you were not already doing so, make sure you pick up a copy of the Upstate Be every Thursday. Every other week look for “30 Miles North” which will be written by “this guy” and I will share a few of the upcoming events and that you might find to be worth the drive into Greenville. I try to make a point to only include events and happenings that we intend to attend ourselves and it would be great to see some familiar faces from our years in Anderson.

Most importantly, writing for the Upstate Be has actually inspired me to write more from different perspectives so I have been toying with a few other projects that I will (hopefully) share with folks down the road. In the meantime, though, I will do my best not to disappear for so long. We are sitting on a list of new restaurants, a theater, and tons of upcoming concerts that we are itching to share with you guys. Provided that I do not to have a nervous breakdown when I return to jobsites where drinking beer in the morning is prohibited rather than encouraged, we plan on updating this site a lot more in the near future.

We’ll be back soon…

It's Election Time, Anderson

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Wed, 1 May 2013 17:05:00 -0400

Last July we expressed our disgust at the results of The Upstate Be’s “Best of Be” results. This was in no way a knock on the publication itself but rather the poor taste expressed by the voting public. Winners included Subway for best sandwich and Pizza Hut for best pizza and my brain still hurts from trying to understand what type of person takes the time to vote for such mediocrity.

This year we are going to be a bit more proactive. Instead of waiting to pull our hair out over the results we would like to encourage everybody with a sense of taste and loyalty for local businesses to make sure they cast a ballot that recognizes the hard work, dedication and overall importance of local business people.

Even though we moved from Anderson to Greenville almost a year ago we still have regular conversations about places we used to frequent. Summa Joe’s is the most regularly named restaurant in our discussions but there are plenty of days when we wish The Grill Man or Barnwood Grill were just a little bit closer.

Considering that we live within walking distance of well over a hundred restaurants, this is a testament to the quality of product that these business owners put their hearts and souls into every day.

The “Best of Be” should be used to celebrate these businesses, not insult them by giving them runner-up status to chain restaurants that specialize in mediocrity. It amazes me that even ONE person on the planet thinks that Subway makes a good sandwich much less the best one in town. The fact that these people exist in numbers large enough to produce victories in a competition like this is absolutely appalling to me. Really, who are these people that actually take the time out of their day to fill out a ballot in which they vote en masse for garbage?

Therefore, we are asking for a favor… let us offset the influence of the distasteful masses and vote for businesses that deserve it. Let me rephrase that: Let us vote for people that deserve it. Summa Joe’s, The Grill Man, and My Taco Mexico (and so many others) may have signs out front that suggest they are businesses but we need to be honest… it is the people working their tails off all day and laying awake at night that bring you something special. The “Best of Be” is a perfect opportunity to say “thank you” to the people that put their hearts and souls into what they do and we all need to take advantage of that.

This is the part of this story where I was going to post a copy of my ballot for the “Best of Be” but we decided against it. As much as we would like to, we are not going to try to tell anyone who to vote for. We just beg that you keep it local.

For example… If you vote for “Best Breakfast” with selections like The Corner Bagel or Barnwood Grill, then we appreciate your contribution to the local breakfast industry. Likewise, we would never argue with you if your pick for “Best Bar” is Uptown Lounge or Tavern Under the Bridge. On the other hand, if you know anyone that might be inclined to select Waffle House or Applebee’s for the aforementioned categories, then please introduce them to a new activity that might distract them from voting in this particular competition.

May I suggest “Pulling their heads out of their butts” as a potential new hobby? It should take enough time to prevent them from voting but might actually yield results that would benefit them as well as the world around them…

So let’s get together on this. Let’s all take the time to fill out the Upstate Be’s “Best of Be” ballot. Let’s show the Applebee’s-eating, Wal-Mart-shopping general public that their opinions do not matter. Local Anderson businesses are better than that and this is the year we celebrate that fact. Their hard work and dedication to their community deserves the recognition.

Click here and let’s do the right thing for the community. Just because we no longer have an address In Anderson does not mean we will ever stop supporting the people that made our time there worth remembering.

Boy Climbs Mountain; Parents Rejoice

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:49:00 -0400

King Of The Mountain

A couple of Sundays ago my son Ivan became the youngest person in the history of people to hike to the summit of Table Rock Mountain. “Hike” is actually an understatement because in reality he ran, no, sprinted all the way up the trail carrying a 50 pound backpack. He also fought off a bear and three mountain lions on his way up to the summit.

In other news, the previous paragraph is almost entirely BS.

The one truth is that he really did hike to the top of Table Rock and Chris and I are insanely proud of the little guy. I am not sure, however, if we are as proud of him as he is of himself. We talked about this trip for a couple of years but for a variety of reasons we waited until now to stop talking and start hiking. We knew it would be a tough day for a slightly apprehensive seven year old but the reward far exceeded all of our expectations.

Hiking has been a big part of my life as far back as I can remember. Therefore there was never any question that I would share this activity with my own son. I will never forget Ivan’s first trip into the woods when I carried him in one of those silly front-pack baby carriers down to Riley Moore falls on my birthday when he was just two months old.

Ivan was two when his mother and I separated and hiking became an even bigger part of our time together. Actually, on my first official weekend as a single dad we hiked to King Creek Falls at Burrell’s Ford and Ivan left with a black eye after crashing into a low hanging tree branch while he was perched on my shoulders. I am sure the folks at Montessori saw that as a ringing endorsement to my abilities as a single dad but DSS never came calling so I suppose it all worked out…

Over the next few years we kept exploring the woods and eventually found an amazing companion in our adventures when we met “Ms. Chris”. Our hiking team was officially complete when Ivan and I found the best wife and step-mom a couple of guys like us could ever ask for. For the last four or so years the three of us have spent countless weekends hiking to every waterfall within driving distance and conquering every Upstate trail we thought his little legs could handle. He has rarely complained about the difficulty of a trail and every trip we make brings our little family even closer together than we were at the start of the trail.

As a family the three of us have been to at least 15 Upstate waterfalls and probably hiked a few hundred miles of trails along the way. A summit like Table Rock has always seemed a little daunting, though. Sure, I have hiked it half a dozen times by myself and Chris and I have shared great “date days” at the tops of Table Rock and Pinnacle Mountains. However, the idea of taking a little kid straight up a mountain trail for 3.6 miles just seemed like a challenge none of us were ready for. I am not sure what finally changed our minds and made us quit procrastinating but I am glad we did.*

The morning of the hike Ivan was apprehensive to say the least. He was shuffling around his room, playing with Legos, and mumbling things like “I’m not sure I really want to go hiking today”. I guess we watch a little too much History and National Geographic Channels because I think he might have been anticipating a climb to the snowy peaks of Mt. Everest. We assured him that everything would be just fine and that we would turn back if things got too difficult. I might have also told him that “plenty of girls younger than him” have made it to the top of Table Rock and that he needed to “man up”. Motivation comes in all forms, I suppose, because he immediately started looking for his hiking boots.

I doubt we were at the first mile marker of the trail when he asked “Is the whole hike going to be this steep?” It was less than a mile later when Mr. Diplomatic decided to hold a vote: “Raise your hand if you’re ready to turn back.” His was the only hand raised so we continued our ascent.

His tune changed dramatically when we hit the first overlook. It was clear that Ivan had never seen the mountains from this perspective and the little shelter with benches allowed him to rest for a few minutes and take it all in. Here his complaints turned into quiet determination until we reached Governor’s Rock about a mile from the Summit. After scaling an immense bald rock with footholds carved into it Ivan looked out at the view with a look of wonder that only a child can express.

From here “quiet determination” gave way to arrogant resolve. He started randomly yelling out things like “You won’t beat me Mr. Mountain!” while shaking his fist and picking up his pace any time his legs looked like they wanted to slow down. When I told him that I could see the summit marker about a few hundred feet ahead he broke into a sprint that Chris and I had no desire to match. As he reached the sign he celebrated like he had just won The Super Bowl, World Series and Heavyweight Championship at the same time.

The real treat, though, was about a quarter mile past the summit of Table Rock. The trail continues to an overlook of the Greenville County Reservoir and the best views the Upstate has to offer. Here silence fell again and he sat and actually took it all in. I had no idea what level of appreciation my seven year old would have for the view but we certainly did not expect him to sit silently for an ample amount of time before quietly saying “I didn’t think it would be this beautiful”.

As adults we hike for the exercise, the break from our hectic schedules, and for an appreciation of the much bigger world that surrounds us. For Ivan, we hope to teach him that there are great experiences outside of the playground, Lego sets, and funny videos on YouTube. We hope to share with him an appreciation for how big the world is and how rewarding it can be to explore it with his family. He has always enjoyed our adventures in the woods but I think this particular hike took his appreciation for the world around him to another level.

Halfway back down the mountain Ivan stopped and asked if we could go back up. Waning daylight and increasingly wobbly legs dashed this request but he was happy to settle for a certificate from the ranger’s office commemorating his accomplishment. He also asked that I e-mail pictures from the hike to his 2^nd grade teacher so he could share them with his classmates the next day. This request was much easier to satisfy and he was the proudest kid in the world to show off his triumph to his friends.

Obviously Ivan is not the first seven year old to complete the 7.2 mile round trip to the top of Table Rock Mountain. We encountered smaller kids returning from the peak on our way up and even a met a family carrying a newborn baby down from the peak (and if you ask me, they deserve a bigger pat on the back than anyone else on the mountain that day). For our little family, though, it was a momentous occasion in the life of our favorite little man on the planet. We are proud of him for making it to the top and even prouder that he saw the hike for what it what it is: a symbol of Nature’s beauty that makes you feel a million miles away even though you are only 30 minutes from home.

