Charleston City Paper Vol. 21 Issue 1 - Part I by CharlestonCityPaper

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VOL 21 ISSUE 1 • AUGUST 9, 2017 • charlestoncitypaper.com

ONE MORE YE AR AND WE CAN BUY BEER

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A N N I V E R S A R Y

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INSIDE

VOL 21 ISSUE 1 AUGUST 9, 2017 ■ VIEWS p. 4 20ish Questions with Stephanie Barna City Paper’s founding editor on the record p. 7 20 (and Then Some) Advertisers to Note Here’s to the folks who’ve helped us keep the lights on p. 8 Guest Column by Chris Haire Our 20 most beloved trolls p. 8 Comments Capsule 20 reader comments from 1997-2017 p. 14 Stegelin! A look at Steve Stegelin’s favorite editorial cartoons

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

■ NEWS p. 16 We’ve Got It Covered 20 news stories that we, yes we, broke p. 22 The 20 Politicians Who Hate Us We must be doing something right

■ FEATURES p. 24 Wish You Were Here 20+ Charlestonians we miss the most p. 26 20 Things from ‘97 Yes, 1997, as in the year “Barbie Girl,” came out p. 28 20 City Paper Peeps Worth Remembering A send-up to the scribes who kept us going each week p. 30 #winning Our top 20 all-time biggest BoC winners p. 32 20 of Our Best and Worst Covers They’re all our children, but we will play favorites

ONLINE

FOOD

An all-new Dish Dining Guide hits the streets today. charlestoncitypaper.com/dish

20 Things I’ve Learned Working for CP I wore a cow skirt to my internship interview with Stephanie Barna. Not a skirt with cows on it, mind you, a faux fur cowhide print skirt. If there was ever an outfit that screamed West Coast Yokel Seeks Hip Alt-Weekly Job, that was it. And at 21, my journalism naïveté was as loud as my sartorial choices. I think when Stef asked me what section I wanted to write for, I said “the performance one.” “You mean Arts?” she said. “Uh, yeah. That one.” It’s a miracle I was ever allowed to step foot in the building again but by some act of luck, I got the internship and I’ve basically been here ever since. Here’s what I’ve learned in my 12 years of writing for Charleston City Paper. 1. Question everything. 2. Publicists are not your friends. 3. The Oxford Comma is your friend. 4. Everything’s better with a pun. 5. Never Google anything Chris Haire tells you to Google. No, really. Just don’t. 6. Always take the day off after the Best of Charleston party. 7. Keep Pedialyte in your desk drawer (see: above). 8. Say yes to “softies.” 9. The Charleston brand is bullshit. 10. “Authenticity” is the result of brutal honesty, creativity, and attention to detail. ■ CITY PICKS p. 36 City Picks The best events in Charleston this week p. 36 Calendar of Events p. 44 Guest Column by Erica Jackson Curran What I learned during my six years covering Charleston events ■ ARTS p. 46 Drama! A Theater Critic looks back at 20 years of performance in the Holy City ■ SCREEN p. 50 Hollywood Does Charleston 20 films and TV shows filmed in the Lowcountry ■ CUISINE p. 54 Shifting Supper A sobering look at Charleston’s food changes over 20 years p. 59 Dining Guide Where to eat in Charleston p. 61 Cuisine Calendar Dinners; Foodie Events; Wine p. 68 The Way We Were 20 spaces, 88 F&B concepts

CHARLESTONCIT YPAPER.COM

WHERE’S THE BLOTTER? We’re so jam packed with 20th Anniversary goodness this week we ran out of space. Find it in News+Opinion.

11. Missed deadlines = you’re dead to me. 12. Keep your phone charged. 13. Stop talking. 14. Listen. 15. Don’t buy into the hype. 16. Do buy local. 17. A cocktail a day keeps the anxiety at bay. 18. Beware the faux foodies. Fauxdies© 19. Trolls gonna troll. 20. Never, ever forget to thank your lucky stars that you get to do your dream job every damn day. —Kinsey Gidick

■ CLASSIFIEDS p. 72 Real Estate p. 74 Jobs p. 75 Free Will Astrology p. 75 Auto p. 76 Jonesin’ Crossword by Matt Jones “5 PM” p. 76 Pets p. 77 Market p. 77 Legal Notices p. 77 Psycho Sudoku “Greater than Sudoku” ■ MUSIC p. 80 20 Music Moments to Remember From Shovels & Rope to Southern Discomfort — a comprehensive look back p. 82 Drive-By Memories How a show at the old Pour House changed my musical life p. 85 20 Much-Missed Venues Alas poor houses of music, we hardly knew ye p. 88 Musicboard The most comprehensive weekly live music calendar in town

Independent, Local, And Free Since 1997 Phone: (843) 577-5304 1316 Rutledge Ave. • Charleston, SC 29403 charlestoncitypaper.com Publisher: Noel Mermer - 1997 (ext.113) publisher@charlestoncitypaper.com EDITORIAL Editor: Kinsey Gidick - 2005 (ext.135) kinsey@charlestoncitypaper.com Arts Editor: Connelly Hardaway - 2015 (ext.130) connelly@charlestoncitypaper.com Music Editor: Kelly Rae Smith - 2005 (ext.102) kellyrae@charlestoncitypaper.com Contributing Theater Editor: Maura Hogan - 2016 Senior Staff Writer: Dustin Waters - 2015 (ext.116) dustin@charlestoncitypaper.com Staff Writer: Mary Scott Hardaway - 2017 (ext.115) maryscott@charlestoncitypaper.com Editorial Cartoonist: Steve Stegelin - 2004 Contributors: Ali Akhyari - 2016, Stephanie Barna - 1997, Matt Dobie - 2015, Heath Ellison - 2016, Shani Gilchrist - 2016, Vincent Harris - 2015, Stephanie Hunt - 2007, Stratton Lawrence - 2007, Helen Mitternight - 2015, Robert F. Moss - 2006, Jessie Parker - 2017, Enid Spitz, 2017, Kevin Young - 2009, Vanessa Wolf - 2015, Baynard Woods - 2017 Editorial Interns: Kristen Kornbluth - 2017, Jakob Lazzaro - 2017, Sarah Reynolds - 2017 (ext.131) interns@charlestoncitypaper.com ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Blair Barna - 1997 (ext.124) sales@charlestoncitypaper.com Sales Manager: Cris Temples - 2003 (ext.127) cris@charlestoncitypaper.com Account Executives: Hollie Anderson - 2007 (ext.117) hollie@charlestoncitypaper.com, Colby Chisholm - 2003 (ext.114) colby@charlestoncitypaper.com, Ashley Frantz - 2008 (ext.101) ashley@charlestoncitypaper.com, Sarah Minotti - 2005 (ext.121) sarah@charlestoncitypaper.com, Shelby Tamres - 2004 (ext.100) shelby@charlestoncitypaper.com Traffic Manager: Jessica O’Hara - 2014 (ext.125) jessica@charlestoncitypaper.com Event Marketing Manager: Eva Sellers - 2016 (ext.137) eva@charlestoncitypaper.com National Advertising Sales: VMG Advertising (888) 278-9866 or (212) 475-2529 Sr. VP of Sales: Susan Belair Sr. VP of Sales Operations: Joe Larkin CREATIVE Art Director: Scott Suchy - 2007 (ext.123) suchy@charlestoncitypaper.com Production & Graphic Design Manager: Tiffany Waldorf - 2014 (ext.103) tiffany@charlestoncitypaper.com Senior Graphic Designer: Déla O’Callaghan - 2013 (ext.128) dela@charlestoncitypaper.com Graphic Designer: Mahaley Keen - 2017 (ext.129) mahaley@charlestoncitypaper.com Web Editor: Sam Spence - 2012 (ext.105) sam@charlestoncitypaper.com Staff Photographer: Jonathan Boncek - 2011 jonathan@charlestoncitypaper.com ADMINISTRATION Accounting: Jennifer Grove - 2013 Circulation Manager: Maury Goodloe - 2016 circulation@charlestoncitypaper.com Distribution: Miranda Artz - 2013, Jessie Craig - 2006, Jane DuBose - 2006, Jason Dupree - 2016, Melissa Griffon - 2015, Danny Haynes - 2016, Luther Haynes - 2006, Robert Hogg - 2010, Mark Madison - 2013, David Truluck - 2016, Doug Walters - 2007 Former Truck Driver and Distribution Manager; Current Cleaning Lady: Raymond McGuire - 2002 Courier: Whitt Algar - 2004 Policies: Charleston City Paper is a weekly newspaper published by Jones Street Publishers, LLC that covers news, cuisine, arts, and entertainment. All content is copyrighted and the property of Jones Street Publishers, LLC. Views expressed cover the entire spectrum and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. City Paper takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts.

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20ish Questions with Stephanie Barna City Paper’s founding editor on the record BY KINSEY GIDICK, INTERN (2005-2006) MANAGING EDITOR (2014-2016) EDITOR (2016-2017)

When Stephanie Barna became Editor of Charleston City Paper in 1997, she was 27 years old. A former Creative Loafing freelancer and CBS affiliate in Savannah, Barna quickly jumped into the Charleston scene, crafting the tone of the City Paper with her smart voice and smart ass delivery. Her knack for nailing the city’s trends, shaping its opinions, and forecasting its future would become the key to the publication’s success.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

So it was a surprise to all of us in 2014 when, after 17 years at the editorial helm, Barna announced her retirement. As she explained to then-news reporter Paul Bowers, “I was thinking about the paper as being my child. So the paper is getting ready to hit its 18th birthday next summer, and it seems like a good time to let it go.” To which we all thought, “Let go?! Fat chance.” As any mama will tell you, you never really let go of your baby and even though Barna’s byline frequency has waned, her impact is felt every day, as we try to live up to her standards and carry on the smart and snarky legacy of this paper’s founder.

So, here we are, 10 more years. How’s it feel? Well, it’s bittersweet because I left during that 10 years. And it was definitely my dream job. So it was very hard to let go of it. But I feel like I put it into good hands and it’s been shepherded well and I’m proud to see that it continues. I do feel like it needs to evolve faster and better. It worries me that it still looks the same. But I think that the content is stellar and continues to do well and I think it’s still an important voice in the community and that’s what matters to me. When you started the paper in ’97 did you have grand plans for what City Paper was going to stand for? No. I definitely felt trepidation about being a newcomer. In the beginning I wrote a ton. I was just an outsider trying to see what the issues were. I let my opinion form organically based out of the information I was gathering. I didn’t have much of an opinion about Charleston except that I thought it was a cool

place. And then having lived in Savannah where I mistook the racial issues. There was like a placid surface level and I mistook that as being “Oh wow, there’s no racism here.” That was naivete and it was like “Oh wow, it’s like the ’50s here.” I had learned that lesson from Savannah so I knew there was a deep well of stuff in Charleston that people were not willing to acknowledge. I think that’s actually the most exciting thing to me currently that’s happening in Charleston is that race is actually a conversation that’s being had and I think it’s long past due. I had always wanted to do the Race Issue and make it this big, broad, diverse discussion and I feel like that sort of happened without me having to do that. I wanted to put that conversation out there and now it’s just happening and I think that the City Paper being a part of that conversation is huge. And the diversity of voices in the paper itself. When I started, I didn’t even have any natives writing for me. When I first met native Charlestonians willing to write for me and acknowledge my existence, that was very exciting for me because people were really weird about it in the beginning. I was gonna ask you about that. What was the initial reaction? The first couple of issues were people like, “What is this thing?” When was the point when Charlestonians got that you weren’t leaving? When did you know what people thought of the City Paper? Oh my god, probably not until I left the City Paper to tell you the truth. I was just always behind my desk and so I was not really able to get out and about. We had these grueling deadlines and I was always stuck and I had babies, so

Jonathan Boncek

I never really knew. All I knew back in the day was from hand written letters to the editor. We didn’t even have an email. I just knew, my first story I did, actually the neighborhood story, the save the city one where I went and interviewed all of the neighborhood associations, they were shocked to see me. They were like, “Oh you’re serious.” Then, after that, a lot of people would call me. It was just working the beat. Once they saw someone working a beat and that cared about it, they responded to that. The seriousness you put into it reflects and comes back to you. What was the first story that you felt you really nailed? Have some memory of that? Probably Hurricane Floyd.

I’ve seen that cover. Yeah. We came back on a Monday or something and people were pissed and all the writers were pissed and they all wanted to share. That was one of those really fast turnarounds. I was not really accustomed to doing much breaking news really. I was much more long features and stuff. So that was exciting because it was like “Yes, City Paper.” We tapped into the pissed off and there were lots of conversations around it. When that happened, did you feel some sense of license, like ‘We can do this again. We understand what people are thinking?’ When did you feel you got braver with stories and started challenging things? I remember we did a Heritage or Hate (2008) issue during the big debate on that. We became the forum for people of opposing views to be heard which I liked. My goal is always that people felt we treated them fairly and were honest and authentic and not bullshitting. I was interested in hearing all the viewpoints. You can’t fight against something if you’re not clear on how they’re defending this racist symbol. How do you justify it? Then they’d do these tortured historical justifications and it’s like, “Yeah see?”

Speaking of special, I think some people forget the role you played in covering Charleston’s food scene. I think the high tide of that era was you, and Robert, and Jeff. What was it like? Did you enjoy it? Was it weird? Well, I’ve always loved reading food news. Like Cliff Bostick at Creative Loafing, that was like the one thing I read. I don’t know why. I never went to any of the restaurants. I was a college student too poor to go out to eat. I just loved the way he told stories and it was through food. So it always spoke to me and I always loved reading restaurant reviews. I knew it was going to be a big deal in Charleston. Even from the earliest days? Oh yeah, from the beginning I just knew it was something I was interested in. I was as interested in food as I was in music, and theater, and all that stuff. I’ve actually, in retrospect, I could be a cool hunter really because my interests have always been a half step ahead or whatever and I just trusted that I know what I like and that other people will like it too. I just sort of kept my nose in it forever. Then Sean [Brock] moved here. I wrote about him before he moved here. I was just researching who they had hired and I looked at my alt-weekly bretheren in Nashville and it was like ‘Oh I’m going to ask them.’ They were like, this is a big deal for us to lose him to you guys. So it was like, ‘Hey, let’s see where it goes.’ Luckily, I had a food critic who understood where Sean was in the grand scheme of things and it was interesting. But it’s been interesting because I feel like food has lost its meaning here. It’s just become a commodity and it’s a real shame. What role has local media played in that? We’re probably pretty guilty. Eater’s the problem. I mean really, it turned it into a gossip thing where, for us, the gossipy stuff was just an addendum. The important thing was the food and the culture and what it means. Well, when you focus on just what’s opening and closing and what the hot places to eat are, you’ve got people running around in herds to each new restaurant.

And I’ve really rebelled against that personally because I don’t have to do it anymore. I just go to places that care about what they’re doing, care about me as a customer, and treat me well, and give me good value. Well, The Ordinary is not the best value, but it is good so it’s worth the splurge. I just focus now on places that make me feel good. When Shuai and Corrie open a brick and mortar you damn well know I’m gonna be in there. Yeah, because it’s good stuff. I don’t feel the need to be at every opening you know. Sorghum and Salt? I don’t know. I don’t have to know. I do feel like Charleston has become this commodity on so many levels. Actually one of my favorite stories we wrote was the Disneyfication of Charleston with the Mickey shadow. Such a good cover. I’d like to read that again. We’ve always had this tension between the tourism and the locals and it’s just gotten more and more intense and now that we’re the bedroom community of Brooklyn and JetBlue is like a $200 two-hour flight, people move here instead of Brooklyn because it’s cheaper. Now they’re making our rents go up. A friend asked, “Why do people keep coming here?” I was like,“I don’t know. There’s really not much more to do than a weekend.” Could you have predicted Charleston would end up like this? I felt like the recession just put the brakes on and gave us a breather. All this was getting ready to happen in this area. It just delayed it. Now, if you look at all the new development, we’re a commodity. We’ve got these big investment groups in Charlotte and Chicago and stuff. We’re not a little backwater any more which, the sad thing is, if this growth and development was actually helping us, it would be one thing. What are we gonna do? Our infrastructure sucks, our schools suck. We’re not leveling the playing field. We’re still fighting over frickin’ 526. Let’s get past perimeter roads. Let’s look at the bigger cities and see how perimeter roads have worked out. And that’s something we continue to cover. So, what do you think is a story where City Paper made a lasting impression? The flag obviously. Is there something where you point to and say this was the thing? Gosh, I don’t know. During my tenure? I definitely think for me the food coverage became my signature. I always loved Moredock reminding everybody like, “Hey this place isn’t all unicorns and fairies.” There’s some deep seated problems that no one was talking about. What would you like to see for City Paper in the next five years. I want it to be reinvented. I really want it to be freed from the past. It’s not an altweekly anymore. That’s what you need to understand. It’s like a trans kid. My child needs to come out and be what it needs to be in order to exist in the world that it’s in, and not try to be what it used to be.

