Over the weekend Mount Pleasant had its very own Coachella moment. Despite mud and forecasts of rain, indie-rockers, bluegrassers, hoopers, graffiti artists and a slew of vendors descended upon The Grove at Patriots Pointā for one collective dream. That dream was none other than Spring Jam Music Fest. Now in its third year, this eclectic event put on by the Gusto Group and 105.5 The Bridge adds a much-welcomed artistic vibe to Mt. Pāproving that to see top-quality music, a trip across the Ravenel to downtown isnāt always necessary.
Buenos Aires songstress Sol Black kicked the festivities offā her vocal styling reminiscent of Shakira and Natalie Merchant. Early attendees were also treated to surprise guest Shovels and Rope, who joined fellow Charlestonian musicians The High Divers for an early afternoon set.
Local favorites, The Travelinā Kine delivered Americana with the gusto and grace of a tire swing caught in a twisterāmoonshine-soaked melodies cut by the harmonicaās wail.
Lefty at the Washout brought the salty, island vibes in the style of Pepper and Slightly Stoopid.
LA-based rockers, Milo Greene possessed an ā80s essence. With skinny jeans the darkest shade of black and soul-stirring riffs and lyrics they commanded attention.
ā1957ā was anthem-like in nature, gently doused with collective vocal harmonies. Their cover of Phil Collinsā āTake Me Homeā almost came off better than the original velvety ballad.
Delta Spirit was indie roots-rock sanded down, but in the best way possibleāthe musical equivalent of a leather jacket left worn by a thorny tumbleweed. āCalifornia,ā the catchy number about wanting an ex-love to move on and find happiness, had fans breaking out their best shoulder-swaying shimmies. āFrom Now Onā radiated perseverance against heavy percussion.
In between an array of musical acts, folks took in performance art courtesy of GlitterHoopz, Holy City Cirque and The Missing Links break dance crew. One of the real standouts occurred when the enthusiastic kids of The Music Battery Drumline marched their way into our hearts.
Ed Roland, former frontman of Collective Soul brought back the flannel-clad angst of the ā90s with a crowd-pleasing rendition of āShineāā the tune that dominated radio airplay two decades prior.
The headliner Leftover Salmon, hailing from Boulder, Colorado rejuvenated the sunbaked crowd with their signature soundāa shot of bluegrass with a side of toe-tapping twang that coaxed out the inner country-lover in us all. The unabashed jubilancy of festival-attendees was palpable when the boys appropriately broke into āHome to Carolina.ā
As the sun set over Patriots Point, washing the sky in swirls of cerulean, the meaning of freedom became as potent as the scent of Coastal Crustās woodfired pizza that inhabited The Grove that day. If you canāt find some sense of serenity sipping Shandies, while muddying your feet and brightening your spirits, thereās little hope. Until next time, Spring Jam, we will anxiously wait for you to dazzle us with your musical prowess, good eats, art and the kind of vibes that just canāt be bottled and sold.
By Kalene McCort
Photography by Kalene McCortĀ
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