Now that he knows his legs can handle it and, more importantly, he knows what is at the end of the trail, Ivan is a new “man”. He cannot wait to get back to the top of Table Rock but he also wants to see what things look like from Sassafrass, Pinnacle, Little Pinnacle and every other big view of the Upstate he has been missing out on over the years.

To say we are proud of him and excited to see what summer brings is an understatement. He just opened up a whole new chapter in his life and we cannot wait to share it with him.

* Actually, I do remember. It was Chris saying “The weather will be nice this weekend. Let’s quit talking about it and take Ivan to the top of Table Rock already!” There really is no argument to this sort of proposal.

Spring Skunk In Pictures...

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 16:03:00 -0400

I am far too tired from Skunk Fest to write about Skunk Fest. So here's some pictures of another amazing weekend at the Skunk Farm. Many thanks to Zeigler and everybody that chips in to help bring this festival to life. Well done guys!

Decisions, Decisions… Spring Skunk and More

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:51:00 -0400

Did you ever wish you could be three places at once? This has been a growing problem for me as there just seems like there is too much to do and just not enough, well, me. In a city with Greenville’s entertainment scene we often have to choose between Option A and Option B (and usually do so with relative ease) but this weekend presents some unusually frustrating options.

Option A – The 2013 Spring Skunk Music Fest, Friday & Saturday, April 12 & 13

I have been going to Skunk Fests on and off for at least six years now and I do not think Chris and I have missed a single one since we got married. Loyalty and tradition aside, Glynn Zeigler has once again assembled a can’t-miss lineup of artists at the increasingly-famous Skunk Farm. Skunk Fest continues to evolve from a traditional bluegrass festival into an eclectic mix of bluegrass, folk, jazz and jam bands and every single festival just keeps getting better and better.

This year features veteran Skunk alumni Sol Driven Train and our awesome friend and neighbor Darby Wilcox. This year Darby kicks things off on Friday with her full band, the Peep Show, and is sure to set an unforgettable tone for the weekend. Not to be one to look forward to the end of things, I am ecstatic about seeing Col. Bruce Hampton on stage Saturday night. Every band in between is just as enticing as we cannot wait to hear what Lake Street Dive, Hooray for the Riff Raff, and all the rest have to offer.

As usual, music is the main attraction but Zeigler never ignores the details that make a festival a festival. Community Tap will be slinging delicious craft beer, Asada will serve up Greenville’s best tacos and quesadillas and plenty of local vendors and artists will be in attendance making sure everybody in attendance is buzzed, fat and happy. Ah, Skunk Fest…

Option B – The Community Tap’s Craft Beer Festival, Saturday, April 13

Wait, isn’t The CommunityTap going to be serving beer at Skunk Fest? Well, yes, but apparently they have actually figured out the mystery of being in multiple locations at one time. Unfortunately they seem to be keeping the secret to themselves at the moment.

At any rate, The Community Tap is introducing their first Craft Beer Festival featuring the best small batch and season brews their 36 favorite breweries have to offer. All of our personal favorite breweries will be in attendance: Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, Founders, Westbrook… and so many more. Adding to the fun, Quest Brewing Company will also be offering tastes of great things to come as they grow ever closer to the grand opening of what is soon to become Greenville's best brewery <much more on them in the near future>.

Oh, and here is another case of someone figuring out how to be in two places at one time: Darby Wilcox will follow up her Friday Skunk Fest performance by providing entertainment at the Craft Beer Fest. Somehow rock stars have all the fun…

This would be the appropriate time and place to tell you that TCT’s Craft Beer Festival will be held at Larkin’s Sawmill and that the event runs from 12-4 but if you do not already have your tickets then it really does not matter. Sorry, but The Craft Beer Fest has been sold out for weeks.

Fear not, fellow beer lovers because if you cannot drink great beer from The Community Tap at their Craft Beer Festival or at Skunk Fest, then Barley’s Taproom has you covered. The “After Party” for the Craft Beer Fest will be held at Barley’s. Brewers and beer fans alike will continue their consumption of the world’s best beverages at the best beer bar in Greenville starting at 6:30.

How could you miss this? Unless, you are at Skunk Fest or maybe at...

Option C – Iron Horse @ The Handlebar

I have to be honest but this was not even on my radar two weeks ago.

A couple of weeks ago I was home alone on a Saturday afternoon when I had a hankerin’ for some Modest Mouse. Too lazy to shuffle through CD’s, I went to iTunes and did a search for one of my favorite bands. I could not help but notice that the results offered a few hundred Modest Mouse songs and ten songs by a band called Iron Horse.

In the words of my almost-eight-year-old: “What the hey-diddle-do?”

I do not know how, when, or why Iron Horse landed in our iTunes collection but I am glad they did. Chris said she downloaded the album months ago because she is cool and sneaky like that. Anyway, the album I clumsily landed on is called “Pickin’ On Modest Mouse – A Bluegrass Tribute” and I immediately fell in love. I played the album once in its entirety and then spent the next hour or two of my life listening to Iron Horse and Modest Mouse’s version of the same songs back to back. I admit, I am a bit of a nerd.

It was not until much later that evening when I learned that Iron Horse has a collection of bluegrass tribute albums for lots of folks, including Ozzy Osbourne and Led Zeppelin. I am a bit embarrassed that I was not just out of the loop but that it was our friend’s 21 year old son that had to get me up to date on Iron Horse’s “Pickin’ On” series later that weekend.

Anyway, it seems serendipitous that just a couple of weeks after this discovery that Iron Horse is playing just a few blocks from our house at The Handlebar. The show is only $15 and proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Good tunes for a good cause? How could I say no? On a normal weekend, I wouldn’t.

The Verdict

I am not just a keeper of traditions but for a weekend of fun we just cannot miss Skunk Fest. There will be at least 15 bands to enjoy over two days and it is impossible for us to say no to a weekend in the woods with great music and friends. It not only offers the most bang for the buck but it is also the most family friendly event out of all our options. Telling Ivan he could not go to Skunk Fest would be like telling him that we would be skipping Christmas this year. The kids enjoy the Skunk Farm as much as us grown folks and we are all three counting the minutes before we can check out of the real world and relax in the woods.

I have to say, however, that this is an absolutely amazing weekend to be out celebrating all the great things the Upstate has to offer. Whichever event you find yourselves at you will surely find a great time. Whether you find your fun experiencing an amazing music festival on a farm in Greer, tasting great beer hosted by the fantastic people from The Community Tap, or just catching a cool band at the best little music venue in the Upstate, you absolutely cannot lose.

Wherever you end up have fun and be safe. And if you find a way to be more than one place at once and you run into me at Skunk Fest, be nice and try not to tell me what I am missing. We will catch it all for ourselves next time around…

Paris Mountain: From State Park to Potential Eyesore

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:03:00 -0400

This Looks Like A Great Idea!

Anybody that read our opinion of the food truck debate might have picked up some clues that I am a rabid capitalist. I firmly believe that America became a great nation through innovation, hard work, and entrepreneurial spirit. In general I am a solid supporter of the “let’s build it bigger” mentality that our country has always embraced.

The caveat here is that I also feel that development and certain advancements should have some natural boundaries. I like to think of these boundaries as simple things like “common sense”, “human decency”, and “respect for your neighbors”. This is why I feel that one Greenville resident’s proposal to build a five story condominium project near the top of Paris Mountain is completely absurd.

Paris Mountain is a true gem of the Upstate. Only five miles from downtown Greenville, Paris Mountain State Park offers hiking, mountain biking and camping opportunities closer to most any city center that I am aware of. The 1,500 acre state park serves as a fantastic outdoor retreat for Greenville residents without the travel time required by other Upstate destinations. We may plan an entire Saturday or Sunday adventure for Table Rock or Jones Gap State Parks but Paris Mountain provides us without the opportunity for an after-school hike without being late for dinner.

Paris Mountain is also an emblem of the Upstate’s history. It was home to Cherokee Indians prior to the settlement of Greenville in the 1700’s. Several of the lakes on Paris Mountain were also used for Greenville’s water supply before the Table Rock Reservoir was established in 1928. The original dams, channels and old valve house are still standing and can be viewed from many of the trails in the state park.

North Lake At Paris Mountain State Park

Naturally, Paris Mountain is also a prime location for real estate. Many Greenville residents enjoy homes on Paris Mountain that offer fantastic views of the Upstate. Despite their proximity to downtown, these residents must be committed to mountain living as they contend with the narrow, winding treachery of Altamont Road traveling to and from their home. In inclement weather these residents must accept that even a little bit of icy conditions may keep them from leaving (or returning to) their homes until the event runs its course.

Even for those that do not reside there or have the opportunity to play in the woods as often as they would like, Paris Mountain is the closest reminder that we live insanely close to the mountains. A simple trip to Lowe’s or one of the many restaurants around Cherrydale Point occurs in the shadow of Paris Mountain and reminds us of the beauty of the area we call home.

For now Paris Mountain maintains a delicate balance between residential development and outdoor enjoyment. The park is easily accessible from a few different directions and offers plenty of space to retreat from city life. The homes are primarily located along one road that travels across the top of the mountain and sprawl across the mountainside is relatively limited.

If one Greenville developer has his way, however, things are about to change drastically. Greenfields Consortium LLC is proposing the construction of a five-story condominium on a 48-acre piece of property near the top of Paris Mountain. They are currently requesting that Greenville County rezone the property from an Environmentally Sensitive District to a Flexible Review District to allow for this development. Greenfields Consortium argues that this development would be an improvement over the 74-home development they had originally planned to build on the property.

Our question is this – be it homes or condominiums, why does Greenfields feel the need to build anything this expansive at the top of Paris Mountain? Obviously the answer is “money” but it would be nice if they could find a way to profit from their prime piece of real estate without completely changing the landscape of Greenville’s closest mountain retreat. Further, their tactic of “let us build something crappy or we will build something even crappier” is more than just a little off-putting.