VIEWS | charlestoncitypaper.com

One thing I think that’s interesting to follow in the past couple months has been the Baltimore City Paper shutting down and other alts closing, and it’s really upsetting to me to see it happening, since I’ve been a part of writing for City Paper for 12 years now. But for you, as an owner, is there still a place for alts? What is that place? I don’t know. I mean I feel like the internet stole our voice. You know that tone. I mean the tone of the daily and an alt-weekly, the internet tone is not of a daily and now everyone is sort of writing in that tone. It’s personal, it’s objective, I think it needs to be online. I like what The Stranger in Seattle has done. The Stranger’s always on the cutting edge. And for years you print something special that has gorgeous photography and really utilizes the print medium and keep the digital digital and go for the fast, cutting edge stuff. Why publish something again and again and again in just a different package? You should make it special.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

ESSENTIALS

20 (and Then Some) Advertisers to Note Here’s to the folks who’ve helped us keep the lights on BY CITY PAPER STAFF As a free publication (and paywall-free digital edition), City Paper is reliant on advertising revenue. So it’s impossible to list everyone who has purchased ads from us over the past 20 years. What we’ve done is highlight 20 of the businesses who have been with us since year one (and still support us today) as well as 20 others who have been among our top clients in the years that followed. What’s probably the most amazing thing is how many of our local advertisers from 1997 are still in business today. That’s a testament to their businesses, our community, and maybe, just maybe, to the value of City Paper advertising. One group of advertisers that we want to single out but did not include in the list below is our friends in the beer, wine, and spirits world. There are numerous brands, breweries, distilleries, and distributors that have been among our best clients over the years. You know who you are, and we raise a glass to you. So to all of our advertisers, past and present, please know that whether you ran a classified liner or a full page every week, we thank you for your business, and we literally couldn’t do it without you.

Twenty More Advertisers Without Whom We Never Would Have Made It To Year 20 • The Brick • Charleston County Parks & Recreation • Charleston Harbor Tours / Kent Group • Charleston Hospitality Group (Tabbuli, Toast! & More) • Derm & Laser Center of Charleston

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• Family Circle Cup Tennis Center / Volvo Car Open • Fleet Landing • Guilty Pleasures • Hank’s Seafood / Peninsula Grill • Home Team BBQ • Jennifer Lepage / Agent Owned Realty • King Street Grille • Mellow Mushroom • The Pour House • Red’s Icehouse • Thee Southern Belle • Tiger Lily • Triangle Char & Bar • Trident Technical College • Wasabi

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Twenty Advertisers Who Have Been With Us Since Year One (And Still Support Us Today)

V VIEWS

comments capsule

GUEST COLUMN | BY CHRIS HAIRE, EDITOR (2007-2016)

Our 20 Most Beloved Trolls Thanks for the memories When I left the City Paper last year, I had only one regret: I never formally said goodbye. Not to Kinsey, Connelly, Dustin, Kelly Rae, Sam, and the rest of my co-workers. I bid them all a heartfelt adieu.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

And while it is with some regret that I formally didn’t say goodbye to our loyal readers, both in print and online, any such regret is small compared to those whom I feel that I have hurt the most: my fellow trolls. Over the course of my nine years at the City Paper, years in which we transformed from slow-and-steady weekly publication to an aggressive daily online news site, the men and women who commented the most on our articles were never far from my mind. There’s our Mat Catastrophe, obviously, the only troll to make the leap from the screen to a tony spot in our Views section. (Psst … another commenter made the leap, but I’m not going to tell you who.) And then there’s Pronghorn and his perpetual obsession with French fries, Fieros, and the Folly Road Huddle House. But it’s not just them, I miss all of the old regulars. When it’s late at night, and the last sip of Evan Williams has been sipped, I often think of how in the past, I would have gone to the City Paper site, taken a gander at the comments, looked for any from our regulars (Where are you Ima Oldman? And you Art Rogue?), and fired off a comment intended to fuel whatever fire was currently raging. Truth be told, so much of what I ever wrote at the City Paper was with you in mind. You were always my target demo. You were always the barometer by which I gauged a story’s impact. You were always who I most wanted to hear from. I mean this all quite sincerely of course.

Those were good times. The best. And I miss you all. So without further ado, here’s a list of our best trolls. Thanks to you, the charlestoncitypaper.com experience is what it is. Mat Catastrophe Imaoldman Fish Pimp Guy factory connection tupper29406 art rogue Ron Liberte Foghorn Leghorn Johnpauljah Carlos Danger CIA Culinarykid local hutch wjhamilton29464 MelvintheBarbarian Cid95 Jaxx Trollslayer Pronghorn Lynnar P.S. Please excuse me. I believe I’ve got bourbon in my eyes.

20 reader comments from 1997-2017 from print and charlestoncitypaper.com Is there any better sign of the times than a letter to the editor? The evolution of penning one’s grievances on paper, “Dear Editor,” to the new millenium’s onslaught of online opinions, “this shit is pathetic.” We’ve culled 20 comments from our archives that touch on some of the major recurring themes over the years, from national news to reality TV and everything in between. If you don’t like our choices, well, we suggest writing a letter to the editor.

The early years

Recurring themes: print more good news, less “negative” news; Best of Charleston readers have some thoughts; cat jokes are off limits 1997 Sunshine newspaper: “Try something these other newspapers and reporters are not doing. Start printing the good news. Enough bad news. These kids are out here doing crimes so they can see themselves on TV or in the newspaper. They want to be something big because crime pays off. It’s easy. Go out there and do the crime and make news. A real reporter is going to find the good stuff that happens. We need better news. A sunshine newspaper.” 1998 Cat attack: “As a normally calm and laid back person, off color humor often entertains me, if not rolling off my back. However, the Police Blotter (one of my favorite features) was seriously out of line. The story about the girl whose cat was killed had no funny twist, no ironic ending — it was just sad. To use that horrible picture was just plain rude. To use police files to poke fun of someone that wasn’t a criminal, a loon, or a drug addict is totally unprofessional. Y’all need to be humorous without being cruel.” 1999 Girl Power: “I am writing concerning the letter to the editor entitled ‘A Lesson in PC’ which appeared in last week’s paper. I would like to address some of the surprisingly ‘non-PC’ attitudes put forth by the writer ... the letter quickly deteriorated into a propagation of negative gender stereotypes directed towards both men and women. Women are presented as passive victims who are weak and unable to develop a sense of self-worth independent of the ‘male’ portrayal of them. In addition, with the assumption that the entire editorial direction of the paper is controlled by continued on page 10

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males (‘Yet men love to promote women’ ‘You called them girls’ ‘If the men on your staff don’t get it…’) a disturbing message is being sent. It is readily apparent that the Editor, Contributing Editor, Proofreader, account executives (3) and Art Director are women. Is it the writer’s intent to portray these women who occupy positions of direct authority as being incapable of influencing the content of the paper?” 2000 Sorry, Bret: “A letter dated March 15. So you guys still haven’t figured out that you spelled Bret Lott’s name wrong in the Best Of issue? It appears as ‘Brett’ in six places. At least you’ve made it clear that none of you own a book by the ‘Best Local Writer’ in Charleston. G. Sinclair.”

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2003 Moody Moredock: “I have an idea for a new name for Will Moredock’s column: ‘I Hate My Life, And Everyone and Everything Around Me, And Won’t Be Happy Until I Convince You to Hate Yours Too!’ Just a thought. Gary Keaton Charleston”

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2002 Message in a bottle: “I found the recent advertisement in your paper by The Reef disgusting and cruel. The picture depicting a kitten smashed into a glass (with a disclaimer) is, at best, in poor taste. Although I expect shock from the City Paper, I don’t expect cruelty in a glass. Shame on you. Surely you can maintain financial stability and shock value without such childish and unnecessarily cruel photos. Ellen Harley”

2004 Titty bar?: “In regards to the Wandering Eye column in the arts preview edition I took a moment to condense it down to its core points: ‘I hate Bush, I hate Bush, boy do I really hate Bush. Whaa, Whaa, Whaa!’ Now you can use the additional space for something of value: all your titty bar ads. Frank Perkins Mt. Pleasant.”

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2001 Boring!: “I have lived in Charleston for around one and a half years and have grown to enjoy the City Paper. The articles are great, the event listings are helpful, and there is always humor to be found. However, the ‘article’ I read in the Best Of issue has to be the worst I have ever read!!! I have never felt compelled to write a paper, but that ‘Best Of’ list was just poor work. Even as a newcomer to the area I know that there were several items on that list that just did not belong. Maybe it is just a difference of opinion, but for a town (and a paper) that prides itself on its uniqueness and quaint charm, how dare you list Lowe’s as the best hardware store or McDonald’s as the best french fries! Even listing Vickery’s as the best patio was just lazy, lazy, lazy. You chose the most obvious, non-creative choices and threw them on the list. I would be interested to see how many of those are advertisers in the paper. Best reason to stop reading the City Paper? BORING! Hannah Baggett”

continued on page 12

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comments continued from page 10

2005 Daily bias: “I have to admit to being absolutely shocked to open the Post and Courier on Sat. Oct. 29, and find the headline story to be about a high school football team. That anyone at that paper even considered such a story for a second over the indictment of a member of the inner circle of the President of the United States relating to a matter of national security would have been a major shock. To find that it actually allowed that to be the headline story really leaves me dumbfounded. One cannot escape the conclusion that either incompetence or blatant bias led to such an outrageous breach of the public trust which accompanies the Post and Courier’s position. In either case, it places the Charleston region in a sad and perilous position, especially in light of the Post and Courier’s practical monopoly over the local print media market {Uh, excuse me?— Ed.} one certainly cannot be left with much confidence that our local paper is prepared for or capable of covering a local event which might require any significant exercise in journalistic independence, judgment, or investigative integrity. Truly a sad day in the long, storied history of the Post and Courier. Leon E. Stavrinakis.” 2006 Target practice: “Vice President Dick Cheney shot a man in Texas and only had to pay $7 for a stamp. So does that mean in Texas they actually have a $7 stamp that allows you to hunt and shoot people? Cool. Does South Carolina have such a stamp?” 2007 Cry baby: “A comment to the lady from Indiana who found the City Paper potentially offensive to her toddlers. Every city has its entertainmentoriented free papers, but I don’t know of many three-and-a-half year olds who read them. They aren’t meant to be ‘family oriented’ (Mommy, where’s my Village Voice?). As for her children being exposed to pictures of cleavages on the back pages of the City Paper, I would suggest she pay more attention to what she brings into her own house. Ma’am, it’s not the City Paper’s job, it’s yours. Hey — isn’t that your kid playing in the street?”

Dawn of a new age (dot.com era)

2010 In response to a story about the dangers of mephedrone, a.k.a. meow meow, meph, bubbles, or M-Cat: “This may sound crazy ... but I have eaten, in total, over 50g of mephedrone ... I am fine. It was fun. I still have my balls, and my brain.”

interests of Viacom (Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and VH1) after Charleston, you sir deserve the slavery your corporate masters imprison you with. They mentally brainwash you by telling you what’s normal so you kill yourself with products they advertise. Ya like Kraft foods Phillip morris can be trusted. One of their products caused cancer for 80 years and they lied and lied until millions died and it became official. How many people will die eating Kraft mac and cheese before they find out that crap causes cancer? Ya you suckers keep sucking on the teet of the nazi corporate structure and wake up slaves in your own country. Colbert doesn’t give a damn about you or Charleston. He is a trained seal to do the bidding of the uber rich so that they can control you not only with the gas prices but your own mental slavery. Now they want to control the same government with key corrupt players they are trying to bankrupt? Fuck colbert ha ha. Facebook and garbage are this country’s two top exports and that is a fact. The iPhone is made in China! Google is the government office on gathering learning empowerments! Google the word is spelled differently making me think that it is an abbreviated word like scuba. Get it? They monopolize the search results, learn what you are learning, and then put out media on TV to galvanize your opinion of the subject before you even read a book on it! Colbert is nazi Krusty! Yeah, we are spreading freedom in Libya by dropping peacekeeping missiles on it to destroy the infrastructure for every man woman and child (keeping motorola making bombs) not just ghad awful ghadaffi. The CIA starts all of these “Facebook uprisings” as people were arrested by the Cuban government with satellites from us trying to inspire similar revolutions. Yet, if you want to put anti-war movements up on your Facebook page, Facebook censors you. Unless your commenting on Nikki Haley being a cheat or other non important BS. If Facebook is so American, demand a constitution for it guaranteeing free speech or they can kiss it. Hypocricy! CIA weapons industrial complex slavery! The whole world shits on you and it won’t be long before your trials are going on.”

2011 Colbert Report (In response to Colbert cover story): “I didn’t know Representative Weiner commented for the Charleston City Paper? Wow. Colbert is a nazi version of Krusty the Clown, and if you think this clown puts the

2012 In response to Haire column: “OK, so you’re a die hard Democrat trying to advise the Right?!?! Maybe you just need another drink to make some sense. You truly do a disservice to Democrats by sharing your opinions! —

Recurring themes: Chris Haire is the spawn of Satan; Southern Charm is a major point of contention; Trump fans still abound 2008 In response to a Chris Haire’s column on voting, naturally: “Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person,who has nothing with acting career. Clone was created from stolen biomaterial. Original Scarlett Galabekian last name is nice, CHRISTIAN young lady. Clones(not 1)made in GERMANY, leader manufacturer of humans clones, it’s in Ludwigshafen am Rhein,N.Bavaria,Mr.Helmut Kohl home town,they spreading globally NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled, be careful get close you’ll be controlled too. Original family didn’t authorize activity with stolen biomaterials, it’s all should go to Cedars-Sinai MedCenter in LA. Controlling clones is US military operation. Original Scarlett wasnt engaged, by the way.” 2009 In response to “Let’s send Mark Sanford to the Jersey Shore” by Haire: “Your article sucks! It is poorly written about a less than interesting topic. That is a sure fire formula for crappy journalism. I am sure some tree hugging liberal or some bible thumping conservative will find it interesting ... but you have to consider the source on both accounts. The fact that you even know that there is a show called Jersey Shore about ‘guidos and guidettes’ is a sad testimony to the low level of journalism the City Paper considers acceptable. I can’t believe I wasted time reading this article.”

Haireless and Brainless” 2013 New year, same drunks (In response to “Lame New Years Eves were so 2012): “Saw a dude pissing on a sidewalk last night. Stay classy, Charleston.” 2014 In response to “T Rav talks Southern Charm and his future in politics”: “This shit is pathetic beyond words. Dude’s 50.” 2015 SoCharm super fan? (In response to Southern Charm return March 16): “Wow. So Fab. Such excitement. Much anticipation. Whitney (a.k.a. stabbin cabin dude), Shep, T-Raver, and the Ambulance Chaser Guy surrounded by bevies of Witless Wonder Girls. Wow. So Fab. Such excitement. Much anticipation. Wow.” 2016 SoCharm super fan? “Dustin, I hope your editors appreciate what a gem you are, or should I say a jewel? I hope you will be assigned to write recaps for the Southern Charm reunions. Your writing is just genius! Thanks for the serious moments, as well as the witty ones.” 2017 In response to “Local groups respond to President Trump’s call to ban transgender military personnel”: “Good job President Trump!! We don’t need transgender type people in the military. You need to be fit for duty, mentally and physically. These transgender people are sick people and are mentally ill, not knowing if they are male or female. They were born their gender for a reason! We can’t waste money or safety of our military on these sick individuals.”

write Letters to the editor are welcome and encouraged. Please include name, address, and daytime phone number for verification purposes. Limit yourself to 300 words or less; letters may be edited for space and clarity. 1316 Rutledge Ave., Charleston, SC 29403 editor@charlestoncitypaper.com

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Top 20 Stegelin! Cartoons (So Far) 13+ years of eraser shavings BY STEVE STEGELIN (2004-2017) Hard to believe, but there was once a time when Donald Trump didn’t dominate the news cycle. Over the past 13+ years as the editorial cartoonist at Charleston City Paper, I’ve captured a multitude of characters and issues — from local to global — with my doodles, like an overly cynical Neanderthal finger-painting on a cave wall. To help commemorate the City Paper’s 20th anniversary, I sat down for a deep dive into the archive of newsprint and digital files to find the 20 cartoons with the most relevance — topical and personal — and chart the evolution of my art and career.

