We Are Going Out On A Thursday!

For a couple of people that have a blog about all the cool stuff there is to find in the Upstate, we really do not get out enough.  Half our life is dedicated to a six-year-old and the remaining time is limited by Chris’s call schedule at the hospital, evenings I work, financial constraints and any number of other responsibilities we have as we try to play the part of “grown-ups”.   As a result we see a lot of concerts and events come and go without getting to be a part of it.  

In a world without responsibilities our past weekend would have involved any number of adventures.  There was a benefit concert at The Artistry in Greenville we wanted to check out, Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel performed two shows in Athens, and our friends Sons of Seuss performed in Anderson.  I would have been thrilled to have attended even one of these shows but time, money, energy, and responsibility decided that none were in the cards for us. 

Not this week. Not these kids. We are going out tomorrow.

We were introduced to Danielle Howle when she opened up for The Avett Brothers at the Bi-Lo center on New Year’s Eve.  Despite the shortcomings of the venue, it was quite obvious that she is an amazing performer.  We agreed that if we had the opportunity to see her again somewhere cool, we would do everything in our power be there.  Our opportunity is tomorrow and we are not going to miss it, damn it.

Danielle Howle is a singer-songwriter that has been recording music since the mid 1990’s.  Her biography on her website describes her as “a punk rock girl with the voice of a honkeytonk angel” which is a far better description of her than anything I could come up with.  She is folk, rock, country, and soul in an explosive package.  On New Year’s Eve the energy and range of her performance would have been worth the price of admission even though we had never even heard of her before she stepped on stage. 

Tomorrow night Danielle Howle will perform at Smiley’s Acoustic Café in downtown Greenville and we will be there with bells on.*   Ivan will have a sleepover at his grandparents’ house and Chris and I have Friday off from work. The stars are finally aligned in our favor and we are downright giddy about it.  

If your schedule allows, you should not miss this show.  I am certain that you will see a great performance and, even better, you will have the opportunity to buy me a beer.  Occasions like this do not come around every day and we would hate for this one to pass you by.  

I am sure that we will check back in here over the weekend with a full review of our evening.  I already have a lot to say about Danielle Howle and Smiley’s Acoustic Café but will save it for after the show.  Nothing will get posted too quickly though; Friday I will be sleeping in and then it is off to Ivan’s school to get ravaged by first graders.  If there is anything left of me after that, we will see you Saturday… hopefully.

* Note: I mean that figuratively - We will not actually be wearing bells.  If you come to the show and see anyone wearing bells, do not approach them to tell them how awesome their blog is.  If they even have one, I bet it is weird.