Sugar Top Resort... or, How To Ruin A Mountain Ridge In 10 Easy Floors

I remember being a college student at Appalachian State University visiting Sugar Mountain for the first time. It is there that someone thought it was a good idea to erect a 10-story condominium at the top of a mountain creating one of the most out-of-place and obnoxious structures I have ever seen in my life. The building’s website brags about the “exclusivity” of the condominium (as it is the last such structure built before the passing of North Carolina’s State Ridge Law) but all I see is a total disregard for the people that come to the mountains to enjoy the serenity, not the development.

Such is the case for Paris Mountain. With the development of Falls Park, Liberty Bridge, The Swamp Rabbit Trail, and countless other greenspaces in the area, the Upstate community has proven that it not only values but celebrates development that highlights the natural beauty of the region. Sticking a five-story wart at the top of our tallest local landmark does not seem to embrace this mindset.

Like I said from the onset, I applaud capitalism and entrepreneurial spirit. However, the best innovation comes from minds that respect all the factors and interests the market presents. The market here has proven itself to support things that are uniquely Greenville. Why then does Greenfields Consortium see the need to thumb their nose at the community in the interest of 74 potential condominium owners? Are there not better ways to utilize 48 acres of prime real estate while embracing the community instead of offending it?

Marketing 101 will teach you that a successful product must carry a certain amount of demand. Greenfields Consortium obviously did just enough market research to determine that they can attract 74 potential buyers to their development. I suppose we can give them an “A” for simple market research but how about a more creative analysis that might combine the wants and needs of the community while still resulting in a profitable enterprise for the property owners?

Forty-eight acres might seem miniscule to the 1,500 that Paris Mountain State Park offers but it also might be enough to build an attraction for a subset of Greenville’s outdoor enthusiasts. A smaller, privately owned park could feature unique more intimate opportunities that the larger park may not offer. The property features the mountain top views that are not available from the state park further down the mountain. It also has plenty of space to build mountain biking trails that might offer greater challenges or at least a new perspective for the growing biking community in the Upstate. Access could be limited through memberships or entry fees that would create a sense of exclusivity and offer increased rewards for both the users and the property owners.

Alternatively, if Greenfields Consortium just has to satisfy their need to build, how about some mountain top cabin rentals? The summit of Paris Mountain is currently dominated by homeowners and I am sure that plenty of Upstate residents would leap at the opportunity to have a mountaintop getaway opportunity right here in their own backyard.

Obviously these are just ideas that would require much research and planning to accurately determine their viability. Ultimately though, they are simple examples of things that maybe Greenfields Consortium should consider if they really want to make a significant contribution to the Upstate community. They might not be as financially lucrative as a condominium development but they could produce a long-term attraction that both the users and the property owners could profit from for a long time. I would bet that Greenville’s outdoor enthusiasts and fans of Paris Mountain would rally behind these types of efforts and work with the developers to create something that would be mutually beneficial to all parties involved.

In the interest of capitalism that might actually be pretty good for their bank accounts in the long run, wouldn't it?

Food Trucks Vs. Local Government

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Thu, 7 Mar 2013 18:45:00 -0500

Picture courtesy of Asadarestaurant.com

I am tempted to tear into a rant on how corrupt our government is at every level. I could surely go on for pages upon pages about how convinced I am that a person must be required to check their soul at the door before they serve in public office. I could spend days citing example after example of local, state, and federal governmental agencies abusing their powers in the interest of the highest bidder.

I will try not to do that. Instead, I would just like to try to talk about food trucks… mostly.

WYFF reported on Tuesday that Greenville City Council is considering new, stricter regulations in regard to Greenville’s food truck community. By community, I mean Asada and Neue Southern food trucks. Apparently these two sets of entrepreneurs have become quite the concern for Greenville and the City Council has been forced to consider action.

It breaks down like this: Asada and Neue Southern serve really, really good food in the downtown area. They set up shop in a private parking lot (with the property owner’s permission of course), open up their service window, and take care of Greenville’s hungry masses until they have sold all the food their little trucks can hold. Since the experience is a little, should I say, less luxurious than a cozy booth at a brick and mortar establishment their success depends solely on the quality of their food and the loyalty of their fan base. In these areas both businesses deliver in spades.

Asada has reinvented the taco truck and serves a gourmet fusion of Latin American cuisine. Their tacos are the best in town and their steak quesadilla’s have an effect on me that has become slightly more addictive than crack (or so I imagine). Further, Asada’s owners Roberto and Gina have to be two of the nicest people you will ever meet in your life. You can find them serving lunch or dinner four or five days a week anywhere between the Community Tap parking lot, Pendleton Street in the Far West End, or at a special event near you such as Albino Skunk MusicFestival or Freakcycle.

Neue Southern offers what they call “European cuisine inspired by Southern tradition”. To be honest, the first time I heard this, I was not sure what the hell that meant. To be even more honest, I am still not completely sure. What I am sure of, however, is that every single thing I have ever tasted from the Neue food has been simply amazing. From the Bahn Mi Vietnamese sandwich I had on our first visit to the biscuits and gravy brunches I have devoured on more than a few Saturdays at Community Tap, Neue Southern is doing something completely different. The fact that they are doing it out of a truck is simply amazing.

From frequenting both of these establishments (vehicles?) we have learned that the food truck industry presents more than a few challenges that a conventional restaurant might not have to face. Trucks break down, rain and cold keeps crowds away, and since a truck has a limited amount of space they have a tendency to run out of food. Plus they have the added challenge of convincing people that food out of a truck is as good as or better than food served from a popular restaurant.

Up until a few days ago I thought that this was pretty much a complete list of headaches that Greenville’s food trucks had to deal with. I saw it as a fairly daunting list of obstacles and I admired the owners of Asada and Neue Southern for their success in overcoming them. For some reason, however, Greenville City Council sees things differently…

Apparently Asada and Neue Southern are too good. They are so good, in fact, that some downtown restaurant owners must have started feeling a wee bit threatened. The WYFF report does not tell us who has who’s ear, what councilman owes what restaurateur a favor, or who plays golf with whom every Saturday but the fact is that politics have officially intervened where public opinion has not. Apparently the Greenville City Council appointed a “citizens task force” to research this highly important food truck crisis and they now have a list of suggestions to vote on in the near future.

Like any good governmental action these recommendations start with sticking Asada and Neue Southern with additional fees to increase their already challenging costs of doing business. These fees come in the form of annual AND temporary use permits because governmental agencies are great at ripping off their victims, I mean constituents, as thoroughly as possible. It is called being efficient, I believe.

The big hit is that Asada and Neue Southern will no longer be allowed to operate within 250 feet of an established restaurant “essentially eliminating food trucks from downtown Greenville's Central Business District.”

Excuse me?

You can open up one restaurant right next door to another restaurant and then open up another one right next to that, right? If I am not mistaken, in America we call that competition. Suddenly, though, if one of those restaurants happens to have wheels and a limited staff working out of a tiny kitchen, then they are not playing fair?

Forgive me if I am a bit confused. Actually, no, I am not confused. The explanation is in fact rather obvious. You do not have to do too much reading between the lines of WYFF’s story to see exactly what is happening here. I will be glad to save you the time, though, and do the between-the-line reading for you.

Simply put, the owners of certain downtown Greenville restaurants that serve mediocre food are threatened by the fact that a couple of businesses are drawing bigger crowds with better products out of trucks. Instead of improving their own product, they have run crying to their elected officials to do something about this horrible offense. Since the restaurant owners outnumber the food truck owners, our elected officials are serving the best interest of their next election cycle and they are working together to make life difficult for the little guys. Along the way, they are selling the average media consumer on the ridiculous notion that working out of a truck gives these restaurants some sort of advantage.

Picture courtesy of Neuesouthernfoodtruck.com

Clearly neither group has any understanding of concepts like “capitalism,” “private property” or “appropriate roles of government”. Additionally, I would be willing to bet that I could teach our dogs to play violin before either the restaurant owners or councilmen in question could ever grasp such challenging concepts.

Remember how I said I could go on a big rant about government corruption? This is me putting the brakes on it before I get carried away…

Instead of complaining endlessly, we would like to thank Asada and Neue Southern for the great food and service they provide the downtown Greenville community. Further, we would like to commend a few “conventional” downtown Greenville restaurants for their support and cooperation in the food truck movement.

Our friends at The Cazbah, a downtown Greenville staple for years, share the kitchen at their Greer location with Neue Southern for all their food preparation needs. Instead of being threatened by a restaurant on wheels, they actually opened their doors to Neue Southern to help them prepare quality products. That smells more like cooperation than competition, if you ask me.

Another favorite spot of ours, The Owl, has also thrown their support behind the food trucks in a huge way. Today they announced that they have invited Asada and Neue Southern to set up shop in their own parking lot next Wednesday. Won’t the City Council have a fit when hungry Greenvillians have to choose between eating out of a truck or a restaurant in the same parking lot? Instead of legislating competition between businesses, they will be forced to stand idly by while entrepreneurs with similar interests build a community… surely, someone will find a reason to complain about that!

I know there are a lot of different takes on American History but I have always been fond of the one that suggests that this country was built on independence, hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. I find it disappointing that a handful of restaurant owners and city councilmen never read that version.

Freakcycle 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 8 Feb 2013 08:34:00 -0500

A year ago we lived in Anderson but I was spending a lot of time wandering around Greenville while my son was down the street getting ed-um-a-cated in first grade. One day I saw a poster downtown for an event and instantly knew that this was something we had to attend.

The event was Freakcycle and was to be held at The Artistry to raise money for the Greenville Humane Society. It featured “New York City rock & roll, honky tonk swingers”, “Greenville’s own pickers & grinners”, and “local sideshow & burlesque spectaculars”. It also advertised that your tickets could be purchased at a discount if you arrived on your bicycle.