1 MARCH 2004 [De-evolution of John Graham Altman III, from the 3/3/04 Best of Issue] My first City Paper work was a series of illustrations for 2004’s monkeythemed ‘Best Of’ issue, including this proto-editorial cartoon of the winner of ‘Best Homophobe’. The late John Graham Altman III was a state legislator and former CCSD school board member known for racist and misogynistic comments and — as his ‘Best Of’ “win” suggests — a personal mission against what he called “a militant homosexual agenda.” A South Windermere-area resident, his Folly Road yard was easily identifiable by its phalanx of pink flamingos, often dressed for the holidays. JGAIII helped kick off my career at the City Paper and, as a reward, would be a frequent player in my strips until his retirement years later.

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2 APRIL 2004 [Hunley funeral, from the 4/14/04 issue] It only took me a few short weeks to piss off the masses. This strip — about the ceremonial funeral for the Confederate soldiers who perished on the recently recovered H.L. Hunley submarine — saw print while Charleston was overrun with a couple thousand Civil War fanatics and reenactors, and they were none too pleased. The City Paper received a deluge of angry letters and emails citing the cartoon’s “lack of class” and its example that “the South should have won.” In short, I’d arrived. 3 FEBRUARY 2005 [George W Bush vs. Kim Jong-il, from the 2/16/05 issue] Another frequent player in my early strips was President George W. Bush, particularly as the country was continually mired in conflict in the Middle East. Having established forces in Iraq under the false pretense of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), Dubya seemed more interested in the area’s oil fields and finishing his father’s Operation: Desert Storm efforts to topple Saddam Hussein. When Kim Jong-il started acting up with the provocative threat of nuclear arms, Bush didn’t bite, presumably because North Korea didn’t advance either of those interests. 4 FEBRUARY 2006

[Cheney’s public image, from the 2/22/06 issue] Bush brought with him a cadre of characters, including Donald Rumsfield, Condoleezza Rice, and Vice President Dick Cheney. Cheney, often seen as the evil Emperor Palpatine-esque puppet-master behind the administration, was an ideal target to poke fun of, especially when he (inadvertently, we assume) shot a Texas attorney in the face while on a quail hunt — and received an apology from his victim. EDITOR’S NOTE: So clearly there aren’t 20 cartoons here, but we wanted to give you a small taste. For all the magic our CP wizards can work, we just can’t create more space in print. For all 20 of Stegelin!’s top cartoons, visit charlestoncitypaper.com.

VIEWS | charlestoncitypaper.com

N NEWS

We’ve Got It Covered 20 news stories that we, yes we, broke BY DUSTIN WATERS, STAFF WRITER (2015-2017)

Like a bunch of little newsroom Rudys, there’s no keeping down a good reporter. Luckily, the City Paper has had more than a few talented journalists grace the pages with stories that either would have gone completely unnoticed or provided just the right focus to make a difference. Here are 20 stories that the City Paper broke over the past 20 years. Charleston Ballet Theatre accused of using works without permission: As the Charleston Ballet Theatre celebrated its 25th season in 2011, the organization also faced claims of copyright infringement. While dance might lean to the more abstract and naturalistic end of the performing arts spectrum, the creative minds behind successful productions deserve credit for their original works and intellectual property. Erica Jackson Curran took a thoughtful look at what happened when former Charleston Ballet members found the company’s choreography to be a little too similar to other celebrated works. Reprimands were handed down to the responsible parties and efforts were made to appease the slighted parties, but there remained a tarnish on the company’s silver anniversary.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

Jewell And Ginnie

Charleston Fashion Week rejects gaythemed film: It began with a series of tweets and ended with even more questions surrounding why one in a series of short films commissioned by Charleston Fashion Week was rejected. As reported by Susan Cohen in 2012, the film’s creators claimed that the short was rejected due to content. At the time of the story, the specific reasons why Charleston Fashion Week organizers rejected the short film that depicted an intimate scene between two men remained unknown. A request for clarification went unanswered, and the matter ultimately remained a curious footnote from that year’s CFW.

Charleston County Incinerator: Leading up to the eventual close of Charleston County’s trash incinerator in 2009 amid complaints from residents regarding the ash, smoke, and odor that hung in the air, City Paper’s Stratton Lawrence toured the facility in 2008. At the time, Lawrence wrote that the incinerator pumped 129 pounds of mercury into the air each year from burned batteries, light bulbs, and the like, while generating enough energy to power 7,000 to 10,000 homes. But as the expression goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Excess energy generated by the incinerator was sold to North Carolina utility CP&L, but residents in the nearby Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood voiced their objections to Charleston County Council, eventually leading to the plant’s demise. Kinder Morgan coal pollution in Shipyard Creek: It started on the boat of local marine mechanic Ken Bonerigo, who refused to sit idly by while black dust filled the air around his boat during the coal unloading process at Kinder Morgan’s Shipyard Creek facility. Just 100 yards by water from the Cooper River Marina at the south end of the old Navy base, Kinder Morgan was looking to expand their coal pile to 20 acres in 2007. At the time, DHEC claimed to lack the ability to refuse Kinder Morgan’s application simply based on their past violations, but Bonerigo earned a visit from authorities for videotaping the company’s unloading operations. Charleston’s Dirty Little Secret: Early in 2007, the American Lung Association (ALA) gave Charleston County an “F” for the levels of particulate matter in our air, which led to a more in-depth look at how pollutants affected locals struggling with catching their breath. While asthma cases had increased 450 percent since 1980 nationwide, with children and low-income families (more likely to live near freeways and industrial zones) being the most susceptible, Charleston County’s AfricanAmerican children in particular experienced

Stratton Lawrence file photo

OVER THE YEARS, THE CITY PAPER HAS KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON COASTAL POLLUTANTS

a 2,000 percent increase in asthma cases between 1956 and 1997. Water pollution and marine health: The health of Charleston’s marine life has long been a focal point for the City Paper because, while we all love dolphins, sea creatures prove to be a good indicator of pollutants that can soon pose a risk to the human population. In 2008, a feature story by Stratton Lawrence included the incredibly simple, yet compelling line, “The dolphins are sick.” At the time, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association in Charleston had identified incredibly high rates of orogenital neoplasia, a malady similar to the human papilloma virus (HPV) in humans, in local dolphins. Fast forward to 2016 and the City Paper once again followed as researchers continued to find that some of the highest levels of PFASs in marine mammals throughout the world are found here. Leaking underground storage tanks: From pollutants in the air, sea, and finally underneath our soil, in 2016 the City Paper turned its focus to the number of buried storage tanks in Charleston County. According to the

Department of Health and Environmental Control, there were currently 150 confirmed active releases — or leaks — from underground storage tanks (UST) in the tri-county area at the time, half of which were in Charleston County. Commonly used to store petroleum products like gasoline and oil, these leaking tanks potentially impact the environment in far-reaching ways. In a study from 2012, researchers from the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health in cooperation with the Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (LAMC) discovered that the majority of these sites were clustered along a portion of I-26. Examining the demographics of communities nearest to these sites, it was discovered that as the percentage of African-Americans and non-whites increased, so too did the number of leaking UST sites. The same correlation was found between the prevalence of leaking storage tanks and the percentage of those living in poverty. S.C. Department of Education wants to eliminate classroom size restrictions: Fall 2013 found state Superintendent Mick Zais continued on page 18

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Panhandling scrambles: In March, 2015, Paul Bowers spent some time with a few panhandlers under the I-526 overpass on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard as they were met with their very own protester, who had taken it upon himself to, as Bowers put it, “harangue beggars face to face.” As Charleston approached the city’s decision to pass a new ordinance prohibiting the passing or receiving of money or goods through car windows on city streets, Bowers wrote about the effect that such a restriction would have on homeless newspaper sellers hoping to pass out a few copies of the Lowcountry Herald. Finally, in September of 2015 as the new ordinance took effect, yours truly was in the streets talking to those most affected by the new ban. A panhandler who asked to be identified only by his first name returned to his usual haunt near the Highway 17 off-ramp on East Bay Street. He now faced a possible fine of $1,092 or 30 days in jail for accepting anything from a passing car. He wasn’t bitter. He just posted a few signs letting people know of his new spot. “It won’t be as good as it was,” he said. “But it’ll be enough to survive. And that’s what matters.”

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Mapping Charleston’s public urination problem with the PeeNinsula 5000: Recognizing Charleston’s “going concern” related to the lack of public restrooms downtown, Paul Bowers began chronicling all reported

Busking: Not every paper is willing to send one of their writers into the mean streets armed only with a banjo and the desire to earn a buck. In 2015, the City Paper enlisted our very own Paul Bowers to take a turn at busking and highlight a few of the local scene’s most recognized street performers. Of course, this wasn’t just a one-off performance. Bowers had covered previous efforts by the city to rein in buskers by limiting public spaces where they could perform and the effects this had on the local art community. In 2013, the ACLU even stepped in to take a stand in

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drawing the ire of Charleston-area educators as he aimed to eliminate student-toteacher ratio caps, teacher workload limits, and requirements for the hiring of guidance counselors. At the time, the City Paper reported that state law capped the ratio of students per teacher in public schools at 20:1 in pre-kindergarten, 30:1 in fifth grade math, 35:1 in all eighth grade courses, and 35:1 in all high school courses other than physical education. If the proposed legislation had passed, all of those caps would have gone the way of the dinosaur, leading teachers to cry foul at the possibility of being even more overworked.

support of those hoping to put their talents on display near the City Market. Ultimately, we learned that you can’t keep a good artist down and Paul Bowers, along with his trusty banjo, is basically the Charleston equivalent of Kermit the Frog — an earnest, yet trusted national treasure.

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continued from page 16

incidents of public urination violations. While the project had a funny name and no one is immune to potty humor, the story shined a light on a serious matter as locals and tourists alike found themselves enjoying a night downtown only to realize they had no place to go when nature called.

E FEATUR

Covered

Jonathan Boncek file photo

Grinding through the years: If you’ve served as a staff writer for the City Paper in the past 20 years, it’s certain that you’ve covered the local skate scene in some way. From efforts to clamp down on skateboarding around the city, to the Bieringville Bowl on Johns Island and the recent completion of the Sk8 Charleston skate park, it’s been a long, strange road for local skaters and the City Paper has been there for every twist and turn along the way. HomeServe water line insurance: In 2014, the City Paper began what would become an extended series of coverage on the Charleston Water System’s decision to loan the public utility’s official logo to HomeServe, a private company specializing in service plans for residential exterior water service lines. On the surface, this may not seem like an especially unforgivable decision, but local residents and insurance watchdogs began to cry foul regarding the official nature of HomeServe’s

solicitations of Charleston Water System customers. After continued bad press and public complaints, Charleston Water Systems announced new guidelines in 2015, agreeing that HomeServe would no longer be allowed to use the CWS logo on the outside of mailing envelopes or on the initial letter that customers see upon opening the envelope.

the College of Charleston and manned the kitchen at EVO Pizzeria. The Ravenel Bridge protest: So this one is a bit of a prickly matter, but let’s try to unpack the events that surrounded the reported Ravenel Bridge protest that eventually materialized in 2015. Following the fatal shooting of Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer, a group of activists announced a planned protest to block the Ravenel Bridge in April of that year. Plans for the protest were released to the press, but things quickly fizzled as organizers soon followed up by saying “THIS INFORMATION IS NO LONGER RELEVANT. THERE HAS

BEEN A LEAK. PLEASE DISREGARD AND DO NOT PUBLISH THIS INFORMATION.” One month later, four protesters were arrested for blocking traffic on the Ravenel Bridge during rush hour as they called for a civilian oversight of the North Charleston Police Department.

email records obtained in the weeks following the shooting death of Walter Scott by North Charleston officer Michael Slager. As national attention was drawn to North Charleston, state and local agencies focused on any “gatherings, protests, people coming into town, threats, etc.”

After Walter Scott shooting, city and state officials kept a close watch on outside groups: A Freedom of Information Act request in 2015 revealed the extent to which local and state authorities monitored protest groups, potential cyber-security threats, and even an out-of-state chaplaincy organization, according to city employees’

Short-term rental woes: With lawsuits, infractions, and a city-led task force all focused on Charleston’s short-term rental regulations, a 2015 story found that no one was immune to the city’s rules. Leading up to his election as Charleston’s first new mayor continued on page 20

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Scott Suchy illustration

HOMESERVE WATER LINE INSURANCE ONLY PROTECTED A FEW FEET OF PIPE IN YOUR YARD

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Ridiculously Photogenic Guy: Viral sensations usually fall into two categories: People either failing spectacularly in the most mundane of situations or individuals shining like diamonds when all reason would dictate otherwise. Zeddie Little, a.k.a. Ridiculously Photogenic Guy, falls into the latter. At a moment when he should have looked like a sweating, gasping mess, Little was photographed in mid stride during the 2012 Cooper River Bridge Run looking like a million bucks. As Little was reaching peak meme status, the City Paper managed to track down the story on the Charleston native who graduated from

Covered continued from page 19 in 40 years, John Tecklenburg spoke to the City Paper after his wife, Sandy, was found guilty of illegal use of property after listing a house on a short-term rental website, according to Livability Court records. At the time, Tecklenburg said that he and his wife were unaware that short-term rentals were illegal in their part of the city. Now, it seems everyone is well aware of Charleston’s short-term rental rules — whether they like them or not. Stolen firearms from unlocked vehicles lead to spread of violent crime: In September 2016, after noticing a growing number of reported gun thefts from unlocked vehicles, I discovered that Charleston experienced twice the number of gun thefts from unsecured vehicles compared to Gainsville, Fla. — a city of similar size that was also grappling with a rise in firearm thefts. Almost nine months later, as we continued to track firearm thefts across the city, the Charleston Police Department attributed the spread of violent crime into lower-crime neighborhoods to the easy access to firearms in unsecured vehicles. As former Police Chief Greg Mullen said at the time, “[C]riminals are coming into neighborhoods that they know are easy targets because their vehicles are unsecured, garage doors are left up, so they have easy access to vehicles and homes, they are coming into

Jonathan Boncek file photo

THE BRIDGEVIEW NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THE FOCUS OF AN EXTENSIVE CITY PAPER STORY FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF DENZEL CURNELL

these neighborhoods and committing crimes. They are stealing guns, and then these guns are going back out into neighborhoods to commit more violent acts.” How South Carolina’s guns end up in the hands of out-of-state criminals: From a citywide look at stolen weapons to South Carolina’s role in national gun trafficking, the City Paper took a closer look at firearm data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to find that the Palmetto State ranks near the top among states when it comes to lost or stolen guns reported by licensed dealers. Many of these weapons inevitably make their way into the hands of criminals who transport the weapons to states in the Northeast where gun

restrictions are more strict. One such weapon was used to murder New York City Police Officer Randolph Holder on Oct. 20, 2015. Highlighting the rate at which weapons simply go missing from the inventories of local dealers turned out to be just one component of how gun laws in South Carolina affect events across the country. The View from Bridgeview: Following the death of Denzel Curnell by gunshot wound after an off-duty police officer pursued him through the Bridgeview parking lot, City Paper’s Paul Bowers reviewed 11 months of incident reports filed in the largely AfricanAmerican low-income community near the northern end of the Charleston peninsula to better understand crime in the area.

With hired off-duty cops monitoring the area in addition to the on-duty officers who already patrolled the complex, there had to be more to the story. What he found was that the most common type of incident by far at Bridgeview was not violence, drugs, or theft — it was trespassing. And most of the criminal activity that occurred inside Bridgeview, whether trespassing or not, was perpetrated by those who lived outside of the community. In the end, the story was less about providing a titillating news blip and more about providing a deeper look at how crime, police, and community interact in one small apartment complex. Because whether or not we’re the first to report on a story, we’ll do our damnedest to tell you something you haven’t heard before.

