Charleston Gaillard Center Announces Third Set of Lowcountry Listens Performances

FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2020 MEDIA CONTACT: Kellie Lawson Director of Marketing (843) 242-3105 klawson@gaillardcenter.org

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Charleston Gaillard Center Announces Third Set of Lowcountry Listens Performances September 2 through September 30

August 26​, 2020 – Charleston, SC – The C ​ harleston Gaillard Center ​is thrilled to announce the continuation of our ​Lowcountry Listens ​program with five new performances. Beginning September 2, the free, virtual music series will air online for five weeks. The first four performances are presented in part by ​First National Bank​. The final performance on September 30 is sponsored by T ​ ito’s Handmade Vodka.

Each performance is recorded in the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall and features four to five songs. Viewers can tune into each performance on Wednesdays at 6pm on gaillardcenter.org, on Facebook Live, and on YouTube Live. The 25-30 minute videos will remain online for viewers to enjoy at their leisure. R ​ ichard Todd​, host of “The Morning Buzz” on 105.5 The Bridge, will introduce each performance. The Gaillard Center will have a Lowcountry Listens poster, featuring art by ​Swhitey Art​, available for purchase.

The Lowcountry Listens lineup includes: 9/2 – Little Bird 9/9 – The High Divers 9/16 – Nathan and Eva 9/23 – Sideshow Americans 9/30 – Charlton Singleton and Contemporary Flow Kellie Lawson, Director of Marketing for the Charleston Gaillard Center, stated, “​ Since launching Lowcountry Listens back in June, we have presented ten extraordinary performances with nearly 70,000 views. Each show has provided us the opportunity to engage one-on-one with viewers and create an intimate experience. We cannot wait to share these next artists with our virtual community.”

DOWNLOAD PHOTOS: b ​ it.ly/LowcountryListensThirdSet

ABOUT LITTLE BIRD: Born and raised in Annapolis, MD, Indie R&B/Soul outfit, Little Bird, now hails from Charleston, SC. They are currently touring their 2018 release, Familiar, which reflects the sonic alchemy of a broad range of musical influences, such as legendary artists, D’Angelo, and Erykah Badu, along with revered modern acts, Hiatus Kaiyote, Fat Freddy’s Drop, and Nick Hakim.

With the release of Familiar, Little Bird has received acclaim in their new hometown, being voted the 2018 Charleston City Paper “RnB/Soul Band of the Year.” New members Ben Mossman (Bass), Oleg Terentiev (Drums), Noah Jones (Piano) have joined originators Jay Hurtt (Guitar/Vocals) and James Rubush (Guitar) to create the sound heard on Familiar, and continue to develop their sound with material set to be released in 2020.

“Mega Hot Super Babe” is set to be released in April 2020 as the first single off of the upcoming self-produced, space themed record, entitled “Proxima.”

“It’s extremely likely you’ll fall headfirst for Little Bird, mere moments after hearing the band’s 2018 release Familiar. The heady mix of ambient soul, R&B, and trippy jazz puts them in the kindred spirit category to everyone from D’Angelo and Erykah Badu to Australian jam band Hiatus Kaiyote. And their unique sound is showcased by musicianship of the highest order.”

- Randy Shulman, Metro Weekly Magazine

WEBSITE t​ hisislittlebird.com INSTAGRAM ​@thisislittlebird YOUTUBE L ​ ittle Bird SPOTIFY L ​ ittle Bird FACEBOOK ​@ThisIsLittleBird

ABOUT THE HIGH DIVERS: “All around the South, Tear Em Down!”, Luke Mitchell, lead singer of The High Divers belts into a microphone at Nashville recording studio, Battletapes. Almost a year later, in the middle of a global pandemic and a movement demanding justice and equality for Black Americans, the Confederate monuments referenced in the newest release from the band are finally starting to come down. “It’s an incredible feeling seeing the Calhoun statue torn down after walking by it almost every day while living in Charleston (SC),” Mitchell says.

The High Divers’ touring has grinded to a painful halt as the resurgence of COVID-19 threatens the health and peace of mind of concert goers. “We have no idea when we’ll be able to tour again” says keyboardist and vocalist, Mary Alice Mitchell, “And this was going to be a great year for us.” This October marks six years as a touring band, and the group has the songs, stories and scars to prove it.

Formed in 2014, The High Divers hit the ground running playing shows regionally around South Carolina, recording their debut album, “Riverlust”, and building a fan base that quickly fell in love with their raucous live shows. The follow up album, Chicora, was released to much critical acclaim and found itself seated on many “Best Of” lists. Perhaps the band’s most well known work was 2019’s “Ride With You” EP produced by Jason Isbell guitarist, Sadler Vaden, who is credited with “Getting the band out of it’s comfort zone, and into some close to the vest songwriting”, according to bassist and singer, Kevin Early.

It’s not just the sound that shifted with Vaden’s guidance. He also helped make the song selections for this EP, and opted for the ones that Luke and Mary Alice were a little more uncomfortable with sharing. That’s how they knew they were the right picks. The lyrics stray from carefree, frolicking 2015 hit “Summertime” and 2017′s shimmery, butterfly-inducing “Fall In Love So Fast” into some somber subject matter. The disc touches on suicide, bullying, abuse, depression and PTSD. “If you don’t do something that really scares you, you’re not going to grow,” says Mary Alice, who sings “Our Love is a Fire,” which is about an abusive relationship she was in for four years as a young teenager.

