We kicked off the weekend on Thursday at Share the Harvest in Old Village Mt. Pleasant. For the event, planners shut down Pitt Street and set up tasting stations and minibars all along the way. Each business was lit up like, well, Christmas. A first-rate electric violinist played covers of today’s hits to great acclaim, and the face painting and stilt walkers went over big. The whole thing was just as charming as the neighborhood it was in.
There was yet another festival the next morning, this one at 1630 Meeting in honor of Lowcountry Local First’s Buy Local Month. You know how a lot of craft fairs are super hokey, replete with Pinterest projects and “Bless this Mess” pillows? This was not like that. The vendors were so, so talented. Black Swamp necklaces, Brackish feather bow ties, Charleston rice beads, freshly painted abstract art, beekeepers, J.Stark leather goods, beautiful ties and scarves from Spit Shine Mangoods, you name it. We set a $100 limit for ourselves and went to town armored with a Roti Roll and a long shopping list. Turnout was strong thanks to the gorgeous weather, and we knocked out Chrismukkah presents in 30 minutes flat.
That night we went from there to City Paper’s Music Awards at the Pour House in James Island to celebrate the Holy City’s finest pluckers and strummers. We ate about 60 oysters and downed Sweetwater 420s while we danced our faces off to the nominees. And while all the winning musicians played great sets, the clear highlight was Sexbruise? a rowdy, electro-pop outfit that might be all a big spoof. But that didn’t matter, as they won fans over with songs about middle school dances — “You gonna lose your retainer tonight” — and “Ford Taurus,” a song about rolling up to the club in the aforementioned slick ride. The crowd was so mesmerized they called for an encore. That kick-ass set is one bruise we’d be happy to get again.
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