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Great local talent covering some of your favorite bands – select dates thru November

The 20 Politicians Who Hate Us We must be doing something right BY CHRIS HAIRE, MANAGING EDITOR (2007-2014); EDITOR (2014-2016)

Leon Stavrinakis When Joseph P. Riley Jr. announced he wasn’t going to run for re-election, it must’ve been like Christmas Day for Leon. For years and years, Stavrinakis was Riley’s heir apparent, if for no other reason than that’s what everybody thought. But then something happened on the way to the big-boy chair at the Four Corners of Law — Leon had a fit that one of his mayoral opponents — Ginny Deerin — had the audacity to run an attack ad against him in the middle of a political race of all things. Stavrinakis freaked, holding a hastily assembled press conference in which he claimed that Deerin’s ad somehow offended the memories of the Emanuel Nine. It was a shameful moment, but it was not the most surreal moment of the campaign. That came days later when Leon went full Clint Eastwood and debated an empty podium. And that, ladies and gentlemen, that is how we ended up with John Tecklenburg as mayor. John Tecklenburg While Teck’s enthusiasm for Heineken is worth applauding, Tecklen-Me-Elmo seems far more interested in tickling the ivories than running a city. Seriously, has he done anything?

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

Jim DeMint Before DeMint bolted his U.S. Senate seat mid-term for a big-money job as a D.C. thinktanker, the City Paper ran a cover featuring him blowing the Washington Monument right on over. The head: Jim DeMint is a blowhard. Man oh man, we wish you could’ve seen the original mock up. DeMint was doing a lot more than huffing and puffing. Classy.

Mark Sanford Remember that time we ran a column about Sanford that was nothing more than an ASCII Art hand shooting the bird? Yeah. We did that. Oh… and we took Sanford’s breakup letter to his mistress and turned it into iambic pentameter. Good times. Alan Wilson Little known fact: But this writer and samesex marriage opponent Wilson were engaged to be married. We even ran an invitation to the wedding in the paper. Sadly, nobody came. Not even Alan. Sigh … what might have been.

Nancy Cook For Pete’s sake, she suggested sterilizing unwed mothers. Chris Collins If there’s a hot topic to be discussed at the Charleston County School Board and there’s a lot of material to be read, you can rest assured that Collins will be the single-most ill-prepared board member there. Timmy Mallard There was always something charming about Timmy, at least in that rapscallion, LittleEngine-That-Could sort of way. But at the end of the day, Mallard never seemed to stand for much of anything except standing in the way of Mayor Riley at every turn. Joseph P. Riley Jr. Look, it’s difficult to dislike Joe. He is truly one of America’s great mayors, if not the greatest living one. But toward the end of his reign, the dude got a little cranky when he didn’t get his way. The most notable fit came during a debate over completing I-526. Riley went full Alex Jones and started ranting about dead bodies floating in the streets and stuff. Wowsers. Robert Ford He bought male enhancement pills with campaign cash and he thought that was A-OK. Keith Summey We’re pretty sure Summey never forgave us for saying that North Charleston smelled like a wet fart from a chemo patient. Pretty sure. Lindsey Graham You’ve all heard the rumors. Well, we ran a big ole news feature on them. Today, it’s still one of the City Paper’s most trafficked posts. Arthur Ravenel Cousin Arthur’s A Team tried to destroy public education in Charleston. They failed. Oh, and he reportedly called thenSuperintendent Nancy McGinley a naughty word.

John Graham Altman On second thought, maybe it wasn’t exactly nice to remember Mr. Altman by his deeds, but we did … and it didn’t paint a pretty picture. Vic Rawl We stand by this claim: In the days leading up to Rawl’s surprise loss to Alvin Greene, we never ever saw a single campaign sign for Vic. Not a single one. Alvin Greene We called his house and asked him to give college kids advice. He complied. It was funny. Now, we look back and think it was kinda sad.

cal tabloid blogger Will Folks. That is, unless you’re Nikki. In the end, it worked out well for her, much to everyone’s surprise. Thomas Ravenel Years have gone by since T-Rav threatened to buy the City Paper, fire every employee, and give then-editor Stephanie Barna a good spanking, and the paper’s still kicking. More importantly, Stef’s bum has been spared T-Rav’s wrath.

Glenn McConnell We could care less about McConnell’s Confederate cosplay. Have at it. But his support of segregationist Maurice Bessinger … yeah, that wasn’t going to fly. And those pictures with the two Gullah storytellers. Oy vey. Mary Clark For years Clark fought to have the Town of James Island officially recognized. Her efforts, and others, eventually prevailed. But in the end, her fiery personality — and, as her critics claimed, her despotic tendencies — turned many in the town against her. Nikki Haley If you’re interested in a political career, it’s probably not wise to enlist the services of politi-

Illustrations by Steve Stegelin, Scott Suchy

Anybody who has ever covered politics for an alt-weekly knows that it’s a sweet gig. The sweetest. There is simply something so spiritually gratifying about reporting on the powers that be, and instead of serving as simply their transcribers as our friends at the dailies so often do, you get to gleefully skewer them. Aside from staring into the face of a newborn baby while snuggling with a puppy on the couch while nursing a freshly mixed Manhattan, nothing compares to knocking a politician down a notch or two. With all of that in mind, here’s a list of the politicos we’ve surely pissed off over the past 20 years.

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Wish You Were Here

20+ Charlestonians we miss the most BY STEPHANIE BARNA, FOUNDING EDITOR (1997-2014)

hen you cover a city for 20 years, you keep track of who has come and gone. Some were much needed eccentrics in this sometimes stodgy city, others fought the good fight, but all of the people listed here were a part of this complex place and shaped the stories we wrote about. Here’s who we miss the most.

The Emanuel 9 In our 20 years, there has been no tragedy bigger and more heartbreaking than the shooting at Mother Emanuel. It marked the beginning of a different city, one that was thrust onto the international stage for reasons we would never have imagined. Our once sleepy little town was suddenly part of a disturbing national conversation on race relations, with the theme of love, unity, and forgiveness leading the way. Unfortunately, we were robbed not only of the leadership (and booming voice) of the Rev. Pinckney, but we also lost the good souls who studied the Bible each week, who prayed for us, who loved their families and each other, and who made the world a better place. May they rest in peace.

JOSEPH P. RILEY JR.

Brownie Harris file photo

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

Joseph P. Riley, Jr. He might have been predictable, his tenure marked by slow and steady growth and progress, but we could rely on him to shepherd us into the future by brokering those infamous backroom deals with developers like the Beach Co. If only we knew how good we had it. As investors from off have proliferated, and our newbie mayor plays catch up, Charleston’s development has gotten out of whack. Houses in once-affordable neighborhoods are suddenly selling for more than $400 a square foot. Hotels are being proposed and built in seemingly every empty space that comes available downtown, and traffic has ground to a halt. Combine that with perpetually flooded streets, clogged sidewalks, and dangerous biking and walking options, and Charleston’s livability — a keyword for Mayor Riley — is under threat. And sure, we see Lil’ Joe walking down Broad Street on occasion and read about him securing more and more monies for the African-American museum, but we miss his iron-fist-in-a-velvet-glove guiding our little hamlet into a livable future.

Reuben Greenberg Reuben was a badass — and a character. How many Southern towns have an ass-whooping, big-talking, roller-blading, black and Jewish, Civil War-reenacting chief of police to keep shit in line? He became famous during Hurricane Hugo for putting the fear of God into citizens to prevent looting, and also for innovative policing programs that took cops out of cars and put them into the neighborhoods on foot. He was also kind of an asshole — particularly in his later years — calling a female war protester “crazy” and “fat” and poking his finger into the chest of a news reporter when he didn’t like the questions he was getting. Regardless, he was an impressive and important part of Riley’s administration, reducing crime as Charleston’s population rapidly grew. Boring old Greg Mullen, his replacement who just retired a few weeks ago, just couldn’t compete with Ruby’s colorful legacy.

TONY THE PEANUT MAN

Strom Thurmond & Fritz Hollings They were the yin and yang of South Carolina Senators, serving together for 36 years, making Fritz Hollings the most senior junior senator ever. Thurmond was a racist Dixiecrat who became a Republican famous for the longest filibuster ever when he fought against the Voting Rights Act in 1964. Hollings, a former governor and popular Democrat even when Republicans were surging in the state, fought for the poor and the disenfranchised like a good liberal and penned a book in 2006 called Making Government Work that should probably be sent to the current president and every single legislator in government. In the book, he bemoaned the loss of camaraderie and respect in Congress and made a prescient observation: “The country is in serious trouble, and we don’t have the luxury of antigovernment politicking. It is our duty to make the government work.” Strom, on the other hand, passed away in 2005 and the world discovered he had an illegitimate black daughter named Essie Mae Washington. Oh, the hypocrisy. You can’t make this shit up. John Graham Altman III We can’t celebrate an anniversary without going back to the dreamy days of JGA3. An unapologetic bigot and racist, Altman was considered the Jesse Helms of the General Assembly. No doubt, a moniker he welcomed. From our very first issue, he frequently called us to colorfully take issue with pretty much every opinion we published and every story we reported. His South Windermere home was as tacky as he was — with pink flamingoes decorating the front yard of the dilapidated plantation-style house.

EDWIN GARDNER

Edwin Gardner It’s been seven years since my friend Edwin was hit by a car while riding his bike home from a rowing session at the marina, a block from his home, and Charleston still misses his input. The best sort of community activist, Edwin was knowledgeable and passionate about city living — so much so that he was probably a bit of a thorn in the side of city government. But he was always being tapped for community committees because he was a great idea generator. Free DASH shuttles around the peninsula? Improved bicycling infrastructure? Getting underprivileged black children back on the water with a new Mosquito fleet? These were his passion projects. It’s just a shame that in the ensuing years, we have been unable to get his thoughts (even though we give big props to his widow Whitney Powers for carrying on with cool ideas in his honor, like If You Were Mayor) as Charleston sells its soul to the development devil. Johnson & Wales Ah, the glory days of the food scene, when labor was plentiful and practically free. Maybe it was our hubris. We couldn’t imagine anyone ditching quaint old Charleston for flashy but boring Charlotte, but when the Queen City started throwing buckets of money and benefits at the culinary school, they abandoned us in a flash. Since then, the hospitality employment crisis has compounded infinitely. While Trident’s Culinary Institute and the Art Institute valiantly upped their games to fill the void, nothing could ultimately replace that reliable, ambitious stream of J&W externs.

SADLER VADEN Nashville Ferrell file photo

Tony the Peanut Man RiverDogs games and every parade that rolls down King Street will never be the same without the showmanship of Anthony Wright, a.k.a. Tony the Peanut Man. After a fire in 2012, Charleston showed their support and helped him rebuild his boiled peanut business. Then, sadly, he passed away last year from natural causes. He embodied hospitality and fun and put smiles on faces. All together now: Hey hey! Now what I say. Got some boiled Got some toasted Got some stewed Got some roasted Oh yeah, peanut man Got some hot and got some cold Oh yeah peanut man Catch him if you can Cause he got the right one, baby Gee’s Infamous Hot Dogs & More Late-night street eats haven’t been the same since Gary Alameda unexpectedly passed away at the age of 43 in 2015. His hot dog cart had a regular spot on Ann Street near the Music Farm and as the bars closed, a line to get his grub stretched down the street each night. Good-looking, friendly, and unflappable, he handled the drunken crowds, helping them soak up the alcohol with some damn fine all-beef dogs and brats and an assortment of other treats. Philip Simmons Charleston’s legendary and celebrated blacksmith passed away in 2009, but he lived a long and productive life, forging some of the most gorgeous ironwork in the city (more than 500 gates, balconies, and details). His workshop and forge on the Eastside have become a museum, but his contribution to the beauty of downtown Charleston is the legacy that endures. Our favorite is the double heart gate at the Menotti Street entrance to the Simmons garden at St. John’s Reformed Episcopal Church. When you start bitching too much about all the stupid inconveniences of fast-growing Charleston, take a slow stroll among the gardens, ironwork, and beauty and you’ll realize that no matter how many hotels get built, nothing can obscure the old-school artisanship of the black craftsmen that built this town. Jack McCray Jack was one cool cat. He was interesting to talk to if you happened to be next to him at a jazz show or other cultural event. He was a great read in the Post and Courier, where his articles championed the artists and musicians

Eric Brantley Brash and ballsy, Brantley had been part of the local music scene about as long as the City Paper has been publishing. Our music writers spilled lots of ink writing about Telegram, his band that played here in the late ’90s/early aughts. We mourned with him after a tragic accident took the life of his fellow bandmate Joey Apple and put Brantley in the hospital. From there, he carried on and remained a singular influence on the Charleston nightlife scene, bartending and playing around town. As Michael Saliba wrote in his obituary: “Describing Brantley is like describing your favorite song by The Stooges: brash, loud, sarcastic, surly, direct, smoky, and not for everyone — but he exuded so much cool, had a huge heart, and showed love unconditionally.” It sucks when our community is robbed of people like Brantley because it brings Charleston one step closer to being boring and lame. Sadler Vaden This list is starting to feel like an obituary, but fortunately Sadler is alive and well, playing guitar with Jason Isbell, who he’s been with since 2013. He recently returned home for a show in July and reminisced about growing up in the ’Ville and partying on Folly. Back at our 10-year anniversary, Sadler was a mere babe, tearing it up with his three-piece band, Leslie, and winning over the Windjammer crowd with their big sound and sexy rock ‘n’ roll swagger. Seriously. These kids broke shit down that night. In addition to his regular gig with Isbell, he continues to work on solo projects, and we expect one day he might just move back home from Nashville to be close once again to the beach and the waves. Cary Ann Hearst, the Bivins Boys, et al. I know, I know. Cary Ann and her husband Michael Trent of Shovels and Rope are still based here and still treat us to great concerts. They even brought a cadre of friends to play the High Water Festival in April, but we sincerely miss those old days when Cary Ann, the Jump, Little Children guys, and a crew of creatives provided us a nonstop supply of great music. Back then, Cary Ann and Michael played a free show every week at the Pour House. Cabaret Kiki, the brainchild of Matt and Evan Bivins of JLC, melded the talents

of musicians and dancers to create a unique performance piece that felt sexy, cool, and edgy with the addition of Cary Ann’s sultry/ sweet voice. At our 10th anniversary party, we desperately tried to get Cary Ann to jump out of our birthday cake. Alas, she refused, but 10 years later, we are proud to see her and her peers successes, even if we are a tad nostalgic for the days when they were just for us. Ken Burger Back when the Post and Courier really sucked, before the current regime’s Pulitzer and award-winning in-depth local coverage, the one bright spot was Ken Burger’s column. The sports writer had a great command of the form, bringing out the universal truths in stories about sports and the people who played them. His prostate cancer diagnosis propelled him on a path of bringing awareness to the disease. He won Best of Charleston award for Best Columnist for years and was always humbly appreciative of the recognition, stopping by the office to pick up his award plaque and chit-chat a bit. We always loved his way with words and miss his insightful, compassionate take on the world around him. Jesus guy (with a cross on wheels) Charleston used to be a much more eccentric place. Sure, we’ve always had those ubiquitous blondes in their Lilly Pulitzers and doughyfaced preps in chinos, but once upon a time, we had a cast of characters that roamed among the derelict, boarded-up storefronts of King Street. My favorite was the guy who dressed like Jesus and drug a cross on wheels around town. Sometimes you’d see him trekking across the James Island Connector (perhaps to go walk on some water at Folly?). While Byron might still be roaming the streets, helping keep Charleston weird, we really miss the days when punks hung around in clutches near the old AC’s, the F&B crowd stayed out all night doing blow at Red Hot Tomatoes, and crazy people pooped on the doorsteps of respectable downtown businesses. Sure, it’s stupid to have nostalgia for that sort of thing, but it did add a certain edginess to a town that’s since become a Disneyfied version of the antebellum South. Charlie’s Little Bar It’s harder and harder to find the special secret places in Charleston these days, especially down in the high-rent district. Used to be, on East Bay Street, you could walk through a parking lot, enter a back door, walk through a kitchen and up a back flight of stairs, and find the swankiest little (rumored-to-be-a-coke) bar in town. It was dark and candelit, adding a sexy vibe to the proceedings. We miss that a place like Charlie’s could even exist, but we’re happy that Faculty Lounge — up on Huger Street — keeps the cool, secret, sexy vibe alive. It fills a locals’ need to escape the tourons and the frat bros and find “adultish” environs with good cocktails and slammin’ DJs. It’s the sort of place that’s starting to feel endangered as the hoteliers march up the peninsula. And the one guy we wish WOULD go away ...

KEN BURGER

Thomas Ravenel Haven’t we all had enough of this guy and his drunken Trumpian tweets and posts? I thought so.

FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

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Ron Motley As one of the nation’s baddest plaintiff’s trial lawyers, Ron Motley had some major cojones. He defeated asbestos companies and took on big tobacco and eventually got around to suing terrorists (or those who funded them) after 9/11. Bloomberg reports that he was making upwards of $10 million a year and had amassed a yacht, mansions, and a plane — but money couldn’t insulate him from the pain of losing his son to a medical mistake in 2000. His cases may have been lucrative, but they were also major causes that forced companies that injured people for profit to pay up. He passed away in 2013, but his legacy lives on in those anti-tobacco commercials that continue to badger us into breaking the worst habit ever.

who created our thriving scene. He literally wrote the book on Charleston jazz and helped found the Charleston Jazz Society, mentoring young artists like Leah Suarez. We lost a distinctive and important connection to the city’s past when we lost Jack, but luckily his words and memory live on in those he touched.

Provided

Jonathan Boncek file photo

But no matter how much fun we had challenging him, Charleston did not benefit from his backasswards leadership. After our 10th anniversary, he sent us a “congratulatory” note: “Your first 10 years existence covered the final 10 years of my 30 consecutive years of elected public service to Charleston County and South Carolina. I couldn’t have done it without you and I crave your continued support. I read your paper every week and enjoy your steadfast journalistic motto: ‘This story/column is just too good to fact check.’ Congratulations on your ‘First Ten’ — let’s shoot for another ‘Ten.’ I’ll try to give you some more ‘ammo.’” Unfortunately, JGA3 passed away in 2013 and won’t be able to offer some snide words this time. But John Graham, if you can hear us through the roar of the flames, tell Satan we said hi!

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR ALZHEIMER’S FIRST SURVIVOR.

20 Things From ’97 Yes, 1997, as in the year “Barbie Girl,” came out BY CONNELLY HARDAWAY, ARTS EDITOR (2015-2017) The year is 1997. Sean Combs’ a.k.a. Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy’s song “I’ll Be Missing You” is playing on the radio, Titantic is crushing box office records, and molten chocolate cakes are a hit on trendy restaurant menus. Averages Janes and runway models alike were rocking monochrome outfits, jeweled chokers, platform shoes, and waist chains. And we, well, we here at the City Paper were just getting started. Here’s a look back at what our city looked like 20 years ago. In Charleston in 1997 you could …

• Get a CD at Cat’s Music for $12.99.

At the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s®, people carry flowers representing their connection to Alzheimer’s — a disease that currently has no cure. But what if one day there was a flower for Alzheimer’s first survivor? What if there were millions of them? Help make that beautiful day happen by joining the world’s largest fundraiser to fight the disease.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

SEPTEMBER 16TH AT RIVERFRONT PARK 1001 Everglades Avenue, North Charleston Registration starts at 9:00 AM Opening Ceremony starts at 9:45 AM Register today at alz.org/walk.

We’re talking Wu-Tang Forever, Supa Dupa Fly, and Reload. • Step into virtual reality at the American Theater. A bit before their time, eh? • Place your penis enlargement ad in classifieds. Spam emails hadn’t been created yet. • See Gang Related, a movie featuring Tupac Shakur before his death. Not like he’s actually dead, but ya know. • Check out a Pluff Mud Production at the Windjammer. The Foreigner, a comedy, was directed by Susan Lynn Johns, and ran for three weeks that September. • Sign a book at the Charleston Visitor’s Center commemorating Princess Diana. The book was sent to England on Sept. 14 1997. • Head to the skate park at 5465 Woodbine Ave. North Charleston. Wait 20 years for one to open downtown. • Rock out at WaveFest. Your $10 ticket got you live music from Ben Folds Five, Cracker, Jump, Little Children, and Wilco. • Drink beer at Charleston’s one brewery, Palmetto Brewery, owned then by Louis Bruce and Ed Falkenstein. • Get a $6 ticket for maxing out a parking meter. Make that $20 for parking in a tow zone. • Buy a medium two-topping pizza at Gilroy’s for $5.49. Pair it with a $2.25 well drink and call it a night. • Catch a flick at the newly opened Terrace Theater, The Roxy, or South Windermere (only one remains in 2017 and it ain’t The Roxy or South Windy). • Stroll along Broad Street’s Art Walk, with 32 galleries in the French Quarter Gallery Association participating. Stick around for two decades and do it again the first Friday of every month. • Dine on the waterfront at Pusser’s Landing, “the Caribbean restaurant that really is from the Caribbean.” Well, “was.” • Play games at King Street Arcade. Mortal Kombat 4 was there, along with Shock Troopers, and Battle Circuit. • Watch indie movies at Worldfest Charleston International Film Festival. • Swill brews at the Charleston International Beerfest at the Bus Shed. Tickets cost $20.

• Browse the internet on NeoPlanet. Dial tone, anyone?

• Wave at Dixie Furniture’s Gus the

Gobbler, a real live turkey mascot sitting in the window. RIP Gus, RIP Dixie. • Adopt a pet on geocities.com. Geo what? Your guess is as good as ours.

FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

20 City Paper Peeps Worth Remembering A send-up to the scribes who kept us going each week BY STEPHANIE BARNA, FOUNDING EDITOR (1997-2014) his is kind of a mean assignment. I slaved for 17 years as the founding editor of the City Paper, and I asked too much of my contributors and staffers: churn out a ton of copy on super tight deadlines for little pay — oh, and sometimes I’m gonna be a total bitch to you because I’m stressed as hell and can’t take it anymore. Ah, good times. Good times. This list is but a tiny few of the people who passed through our offices, and it doesn’t include some of my best friends like Lorne Chambers, who went on to start West Of, or my best frenemies like Bill Davis, who regaled me with his always-inappropriate comedy routine for a solid seven years. And then there’s Chris Haire, my favorite arch mother-fucker, who shared an office with me and took a huge chunk of work off my shoulders before taking over completely when I “retired” a few years back. And, of course, it doesn’t include current editor Kinsey Gidick, who was one of our brightest interns ever, and who is now the editor. I’m exceedingly proud to see the paper’s coverage thriving under her leadership (you go, girl). In no particular order, here are some of my favorites and why they mattered. Patrick Sharbaugh He returned to town from NYC after 9/11, and I hired him to act as editor during my second maternity leave. He stuck around for years, elevating our arts coverage, starting podcasts, planning parties, and pretty much doing anything and everything to help make the paper better.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

Michael Graham There aren’t many conservatives I can bear to read, but Graham, a talk radio host, had

the ability to call out absurdity at all levels, whether it was coming from the left or the right. And he was funny as hell. And never missed a deadline or blew his word count. Will Moredock A bleeding heart liberal, he fought the Good Fight in our pages for so many years, pointing out injustices and bigotry every chance got. I loved his weekly contribution and relied on him to know just the right thing to say.

Nicholas Drake One of my first art critics (may he rest in peace), Drake was a controversial figure who riled everyone up, including me. We seemed to always be in conflict about something, but I appreciated his bravery in spewing contrarian views despite the sometimes intense blowback. And he always wore Jams, a decade after they ceased being cool. I liked that. SE Barcus The nom de guerre of James Jordan, an NYU grad with a playwriting degree who was studying medicine at MUSC, Barcus took a punk-rock approach to arts coverage, rattling cages and exploring big ideas. Ayoka Lucas Ah, one of my favorite people of all time. She likes to give City Paper credit for her success, but she had the ambition, we just got out of her way and gave her a venue for creative party and event coverage, which she parlayed into a gig at Charleston Magazine where she founded Fashion Week. Today, she’s in the big leagues, serving as Ebony’s style editor. Kudos Ayoka. We miss you!

AYOKA LUCAS

Barney Blakeney Finding diverse voices in the newspaper world can be challenging, so when Barney walked into our offices, we were excited to see what he had to offer. A longtime contributor for the Chronicle, Barney knew everyone in town and was keen to share the African-American

Jeff Allen This guy. How can I not include the food critic who wrote the infamous words about Folly Beach’s short-lived Conch restaurant: “I’d go so far as to say that even if you’re tempted by the live music drifting off the top floor cabana and the waitresses in tight shorts, continue across the road to the beach, past the Holiday Inn, and throw your money in the ocean. It will be better spent.”

Robert Moss Since his humble beginnings as our second string-restaurant critic, Moss has become the preeminent barbecue historian in all the land. Michael Fechter He wrote a column called The Jew-Gooder for a while. He was funny, and who doesn’t love a hilarious self-loathing Jew? Nancy Santos Our first staff photographer was a game-

changer. Her documentarian style lent itself to haunting portraits and evocative photo essays. She shot on black-and-white film and developed in a makeshift darkroom, adding an important visual impact to the weekly newspaper. Alison Piepmeier I was never her editor (that was Chris Haire’s job), but I was one of her biggest fans. Her chronicle of brain cancer was brave and heartbreaking. I’m proud of her contribution. Susan Cohen Her job as staffer was to keep the calendar up-to-date, but her contributions as a writer were legion. She took our LGBT and Gay Pride coverage and expanded it to encompass the entire spectrum of identity and orientation, and taught us all what it means to be an Ally. Sam Adams One of our very first interns and staffers, this guy was a Brahmin Bostonian descended from the presidential John Adamses and Brown educated. He worked for practically free and ended up writing some of the smartest stories in those early days. I still think he wasn’t real. Haze McCrary One of the first Charleston natives who deigned to get involved with the upstart City Paper, Haze dedicated himself to us for 18 months, far longer than any other intern, got (literally) branded for a story, came to work

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despite waking up after a bender and finding a dried turd in his underpants, punched one of our co-workers in the face at the four-year anniversary party, and posed naked for our 10-year anniversary. Hall of famer, for sure. Jillian Stephenson She was a pain in the ass as an intern, but she married my brother, so she deserves some recognition for that, right?

him busy with freelance assignments before hiring him as our first ever staff writer — a huge milestone. He made environmental concerns a big part of his beat and wrote impactful stories that made a difference. And then budgets got tight, and he had to go. Boo.

Joshua Curry What do you get when you take a skateboarding DIY punk who studied journalism and photography and taught himself how to hack and code? The best fucking City Paper employee ever. He was a MacGyver of newspaperdom, tackling photo essays, writing articles, and generally doing whatever was necessary to keep us relevant as we struggled to digitize our newsroom. Paul Bowers This kid walked into our offices looking like a high school freshmen masquerading as a journalist but had about five kick-ass story ideas in his pocket. We hired him almost immediately, and he proved adept at sniffing out great news stories. Then he dumped us for the P&C. Luckily we don’t hold grudges (and we got Dustin Waters out of the deal). Stratton Lawrence He sent us a story about helping clean up post-Katrina New Orleans and it was love at first read. We published that and kept

Jon Santiago He started on staff as a grizzled cowboyboot-wearing graphic artist. It didn’t take us long to sniff out his love of arts and writing, so we put him to work. And then he left to walk the Camino de Santiago and brought us back a sparkling story of his adventure. He’s been sporadic over the years, but we always appreciate his wordsmithery and his deep thoughts.

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FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

perspective with our readership. His voice was unique and needed.

Sell your home with Steve today. Experience Matters. I will treat your referrals like family! Adjusted for size

#winning Our top 20 all-time biggest BoC winners

Steve Rowe,

Realtor® Retired Military, Active Agent.

BY CITY PAPER STAFF

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Winning a Best of Charleston award has long been a stamp of excellence in this city. And after 20 years of naming readers’ Best of Charleston winners, we’re up to a whopping 300plus categories. The competition is always fierce, but we’ve got a slate of businesses that seem to rock the vote time and again. This just represents the all-stars that have dominated a category for years. Best Desserts - Kaminsky’s - 20 wins Best New York Style Pizza - Andolini’s Pizza - 20 wins Best Surf Shop - McKevlin’s Surf Shop - 20 wins Best Dive Shop - Charleston Scuba - 20 wins Best Bike Shop - Mike’s Bikes - 20 wins Best Jewelry Store - Croghan’s Jewel Box - 19 wins Best West Ashley Bar - Gene’s Haufbrau - 19 wins Best Weatherman - Rob Fowler - 19 wins Best Tire Store & Best Mechanic - Gerald’s Tires & Breaks - 19 wins Best Romantic Restaurant - Fulton Five - 19 wins Best Bookstore - Barnes & Noble - 19 wins Best Bagels - Bagel Nation - 19 wins Best Adult Establishment - Thee Southern Belle - 19 wins Best IOP Restaurant - Boathouse - 18 wins Best Thrift Store - Goodwill - 18 wins Best Place to Buy Local Seafood - Crosby’s - 18 wins Best Marina - Charleston City Marina - 18 wins Best Local TV Station - WCBD - 18 wins Best Island - Sullivan’s Island - 18 wins Best Florist - Tiger Lily - 18 wins

Honorable Mention Best Wings - Wild Wing Cafe - 17 wins Best Tourist Trap - City Market - 17 wins Best Seafood - Hank’s - 17 wins Best Rock Music Club - The Music Farm - 17 wins Best Hotel - Belmond Charleston Place - 17 wins Best Golf Course - The Ocean Course - 17 wins Best Department Store - Belk - 17 wins Best Caterer - Cru Catering - 17 wins Best Realty Company - Carolina One - 16 wins Best Pawn Shop - Money Man Pawn - 16 wins Best Neighborhood Bar - Moe’s Crosstown Tavern - 16 wins Best Insurance Agency - State Farm - 16 wins Best Charlestonian - Joe Riley - 16 wins

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FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

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20 of Our Best and Worst Covers They’re all our children, but we will play favorites

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PAGE 20

(2015)

One of our recent favorites, we think we nailed Twee right on the head.

SOUTH, WHERE

THE BEER FLOWS

coming down from our spoleto buzz |

PORTRAITURE

Allison Piepmeier

A striking photo of the late CofC professor and CP writer, Jonathan Boncek was able to present her in a very frank and honest way addressing her battle with a brain tumor.

Bedtime Riley

JUST GOOD

Best of Charleston

(2002)

Still one of our finest Best Of covers brought to you by the talented Kevin Altieri.

P. 22

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Redneck Love/Hate

JUST GOOD (2014)

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Jonathan Boncek

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Jonathan Boncek

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

VOL 18 ISSUE 47 • JULY 1, 2015 • charl eston

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WIT H OUR CELE BRATE THE FOU RTH MOS T PREC IOU S SUM MER GUI DE YET

(2006)

A great homage to Cheech and Chong. Google it, youngins.

MCKELLAR PHOTO BY LESLIE

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p.1 from 2013

Scott Suchy/Appologies to Shepard

(2011)

Nyan Cat was big online, so why not create a “real” one for the cover of the College Student Guide? I wound up winning a Press Association award for it, even though, according to their comments, the obviously older judges had no idea what it exactly was.

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(2004)

This one was before my time, so I can’t say I know the reasoning for the design decisions on this one; but, I just can’t get over the lovely Charleston Big City skyline used in the collage about the rise of local Charleston design.

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eep in the depths of the Charleston City Paper compound you’ll find large posters lining the wall, one for every year since 2007. Each poster displays cover images, one for each week we’ve published — proudly put forth into the world like newborn babes. As the art director, my job is to see each of these covers through, most times as its progenitor, sometimes … more like a midwife dealing with the result of someone else’s series of bad decisions following a late night at the Recovery Room several months ago. And just like any long-time parent (or pet owner) would know, some children turn out to be great successes. While others are just a painful reminder that chugging a bottle of Grand Ma’ during the comedy festival can lead to many regrets you’ll have to just live with. So here I present to you 20 City Paper covers of note, mostly ones from my tenure — ones we can FREE comfortably talk about in front of them at the dinner table.

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BY SCOTT SUCHY, ART DIRECTOR (2007-2017)

(2016)

Maria Fabrizio’s thoughtful yet simple illustrations always seem to hit the mark.

(2007) (2014)

One of my all-time favorites for its strong graphic qualities, this cover managed to start a small social media war over who borrowed Shepard Fairey’s borrowed imagery first.

Rednecks are funny, but Confederate flags are not.

continued on page 34

ing What's Possible

Changing What's Possible

Innovation is at the core of everything we do. Hundreds of scientists here are discovering solutions that are often the first of their kind in the world. We are teaching the next generation of nurses, doctors, therapists, technicians and health care leaders who will provide advanced health care for years to come – and develop the information systems and sustainable business models that tackle population health and health disparities. We are committed to delivering access to the best medicine available through MUSC Health, the state’s only NCI-designated cancer center, and a nationally recognized children’s hospital. MUSC also serves patients through its more than 100 outreach sites – community-based health centers, a robust telehealth network and partnerships with other health systems. That’s how you change what’s possible.

musc.edu/cwp

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1993

2003

1988

1997

TODAY

Earthing opens with a retail space & one room for massage

Pilates certifications begin

Celebrating 29 years of relaxation & well being in Charleston. Our 35 employees strive to give everyone a great experience.