While it’s unclear what the future of touring looks like, and how the music business as a whole will weather the storm that is Coronavirus, one thing remains certain; The High Divers have a lot more to say, and are hell-bent on adapting to whatever the post-Covid world throws at them.

WEBSITE t​ hehighdivers.com FACEBOOK ​@Thehighdivers INSTAGRAM ​@thehighdivers TWITTER ​@thehighdivers

ABOUT NATHAN AND EVA: Local sibling duo Nathan & Eva got their start performing covers online to their thriving YouTube fanbase before jumping into live performing in the Charleston area in 2016. Since then, they've released their self-titled EP in 2018 and are currently finishing up their first full-length album.

When not performing, Eva is an Arts Management student at the College of Charleston, and Nathan is a local videographer. They are excited to bring their unique folk pop sound to the Gaillard stage.

INSTAGRAM ​@nathan_and_eva FACEBOOK ​@NathanAndEva YOUTUBE ​Nathan Eva Music

ABOUT SIDESHOW AMERICANS: Sideshow Americans is a four-piece Americana Rock ’n Roll band from Johns Island, SC.

Years ago, Sideshow was four musicians trying to make a living playing music in Charleston, SC running into each other at late night parties and playing music together until morning. The sound and spirit of the group remains squarely where it began – in the raucous, late-night joy of picking up the closest instrument to you and singing songs with your friends.

Eventually a band was formed. After performing together live throughout 2015, Sideshow Americans recorded and released a house-show video for the song “Brokenhearted.” Later that year, the band released their debut EP ​Streetlights​. With the title track composed by bassist Whitt Algar, the album was the band’s brief but honest five-song introduction. Additionally comprised of songs written by guitarist Ryan Bonner, S ​ treetlights​ is steeped in Southeastern string band tradition, delivered in four-part harmony with multi-instrumentalist Cory Jarrett and more recent addition, guitarist Malin Wagnon.

WEBSITE s​ ideshowamericans.com FACEBOOK ​@sideshowamericans INSTAGRAM ​@sideshowamericans

ABOUT CHARLTON SINGLETON: A native of Awendaw, SC, Charlton Singleton began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. He would then go on to study the organ, violin, cello, and the trumpet throughout elementary, middle and high school. In 1994, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from South Carolina State University. Since that time, he has taught music at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, as well as being an adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. In 2008 he co-founded and became the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; an 18 piece jazz ensemble of some of the finest professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, SC. Mr. Singleton is also the organist and choir director at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charleston, SC. In November of 2016 he was named the inaugural Artist in Residence at the recently renovated Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. He remained in this position until July 2019; at that point he was named Artist in Residence Emeritus. In this position he continues to lead the Summer Youth Jazz Orchestra Camp as well as lead the “Jazz Through the Ages” assembly, which attracts a capacity crowd of students at the Gaillard Center.

As a performer, Charlton leads his own ensembles that vary in size and style. He has performed in France, Great Britain, Scotland, Spain, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Canada, The Netherlands, as well as many great cities throughout the United States. He is a founding member of a new ensemble called Ranky Tanky. The group is a quintet that interprets the sounds of Gullah from the Southeast Coast of the United States. In 2017 Ranky Tanky reached the top of the Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon Contemporary Jazz charts with their self-titled debut recording. In 2019 they accomplished the same feat with the release of their sophomore effort, “Good Time”, which recently won the 2020 Grammy Award for “Best Regional Roots Music Album”.

In addition to performing, he is in demand as a speaker, clinician, composer, and arranger. He has also shared the stage with and/or worked with some of most talented entertainers in the world, including Bobby McFerrin, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Houston Person, Darius Rucker, Fred Wesley, and Cyrus Chestnut to name a few. Outside of music and entertainment, he and his wife, MaryJo, are the proud parents of Shalamar and D’Marcus, as well as their pets...Sassy, Jango, Mojo, Kota Bear, Pumpkin, and Ginger.

WEBSITE c ​ harltonsingleton.com INSTAGRAM ​@csmusician FACEBOOK ​@charltonpsingleton

ABOUT RICHARD TODD: A long-time radio and TV personality in the Lowcountry, Richard Todd was born in Decatur, Alabama in 1965. He moved to SC in the early ’70s and has basically been in the Palmetto State ever since. He has relaunched “​The Morning Buzz​” on WCOO-FM, 105.5 The Bridge, Monday-Friday from 6am-10am. Tune in and join the fun as the adventure continues and make it a habit-forming part of your morning routine!

WEBSITE​ ​https://www.1055thebridge.com/show/the-morning-buzz-with-richard-todd/ FACEBOOK ​@rtoddMbuzz

ABOUT THE CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER: The Charleston Gaillard Center is a 501c3 nonprofit performing arts organization in Charleston, South Carolina, committed to enriching lives through unforgettable experiences. Throughout the

year, we provide exceptional programming and vibrant educational opportunities for the community. Our first in-person event of the 20-21 Season will be A ​ n Evening with Brendan James​ on S ​ eptember 17, 2020​. ​Tickets on sale Friday, August 28 at 11am.

Please consider a contribution as we continue to find innovative ways to connect, inspire and entertain. ​Donate to support the arts in your community. ​You can learn more about our educational resources and programming at gaillardcenter.org.

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