At the time I had never heard of The Artistry, did not recognize the names of any bands listed on the poster, and knew for certain that we were not about to pedal ourselves from Anderson to Greenville to save six dollars. What I did know, however, was that this looked like one heck of a good time and that we needed to check this thing out. I told Chris about the event, we arranged a babysitter for that particular Saturday evening, and we got ourselves ready for a fun Saturday night in Greenville.

And then we stayed home.

Sometime late Saturday afternoon on February 11, 2012 Ivan intervened in our plans. Originally he was excited about a crazy Saturday night with Chris’s 19 year old cousin. Somewhere along the way during a fun, family Saturday afternoon, he changed his mind. “Daddy, I think you and Ms. Chris should stay home so we can have a family movie night.” Naturally, this was accompanied by the face of a five-year-old that no human with a functioning blood pumper can say no to. We canceled the babysitter, made popcorn and said, “Maybe next year”.

Ladies and gentleman, “next year” is upon us and we are going to Freakcycle tonight, dammit. Even better, we know where we are going and who we are going to see and have zero doubts that we are in for nothing less than an amazingly entertaining evening.

Let us start with the venue… The Artistry is totally unique. One part art gallery, one part ironworking shop, one part warehouse, The Artistry defines eclectic. It is the perfect venue for something as eccentric and original as Freakcycle. In the last year we have visited The Artistry for First Friday open house events and a company Christmas party for a business that we did not work for and we have had a great time on every trip. Anybody that likes art, metal, creativity, or innovative people should definitely have The Artistry on their radar of places to visit.

The Artistry - 12 Andrews St.

So what are we going to listen to once we are inside The Artistry for Freakcycle 2013? The sound of hipsters rubbing their goatees while they look at art and say “hmmmmm”? Absolutely not. The Artistry is not that kind of art gallery and Freakcycle is not that kind of event. The aforementioned “New York City rock & roll, honky tonk swingers” will return as the event’s headliners. They are Izzy and the Catastrophics and from the looks of things they bring a party sound that an event called Freakcycle demands. I checked out their website last year and was sold on them instantly and we are stoked that they will be back this year to show us what we missed.

Also appearing this year is Darby Wilcox and the Peep Show. Have I ever mentioned Darby Wilcox? You know, our friend, neighbor, amazingly talented musician, etc. etc.? Yeah, I thought so. At any rate, she is performing at Freakcycle and will be going all out with a full band and we cannot wait to see her. We have seen Darby solo and with one or two others plenty of times but I think the full-band-aspect is going to bring out a side of her music that we have never seen and we are excited to see what happens.

What else is there, you ask? How about a burlesque show? Evelyn DeVere of Carnivalesque in Charleston will return to show us what we missed during family movie night last February. As if that is not enough for us guys, Cirque Spin Tribe of Greenville will also be in attendance. I visited their website and from the looks of things my best description of their art starts with “hot chicks with hula-hoops”. Both of these acts sound like a perfect fit for an event like Freakcycle and promise to be wildly entertaining, as far as I am concerned.

What about dinner? Surely you like to eat on a Friday night, right? Well, here is the clincher… this year Freakcycle will feature a food truck outside during the event. Not just any food truck, mind you, but Asada. One half of Greenville’s food truck community will be in attendance serving up the best tacos and quesadillas that this town has to offer. I never thought it would be possible but I think more highly of Asada’s food truck delicacies more than most of Greenville’s brick and mortar food serving businesses. They are doing something special in the kitchen and the fact that their kitchen is on four wheels makes what they are doing even more impressive.

Did I mention that all of this is happening in the interest of the Greenville Humane Society? Art, music, sideshows, and great food all in the name of helping out cute furry things… and tickets are only $10. I cannot see any reason to be anywhere else tonight…

… unless your five-year-old makes a really pitiful face and then we can give you a pass. It is only valid until next year, though, and then I expect you to plan better, like we have.

Dan Manor

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:20:00 -0500

I was in middle school when I started giving up on “mainstream” sources of new music. It was then that I realized that every radio station on the dial played the same 40-50 songs in constant rotation. I also learned that my friends’ older brothers were a great resource for music that you just were not going to hear on MTV or Rock 101. I remember going to friends’ houses armed with 90 minute Maxell cassettes ready to make a copy of anybody I had never heard of.

As I ventured off the beaten musical path of my peers I discovered that Social Distortion blew my 10-year-old mind, Camper van Beethoven was completely different, and the Dead Milkmen… well, they had a funny name, I suppose.

With age and technology my means of discovering new music expanded over the years. In addition to sharing music with friends that I knew, the Internet allowed me to share with people I would never meet. More significant to my development, however, was the live concert. I do not mean the mega-show at the Bi-Lo Center or any other venue named after a grocery chain, bank, or cell-phone provider. I mean the band you have never heard of playing in a smoky room in front of a crowd of less than 100 people. This is musical discovery and it has fueled my musical appetite for almost 20 years.

I remember sneaking into The Handlebar to see Cake when I was 17 years old. This was when The Handlebar was (way) on the West End and Cake could not fill a room the size of my den. In college I was always drawn to a live performance even though most of what was available at the time was mediocre (at best) cover bands playing songs I did not like enough to hear the original versions of. It was not until I lived in Indianapolis that I discovered a legitimate, local music scene that could satisfy my hunger for new music.

The biggest thing I missed about Indianapolis when I returned to South Carolina 10 years ago was the ability to see a different live band at a different venue 6 or 7 nights a week. I remember paying a $2 cover at The Patio on Monday just because the beers were cheap and a band was on stage. Sure, a lot of these bands stunk but many made my Monday way more enjoyable than network television ever could have.

Now I find myself in downtown Greenville and again have access to plenty of live music venues just a short walk away (including the “new” Handlebar which I promise to only enter honestly now that I am well past legal age). However, parenthood and other responsibilities that come with the aging process preclude us from walking out the door at every whim to see what may or may not be good. The times of going to see a band we have never heard of just because we can are gone and we have to go back to doing a little research first.

This is where Dan Manor comes in… it is the title of the article so you had to assume I would get to it eventually…

Dan Manor is the brainchild of Daniel McCord. If you are a frequent reader of this site you will recognize his name as our friend, neighbor, creator of the 12in2012 project, and the guy that introduced us to GeorgeThroop. Daniel is a photographer and filmmaker and has his finger on the pulse of just about all the good music that comes out of (and even through) the Upstate.

Dan Manor started as the name of Daniel’s house. I am not sure how palatial a home has to be to qualify as a “manor” but my hunch is that he has taken some creative liberties with the official definition. Regardless, it is a cozy establishment with a great screened-in porch which usually serves as the center of musical festivities. On any given night of the week you are likely to find somebody with a guitar or even a full band setting up shop on the Dan Manor porch.

This is where Daniel does what he does best. He puts his passion for film and music together in a setting he calls home. He hosts friends, local musicians and even bands passing through town to play a song or a set on his porch. He films their art, adds his own and shares it with all of us that were not lucky to see the performance first hand.

Actually, these days, performances are no longer confined to the Dan Manor porch. Armed with his video camera and knack for knowing where the good stuff is going down, Daniel now shoots as many videos away from home as he does on his porch.

Regardless of where the performances are filmed, this is the website to visit to learn about local music. Click on Dan Manor right now and you will find an excess of local and regional artists performing in the most personal and intimate of settings. Daniel captures the essence of who the performers are and their passion for what they do. For many of these artists this website is the perfect introduction before seeing them live and in person at your favorite local music venue such as The Handlebar, Smiley’s, Velo Fellow, or countless other Greenville hotspots.

Dan Manor features local and regional artists but is anything but a promotional website. You do not visit Dan Manor to see when the next cool show is because there is no calendar of events. You do not visit Dan Manor and feel like you missed some great concert because Daniel shares it as if you were there. Dan Manor is driven solely by the love for Greenville’s musical talent and the desire to share that talent with the community.

It is simple, it is honest, and maybe most importantly, it is nearly anonymous. Daniel stays behind the camera and shares what he enjoys and asks nothing in return for anyone involved. It is up to you to remember the name of the bands you like and make the effort to find out where you might see them for yourself. He makes the introduction but you have to do the legwork from there and you can rest assured, it will be worth the effort.

Dan Manor provides a unique window to the Upstate music scene. Once you look through this window and like what you see, we suspect you will be inspired to walk through a few more doors. Enjoy the trip and make sure you thank Daniel when you see him along the way.

Seriously, he is pretty hard to miss.

Pic stolen from Daniel's beard blog...

A Segue...

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Wed, 5 Dec 2012 21:04:00 -0500

Our last post was a good damn while ago and that is pretty slack. Here's to more timely blog posts moving forward and something to bridge the gap between the last one and the next one...

The last time we were here we told you about George Throop - the guy who is walking across America. Our next post is about our friend Daniel McCord and his music and movie endeavors. Until time allows us to actually write and post the new story, you should watch the video that follows this short rambling session. It is filmed by Daniel McCord and is about George Throop.

See how it all comes together?

Enjoy the Walk, George Throop

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:41:00 -0400

George Throop

What is the most physically and mentally demanding thing you have ever done?

I have hiked 15-plus miles a day on trails that have made me want to curl up and die in the woods and left me sore for almost a week. I fought a Tough Man contest that despite being only a three round fight was the only physical activity that ever made me vomit from exhaustion at the end of it. Oddly enough, I was not compelled to get sick after I competed in a Mud Run with a hangover and only an hour of sleep under my belt.