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FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

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DEBATABLE

(2011)

Would a little old-fashioned double exposure trick be fun for a story on hauntings? Sure! Would a poorly executed ghost costume be a little uncomfortable in the Deep South? Absolutely! [Fortunately, I don’t recall anyone misreading the image or intent.]

(2009)

Just a fun illustration to do about the housing market during tough times. Who doesn’t like zombies?

JUST GOOD

Lit Issue

FUNNY

(2016)

Degrees of Success

I’ve come to love our annual Literary Issue because I get to play and have fun with an illustration of my own.

(1997)

A great illustration by Ashley Holt, I still laugh every time I think of Albert Einstein with his flair on.

IS BABY FOOD SERVE D WITH THE MEAL PLAN? |

FRE E

E Y | C H A N G

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Can anyone really say that a little cartoon Joe Riley Jr. isn’t cute as the dickens? I specifically wanted Stegelin’s illustration to break the fourth wall and be peeking out of the image frame.

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CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

Counter Culture offers a crash cours e in coffee p.60

Katie Crouch pens a young adult supernatural thriller P.37

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Creepy, but in a severely disturbing kind of way.

BAD

Best of the Blotter

(2002)

This was pre-having-a-Steve-Stegelin-on-staff. I’ll never take him for granted again.

FUNNY

SEWE

Creepy, but in a fun underrated meme kind of way.

(2010)

This was the first year that SEWE really highlighted the wild game dinners and demos. So, with that in mind I set out to create an eyecatching cover that would convey the message without getting all cleaning your kill gross (we’d get there on down the road, see: 2014’s raccoon stew cover). Funny thing is, we still had an anonymous phone message complaining about the implied eating of “such majestic creatures.” Apparently they missed the memo on what SEWE was about.

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VOL 19 ISSUE 2 • AUGU ST 19, 2015 • charle stonc itypap

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I can’t with a straight face say that this is in any way an image that relays the content inside with a glance. It’s just not an effective cover image. ….BUT, it’s also really hard to argue with the instant appeal (for many of us) of an attractive half-naked cam girl in the photo — sex still sells whether you want to admit it or not.

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VOL 20 ISSUE 20 • DECE MBER

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Charleston’s Premier Live Music Venue for the Last 45 Years

THIS WEEK’S

MUSIC LINEUP WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY AUG 9TH 9TH DALLAS BAKER & FRIENDS AUG.

1997

THURSDAY MARK BRYAN AUG. 10TH CD Release Party with Jenny Leigh

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FEATURE | charlestoncitypaper.com

MAKING

CITY PICKS

calendar

Use a QR app to view our complete mobile event listings The City Paper Calendar is a listing of various happenings in the community. If you would like an event listed, please e-mail calendar@charlestoncitypaper.com or fax (843) 576-0380. Include specific dates, times, locations (with addresses), cost, and a contact number. Deadline for inclusion is the Wed. before the publication date of the issue the event needs to be listed in.

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

n FESTIVALS + EVENTS

Awendaw Green Barn Jam — Head out to Awendaw Green for a weekly barn jam, featuring a variety of quality music from local and visiting musicians. The event is BYOB and food will be available for purchase from Wood Fired Pizza and the Roost Bar N’ Grille. Pets on a leash are welcome, along with guests of all ages. If you arrive early you may even get a chance to play some disc golf at Sewee Outpost. Each Wed. 6 p.m. $5. Awendaw Green, 4879 Highway 17. awendawgreen.com WEDNESDAY City Paper 20th Anniversary Party — Celebrate 20 years of the City Paper with special birthday brews from Palmetto. Graze will be cooking up three different burgers, including a $20 Super Duper 20th anniversary burger. A portion of proceeds benefit Lowcountry Local First. Wed. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Free to attend. Palmetto Brewing Co., 289 Huger St. WEDNESDAY Palmetto Loading Dock Series — Every Friday and Saturday Palmetto Brewing hosts their Loading Dock series with live music from up to three musical acts. If you were a fan of the Unplugged series, the new Saturday shows will feature Americana, folk, funk and rock bands. Leashed dogs and kids of all ages are welcome. There’s always a food truck with food available for purchase, too. Each Fri. 6-10 p.m. and Sat. 6-8 p.m. Free to attend. Palmetto Brewing Co., 289 Huger Street. (843) 9370903. palmettobrewery.com FRIDAY-SATURDAY Shaggin’ on the Cooper — Shaggin’ on the Cooper returns with live music, dancing (of course), and food and drinks available for purchase. Sat. Aug. 12, 7 p.m. and Sat. Sept. 9, 7 p.m. $10. Mount Pleasant Pier, 71 Harry Hallman Boulevard. (843) 795-4386. CharlestonCountyParks.com SATURDAY Budweiser Bikini Bash — For over 30 years the Windjammer and Budweiser have paired up to hold a good old-fashioned bikini contest. This year’s sponsors are High Noon, Jagermeister, and Stoli. The Bash is hosted by 95sx. Sun. Aug. 13, 5 p.m. Free to attend. The Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd. (843) 886-8596. thewindjammer.com SUNDAY Second Sundays on King Street — King Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic and shops displaying their wares outdoors. Second Sun. of every month, 1-5 p.m. Free. charlestoncity.info SUNDAY

n BOOKS + POETRY LILA Writers’ Groups — Writing is a solitary activity. Come get feedback from other LILA members at the monthly meetings. Second Thurs. of every month, 6:30-8 p.m. Lance Hall, 150 Meeting St. lilaconnects.com THURSDAY Poetry Night: The Unspoken Word — An open mic is a freeform poetry gathering. Attendees can bring one or two poems to participate. Each poet is allotted five minutes to read.

Courtesy of Footlight Players Theatre

The Wedding Singer Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 3 p.m. Through Aug. 28 $35/adults, $32/military and seniors, $25/students Footlight Players Theatre 20 Queen St. Downtown footlightplayers.net

Second Fri. of every month, 7:30-10 p.m. Free. Eclectic Cafe &Vinyl, 132 Spring St. (843) 202-0666. FRIDAY Steve Hoffius — Charleston author Steve Hoffius will talk about Northern Money, Southern Lands: The Yankees Who Transformed the South Carolina Lowcountry which has been described as, “An enchanting mix of gossip and history from the era when parts of the Old South met its new owners.” In the 1930s a group of Northerners bought scores of Lowcountry South Carolina plantations. Some of the properties are now famous (Hilton Head Island), most are not. One of them, Cat Island, became the first nudist colony in America. The northern buyers included some of the biggest names in American business — DuPont, Whitney, Doubleday, Marshall Field. Following the presentation, during a reception, Hoffius will sign books and chat with attendees. Fri. Aug. 11, 6 p.m. Free. The Ponds, 326 Hundred Oaks Parkway. disco FRIDAY Brews and Books — Local Bookmobile Itinerant Literate Books will be at The Brew Cellar every second Saturday. Grab a beer, grab a book, and enjoy the day. Itinerant Literate Books is a mobile, general interest independent bookstore selling new titles for adult, young adults, and children. Second Sat. of every month, 1-7 p.m. Through Dec. 9. Free to attend. The Brew Cellar, 1050 E. Montague Ave. (843) 509-4648. SATURDAY The Cage-Maker — Blue Bicycle hosts Nicole Seitz who will discuss and sign her book, The Cage-Maker, a novel based on stories Seitz unearthed while researching her

THEATER | Sing your vows This week, get preoccupied with 1985 at The Wedding Singer from the Footlight Players. The show tells the story of wannabe rock-star Robbie Hart (played by Cameron Christenson) who rocks out every party until his fiancée Linda (played by Madelyn Knight) abandons him at the altar. Thus, Robbie makes every wedding he plays in a disaster until he meets Julia, a young waitress played by Bailey Gaines, and falls in love. “The sound and style of the time period is so iconic that one can’t help but smile when they think back to their favorite ’80s song or most embarrassing hairstyle,” director Nakeisha Daniel says. Join the fun, and rock out to some ’80s nostalgia. —Jakob Lazzaro FRIDAY-SUNDAY

family’s history in New Orleans. Tues. Aug. 15, 5 p.m. Free to attend. Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King St. (843) 722-2666. bluebicyclebooks.com TUESDAY

n CONCERTS + RECITALS Open Mic Night — Open Mic Night on the mini stage. Sign-up in person at the bar. Each Wed. 7-10 p.m. Free. Elliotborough Mini Bar, 18 Percy St. (843) 577-0028. elliotboroughminibar.com WEDNESDAY Dueling Piano Show — Watch pianists duel. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. and goes all night long; walk-ins are welcome, but the dueling shows fill up fast, so reservations are recommended. Each Thurs. 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. FILL Restaurant and Piano Bar, 1150 Hungry Neck Blvd. fillbar.com THURSDAY Smoke Sessions Open Mic Poetry & Music — At this Open Mic and Poetry event downtown, drinks and hookahs will be available to enjoy along with the show. Each Thurs. 7 p.m. Free. King’s Leaf Cigar Lounge, 401B King Street. THURSDAY Weekend Dueling Piano Show — The battle is on. Watch pianists duel while you enjoy drinks or dinner. Make an early or late Fill Dueling Piano Show a part of your weekend. Walk-ins are welcome, but dueling shows fill up fast, so reservations are suggested. Each Fri. Sat. 6:30-8:30 & 9:30 p.m.-3 a.m. FILL Restaurant and Piano Bar, 1150 Hungry Neck Blvd. fillbar.com FRIDAYSATURDAY

Living for the City: The Music of Stevie Wonder w/ the Charleston Jazz Orchestra — See City Pick, p. 37.

n EXHIBITS Beresford Studios — 20 Fulton St. Local artist Sarah Mosteller’s exhibit, She(ll), is inspired by her feelings towards clothing and how it can represent a shell you clothe yourself in. The works are a collection of woven metal objects and articles of clothing meant to prompt the viewer to question roles and behaviors reflected upon the modern day woman. Through Aug. 20. Free to attend. beresfordstudios.com Charleston Museum — 360 Meeting St. Forces of Nature: Charleston in the Aftermath features photography from the natural disasters and “forces of nature” that have impacted Charleston and surrounding areas for many years, including Hurricane Hugo and the Earthquake of 1886. Each Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. 12-5 p.m. Through Oct. 1. $12/adult, $10/ages 13-17, $5/ages three-12. (843) 722-2296. charlestonmuseum.org Fabulon — Center for Art and Education — 1017 Wappoo Road. This exhibition features the work of Robert Maniscalco, The Quench Project and the Mire of Desire. Each Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Through Aug. 10. Free to attend. (843) 566-3383. Gibbes Museum of Art — 135 Meeting St. Check out a number of artists’ works at this exhibition, Perspectives on Place. Artists include Prentiss Taylor, Charles W. Smith,

Provided

BENEFIT | B there or B square Bring costumes, your favorite show tunes, and luck to this year’s Gay Bingo. Hosted by Camp Queen of the Carolinas Patti O’Furniture, this year’s fundraiser for Lowcountry AIDS Services boasts a Broadway theme and features six bingo games and a musical theater performance. There will be prizes for best dressed table, best dressed individual, best dressed couple, and the most surprising take on the theme. Bonus: Patti’s BVDs (Bingo Verifying Divas) will be working the tables. —Jakob Lazzaro THURSDAY

Francis Benjamin Johnson, and Edward Hopper. Through Sept. 10. $6-$15. (843) 722-2706. gibbesmuseum.org North Charleston City Gallery — International Blvd., insde the Charleston Area Convention Center. Solo exhibitions by local artist Rick Austin, and Columbia based artist George Gregory are currently on display at the North Charleston City Gallery. Rick Austin presents Observations, a collection of landscape paintings that showcase the atmospheric quality of light in the natural world. Mixedmedia artist George Gregory presents Pixel-ed Images, a collection of images produced using a combination of craft and fine art materials. Each Tues. 12-5 p.m., Wed. Fri. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thurs. 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Through Aug. 31. Free. (843) 745-1087. northcharleston.org Robert Lange Studios — 2 Queen St. Aquamarine features a series of figurative oil paintings in which artist June Stratton seamlessly balances the ethereal with graphic elements. This body of work highlights the feminine, cloaked in the natural world. Each Mon.-Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Sept. 1. Free. (843) 805-8052. robertlangestudios.com

n FILM + RADIO Movies at the Tides — Once a week the Tides on Folly Beach will present a feature film free of charge and open to the public. Each Wed. 8 p.m. Through Aug. 23. Free. Tides Folly Beach, 1 Center St. (843) 588-6464. tidesfollybeach.com WEDNESDAY

Wannamaker Movie Night — Bring the whole family to Wannamaker movie night (the flick starts just after sunset) this summer. Pets are allowed but must remain leashed. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Sat. Aug. 12, 7 p.m. $2/park admission. Wannamaker County Park, 8888 University Blvd. ccprc.com SATURDAY

n VISUAL ARTS Vassiliki Falkehag and Kate Waddell — Head to Redux for the reveal of Falkehag’s organic sculpture installation, which will run until September 19. There will be a closing reception and artist talk on September 19. In addition, Kate Waddell will exhibit her work in the R2 gallery. Each Fri. Aug. 11, 6-9 p.m., Sat. 12-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Tues. Sept. 19, 6-8 p.m. Through Sept. 18. Free. Redux Contemporary Art Center, 1056 King St. (843) 722-0697. reduxstudios. org FRIDAY Conversations with a curator: Jennifer McCormick — Many meteorological and geological forces of nature have impacted Charleston and the surrounding coastal areas over the years. Beginning with the Cyclone of 1885, the featured images will journey through the Earthquake of 1886, the deadly tornadoes of 1938 and the many unnamed storms and hurricanes that have pounded our coastline until Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Join Jennifer McCormick as she leads a discussion on this exhibit. Fri. Aug. 11, 10:30-11:45 a.m. $12/adult,

Provided

Living for the City: The Music of Stevie Wonder Sun. Aug. 13 7:30 p.m. $20 East Beach Conference Center Kiawah Island Golf Resort Kiawah charlestonjazz.com

CONCERT | Jazzin’ it up Join the Charleston Jazz Orchestra as they pay tribute to Stevie Wonder by peforming all of his hits this Sunday in a concert on Kiawah. The concert features classic tunes like “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” If those toe-tapping songs aren’t incentive enough to check out this performance, let us entice you even further: renowned local vocalist Quiana Parler joins the CJO for this special event. While Parler’s claim to fame is her former stint on American Idol, we think her smooth-as-butter vocals are famous in their own right. —Connelly Hardaway SUNDAY

$10/youth, $5/child, free for members. (843) 7222996. charlestonmuseum.org FRIDAY

n BENEFITS + FUNDRAISERS Camp Happy Days Trivia Hunt — Locals and tourists looking for a way to learn more about Charleston should look no further than this trivia hunt; start whenever you’d like and choose between a one hour and two hour hunt. The proceeds go towards Camp Happy Days, which provides a summer camp children with cancer. Ongoing, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. $12-$18. Charleston City Market, 188 Meeting St. (843)571-4336. camphappydays.org Junior League of Charleston Diaper Bank — The Junior League of Charleston will host a kick-off diaper drive to collect diapers and monetary donations. All First Citizens Bank locations will accept diapers August 7-11. Through Aug. 11. Diapers or monetary donations. jlcharleston.org Magnolia Gardens Free Admission — Donate blood anywhere in the tricounty area anytime before July 31st and earn free admission at Magnolia Gardens. Ongoing, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, 3550 Ashley River Road. (843)571-1266. magnoliaplantation. com Planet Fitness school supply drive — Now through August 31, both members and the public may drop off

donations in the collection bins at the Citadel Mall, Mt. Pleasant, Northwoods Mall and Summerville Planet Fitness locations. Suggested items range from basic school supplies such as pencils, pens, markers, crayons, notebooks and folders, to classroom supplies such as tissues and hand sanitizer. Each Planet Fitness location will distribute the school supplies collected a school in their area. Through Aug. 31. Free. Planet Fitness, Citadel Mall. planetfitness.com Gay Bingo Fundraiser - Lowcountry AIDS Services — See City Pick this page. Paws on The Patio to benefit Charleston Animal Society — Bring your four-legged friends and enjoy an exclusive happy hour on the patio at Burtons Grill to benefit Charleston Animal Society. For $25 per person, each guest receives two drink tickets, plus an appetizer buffet. Reservations are limited to 30 people per event and are required to gain entrance. RSVP at pawsonthepatioforcas.eventbrite.com. Thurs. Aug. 10, 6-8 p.m. $25. Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre, 1600 Palmetto Grande Drive. (843) 216-9900. mtpleasanttownecentre.com THURSDAY Miracle Monday at The Rudder — Each Monday 10 percent of sales go to a selected local charitable organi

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CALENDAR | charlestoncitypaper.com

Gay Bingo Fundraiser Thurs. Aug. 10 6-10 p.m. $25/adv., $35/door Memminger Auditorium 56 Beaufain St. Downtown charlestongaybingo.org

MORE THAN JUST A PEEK OF THE CREEK...

