Busytown: Is There Too Much Happening in Columbia, SC?

columbia’s free weekly

April 24-30, 2013 free-times.com

Welcome to Busytown.

My, what a nice town!

In Busytown, there are teachers and bankers and doctors and landscapers.

There are artists and dentists and barbers and sanitation workers. There are farmers and soldiers and web designers and architects. There are lawyers and carpenters and bartenders and police officers.

Some of the workers work inside. Some of the workers work outside. But wherever they work, the people of Busytown work hard. At the end of the day, when they are done teaching and planting and designing and building, they want to relax and have fun.

In Busytown, there are lots of things they can do. Last week, they could go to the Carrie Underwood concert or the Will Downing concert or the Big Nosh food festival or the QuadSquad roller derby bout.

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By Dan Cook Illustration by Jason Crosby

They could go to the Indie Grits festival or the Olympia Festival or the Philharmonic concert or the David Sedaris show.

This week, they can go to the Widespread Panic concert or the Cirque du Soleil show or the Mayor’s Bike Tour or the Artista Vista gallery crawl. They can go to the USC Symphony concert or the Riverwalk Music Festival or the FOLKFabulous festival or the USMC Mud Run. There are so many things for the people of Busytown to do!

But some of the people in Busytown don’t know about all the things they can do. They say things like, “There is nothing to do in Busytown. Busytown is boring.”

Other people in Busytown say there is too much to do. They say things like, “Why did they plan their festival for Saturday?

MY festival is on Saturday!” Or they say things like, “There is too much happening this weekend. I can’t go to all of it!” free-times.com

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Luckily for the people of Busytown, there is a newspaper that tells them all the things that are happening. So the people who think Busytown is boring can read the newspaper every week and learn about all the exciting things that happen in Busytown. And the people who don’t want to plan an event on the same day as everyone else can read the newspaper’s Annual Manual to see a schedule of annual festivals and events. And the people who wish they could go to everything happening in Busytown can read the paper and think about what they really want to go to.

There is so much to do in Busytown!

Is there too much to do in Busytown?

What do YOU think? continues on page 18

Dan Cook has two children and has probably read too many books by Richard Scarry and other children’s authors. Let us know what you think: Email editor@free-times.com.

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April 24-30, 2013

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B

enny and Sue live in Busytown. Benny is a teacher and Sue is an artist. They like Busytown because there are so many things to do. Every week, they pick up the newspaper to read about all the things that are happening.

Benny reads that a band called Widespread Panic is playing at the Township Auditorium on Wednesday night. He asks Sue if she wants to go.

“Who is Widespread Panic?” asks Sue. “They’re a jam band from Georgia,” Benny says. “They rock!”

“Hmm, I’m not sure,” Sue says. “What else could we do?”

“Well, there’s a romance writer named Eric Jerome Dickey at Books-A-Million, and there’s a garage sale at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art,” Benny replies.

“Ooh, I love garage sales!” Sue says. “Let’s do that!”

Benny wishes he could see Widespread Panic, but he wants to make Sue happy. He agrees to go to the garage sale. He is glad he did — he finds some shoes he likes, and a TV!

day s e n wed

O

n Thursday, Benny is tired.

He gets up very early each morning to teach! But Sue wants to go out. There are so many things to do in Busytown!

“There’s a Brazilian guitar duo at the Koger Center tonight,” Sue says. “They’re playing a new concerto with the USC Symphony. It is such an exciting event for Busytown!”

“That sounds like fun,” Benny says, “but I am tired!”

“Did you know that Cirque du Soleil is in town, too?” asks Sue. “They are amazing! They are incredible artists and acrobats!”

“That sounds like fun,” Benny says, “but I am tired!”

“Well ... I have one MORE idea,” says Sue. “Let’s go eat in the Vista after work and see all the art at Artista Vista! Some of my friends have paintings in the show!

Then we won’t have to cook tonight, and we can be home early!”

Benny is tired, but he wants to make Sue happy.