All of these experiences were valuable in their own way and left me with a sense of satisfaction that I completed them. However I hold no illusions that I will ever be in world class, Iron Man-type condition. Sure I still hold on to a dream of one day hiking the Appalachian Trail but I accept that making the leap from dream and reality is quite unrealistic any time soon. Even more so, I engage in these activities for myself and for nothing more than my own enjoyment and pride.

It is with that in mind that I have to say that I cannot even begin to wrap my mind around what George Throop is doing right now.

We met George with our friend Daniel McCord* this weekend. George and Daniel met through some kind of couchsurfing website where George arranged to stay with Daniel a few days while he walks across the United States. Yes, you read that right. George Throop is walking across this entire freaking country. He has spent the last three years walking from Washington state, south through California, and across the United States one step at a time.

Think about that when you open your next bag of potato chips.

The first question you probably have is “Why would somebody do such a thing?” You can read George’s whole story at his website Enjoy The Walk but I suppose the short answer is love. George’s mother died from cancer when she was just 33 years old. When he reached his own 33^rd year, George decided to do something to honor his mother’s memory and inspire others to lead healthier lifestyles. When some of us feel this way we usually just slap on a pink shirt and compete in the local Race for the Cure event. Others among us just drop some change in a jar with a sad picture on it on a countertop somewhere and call it good. George was inspired to do something bigger, not just to honor his mother but out of love and respect for his fellow man. Thus his Walk Across America began.

Thanks to George for helping me do my job as a roadie for Darby Wilcox.

Chris and I had the pleasure of meeting George on Saturday as we took in a great performance by Darby Wilcox at Paris Mountain’s Music in the Woods. We were also able to spend some time with him Saturday evening and then see him off on the next leg of his journey Sunday afternoon. Our time with him with was brief but nothing short of fascinating.

After three years and over 4,000 miles on the road, George is unbelievably humble. Despite the attention he receives for his journey, he clearly places his entire emphasis on his goal of raising awareness and accepts little recognition for himself. His stories are not about himself but about the people he has met along the way. When he meets someone new he seems to assume the position of just being an average-Joe meeting someone extraordinary for the first time. This gentle turning of the tables is no act and illustrates a genuine interest in every single person he meets on his journey. After three years he has surely heard every question about his journey imaginable dozens of times at least. However, he answers every question as if it was the first time he had ever heard it and he is excited to finally address the issue.

The bottom line is his respect and appreciation of his fellow man is indisputable and it speaks to the character of the person willing to walk thousands of miles just to celebrate that fact.

It was an honor meeting George Throop this weekend and we wish him all the luck in the world as he works his way towards Washington D.C. to complete his journey. If you find yourself between Greenville and D.C. in the coming months, do yourself a favor and find George Throop. He keeps up with his progress on his blog and we are sure that he would love for you to join him on his walk for a few steps along the way. We promise that you will find yourself better off for it if you do.

Good luck out there, George.

* We have told you about Daniel McCord before but if you are new here or need a reminder allow me to get you back up to speed… Daniel is a Greenville filmmaker, a good friend, and all around nutjob. Check out his work on his current film project and his live musical performance series. And of course, he got a lot of footage of George while he was here and we are looking forward to see what he makes of it all.

Skunk Fest 2012 Recap

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:45:00 -0400

I am actually not sure if recap is an accurate term. For those of you that attended The Albino Skunk Music Festival, I doubt I can tell you anything you do not already know. On the other hand, if you missed it then I would be kind of jerk to rub in your face just how awesome the festival was and how vacant and empty your weekend must have been doing whatever it was you were doing besides attending Skunk Fest.

Okay, so do not think of this as rubbing it in but rather a celebration of the first time we were able to camp all three nights and not miss one second of Skunky fun.

Music, music, music… where to begin? If you were to hand me a recording of the entire three days of Skunk Fest musical goodness there would not be one band I would even be tempted to fast forward through. Glynn Zeigler does a phenomenal job of finding and reaching out to bands all over the country that fit the Skunk Fest spirit. Actually, check that. Thanks to I Draw Slow “driving here all the way from Ireland” the Skunk Fest is officially an international event if it was not already.

Colorado’s The Congress kicked things off on Thursday afternoon and the music continued straight through until Georgia’s raucous Seven Handle Circus brought musical mayhem into the wee hours of Saturday night (or was it Sunday morning?). Every band that took the stage was more than worthy of their place at the Skunk Farm but we do have to take a second to point out a few favorites.

On Thursday I was most looking forward to Elizabeth Cook and she did not disappoint. This is the second time we have seen her at Skunk Fest and both times she was nothing less than a hot little country riot. What I was not expecting, though, was The Lee Boys who immediately followed her. I admit to being completely ignorant about “America’s finest African-American sacred steel ensembles” but I am officially now a fan. They threw down a set of gospel, blues, jazz and funk that even made this uncoordinated cripple get up and dance. Do not get caught sleeping on The Lee Boys and check them out the first chance you get.

One more Thursday note: Food Will Win the War was not only an extremely entertaining band but they also win my unofficial award for “best band name at Skunk Fest”. Chris and I chuckled a little bit every time we said it out loud and may continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

Friday kicked off the first full day of music with The Steel Wheels covering Tom Wait’s “Little Drop of Poison”. Actually, it kicked off with a screwdriver and amazing bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich thanks to Roddy at Greenbrier Farms but that is beside the point. The music went all day and if you told me I had to pick a favorite, I would tell you to commit a physically impossible act. The Deadfields, Sol Driven Train, The Steel Wheels and all the others… yeah, Friday was solid all around.

Saturday is the big day at Skunk Fest. Music starts before noon and goes past midnight. If you were only going to pick one day to Skunk it up, Saturday is always the one to pick.

Darby Wilcox started us out Saturday morning in what was maybe the highlight of our weekend. We are not saying this because she is our friend and neighbor and we love her but because she is an amazingly talented musician. It is a crime that she is not rich and famous but we are kind of glad she is not because then we would not be able to enjoy dinners and drinks with her 3-7 nights a week like we do now. If you missed her Saturday morning then your life is forever incomplete but you can try to remedy the situation by catching her elsewhere around town. We will keep you posted on that very soon so you can start to fill this void in your life.

Anyway, Saturday started with soulful sound of Darby Wilcox and closed with the pandemonium of Seven Handle Circus. In between there were six other bands putting together ten sets of music. Darrell Scott was the one I was most looking forward to and he delivered in spades. He is definitely added to our list of guys that we will not miss within a 100 mile radius of our home no matter what.

A music festival is all about the music, of course, but there is more to the festival atmosphere than just the bands on stage. Allow us to take a moment to thank everyone else that made the Skunk Fest experience complete…

The food vendors were all great but big props to Zeigler for having the Asada truck roll in for the weekend. We are glad they were able to step away from their normal centers of operations and take care of all of us hungry Skunkers. I visited their window at least three or four times during the weekend and we could have definitely been happy with a few more quesadillas and tacos.

The clothing and craft vendors are always an integral part of a festival. We were especially fond of Screaming Horse Iron Works and regret not leaving with a bag full of their work. I suppose that is what the internet is for so we will be visiting them online well before the next Skunk Fest.

And what would a festival be without beer? Most importantly, what would it be without super tasty craft beer from the Community Tap? Those guys worked their tails off to keep the Skunk Farm well hydrated and I like to think that we contributed our fair share to making those kegs just a little bit lighter for them when it came time to load up Sunday morning. Thanks for the beers, gentleman.

Ultimately our favorite vendor was, well, us. Working a booth at Skunk Fest gave us a unique opportunity to get to know a lot more people at the festival than we would meet as just concert goers and we enjoyed every minute of it. We would especially like to offer a big thank you to everyone that stopped by and bought some Big Daddy’s hot sauces. They are made with love by some of the coolest people Texas has to offer and we are proud to share them with anyone in the area that likes a little extra heat in their lives.

All in all, this was a great weekend from top to bottom and we hope to see even more friendly faces at the Albino Skunk Music Festival in the years to come. Glynn Zeigler and all of his loyal Skunk volunteers work their tails off all year to deliver this festival to the music loving community and it shows in a big way. Thanks to all of them for making this event happen. We look forward to seeing you guys in the spring.

A Quick Note From A Cripple...

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Mon, 1 Oct 2012 18:14:00 -0400

A week ago I had shoulder surgery. A "minor procedure" turned into an unexpected repair of a torn rotator cuff and a torn bicep. I now sit here cursing as I type one handed and squint at the screen through a haze of pain medications.

In short... I am going to keep this short...

The Albino Skunk Music Festival is happening in Greer this weekend. Chris and I will be there selling Big Daddy's Hot Sauce right next to the good people of The Community Tap and Dark Corner Distillery. This is an awesome music festival right here in the Upstate and if I can make it for three days of festival fun in my condition then you have absolutely no excuse not to be there.

It took me about 45 minutes to type all that. I am going to take a nap while you watch this movie and click on the above links. We look forward to seeing you this weekend.

An Epidemic Of Bad Taste

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 15:17:00 -0400

A few weeks ago we ranted about, I mean, reviewed The Upstate Be’s Best of the Upstate Reader’s Choice Awards. The winners of this survey ranged from questionable picks to downright offense establishments. As a result, we may have made some broad generalizations about the collective intelligence of the Anderson community.

In the days that followed our posting of “Adios Andertucky” a few things occurred that make us want to expand on things just a bit.

The week after The Upstate Be published the winners of their reader’s choice awards the Greenville News followed suit with their own version of the contest. Every insult we threw at the voting public in Anderson’s awards can also be directly applied to the Greenville audience. Actually, our distaste should be multiplied tenfold given the greater variety of options that Greenville offers.

I will not totally rehash our complaints with Greenville’s so-called “winners”. We will simply note that Greenville’s voting public thinks that Bi-Lo is a better grocery store than The Fresh Market, Chuck FM is a better radio station than WNCW on 97.3, and that they do not see the insanity in voting for Papa John’s and Harbor Inn as the best anything-in-the-entire-universe. Sure, they got a few things right but for the most part Greenville did not differentiate itself from Andertucky one iota.