A TOTAL ECLIPSE PARTY AT THE SHELTER

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Provided

David Feherty: Live Off Tour Thurs. Aug. 10 7:30 p.m. $59/individual, $169/VIP Charleston Music Hall 37 John St. Downtown charleston musichall.com

EVENT | Fore! David Feherty, the professional golfer turned TV personality, is “a cross between Oprah Winfrey and Johnny Carson,” according to The New York Times. Feherty, who played on the European and PGA tours, has worked as a writer and broadcaster with NBC Sports and Golf Channel since 1997. With his Golf Channel show, Feherty has hosted guests ranging from President Bill Clinton to Samuel L. Jackson. His touring show features jokes and behindthe-scenes stories of his life as a golfer, talk show host, and sports broadcaster. VIP tickets include a 30-minute pre-show reception and a signed copy of Feherty’s book. —Jakob Lazzaro THURSDAY

calendar continued from page 37

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CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

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zation. Join The Rudder for Happy Hour, apps, or dinner, and benefit a local cause. Have a supported cause you’d like featured as a Miracle Monday recipient? Email marketing@rustyruddermtp.com Each Mon. 3-10 p.m. Free to attend. The Rusty Rudder, 3563 N. Hwy. 17. (843) 3883177. rustyruddermtp.com MONDAY

n SPORTS Table Tennis — Stop by the Hanahan Gym and perfect your table tennis game. The weekly meetings are free after the registration fee to use the gym is paid. Each Wed. Thurs. 7-10 p.m. and Sat. Sun. 2-6 p.m. Free. City of Hanahan Gym, 1255 Yeamans Hall Road. (843) 2563949. tthanahan.com WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY Sertoma Football Classic — For 47 years, local high school students from the Tri-county area come together to showcase their school’s talent both on the football field and off. Thurs. Aug. 10, 4 p.m. and Fri. Aug. 11, 4 p.m. $12/general, $50/VIP. Johnson Hagood Stadium, Hagood Avenue. charlestonsertoma.com THURSDAY-FRIDAY Follow Friday — Show the bowling desk you’ve followed us on Instagram or Twitter (@TheAlleyChas) and you can bowl for half price from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri. The Alley, 131 Columbus St. (843) 818-4080. thealleycharleston.com FRIDAY 27th Annual Sprint Triathlon — This is a five-race series hosted by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission. Each race begins with a 600-yard swim in the park’s lake, followed by a 12-mile bike ride through the park, and each race concludes with a 5K run. Athletes may sign up for just one or all races. Awards will be given to the top performing athletes. Discounts are given to those who register for more than one race. Sun. Aug. 13, 7:15 a.m. $54/individual race, $43/with MOVE IT! pass. James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive. (843) 795-4386. charlestoncountyparks.com SUNDAY Early Fall Curling Mini-Series — Anyone with curling experience or who has attended a Learn to Curl (here or elsewhere) is welcome. Cost is $172 per person for the six games, and includes a T-shirt. Please Venmo payment or send by mail to reserve your spot. Each Sun. 9:3011:45 a.m., Sun. Sept. 10, 9:30-11:45 a.m. and Sun. 7-9:15 a.m. Through Sept. 24. $172/six games. Carolina Ice Palace, 7665 Northwoods Blvd. (843) 790-3584. SUNDAY RiverDogs vs. Greenville — The Charleston RiverDogs will play Greenville, with special promo events like Thirsty Thursday, Friday night fireworks, Saturdays Live at The Joe with Nash FM, and MUSC Health family Sundays. Tues. Aug. 15, 7:05 p.m., Wed. Aug. 16, 7:05 p.m. and Thurs. Aug. 17, 7:05 p.m. $11 +. Joseph P. Riley Jr. Stadium, 360 Fishburne St. riverdogs.com TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

n FASHION + SHOPPING Studio Sample Sale — Shop sample cards, discontinued products, and slight imperfections at Ink Meets Paper. All items will be marked 50 percent off regular retail prices. Thurs. Aug. 10, 4-7 p.m. Free to attend. Ink Meets Paper,

4411 Spruill Ave. (843) 608-8465. THURSDAY Ciao Lucia Trunk Show — Meet designer Lucy Aiken and be the first to shop her collection. Fri. Aug. 11, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hampden Clothing, 314 King St. hampdenclothing. com FRIDAY The Gage Hall Wedding Experience — Hosted by the Neil Lavon Creative Firm, the Gage Hall Wedding Experience will showcase an undiscovered Charleston venue dressed to the nines by some of Charleston’s vendors and caterers. The evening will kick off with a live bridal fashion show in the Unitarian Church followed by a cocktail reception. Models will don the latest looks from Southern Protocol Bridal’s exclusive designers’ newest and most coveted collections. For brides-to-be, bring the event program by the Southern Protocol Bridal boutique to get $100 off a custom gown. Sat. Aug. 12, 5:45 p.m. Free to attend. Unitarian Church, 4 Archdale St. (843) 212-5160. southernprotocol.com SATURDAY

n COMEDY Comedy Open Mic Night — Comedy Open Mic Competition hosted by local comedian Colleen Rast. Prizes go to the top three comics of the evening. Each Wed. 8 p.m. Free. The Brick, 24 Ann St. (803) 727-6701. WEDNESDAY Laugh for a Lincoln — Get your weekly dose of improv from Theatre 99 company members for just five bucks. Each Wed. 8 p.m. $5. Theatre 99, 280 Meeting St. (843) 853-6687. theatre99.com WEDNESDAY Blast Off — Members of the Theatre 99 company are always creating new shows. This is the showcase for them to try out these new shows in front of a crowd. Free to attend, tickets available at the door starting 30 minutes before the show. Thurs. Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. Theatre 99, 280 Meeting St. (843) 853-6687. theatre99.com THURSDAY David Feherty — See City Pick, this page. Improv Riot — Shows at Theatre 99 are improv parties where audience members laugh until it hurts. Come loaded with suggestions for the quick witted Theatre 99 ensemble members who will take suggestions and rock out hilarious unscripted scenes. Each performance will feature five or six Theatre 99 company members. Fri. Aug. 11, 8 p.m., Sat. Aug. 12, 8 p.m. and Fri. Aug. 18, 8 p.m. $12. Theatre 99, 280 Meeting St. (843) 853-6687. theatre99.com FRIDAY Drink ‘til it’s Funny Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic — Think you’re funny? Why not sign up at 8:30 p.m. and give it a try. Hosted by Neil Bansil, the new comedy night lets amateurs and seasoned comedians take the stage. Each Mon. 9:30-10:30 p.m. Free. The Sparrow, 1078 E. Montague Ave. (843) 714-3855. facebook.com/thesparrowparkcircle MONDAY

n DANCE Cirque du Soleil OVO — Cirque du Soleil’s OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. Aug. 9-11, 7:30 p.m., Sat. Aug. 12, 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. and Sun. Aug.

continued on page 40

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TRIVIA | Join Bayside High Nostalgic for the ’90s? Biergarten’s got you covered with Saved by the Bell Trivia. If you bring a new backpack filled with new and unwrapped school supplies, your first beer is on the house. Then, show off the knowledge you did retain from high school in a round of trivia all about Zack Morris and the rest of the Bayside High gang. It’s for a good cause, so you might as well drink up and donate. —Sarah Reynolds WEDNESDAY

calendar continued from page 38

13, 1:30 & 5 p.m. $37+. North Charleston Coliseum, 5001 Coliseum Drive. (843) 529-5000. cirquedusoleil. com/ovo WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY Social Dance Party — From 7:15-8 p.m., get introduced to the basic steps of major ballroom dances in the newcomer’s class. Then from 8-9 p.m., dance the night away to an upbeat mix of all styles of music. No experience or partner necessary. Thursday dances are at International Ballroom’s Charleston location. Each Wed. 7:15-9 p.m. and Thurs. 7:15-9 p.m. $12/class, $10/ party. International Ballroom Dance Studios (Mt. Pleasant), 1767-C Hwy. 17 N. (843) 884-1344. internationalballroom.net WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY Swing Dance — Participate in a free swing dance lesson from Steven Duane, which is followed by live jazz music by the V-Tones. Each Wed. Sun. 6:30 p.m. Free. Prohibition, 547 King St. (843) 793-2964. prohibitioncharleston.com WEDNESDAY, SUNDAY Friday night dancing with Newbie class — You don’t need a partner or experience to enjoy social dancing at Elite Dance. This event is BYOB. Each Fri. 7:15-9:30 p.m. Through Dec. 31. $10/adults, $8/students, military, kids. Elite Dance International Studio and Apparel, 709 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. (843) 654-1011. elitedancecharleston.com FRIDAY Ballroom Dance Charleston, SC — Ballroom Dance Charleston hosts a party every Saturday night. At 7:30, a professional instructor will teach the basics of a different style each week. Open dancing begins at 8:30 p.m. Cost is $15 at the door and includes lesson, food and beverages. Each Sat. 7:30-11 p.m. $15/non-members, $10/BDC Members. Pierpont Crossing, 2408 Ashley River Road. (843) 991-3601. ballroomdancecharleston.org SATURDAY

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

n THEATER

Black Fedora Comedy Mystery Theater — Head over to the Black Fedora Mystery Theatre for plenty of interactive laughs; titles include Tickled to Death, where the theatre finds itself under siege, and the Garden, Gun and Gin Club, described as “a murder mystery with manners.” Each Tues.-Fri. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m. and Sat. 8 p.m. $24/adults, $22/military and groups 10+, $15/children. Black Fedora Mystery Theater, 164 Church St. (843) 9376453. charlestonmysteries.com WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY Bye Bye Birdie — Teen rock & roll heartthrob Conrad Birdie has been drafted. In a publicity stunt arranged by his manager, he chooses an All-American girl, Kim McAfee for a very public farewell kiss. Kim’s boyfriend Hugo is not fond of Conrad and seeks to put the pop prince in his place. Each Fri. Sat. 8-10:30 p.m., Sun. 3-5:30 p.m. and Thurs. 8-10:30 p.m. Through Aug. 20. $30/adult, $26/ senior, military, first responder, $22/student, $15/15 and younger. Flowertown Theater, 133 S. Main St. (843) 875-9251. flowertownplayers.org THURSDAY-SUNDAY Much Ado About Nothing — Shakespeare’s classic play, Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Amelia Sciandra, is a love story between Beatrice and Benedick. Each Thurs.Sat. 7:30 p.m. and Sun. 3 p.m. Through Aug. 13. $15/ student, military, $20/senior, $25/general. Threshold Repertory Theatre, 84 1/2 Society St. (843) 277-2172. charlestontheater.com THURSDAY-SUNDAY Fully Committed — Fully Committed is the story of Sam

Peliczowski, a down-on-his-luck actor who mans the reservation line at Manhattan’s trendiest restaurant. Caught in a maelstrom of scheming socialites, high maintenance celebrities, deceitful co-workers, and an egomaniacal boss, Sam must juggle it all while trying to keep his sanity in this one-man show. Each Fri. 8-9:30 p.m., Sat. 4-5:30 & 8-9:30 p.m. and Sun. 4-5:30 p.m. Through Aug. 13. $35/adult, $25/senior and military. Charleston Performing Arts Center, 873 Folly Road. (843) 991-5582. charlestonperformingarts.org FRIDAY-SUNDAY A Night of Magic and Miracles with The Southern Charmer — Come see the event and venue that everyone is talking about, as acclaimed mentalist Kellar O’Neil amazes you with a series of tricks that defy logic and explanation. Dress nicely for your evening at the 1920’s style parlour and prepare for an unforgettable night with the magic man they call “The Southern Charmer.” Each Fri. Sat. 8-9:30 p.m. $40. The Palmetto Crescent Parlour, 49 Archdale Street. (855) 285-6463. thesoutherncharmer.com FRIDAY-SATURDAY The Wedding Singer — See City Pick, p. 36 Musical Miscast — See City Pick, p. 42.

n AUDITIONS Dance Lab Youth Hip Hop Crew Auditions — Kids can audition for the Dance Lab’s new Crew O2 youth hip hop crew during $5 pop-up classes in August. Kids who make the crew will have unlimited access to youth classes for $130 a month, and there will be two performances by Crew O2 during the 2018 season. Thurs. Aug. 10, 4:305:30 p.m. $5. Dance Lab, 1660 Sam Rittenberg Blvd #3. (843) 225-5165. dancelabcharleston.com THURSDAY Auditions: Accomplice — Cold reads will be available at auditions. Both adultery and murder are in the air in Dartmoor, England at the stylish weekend retreat of the affluent Derek and Janet Taylor. But we will soon learn that all is never as it seems in this electrifying fame of trickery and misdirection. Sun. Aug. 13, 7-9 p.m. and Mon. Aug. 14, 7-9 p.m. Free to attend. Flowertown Theater, 133 S. Main St. (843) 875-9251.flowertownplayers.org SUNDAY-MONDAY

n LECTURES + SEMINARS Unveiling McLeod Plantation Historic Site — This tour delves deeply into history and reflects recent research, revealing new understandings of the people who lived here throughout history. In addition, participants are often allowed access to places typically not available to the public. Ages 8 and up. A registered and paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Sat. Aug. 12, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Sat. Aug. 19, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and Sat. Aug. 26, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. $15/general, $12/Move IT! pass holders. McLeod Plantation, 325 Country Club Road. ccprc.com SATURDAY Serenity SC’s Writers Workshop — This bi-weekly writers workshop with help refine both your writing and your relationship with the natural world. Every other Wed. 7 p.m. $10. Serenity Center, 820 Central Ave. (816) 500-8614. serenity-sc.com WEDNESDAY

n NATURE + PETS Charleston Animal Society Adoptions — The Charleston Animal Society has adoptable cats on site every day.