He agrees to go. He is glad he did — his dinner is tasty and after dinner they see lots of art. It is so much fun!

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ay d s r thu

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April 24-30, 2013

O

n Friday night, Benny and Sue are ready to have more fun.

Should they go see a play?

Should they go see a band?

Should they go see a choir?

There’s a play about a blind date gone bad at the University of South Carolina’s Lab Theatre. It’s called Becky Shaw. Sue reads in a magazine that it’s “blithely cynical and devastatingly funny.” Benny says those are big words for Busytown!

There are some bands at New Brookland Tavern. They are called Wretched, Your Chance to Die and Beyond the Gallows. Sue says those bands sound scary!

There is a choir called Palmetto Mastersingers at Harbison Theatre. They have performed at the White House, the National Cathedral and Carnegie Hall! Benny says they really do sound like master singers!

“What should we do?” Benny asks.

“Well ... I have one MORE idea,” Sue says.

“Let’s go see The Power Company! They are dancers!”

Benny is not sure he will like the dance show, but he wants to make Sue happy. He agrees to go. He is glad he did — because the dancers are really good!

sat urd ay

B

enny and Sue sleep in late on Saturday. They have been really busy!

After they wake up, they go to the Soda City Market for breakfast. They drink coffee and read the paper to help them decide what to do the rest of the day.

There are so many choices!

They could go to the FOLKFabulous festival at McKissick Museum. They could go to the Riverwalk Music Festival at Riverfront Park. They could go to the OneBusytown’s Last Hurrah Party at Art Bar. They could go to the Mayor’s Famously Hot Bike Tour.

Oops! They can’t go to the Bike Tour — they slept in too late!

“What should we do?” Sue asks.

“Well ... I have one MORE idea,” Benny says. “Let’s go to the Mud Run! There are thousands of runners! We can watch people get muddy!”

Sue is not sure she will like the Mud Run, but she wants to make Benny happy. She agrees to go. She is glad she did, because the Mud Run is exciting!

ay frid

O

n Sunday, Benny and Sue decide they’d better go see Cirque du Soleil — it is the last day they are in town!

“What a great show!” says Sue. “How do they do all those crazy things with their bodies?”

Benny asks.

“I don’t know,” Sue says, “but they are amazing!”

continues on page 20

April 24-30, 2013

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day n o m

onday is the start of the workweek.

Benny does not want to go out, but Sue does.

“There is a wine tasting tonight,” says Sue. “It’s called Tasting Notes. It will raise money for the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra.”

“That sounds like fun,” Benny says, “but I am tired!”

“You might get to talk to Morihiko,” Sue says. “We should go!”

“That sounds like fun,” Benny says.

“I like to talk to Morihiko about beer and football and music ... but I am tired!”

“Well ... I have one MORE idea,” says Sue. “You can stay home and I will go!”

“That’s a great idea!” says Benny.

“Have fun!”

Busytown Events

Saturday, April 27

Wednesday, April 24

Artista Vista Vista galleries open regular hours; special events at artistavista.com.

701 CCA’s Great Garage Sale Preview 6 to 7 p.m. Sales 7 to 10 p.m. 701 Whaley St. 779-4571, 701cca.org.

Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$92. Colonial Life Arena: 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena.com.

Eric Jerome Dickey 6 p.m., Books-a-Million at 164 Forum Drive. 788-4349. booksamillion.com.

Widespread Panic Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7:30 p.m. $37 and $42. Tickets: Tickemaster at 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com; the Township box office at 576-2530. Info: thetownship.org.

Thursday, April 25 701 CCA’s Great Garage Sale Noon to 4 p.m. 701 Whaley St. 779-4571, 701cca.org.

tue sda y

O

n Tuesday night, Benny wants to have fun. His students were cranky at school today. He wants to forget about school tonight!

“Let’s go see the classical musicians at the Columbia Museum of Art!” Benny says. “They are playing pieces by Beethoven and Paganini and Janáček!”

“That sounds like fun,” says Sue, “but I am tired! And those names are too big for Busytown!”