Also notable is the fact that The Upstate Be had the courtesy to incorporate the contest results as part of their regularly scheduled weekly issue. They even added some insight as to how and why each “winner” was worthy of its honor. To the contrary, The Greenville News released a standalone publication burying less than a page’s worth of winners inside 12 pages of advertisements. Does it add to the credibility of an award when the announcement sits adjacent to advertisements for the winners? I would say “No, it just makes the game look rigged” but that is just my opinion…

Ok, that is just about enough negativity for the moment. A bigger lesson has come from all of this and we feel that it is important to share the positive side of the issue instead of continuing to question why-in-God’s-name anyone would introduce a national chain into any local awards conversation.

The important thing is this: You guys get it. Despite what the voting (m)asses have to say, the people that visit this silly little web page run against the popular grain and like pretty cool stuff.

In the aftermath of posting “Adios Andertucky” this site received at least triple the traffic we are accustomed to seeing. People shared the link on Facebook, commented on the website, and even sent e-mails thanking us for writing what so many others were already thinking. I even received text messages from people that made me ask “How the hell did they get my phone number?”

For the first time since the inception of this site we really felt like we struck a chord with our community. Instead of just sharing our stories for our own amusement we felt like we connected to a subset of the population that actually thinks the way we do. The compliments were flattering but the big prize was finding out how many people read this site and really get what we are all about.

When we started this page it was little more than A) an outlet to share our thoughts publicly and B) talk about cool places we like with the handful of friends and family that might actually visit our page. Somewhere along the way it evolved into just us telling stories about our somewhat-eccentric little family unit. Now, after the response to “Adios Andertucky”, well, we are not quite sure what we are.

I guess you could call us anti-establishment hippies that hate Wal-Mart, Papa John's, Nickleback and everything else that is crowded, generic, and annoying. This can actually be pretty cliché in and of itself so we would like to ask for a pass on that one. Instead we hope to be a fun-loving couple with a child 50% of the time, a drinking problem 80% of it, and a desire to support unique, quality local businesses 100%. Somewhere in the mix we will take the time to write about something you might think is neat… and if not hopefully we can make you chuckle at a bad joke or two.

Thanks for reading!

Adios, Andertucky

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 21:15:00 -0400

Every town I have ever lived in has had the local, alternative newspaper. They have the potential to be a great resource for local residents and visitors alike to find out where the cool kids hang out or where the next can’t-miss concert will be. On the other hand, they can be poorly written rags that are not worth the paper they are printed on.

On this scale, I have to say that the Upstate Be is one of the better examples of these publications. They feature quality writing and do a great job of highlighting the type of people, places and things that I am interested in. When a publication shares your same tastes in food, drink and entertainment, I generally consider it to be required reading.

That said, unintentionally or not, once a year the Upstate Be releases an issue that highlights Anderson, South Carolina’s worst characteristic… public opinion.

We moved to Greenville several weeks ago but we still have a vested interest in Anderson. We have close family, great friends, a rental property and frequent employment in Anderson and have found ourselves traveling south on I-85 a few times a week since we moved. Anderson is one of the smallest communities we have ever called home but it is rich in attractions and businesses that make it a worthwhile destination for any Upstate resident or passerby. We have written about many of these on this site and will continue to do so, regardless of our change in address.

One thing Anderson cannot seem to shake, however, is the outdated perspective of the general population and the sense that the gene-pool might be just a tad shallower than cities of comparable size and opportunity. <Hence my favorite term of endearment: Andertucky>

Back to the Upstate Be… Every year they feature a “Best OfThe Upstate Reader’s Choice Awards” where readers are encouraged to vote for their favorite businesses in the community. I normally do not have a high regard for public opinion but when these votes are tallied the results are shocking even to a cynic like myself who maintains the lowest expectations of my fellow man. In this poll everything that is wonderful and unique about Anderson gets flushed down the toilet and the old saying “the masses are asses” never rings more true.

We have a policy about not naming names of places we find fault with so I will not itemize my complaints with the results. Allow me to make a few broad generalizations before we tell you the things that were missed…

First and foremost, if you vote for a national chain in any local community poll, your vote should be considered null and void. You are voting for the things that make your community special and you think a soulless, mass market corporation is the best your town has to offer? Okay, forget it, I am dropping names: You think Subway has the best sandwich, Olive Garden has the best Italian food and PIZZA HUT should even be considered in a Best Pizza conversation? Unless you live in a cage in somebody’s basement and these are the only things your keeper offers you on special occasions, you have no excuse for being this blind. Not only are you completely oblivious to the world around you but you have no respect for the value of small business owners that work their fingers to the bone to make your community unique.

Secondly, size does not matter. Actually, if your wife or girlfriend tells you this then she is just being nice and it probably DOES matter but we are talking about business here so get your mind out of the gutter. Just because a business has a shiny sign, a fancy building, or big portions does not mean that the quality of the product is worth two red cents. It just means that they put more into their presentation than their product and if you take the blinders off you might be able to figure that out on your own. A great product is a great product, regardless of how it is packaged or how far off Clemson Boulevard you have to go to find it.

Finally, just because a place has “been there forever” does not mean it is good. It just means that people are inherently lazy and a business owner has been fortunate enough to capitalize on that. The grandkids are rich because somebody’s grandpa like their grandpa’s product and people are now too lazy to shop around… kudos to them. Let’s give them an award on top of their inherited riches.

I will now hop off my negativity soapbox for just a moment and just name a few places that should have received a greater amount of attention…

Summa Joe’s: This should have won Best Restaurant and as many as five other categories. The fact that it never ranked higher than a runner up in any category is a mortal sin. I do not mean that as an exaggeration. If God Himself had eaten at Summa Joe’s, there would have been an 11^th Commandment and Jesus would have had his Last Supper with Amy as his waitress.

The Corner Bagel & Barnwood Grill: Neither of these was even mentioned as a runner up in Best Breakfast or Best Lunch. In our opinion they are both infinitely better than any of the places recognized in these two categories.

Grill Man: No mention whatsoever but they are the Best Burger winner in our book all day long. For a town that exists because of the big lake, it is ironic that nobody remembered the best place to eat on said lake.

My Taco Mexico: I actually would have been surprised if the shanty style taco stand received any acknowledgment from the Anderson community. They are on a side street and do not offer free chips so it is only natural that they were overlooked in the Best Mexican Restaurant category.

Viva Il Vino: I am not sure a small Italian wine bar off Main Street would ever win a Best Bar award in any community but this place deserves mention. Best Place That Is Completely Out Of Place In Anderson? They would win this category all day long. Maybe next year.

McDowell’s Emporium: Wait, there was no Best Bookstore category? No matter, I suppose. The masses would have voted for Books-A-Million because that is the only one they have seen on Clemson Boulevard (not that they have ever been in there).

I apologize for ranting but this is a shining example of a syndrome that plagues not just Anderson but America as a whole. The vast majority of the population is cheap, lazy, and content to settle for the status quo. People do not want what is good but prefer to settle for soulless convenience. This is why Wal-Mart is always crowded; you have to wait to get into Chili’s on a Friday night and Justin Bieber is a millionaire.

The Upstate Be celebrates everything that runs against these trends 51 weeks a year and (intentionally or not) dedicates one issue to proving that most of the Anderson population just refuses to get it. I guess we should be happy about this though… it just serves as a reminder that we will always have a good chance of getting a parking spot, table, or bar stool on our future visits to Andertucky in the many years to come.

A Guide To Dating On I-85

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:40:00 -0400

Well, not exactly.

If I did not see this for myself, I would not believe it actually happened. Even then I would have written it off as an isolated incident if the story had not been retold to Chris by an unrelated party months later. Confident in its authenticity, I am prepared to announce that I-85 has a new attraction that you should definitely be aware of (no, not the weird, dirty snow tubing place that never really opened near Exit 35).

The man with the worst approach to meeting women is cruising up and down I-85 and he is looking for you. By “you” I mean, “attractive blonde that is way out of his league”. He toes the line between “creepy” and “ridiculous” and we feel compelled to share his desperate approach to finding love.

Several months ago we were driving to Greenville early on a weekday morning when we noticed a white Toyota Camry driving erratically (even by I-85 standards). The car was weaving in and out of traffic to catch up to an SUV with Clemson University and sorority stickers plastering the back windshield. It was just another case of kids being kids, right? Yeah, not so much.

When traffic got just congested enough for us to catch up to them, the story unfolded. The SUV was piloted by a young, attractive and most notably, bleach blonde, college girl. The pursuing Camry was driven by a meathead that looked like a Jersey Shore reject 25 years past his prime. The clincher of the display was that he appeared to be driving next to her holding up signs in the window for her to read and (presumably) fall in love with. Whether they said “Hey baby” or “I want to eat your liver after you meet my momma” was unclear at the time but the result was that she looked extremely uncomfortable and sped up and changed lanes at every opportunity.

At this point we wondered if we were witnessing some kind of assault-in-the-making and discussed the time at which some kind of intervention would be required. Fortunately, however, the young lady’s disgust finally became clear to Guido McSteroid and she sped away as he abandoned his pursuit. Naturally, this when we caught up to Mr. McSteroid just so we could get a better look at the 50-something year old guy with a pock-marked face and a sleeveless shirt cruising the highway for women at 7 AM on a Wednesday.

And then we laughed. Even Ivan laughed, actually. From time to time he still mentions the “big dumb guy writing notes to girls on the highway”. If this is an early lesson on how ridiculous a man can look when trying to meet women, well then, I hope it sticks.