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Ongoing. Charleston Animal Society, 2455 Remount Road. charlestonanimalsociety.org Early Morning Bird Walks — This trek through many distinct habitats will allow participants to view and discuss a variety of birds, butterflies, and other organisms. A paid chaperone is required for participants ages 15 and under. Registration is not required. Each Wed. Sat. 8:30-11:30 a.m. $10. Caw Caw Interpretive Center, 5200 Savannah Hwy. (843) 795-4386. CharlestonCountyParks.com WEDNESDAY, SATURDAY Astronomy in the Park — Stop by after work or before dinner to stargaze with local experts and ask them questions. Telescopes will be set up at the north end of the park., weather permitting. Each Wed. 6 p.m. Free to attend. Brittlebank Park, 0 Lockwood Blvd. lowcountrystargazers.org WEDNESDAY Growing Up Gullah — Botany Bay Ecotours presents Sarah Burnell sharing her story of Growing Up Gullah on Edisto Island on a weekly Gullah/Geechee Ecotour. Each Thurs. 10-11:15 a.m. Through Oct. 26. $53. Botany Bay Ecotours, 3702 Dock Site Road. (843) 869-2998. botanybayecotours.com THURSDAY Folly Beach Bird Walks: Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve — This walk focuses on the incredibly diverse northeast end of Folly Island. Hopefuls include Wilson’s Plover and Painted Bunting. Ages 12 and up. A registered chaperone is required for ages 15 and under. Fri. Aug. 11, 10-11:30 a.m. $7/general $5/Move IT! pass holders. Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, 1746 East Ashley Avenue. ccprc.com FRIDAY Vulture Restaurant — Watch vultures feed at the Center for Birds of Prey’s Vulture Restaurant. There will be a special viewing area where the audience can sit and ask questions as they watch wild vultures involved in social scavenging. This is an excellent way to encourage conversation about issues that wild birds face. Prepare to be mesmerized by vultures in action. Fri. Aug. 11, Fri. Aug. 18 and Thu., Aug. 24. Included with admission. $15/adult, $10/youth (6-18), Free/6 and under. Center for Birds of Prey, Awendaw. (843) 971-7474. thecenterforbirdsofprey. org FRIDAY Blackwater Kayak Tour — Each month, this tour showcases the Lowcountry’s flora and fauna in different destinations between the Lowcountry’s ACE Basin and Santee Delta. The locations are Echaw Creek (August) and Quinby Creek & Pompion Chapel (September). Sat. Aug. 12, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sat. Sept. 9, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. $95/adults, $75/children 12 & under. Coastal Expeditions, 514 Mill St. (843) 884-7684. coastalexpeditions.com SATURDAY Charleston Animal Society Dog Adoptions — Check out the adoptable dogs the Charleston Animal Society brings each weekend. Each Sat. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. PetSmart, 676 Long Point Road. charlestonanimalsociety.org SATURDAY Native Planting for Birds Presentation — Join Wild Birds Unlimited as they have Jenny Tyrell from the Audubon Society of South Carolina do a special presentation on native plants for birds. Sat. Aug. 12, 10:30 a.m. Free. Wild Birds Unlimited, 624 Coleman Blvd. (843) 216-8800. mtpleasant.wbu.com SATURDAY Staging the Solar Eclipse — A master naturalist will lead

a program designed to inform participants of all they need to know about the first total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous U.S. since 1979. This program has a capacity of 20 people and is open to ages nine and up. Sat. Aug. 12, 10-11:30 a.m. $7. Caw Caw Interpretive Center, 5200 Savannah Hwy. (843) 762-8015. ccprc.com SATURDAY Folly Doggy Paddle — Join Coastal Expeditions and friends for the 3rd Annual Folly Doggy Paddle to benefit Pet Helpers Adoption Shelter and Spay/Neuter Clinic. Just bring in a BIG bag of dog or cat food and you can kayak or SUP for free. Friendly, water-loving dogs are welcome to join you on the adventure, too. Call to reserve spots — this fills up quickly. Sun. Aug. 13, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Free with a bag of dog or cat food. Coastal Expeditions Folly Beach, 2333 Folly Road. (843) 884-7684. SUNDAY Pet Helpers at Petco — Pet Helpers will be at Petco every week with adoptable cats and dogs. Each Sun. 12 p.m. Cats: $25-$125; Dogs: $25-$200. PETCO, 975 Savannah Highway. (843) 795-1110. pethelpers.org SUNDAY

n FAMILY + KIDS 4-H Citadel Club Meeting — A new 4-H club meets in Bond Hall at The Citadel on the second Saturday of each month and walk-ins are welcome. The South Carolina 4-H Youth Development Program uses a learn-by-doing approach, the involvement of caring adults, and the knowledge and resources of Clemson University and the land grant university system to empower youth to become healthy, productive, and contributing members of society. Second Sat. of every month, 10-11 a.m. Through Oct. 14. $10/year. The Citadel, 171 Moultrie St. (843) 730-5202. clemson.edu SATURDAY Ranger-Led Walking Tour — Take a guided tour by a park ranger at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site. The program “Places and Spaces, Plantation Lives” explores Lowcountry plantation life through the archaeological remains and plantation architecture of historic Snee Farm. Each Sat. Sun. 11 a.m. Free. Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, 1254 Long Point Road. (843) 732-5013. nps.gov/chpi SATURDAY-SUNDAY Family Friendly Dueling Piano Show — Music lovers of all ages are invited to this family-friendly dueling piano show. Kids get a free meal with each paying adult. Each Sun. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Free. FILL Restaurant and Piano Bar, 1150 Hungry Neck Blvd. (843) 800-3042. fillbar.com SUNDAY

n WELLNESS Acupuncture Happy Hour — Get over the hump with donation-based community acupuncture every Wednesday afternoon at the Healing Gallery. Each Wed. Fri. 5-7 p.m. Through Dec. 29. $10 (suggested donation). The Healing Gallery, 56 1/2 Queen St. (843) 637-3237. mandalahealth1.com WEDNESDAY College Days at the Climbing Wall — Climbing is a fun way to get into shape and to meet new people. It is also a great social activity. Students with a current ID will receive a free harness and shoe rental with the regular price of admission. Registration is not required. Wed. Aug. 9, 12-7 p.m., Wed. Aug. 16, 12-7 p.m., Wed. Aug. 23, 12-7 p.m. and Wed. Aug. 30, 12-7 p.m. $12 with current college ID. Includes a free harness and shoe rental. James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Drive. (843) 795-4FUN (4386). ccprc.com WEDNESDAY

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GUEST COLUMN | BY ERICA JACKSON CURRAN CALENDAR EDITOR, ARTS EDITOR (2007-2013)

Confessions of @Calendar_Girl

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

What I learned during my six years covering Charleston events

I may just look like another sleep-deprived work-at-home mom in her early 30s, but let me tell you, friends — I used to be a @calendar_girl at the Charleston City Paper. My six years of working there were as glamorous as they were seedy, and they were some of the best of my life. I’m really not sure why Stephanie Barna decided to hire me when I applied for the editorial assistant job in 2007. Weeks after graduating from a small Virginia liberal arts school, I was poorly dressed, meek, and I’m pretty sure I blushed furiously throughout the interview. When she asked me what I liked to read, I replied, “The Brontes.” (Classic English major move.) She even likes to tell me that I blew the editing test, although I always suspected she was lying about that. But for some reason, she offered me the job, and I jumped right into my role of writing City Picks, copy editing, intern-wrangling, and managing the Calendar section (hence the Twitter handle). I pretended to know what the hell was happening in town, and pretty soon I didn’t even have to fake it. It didn’t take me long to screw up, though. For the first issue I ever copy edited, for some inexplicable reason, I changed the word “raucous” to “raucuous” in the first paragraph of the cover story. It made it to print, and Stephanie caught it while the entire editorial staff was gathered in her office for a meeting. I quietly admitted my guilt, and — shockingly for anyone who’s ever met the fiery former EIC — Stephanie did not immediately murder me. But to this day, that word makes me question my value as a human being. Sadly, that was far from my only gaffe — though many of them had more to do with learning to hold my liquor alongside some of Charleston’s most committed drinkers. Between work happy hours at Rec Room, open bar events, and company parties, I got to know the sloppy side of my colleagues intimately. I knew who to avoid after a few drinks if I didn’t want to enter a deep philosophical debate. I knew who got flirty, who got mad, and who liked to talk shit about everyone else. I knew who could be counted on to bring sex toys to the gift exchange at the Christmas party, and I also knew who was most likely to puke in the alley behind the Black Cart midway through the fete. (The latter would be me.) The alcohol-fueled bonding made for some slow mornings at the office, but it also made the pressures of running a successful weekly newspaper a little more bearable — even when we were locking horns about silly things like editorial integrity and important things like em dashes. (Though we were more likely to be discussing the previous night’s TV and how bad Chris Haire’s lunch smelled.) The bulk of my 20s passed by in a blur of interviews, transcribing, media dinners, press conferences, art openings, deadlines, Spoleto Festivals, and Best of Charleston issues (and even blurrier Best of Charleston parties). When it was time for me to leave Charleston, it wasn’t the city’s charm or beauty or incredible food that I found myself mourning. It was a little newspaper that gave me the confidence to write in a voice I didn’t even know I had — and more hangovers than I can count. So the next time you see a harried woman bouncing a screaming baby on her mom jeans-clad hip (skinny jeans are mom jeans now, right?), just remember this: You never know who she was in a previous life. Erica Jackson Curran now lives in Richmond, Va. with her husband, Todd, and their 11-month-old son. She works for a digital marketing agency and writes whenever she gets the chance. Todd bought her the domain name RichmondCityPaper.com for her 30th birthday — just in case they decide to start their own alt-weekly one day.

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A ARTS Drama! A Theater Critic looks back at 20 years of performance in the Holy City GUEST COLUMN | BY MAURA HOGAN CONTRIBUTING THEATER EDITOR (2016-2017)

CHARLESTON CITY PAPER 08.09.2017

How would I characterize the evolution of Charleston’s theater scene in the past 20 years? It’s been, in a word, dramatic. And the good news is that there have been far more winning entrances than woeful exits. From fancy new facilities to outré work, the last two decades have demonstrated that Charleston, now more than ever, is a theater town.

In the Black: The proliferation of intimate, black-box spaces housing companies like PURE Theatre and Threshold Repertory Theatre has unleashed a steady stream of razor-sharp, gorgeously written contemporary works, with the more intimate space often showcasing smaller casts and production values that don’t call for a larger stage. Keely Enright of Village Repertory Theater recalls, “Twenty years ago Charleston Stage and Footlight Players were basically the only companies producing a full season.” In 2003, when Sharon Graci, PURE’s co-founder and artistic director, launched the company, her vision was to present new and challenging work to create a dialogue. “Nine out of 10 people told me we would fail,” she says. Heading into its 15th year, PURE has logged some 80 plays, among them 67 Southeast premieres and 19 world premieres, all by hewing to that much-derided vision. A Dolled-up Dock Street: With a preservation-minded restoration and a megarenovation completed in 2010, the historic venue’s shiny new space offers both better outfitting for technologically sophisticated productions as well as plusher patron space. “A lot of what’s made it wonderful, people can’t really see,” says Julian Wiles, founder and producing artistic director of Charleston Stage, the Dock Street WILES Theatre’s resident professional theater company. Improvements like completely quiet air conditioning, soundproofing, state-of-the-art lights, a new doorway stage left for moving scenery, and a brand-new, safe fly system enable Charleston Stage to take on shows they previously could not. “The scale of the productions has grown exponentially since the renovations,” says Wiles. And then there is the charm and cheer of that wood-paneled taproom, too. A Gussied-up Gaillard: The opening of

the Gaillard’s new multimillion-dollar stateof-the-art facility in 2015 raised the bar on production values around town, while also demonstrating tangible results of arts philanthropy, as the project was largely powered by the outsized, multi-million-dollar gift of donor Martha Rivers Ingram. The resulting mix of smaller Broadway fare, major musical acts, and showstoppers like next season’s Riverdance lights up Charleston’s concert hall with drama and dazzle. A Tricked-out PAC: And on the early side of the 20-year span, in 1999 the North Charleston Performing Arts Center opened a whole new world of touring shows to greater Charleston, bringing on slick spins by way of its Best of Broadway series. Up next: The Book of Mormon. You know you want to. The Audience Embrace: Kyle Barnette, artistic director of What If? Productions, says, “In our theater’s eight seasons, we have been really impressed by how accepting and receptive audiences continue to be toward the variety of works we have thrown at them over the years.” Barnette also notes the willingness of audiences to take a chance on new works through the company’s Playwrights Festival. Over at PURE, Graci concurs, saying, “The leaning in of audiences represents a deeper engagement in the art.” ASD-friendly programming: Whether it’s a company like HEART, which for the past three years has mounted shows featuring an ensemble of special needs adults, or autismspectrum-friendly productions like those currently in the works at Charleston Stage, the city is accommodating new theater-lovers by adjusting production values: turning on the house lights and lowering the volume. Life — and Strife — is a Cabaret: Whether it’s a feel-good toe-tapper or a dystopian head-wrecker, things go better with a wine-and-cheese plate. Now, locals can cozy up to cabaret seating regularly at venues like Woolfe Street Playhouse, 34 West Theater Company, and Midtown Productions. What If? Productions also recently began transforming Threshold Rep into a full-on cabaret with its Piano Bar Series, performing musical theater hits to sold-out crowds. The Gate, The Gate, The Gate: In the past 20 years alone, Spoleto Festival USA has imported eight productions by the Gate Theatre, making the Dublin company a force in and of itself in the prime Dock Street festival venue. With the departure of artistic director Michael Colgan, the Gate

Katie Gandy File Photo

CHARLESTON STAGE FOUNDER JULIAN WILES SAYS THAT MOST OF THE IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO DOCK STREET THEATRE ARE ONES AUDIENCE MEMBERS CAN’T SEE

may swing in the balance for coming festival line-ups. During an interview this past May with Spoleto’s managing director Nigel Redden, he mentioned that another Irish company, The Abbey Theater, has recently caught his eye. Upping the Exchange Rate: At PURE, Graci is heartened to note how the community is seeking out theater as a means for meaningful exchange on challenging social issues. “There is a much richer opportunity for a denser dialogue that people are anxious to have,” she says. Along those lines, PURE recently presented Citizen: An American Lyric, based on the Claudia Rankine book-length poem that is the featured title for Charleston’s upcoming NEA-funded Big Read.

CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC

Do’s and Donors: More and more people with a penchant for theater — and pockets

deep enough to support it — are pouring into the cultural scene, says Wiles, and ponying up to support it. Take the hint. Pay What You Will — and Charge What You Dare: Many theater companies have initiated “pay what you will” nights to offer affordable tickets for certain performances. Still other arts presenters in town are participating in so-called “dynamic pricing,” driving up prices as shows book up. Southern Gothic Revivals: Crowdpleasers with a twang and a twist are still alive and kicking on Charleston stages with downhome perennials like Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and The Dayporch. The Southern-fried fare has been clogging the arteries since I first saw Greater Tuna during Piccolo Spoleto as a kid. While, sure, let’s celebrate regionalism, but can we at least stick to more contemporary offerings — for example, Footlight Players’ trailer park-meets-art world production of Bakersfield Mist? Come on, y’all. Parking hassles — and Uber to the Rescue: Just as downtown parking issues hit critical mass, options like Uber and Lyft have zoomed in, making a night at the theater a no-brainer — and a cocktail after curtain less daunting. continued on page 48

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Those pesky cell phones: Spoleto Festival USA general manager Nigel Redden records preshow announcements in his dulcet British tone, during which he urges audience members to turn off their devices. Charleston Stage reportedly schools theater camp kids on cell phone etiquette. Some Gaillard acts won’t even let phones through the door for fear of unlawful recording. I move we all consider leaving phones at home or in the car when possible. You do not want to be that person. That Halloween Thing: Whether it’s a noirish farce about a corpse or a full-on musical inspired by a B-horror-flick, the Halloween show body count in Charleston theaters continues to rise from the dead every October. Scary. Going Pro: When I left Charleston decades ago, acting was a strictly voluntary pursuit. And, while some gig fees still may be nominal, theater leaders like Wiles observe that offering compensation has elevated the level of performances citywide. Live from…: This spring, 34 West’s NT Live screenings of London’s National Theatre productions was a revelation. I was skeptical, certain that the format could not capture the magic of the theatrical experience, but was won over by the quality of the broadcast — and the chance to check out the best of British

theater a block from my house (though of course it’s still a distant second to being in the same room as the players). And even though Spoleto’s 2016 live broadcast of Porgy and Bess ran afoul of weather, the grand civic gesture demonstrated by way of the stalwart, soaking audience the viability of broadcasting musicpowered theatrical performances al fresco. Any takers? The Role of the Digital Age: Theater folks tend to be social by nature, so it’s no surprise that many local companies have mastered digital marketing to spread the word by posting reviews or sharing video snippets of shows. After all, says Wiles, “Word of mouth has always been the best way to sell tickets.” ENRIGHT He also points out that technology in general has impacted the theater scene. “Technology has given us a lot,” he adds, as all of his company’s sound, lights, and drafting of scenery is now done on computers. “We’re able to take a very old craft and take it to another level with technology that didn’t exist 20 years ago.” The Price of Fame: Escalating rents on the white-hot peninsula are putting the pressure on companies like Village Repertory Co., says artistic director Keely Enright. “The scary truth for many of us now, is holding on to

Courtesy of Charleston Stage

2008’S PRODUCTION OF GREATER TUNA IS ONE EXAMPLE OF SOUTHERN FRIED REVIVALS IN CHARLESTON THEATER

our homes,” she says of her theater on Woolfe Street. “With property values through the roof, and rents spiking, the real challenge is keeping theater alive in Charleston.” Joining Forces: For Piccolo Spoleto this past year, Charleston Stage and PURE teamed up with HEART to collaborate on a reinterpretation of Romeo & Juliet. The impulse is not a new one, as back in 2005 Charleston theater companies had a great

idea: “Hey kids, let’s work together to dream up the best ways to bolster audiences and raise the profile of a theater scene.” The resulting League of Charleston Theatres strives to create a collective forum to further theater in the city. Existing presently only as a website page, it begs the question of whether or not the organization has fully tapped into its potential. Please, theater folks and theater lovers, talk among yourselves.