“They are not too big!” says Benny. “You can make them into smaller pieces. You can say Baytoe-ven and Pa-ga-nee-nee and Yan-ah-check!”

Sue is tired, but she wants to make Benny happy. She agrees to go. She is glad she did — because the musicians are really amazing!

O

n Wednesday, the newspaper comes out again. Benny and Sue pick it up to read about all the things that are happening.

There is so much to do in Busytown!

Is there TOO much to do in Busytown?

What do YOU think? free-times.com

Artista Vista 5 to 9 p.m. Annual gallery crawl. Artistavista. com.

Becky Shaw 8 p.m. $5. USC’s Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St., 777-9353 Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$92. Colonial Life Arena: 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena.com.

USC Symphony Orchestra with The Brasil Guitar Duo 7:30 p.m. $25; $20 seniors, staff; $8 students.

Tickets: 251-2222 or capitoltickets.com. Koger Center, 1051 Greene St. music.sc.edu.

Friday, April 26 701 CCA’s Great Garage Sale Noon to 4 p.m. 701 Whaley St. 779-4571, 701cca.org.

Artista Vista Vista galleries open regular hours; special events at artistavista.com.

Becky Shaw 8 p.m. $5. USC’s Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St., 777-9353 Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$92. Colonial Life Arena: 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena.com.

What Happens After 7:30 p.m., performed by The Power Company. $10; $5 for students. Columbia College Cottingham Theatre: 1301 Columbia College Dr., 786-3850. thepowercompany.org.

Wretched 8 p.m. With Invoking the Abstract, Your Chance to Die, Beyond the Gallows and Homicyde.

New Brookland Tavern, 122 State St., 791-4413. newbrooklandtavern.com.

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701 CCA’s Great Garage Sale 8 a.m. to noon. 701 Whaley St. 779-4571, 701cca.org.

Becky Shaw 8 p.m. $5. USC’s Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St., 777-9353 Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. $29.50-$92. Colonial Life Arena: 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena. com.

FOLKFabulous 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Folk and folk culture festival.

Live musical, dance, and storytelling performances; craft demonstrations; hands-on folk art-making activities; sample traditional South Carolina foodways. Free.

USC Horseshoe, 900 Sumter St. 777-7251, artsandsciences.sc.edu/mckissickmusuem.

One Last Hurrah 6 to 8 p.m. Closing party for One Month, One Columbia. Art Bar, 1211 Park St. Mayor Benjamin’s Famously Historic Bike Tour 10:30 a.m. Seibels House & Garden: 1601 Richland St. onecolumbiasc.com/onemonth/ biketour.

Riverwalk Music Festival 2-9 p.m. Lee Roy Parnell, Rob Crosby, Loose Change and Buck Stanley at the West Columbia Riverwalk Amphitheatre. Free. riverwalkmusic.com.

USMC Ultimate Challenge Mud Run Start times begin at 7:30 a.m. and continue until 1:30 p.m. Exit 119 off I-26 toward Charleston. usmcmudrun.org.

What Happens After 7:30 p.m., performed by The Power Company. $10; $5 for students. Columbia College Cottingham Theatre: 1301 Columbia College Dr., 786-3850. thepowercompany.org.

Sunday, April 28 Becky Shaw 8 p.m. $5. USC’s Lab Theatre, 1400 Wheat St., 777-9353 Cirque du Soleil: Quidam 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. $29.50-$92. Colonial Life Arena: 801 Lincoln St. coloniallifearena.com.

Monday, April 29 Tasting Notes 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wine and food fundraiser for the South Carolina Philharmonic. $75; $125 couples. South Carolina State Museum: 301 Gervais St., 771-7937. scphilharmonic.com.

Tuesday, April 30 Chamber Music on Main 7 p.m. Cellist and artistic director Edward Arron and guests play works by Beethoven, Paganini and Janacek. $40; $30 members; $5 students. Columbia Museum of Art: 1515 Main

April 24-30, 2013