Tim And Devin's Year In Review: The Finale

Here it is, the final installment of Tim and Devin's Year In Review and what they consider the big headlines of 2013.

The Phoenix Rising From The Ashes Story

Nick Collins returned to the stage following the 2012 car accident which put him in a coma, and led the loss of one leg. One show wasn’t enough and Nick’s been performing solo regularly, his band Fowler’s Mustache kept his spot in the band ready for his return, and they released an album of material which was recorded with Nick before the accident.

A Little Bit Goes A Long Way

Awendaw Green added a pizza oven. To some of us, that’s big news.

The “Newspaper Loses, Grit Gains” story

Devin doesn’t know I’m (Tim) slipping this into the summary, but it has to be said. This was the year Devin Grant ended his run of 16 years as a music reviewer for the Post and Courier. Yeah they can get CD reviews through AP feeds, but nothing beats the opinion of someone you’ve come to know and trust. They made a mistake in letting you go, my friend.

Big Shows:

Cheap Trick showed they could still kick ass with a superb show at the North Charleston PAC. Other notable PAC shows included Sigur Ros, Steve Martin with Steep Canyon Rangers, Blue Man Group, Govt. Mule, B.B. King, Cyndi Lauper, Steely Dan, and Alabama Shakes.

The third annual installment of the Southern Ground Music and Food Festival was the fest's most successful yet, with acts like Natalie Maines, Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves, and Zac Brown Band rocking Blackbaud Stadium for two days

The Family Circle Stadium on Daniel Island stepped it up in the concert department wit acts that included The Lumineers, Fun, Bob Dylan, Dawes, The Killers, and the annual Hootie and The Blowfish benefit show for Charleston's schools. 

Biggest Stories Of The Year

As far as the two biggest stories in Charleston as far as music go, they actually converged on the second day of March last year, when Shovels & Rope played before a sold out audience at the Charleston Music Hall. Shovels & Rope's Carrie Ann Hearst and Michael Trent were coming off an appearance on David Letterman and would soon tape an episode of Austin City Limits. The band was on a hot streak, being asked to play multiple festivals including Hangout Fest and Coachella. In the midst of the ensuing madness, the duo came home to play for their local fans, many of whom had been going to see them at small venues for the past decade or so. To put it mildly, S&R blew the roof off the CMH. The look on the faces of Trent and Hearst, a mix of amazement and gratitude, was endearing. Almost a year later, the artists are still on the rise, and recently sold out two more nights at the Charleston Music Hall. They could likely sell out a week of shows if Music Hall director Charles Carmody would book them for that many performances.

Speaking of Carmody, he's the sole reason that the Charleston Music Hall is the other big music story of the year. Since taking over operations of the venue in 2012, Carmody has resurrected what used to be one of the most woefully underused music venues in the city. A partial list of artists that graced the Charleston Music Hall stage in 2013 included Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, The Cord & Pedal Christmas Show, farewell shows by both Crowfield and Slow Runner, Children's Choir, The Charleston Jazz Orchestra, and a great Valentines Day show by American Idol finalist Elise Testone. Congrats to both Shovels & Rope and Charles Carmody for giving us Charleston music fans a lot to smile about last year, as well as in 2014.   

(P.S. If you really do know Devin and Tim, you know the reason this article came so late had nothing to do with partying too hard.)

(Images via billboard, wiki, eartothegroundmusic)