There’s a mighty Jan. 18 battle going on at the Music Farm — a Battle of the Bands, that is, presented by the Black Food Truck Festival. More on the festival in a bit.
Three acts will take the Sunday stage, including two from Charleston: The stunning neo-soul vocalist Starr Queen and the high-energy party/variety band Tommy Brown Jr. and The Chucktown Players.
The third group on the bill is the Renaissance Orchestra, a daring 10-member group that fuses classical music with contemporary genres like hip-hop, R&B, soul and jazz.
A new kind of contest
This won’t be an old-school Battle of the Bands, though. There won’t be any applause meters or stone-faced judges. This battle is simply to show the audience the best time possible.
In fact, Tommy Brown Jr. said that the Chucktown Players, with a repertoire from Al Green to The Beatles, is the perfect band for a party like this.
“Everybody knows this music the Chucktown Players play,” Brown said in a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper. “And I try to be as engaging with the audience as possible. It’s more about the audience than it ever is about the Chucktown Players, that’s how I like to go into the shows. So you can expect a good time.”
Brown founded the Chucktown Players a few years back with the intention of keeping live music alive and well during an era of backing tracks for live shows and AI pop stars.
“At the time I started the group, it was an era in Charleston of live music,” he said. “There were actual bands going on. I was looking for something that could be an ode to home but still be cool.”
As for the Battle of the Bands, Brown said that rather than blowing the other two acts off the stage, he just wants to keep up with the energy rather than cutting anyone else down.
“Starr Queen is a good friend,” he said. “And I know that I know that these are both incredible bands. So the goal is just to keep up and keep the energy going. The goal is just to make sure everybody has a good time.”
The Black Food Truck Festival
As mentioned, the Music Farm Battle of the Bands is presented by the Black Food Truck Festival. It celebrates Black culture by showcasing Black-owned food trucks and businesses, featuring diverse cuisines (soul food, African and Caribbean, among others), live music, DJs, lounges and a kids’ zone.
This year’s edition will take place from April 24 to April 26, with the Battle of the Bands being a warmup event that typically takes place on or around the federal MLK Day holiday. As with previous versions, each act in the Battle of the Bands is African American.
“What we really want to do is celebrate Black culture here in the Lowcountry,” said Marcus Hammond, the founder of the Black Food Truck Festival. “And we also want to bring people to Charleston from all over the world to enjoy the history of music, food and culture through the lens of black Americans.”
For Hammond, the collaboration with the Music Farm, which has been home to several Battle of the Bands events, is a dream come true.
“We all know that the Music Farm is a legendary venue, and I’ve seen some incredible artists there,” he said. “I’ve seen artists like Nas, Bone Thugs N Harmony and Three 6 Mafia. I always knew that I was going to curate events, and I always wanted to work with them. So, I jumped on the first opportunity I got to bring the show there.”
Interestingly enough, though they were interviewed separately, Hammond echoes Tommy Brown Jr.’s thoughts on the festival’s dedication to real live music.
“We have a concert filled with some of the best musicians,” Hammond said. “We’re bringing live instrumentation back. We’re really going to put on a show.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 7 p.m., Jan. 18. Music Farm, 32 Ann St, Charleston. Tickets range from $70 to $83. musicfarm.com.
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