Against the backdrop of the College of Charleston’s historic campus, the Cistern Yard hosts an array of intimate, first-class performances which take place during the Spoleto Festival USA’s Front Row series.
Concerts in the Cistern Yard are elevated by the striking outdoor setting, said Spoleto chief marketing officer Katharine Laidlaw. Spanish moss and towering live oaks rest beneath the summer evening sky, adding a warm, immersive feel to each performance.
“It is probably one of the most atmospheric venues in the entire country,” Laidlaw said.
In May 1977, the Cistern was the site of Spoleto’s inaugural ceremonies and has remained a major fixture in the festival. The enclosed space is transportive for both audiences and musicians, said Preston Dunnavant, Spoleto’s festival audio engineer.
“When you walk in there and the sun is setting as the show begins to start, it just really sets a mood that you are in a space and you kind of forget where you are,” he said.
The Cistern Yard is hosting most of Spoleto’s Front Row series. The Grammy-winning string band Old Crow Medicine Show performed there May 24 and 25, and multi-instrumentalist Trombone Shorty and his ensemble Orleans Avenue played May 27.
Two solo performances by Jason Isbell on June 8 and 9 will round out the series.
The airiness of this beloved outdoor venue makes it easy for artists to present their music clearly and directly, said Dunnavant, who has worked with Spoleto since 2017. Its enclosed perimeter blocks out external noise from the city, allowing audiences to enjoy unobstructed performances.
“You’re really getting a clear representation of what is happening on stage,” he said. “You can hear all the fine details that musicians are trying to showcase in their music and their instrumentation.”
The ideal sound mixing and reinforcement conditions of the elegant space allow the festival’s audio engineers to stick to the basics of their craft, Dunnavant said. This involves using a line array speaker system, in which a set of hanging, stacked speakers curves out toward the audience, providing simple, effective coverage throughout the venue.
“We use this technology to distribute the sound as evenly as possible throughout the house so that each seat is more or less getting the same show as the seats 20 seats ahead,” he said.
These conditions make it easier for the festival sound engineers to provide even audio coverage throughout the area while also taking into consideration artists’ visions.
“That’s really part of the fun for us as mixing engineers, just being the translator between what the artist’s vision is for the show and how that sounds in the house,” he said.
Up close and personal performances
One major highlight among the series’ seven acts is Jason Isbell, whose performances at the Cistern Yard promise raw, intimate acoustic sets. Laidlaw of Spoleto Festival USA said this solo appearance marks an unusual event for the “If We Were Vampires” singer, who is often accompanied by his band, the 400 Unit.
“[You’re] seeing this major artist in this intimate, enchanting, atmospheric setting without his typical band in kind of a really human and exposed sort of way,” she said. “If you’re a Jason Isbell fan, this is a rare opportunity.”
Isbell, who is currently touring with the 400 Unit, declined to be interviewed about his Spoleto performances.
Singer-songwriter Brandy Clark will make her Spoleto debut on June 1 and said the Cistern Yard’s setup is perfect for her performance style, given her experience playing in small theaters and listening rooms. She believes these locations help audiences get the most out of her songs, which she describes as “storytelling music.”
“My music is received best in a more intimate environment,” she said.
Smaller venues like the Cistern Yard make it easier for audiences to hear and understand lyrics, Clark said, allowing her stories to come off more clearly and effectively. She hopes to use the close setting to take her audience on an emotional journey.
“I hope that they kind of go on a nice roller coaster of a ride that makes them laugh and cry and think,” she said. “I hope they leave the show humming a song.”
The Front Row series began May 24 and finishes up June 9. For tickets and showtimes, go to https://spoletousa.org/current-season/shows/.
Ethan Stinson is an arts journalism and communications graduate student at Syracuse University.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.