Like I said, we wrote this off as an isolated incident. Maybe he thought he knew her from somewhere, maybe he fell in love at first sight beyond reason, or maybe he just woke up with a terrible new idea that he just had to try out.

Nope, nope, and nope.

About a month ago Chris was eating dinner at Compadre’s with coworkers when a sales representative described an incident that occurred on her way into town. The story was new to everyone but Chris: a meathead looking older guy in a white Toyota Camry sped up next to her on the interstate and held up a sign that said “Would you be offended if I told you that I admire you?” For the record, Chris described the sales rep as an attractive blonde.

Now we have a pattern. We did not bear witness to an isolated incident but some guy’s premeditated approach to meeting women. The Upstate officially has an unadvertised interstate attraction and I am intrigued and desire more information. Yes, we are partially sharing this as a “heads up” for you eye-catching, seemingly-available, blondes of the Upstate but more importantly, we seek answers to this mystery. In no particular order, here are a few of the questions that arose in our discussions of these incidents. These are you for you Mr. I-85 Ladies Man:

Is your success rate more or less than one in a gazillion?

Do you write the notes for each individual target or do you drive around with pre-printed signs to select from?

What line of work are you in that allows you to drive a brand new car yet you are unable to afford shirts that have sleeves?

Are you prejudiced against brunettes? Do you find redheads personally offensive?

In the rare event that you have ever been with a woman, was she disappointed at the effect steroids have had on your manhood?

Have you resorted to approaching women on the interstate because bars and other public establishments will no longer allow you on their premises?

Are you on the interstate strictly to stalk women or is this just how you pass time on your way to the gym?

Have you found that writing while driving is safer than or equally dangerous to texting while driving?

How many Jersey Shore posters are hanging on the wall of your bedroom in your mother’s basement?

Do you avoid two-lane roads because there are no neighboring lanes to claim as hunting grounds?

Does driving on a one-way street make you feel like you are lost in the desert?

Have you ever been turned down by a prostitute because of your appearance? How did that make you feel?

As you travel the Upstate highways, please do us a favor and keep your eyes peeled for this natural wonder and beautiful example of the failures of humanity that surround us all. Feel free to keep a Sharpie and some paper in your glove box so you can communicate with this fine fellow should you ever cross paths. Just try not to drive next to him for very long… he drives as well as he picks up women and we do not need any collateral damage if (and when) Darwinism finally takes effect and corrects the errors Mother Nature has beset upon us. Happy Hunting!

The Grill Man

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 15:37:00 -0400

I have spent a lot of summer days on Lake Hartwell over the years and have always felt that something was missing from the experience. Of course there is a lot of open water, quiet coves, and tons of spots to enjoy a weekend outing with friends and family. Still, there has always been something lacking…

Sometimes on a lake adventure I get hungry and a soggy sandwich packed in a beer cooler five hours earlier just is not going to cut it. Lake Hartwell has always needed lakefront, boater friendly dining and up until recently it offered nothing too satisfy my hunger. Sure, Nami and The Galley are nice places to dine at Portman Marina but both are just a bit too nice after a day of lake shenanigans. Even with a change of clothes, I feel like a dirtbag walking in to a nice establishment with a fresh sunburn, a beer buzz, and grimy Hartwell lake water stagnating in my pores.

For summer lake days, Lake Hartwell has always needed a good bar and grill. It needed a place where you can dock your boat, throw on a t-shirt and flip flops, and enjoy a burger and a cold beer on a patio in the sun. Please do not interrupt me with reminders of Charlie T’s or whatever came next… there is a reason those places are no longer operational. A relaxing summer day on the lake calls for a relaxing dining experience but the experience ought to offer food you actually want to eat.

So here we are in June, 2012 and years after having consistent boat access and just a few short weeks from leaving Anderson behind, years of lake-day prayers have finally been answered. It is with great celebration and a hint of regret that we have found that the best burger in the Upstate now resides on the shores of Lake Hartwell.

The Grill Man recently celebrated its grand opening a few weeks ago and it might be the best thing that happened to Lake Hartwell since they built the dam in 1959. What started as an event at Friends At The Cove on Sundays during the summer has now expanded into a full time establishment. We can now enjoy The Grill Man’s creations on a full menu, year round, and Lake Hartwell boaters and Anderson-area diners could not be more fortunate.

Like I said, The Grill Man began as an event, not a restaurant. Sundays at Friends At The Cove would feature live music, your own cooler of tasty beverages, and most importantly, Jason Parrish (AKA – The Grill Man). Chris and I were late to the party last summer and we did not make it out until Labor Day for the final Grill Man event of the summer. Nevertheless, we stuffed our faces with Grill Man cuisine, enjoyed The Sons Of Suess with great friends, and left anticipating the return of The Grill Man in the spring.

Fast forward a bunch of months and spring sprung but some major changes occurred in the interim. Friends At The Cove are now focusing their attention on their other business, Friends At The Farm. As a result, The Grill Man has evolved from a weekly attraction to a full-blown establishment. Eager to see what The Grill Man would cook up with an entire kitchen at his disposal instead of just a single grill, we packed up a cooler and headed south towards the lake.

The weather was perfect on the covered patio as we relaxed with cheap beer and watched people stroll up from all directions. On one side they came from the lake, on another - the neighboring pool, and from a third – the golf course at Stone Creek Cove. If we had been bordered on the fourth side by a field of sleeping kittens it would not have added an ounce of serenity to the setting. It also helps that The Grill Man looks and feels more like a residence than a restaurant so sitting outside offers the sense of a vacation home more so than a commercial dining establishment.

The fact is, however, that this is a commercial dining establishment… and a damn good one at that. Do not let the name fool you; this is not just a guy standing over a fire flipping burgers and dogs like some shlep at a neighborhood barbecue. The Grill Man menu is complete, diverse and sophisticated. The focus is on creative recipes made with fresh, local ingredients and cooked to perfection.

Ivan and I are simple men so naturally we ordered cheeseburgers for our first official Grill Man experience. We were rewarded with hands-down the best burger that I have found in The Upstate that did come from our own kitchen.* The burger was seasoned to perfection with a medley of spices that one would not normally find in any other restaurant burger. Most importantly, you can order the burger cooked to your specifications. No “medium well or better” regulations apply here; I was able to order mine medium rare which by itself sets The Grill Man apart from the vast majority of restaurants who cook their burgers to death to ensure the safety of their cheap, questionable, and potentially pink-slime coated ground beef. The result was a perfectly cooked patty topped with bacon, cheese and onions for a simple but perfect Sunday lunch on the lake.

As usual, Chris went in a slightly healthier direction than her boys and ordered the scallop lettuce wrap. Served over local, farm fresh kale, her plate was almost too pretty to eat. Eat it she did, though, and it was gone before I had the opportunity to ask for a taste.

So there we were, sitting on the lake with a cooler of cheap beer sharing the love of our little family unit while we ate the best meal money can buy in Anderson County on a Sunday afternoon. Even though we ate with the knowledge that our days in Anderson are coming to a close, we knew that we had discovered something unique and special. Anderson holds a handful of treasures that are worth coming back for and we instantly agreed that The Grill Man has been added to our short list of places worth the drive from Greenville after we move.

*Any burger that starts with Chris on her hands and knees hand grinding a brisket through her grandmother’s antique meat grinder is pretty hard to beat.

The Children Are No Longer Animals… But I Could Use Some Help Anyway

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Fri, 11 May 2012 12:46:00 -0400

In February I told you about a horrifying experience I had in a classroom full of rabid, blood thirsty first graders. I am happy to say that I fully recovered from my physical and emotional injuries and have continued to teach the Math Superstars lesson to Ivan’s class every other week since that horrible day.

In the aftermath of this event I made some changes to my teaching style as well as my expectations of the angry mob, I mean, class. As a result, teaching Math Superstars has become one of the most fulfilling parts of my week. I have enjoyed getting to know Ivan’s classmates and am continually amazed at how their minds work as they continue to figure out the world around them.

One of the biggest changes I made was to have the kids work in groups as opposed to individually. As individuals they raced to answer the questions and bombarded me with answers ranging from “37!” or “Blue!” in response to a “Yes or no” type problem. In groups they have resolved to work together as a team and it has been a joy to watch the different dynamics develop as they work through the questions in front of them. Kids that took no part in the lesson as individuals have shined as they now work with their table-mates to figure out the answer together. Conversely, kids that wanted to blurt out answers to the class now take the lead in their groups to help their friends get the right answer as a team. As a result, watching their development has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my adult life.

It is with great sadness that I am closing in on my final Math Superstars lesson of Ivan’s first grade school year. I will miss preparing my lessons with Ivan the night before class and will treasure the relationships with all of the kids that I have grown close to over the past year. In a few short weeks Ivan and I will leave first grade behind and prepare for a fun filled summer before the new adventure of second grade begins in the fall.

With that in mind, I asked the class today how I can make the last Math Superstars a memorable one. I asked them if there is anything new, different or fun we can do to celebrate the end of the year during our final lesson. This is where I need your help because their answers were not only surprising but present some challenges that I did not anticipate…

When I asked the question of the class I was greeted with an unexpected number of raised hands and creative ideas. Their suggestions were as unique and surprising as anything I could have dreamt up on my own. In no particular order I have been asked to do the following…

- Teach the class long division

-          Teach the lesson outside
-          Eliminate the use of paper and pencils and use props and outside materials to calculate the answers
-          Teach more than just one weekly worksheet so “we can do even more math”
-          Teach them about The Civil War as part of the math lesson

Individually, each of these ideas has its merits. Going outside is begging for distraction, I know, but I am willing to give it a whirl. Props should be easy to assemble with proper planning and if Ivan’s teacher is okay with allowing me a larger block of time then I would be glad to add as many worksheets as their attention span can handle.

