Savannah’s Crush cover a range of songs from RATM and AC/DC to White Zombie at Tybee’s best venue for live music.

For More Information: 313.938.2466

Thursday night was a night of celebration in Charleston, and not without cause. Halfway through their set at the Music Farm, Dublin born singer/songwriter and front man Dave King announced that they got wind of a peace talks in Ireland. King, with a Guinness in hand, ordered the crowd to put their “dancin’ shoes on” and celebrate the historic news.

“Loud, Fast and Traditional!” is how Dennis Casey, guitarist for Flogging Molly, described his band to me. The first two adjectives were to be expected for a band with a reputation for rowdy shows and a name like “Flogging Molly.” However, “traditional,” caught me off guard. As the night progressed, I began to see what Casey was talking about. Although they have the stage presence of typical world-class rock stars, their respect for their Irish roots and musicians before them was clear. Many of the instruments Flogging Molly uses can be traced back to traditional Irish music including the accordion, tin whistle, uilleann pipes, mandolin and banjo.

This Friday, Kasey’s Grille will have live music, in addition to their fantastic menu selections.

COST: Free (minus the cost of dinner and refreshments requested)

MORE INFO: 912.355.9250

Willie Nelson is synonymous with everything that is American. The worn acoustic guitar, the bandanna, the boots, the Texan roots all bleed red, white and blue. His music is nothing but iconic. This is why despite the unusually chilly weather last Thursday night in Jacksonville, nineteen hundred people flocked to the Florida Theatre.

His own son, Lukas Nelson, along with his band, The Promise of the Real opened for Willie. At first, I have to admit that I was skeptical.

I thought that Lukas would be nothing more than a product of his father’s success. I was quickly proven wrong. Lukas’s powerful, distinctly unique voice and the screaming guitar pierced the air.  Even more amazing was his ability to play the guitar with his teeth to close his set.

Well, lovebirds, we’ve already showed you the best places to stay and shop for Valentine’s Day, but do you know what you’re actually going to do? This year, don’t just take the beaten path, do something different and exciting! Savannah has plenty of opportunities to try something new with the one you love.

Cook up some romance at the 700 Drayton Cooking School with guest chef Martha Hopkins, co-author of The New InterCourses: An Aphrodisiac Cookbook. Friday and Saturday, learn about the science behind aphrodisiac foods and prepare a sensuous menu featuring recipes from the book. Some of the dishes include fried oyster salad with remoulade dressing, artichoke pizza with feta and thyme, and quail in grape sauce. On Sunday, satisfy your sweet tooth with chocolate fig bundles, chocolate Pot de Crème, chocolate torte dressed in berries, and chocolate almond truffles. Hopkins will also discuss the history and lore of chocolate and the science of why it has been influencing people’s emotions for centuries.

Despite a long night of miscues including car troubles and torrential rain, I made it just as Yonder Mountain String Band was taking stage last Friday night. As I was approaching the Music Farm in downtown Charleston, I felt the buzz of excitement and anticipation from a block away. People, dripping wet, desperately asked me if I had tickets to spare. The show had been sold out for two days, but that clearly wasn’t going to dissuade them. Being from Colorado, I was familiar with the Boulder County based group, but I had no idea that they would be so well embraced in the South.

I pushed my way through the doors and was taken back by how packed the venue was. It was comparable to a Tokyo subway during rush hour. There were over 1300 concertgoers packed into the Music Farm’s modestly proportioned music hall. One of the many unique qualities of this band that I noticed throughout the night was the wide range of people they attract. There was everything from rowdy college kids to grandparents square dancing in the back.

“I treat songs as an odyssey,” RJ Krohn told me during our five-minute conversation before his set with the rest of RJD2 last night. It was clear to me, and the sell out crowd of 350 people at Live Wire, that RJ is onto something. His beats, remixes, vocals and even songs accompanied by his surrounding cast all contain an element wholly unique.

RJ went on to explain, “Every song and album is different. It is impossible to categorize my genre of music as a whole.” Instead, he said the importance lies in individual tracks and its intricacies where each is an auditory exploration.

Meet our new photographer and music guru:

Originally from Taipei, Elliot Ross has traveled extensively through Southeast Asia with a camera or two at his side. His documentary work of Lao children and the working class has earned him national exposure.

After being based in Colorado for fifteen years, Ross moved to the low country to pursue a B.F.A. in Photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2008. His artistic devotion changed in July of 2009 after a whirlwind of events and right-place-right-time scenarios resulted in Ross becoming the only photographer allowed all-access to a large music festival back in Denver, Colorado. Working with legendary acts such as Goldfinger and The All-American Rejects has propelled Ross towards a career in concert photography that he hopes to continue for South magazine.

It’s not common that a large act plays in a small venue, especially in Savannah. However, 2010 is looking up! This Tuesday, January 12^th, legendary underground electronica artist RJD2 is playing downtown at Live Wire Music Hall. RJ, as he refers to himself, hails from Philly and has made a name for himself remixing popular hip-hop songs.

Unlike the majority of today’s DJs, RJ strays from the simple track mash-ups and creates beats entirely unique and signature to his style. So if you want to experience a performance on the cutting edge of today’s music industry, check out RJD2 at Live Wire on Tuesday night at 10pm.

Come join Savannah natives, Listen 2 Three, for their “Play It By Ear” album release party at The Charles H. Morris Center.  Whether
it’s blues rock ripping or acoustic heart melting, the band is as tasty as a cold glass of sweet tea.  With tunes and tones reminiscent of rock’s greatest eras, Listen 2 Three, is sure to appeal to ears of all ages.  Join the entire South magazine family as we celebrate this
exciting event, you will not want to miss this party!

Cost: Free

For more information: 912. 236.5501 or stephanie@thesouthmag.com