But long division? To first graders? And The Civil War incorporated into a math lesson? Are you kidding me?

Their creativity and excitement makes it unable for me to deny their requests and I am determined to satisfy them all to the best of my ability. I am sure with two weeks to plan I can work through this like any other problem but I am not sure that my solutions will be enough to meet their desires. Even more than that, I wonder if my approach will be, um, age appropriate when it is all said and done.

Sample Question:

“27,000 soldiers were wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. If 5,000 of these resulted in the amputation of limbs, how many arms and legs did the wounded soldiers possess when the battle was over? Also, what percentage of soldiers kept their limbs intact?”

In my mind this question would involve a reenactment of the battle on the playground complete with fake muskets and fireworks.

As you can see, I run the risk of straying far from the first grade curriculum as well as the acceptable rules and regulations of Ivan’s elementary school. So again, this is why I need your help. I welcome any ideas, tips, or legal advice any of you might have in regard to this challenge. Comment or e-mail us anything that might make the final lesson of Math Superstars a memorable one. Of course by “memorable” I would like to think that the memory will not end with a meeting with the principal or any other authorities.

Thanks in advance for your help!

The Winter Sounds and A FEST-A-VUUULLLL

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Wed, 9 May 2012 15:21:00 -0400

Oddly Enough, Most People Slept Through The 8 AM Sunday Performer

There was a time in our lives when live music was a staple of our existence. Living in Broad Ripple in Indianapolis without the responsibility of a child made it easy to satisfy my musical appetite. It was common for me to walk to shows three or four nights a week and after a few years I almost took it for granted. Likewise, Chris spent the bulk of her life in Houston where she took full advantage of a great big city music scene right in her own backyard. These days we have to (gasp) drive to concerts if and when our busy schedules allow it. As a result, the opportunities to see quality live music are fewer and further between.

This past week we were afforded the chance to capitalize on some great shows right here in the Upstate and we loved every minute of it.

Last Monday I learned that The Winter Sounds were playing a spur of the moment acoustic show at The Velo Fellow in downtown Greenville Tuesday night. I learned of them through our friend Daniel McCord and have been hoping to catch one of their shows for several months now. Scheduling conflicts kept us at bay, though, and we were 0-3 on our attempts to see them live. When we caught wind of their Tuesday night show we resolved to push responsibility to the side and hit the road for a rare weeknight concert.

The Winter Sounds hail from Nashville with roots in the Upstate and are a truly unique ensemble. First of all, the lead singer plays an accordion. Yes, an accordion. I do not know how many bands can do this and pull it off but trust me, it works. Combine the accordion with a guitar, drum, fiddle and banjo and you get something that I cannot describe other than… wow, that totally works. Playing an acoustic set with no PA within the intimate setting of The Velo Fellow was a perfect live introduction to The Winter Sounds.

The Winter Sounds played a great mix of original songs with a creative selection of covers that you do not expect to hear at all (especially that well). Anytime someone breaks into Neutral Milk Hotel good things are bound to happen but their cover of A-Ha’s Take On Me totally blew my mind. I highly recommend them as a can’t-miss show the next time they blow through town.

Saturday night we ventured a little further north to The Skunk Farm for Spring Skunk 2.0. I already told you what I expected from The Skunk Fest last week so now I just have to confirm that it was one heck of a good time. If you missed it you should be ashamed of yourself and should begin clearing calendar for the first weekend in October for the original, bigger and even more awesome fall version of The Albino Skunk Music Festival.

Admonishment aside, we have to point the finger back at ourselves as we missed the opening night of Spring Skunk and did not arrive until Saturday morning. Work schedules and 7-year-old soccer games provided the usual logistical hurdles but we were fortunate enough to roll onto the Skunk Farm around 11:00 Saturday morning. The bands were already in full swing as we checked in and set up our tent for a day of music and Big Daddy’s hot sauce sales.

First of all, we scored big with our tent location; we had a perfect view of the Skunk Stage and were neighbored with The Dark Corner Distillery and The Community Tap. With music to our front and tasty beverage serving neighbors to our left, we could not have been better positioned if they had built the festival around us.

I cannot remember the last time I settled in for more than twelve consecutive hours of quality live music but I have to say that it was a much needed event for my musical soul. From start to finish every band was beyond entertaining and deserved their spot on the Skunk Stage. For my part, Onward Soldiers and Seven Handle Circus were the highlights but everyone else in the lineup more than covered the price of admission. Zeigler always puts together a quality lineup for his festivals and as expected, Spring Skunk 2.0 was no different.

For our part, the biggest highlight was watching Ivan enjoy his first true festival experience. Sure, he has been to plenty of past Skunk Fests but this was his first one where he could completely submerge in the festival culture. He was there early, he helped set up our vending booth and campsite, and he took in the wonders of the festival until midnight when his little seven-year-old legs just could not propel him any further into the night. Along the way he made friends, worked our vending table, and toured the RV’s serving as green rooms for the bands. He also stole the blankets from Chris and I as we all shared a tent but I guess we can forgive him for that one… he is only seven after all and accustomed to only sharing his covers with a stuffed animal or two.

Ivan Practicing For A Career As A Tattoo Artist

All in all this was definitely our most memorable Skunk adventure to date. It was our first time camping out at the festival, Ivan’s first camping trip ever, and our first time as vendors at The Greatest Show on Dirt. Beyond our own personal enjoyment, we experienced the added satisfaction of sharing our friends’ talents with the Skunk community. We sold Big Daddy’s Hot Sauce, Reprotone 100% recycled guitar picks, and showed off the handcrafted cutting boards of Settledown Inc. As I told a number of the people that visited our booth, if we cannot make anything creative on our own, the least we can do is show off what our friends are capable of.

This week we are back to the daily grind of schlepping between Anderson and Greenville every day and wondering where we will squeeze in our next adventure. We will likely miss seeing our friends at the Anderson Farm & Garden Festival this weekend, we will surely miss The Carolina Chocolate Drops at The Handlebar next Wednesday*, and I still have not figured out how to score tickets to Jack White and The Alabama Shakes at The Orange Peel on May 19. I accept that we cannot be everywhere, however, so it is good to know that weeks like the last one are always closer on the horizon than we expect.

*IMPORTANT NOTE: After writing this I learned that The Carolina Chocolate Drops show has been moved to July 13. With the extra time to plan, we hope to be there. On the other hand, the extra time allows for any number of obstacles to appear in our schedule. Time will tell…

Big Daddy's Hot Sauce ~~Is Even~~ Might Be Good On Possum

Spring Skunk 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Brett B.) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:30:00 -0400

Four years ago this week my wife and I ventured to Hot Springs for the French Broad Music Festival. We had been dating about four months and somewhere between the music, fun, and a bottle of whiskey, I used a certain four letter word that starts with “L” with her for the first time. That festival is now an anniversary-type event for us and we have marked our calendar for the festival every year since.

Not this year, though. We have something better to do way closer to home.

This weekend we will keep our fun in the Upstate as we spend the weekend at the Skunk Farm for the Albino Skunk Music Festival’s second annual Spring Skunk Fest. If you live in The Upstate and do not call the underside of a rock your home, then surely you have heard of it. Heck, just by nature of visiting this website you should already know about Skunk Fest if you pay any attention to the sidebar on the right.

For eighteen years, The Albino Skunk Music Festival has taken place in Glynn Zeigler’s backyard in late September or early October. Once a year music lovers would venture to the Skunk Farm for three days of bluegrass, folk and Americana and then wait patiently for another year to pass. Somewhere along the way Glynn decided that it was an injustice for the Skunk Stage to sit uninhabited in his backyard for the other 362 days a year. To remedy this, he brought balance to the Albino Skunk Universe and introduced Spring Skunk Fest in May, 2011. This May 4-5, Spring Skunk 2.0 will return to the Skunk Farm for a weekend of great music.

Spring Skunk was designed as a slightly smaller two day event to satiate the festival hunger that brews in the hearts of music fans as winter gives way to inviting outdoor temperatures. After months of listening to live music in the confines of crowded clubs and concert halls, music lovers are eager and ready to take in great live sounds in the freedom of the great outdoors. Nothing feeds a music fan’s soul like an entire day of live music from a diverse selection of bands and Skunk Fest serves this up in spades.

This year’s Spring Skunk features twelve bands over two days. Skunk Festivals pool a diverse selection of talent from all over the country and Spring Skunk 2.0 is no different. From New York to Los Angeles bands come from far and wide for the opportunity to perform on the Skunk Farm. This is one of my favorite things about Skunk Fests in that it offers the chance to see musicians that I would not have the opportunity to find anywhere else in the Upstate. Larry Keel is the only artist on the bill that I have seen locally and cannot wait to see what Glynn is raving about when he tells me about I See Hawks in LA, Erin McDermott, Seven Handle Circus and all the rest of this year’s featured acts.

In addition to the music, Skunk Fests feature a laid back setting, a family friendly environment, and great flavors of the Upstate. Community Tap will be pouring the tasty beverages, Mike & Jeff’s BBQ and Skunk Friend Smiley will offer their great tasty goodness, Stomping Grounds Coffee House will keep you hopped up on caffeine, as well as plenty of other area artists and vendors of local goodness.

For our part, we will set up shop with oodles of Big Daddy’sHot Sauce and 100% recycled guitar picks from our music loving friends at Reprotone Inc. I should also note that Chris and I will have the coolest hot sauce salesman in the country working our table – Ivan is on a mission to cute your brains out and be the leading hot sauce salesman in the world. He is now seven years old, loves Big Daddy’s Amplified Heat, and really, really wants your money. Good luck saying no to this kid.

Buy your tickets now or grab them at the door. Bring folding chairs, coolers, or even a tent and come ready to make yourself comfortable and have a great time in the woods. We hope to see you there.