All Posts

Nights like this are why we built Amp the Alley. The heat finally broke, the air easy again, and people started showing up early — chairs under their arms, drinks in hand, catching up while the band tuned up. It wasn’t chaos; it was rhythm — that steady build of chatter and movement as the crowd settled in and the day started to fade. You could feel it settling in, that downtown heartbeat that always seems to find its groove right before the sun dips low. And when Whiskey Run

The weather apps played coy all week—never promising clear skies, but never flashing the kind of warnings that would call things off either. The morning started calm enough, but by mid-afternoon the signs crept in, and every refresh of the radar told a different story. I gave up and stuck with the one app that agreed with me. It said we were fine, and I decided that was the truth. The regulars seemed to share the same conviction. Around here, a passing storm just means duckin

County Road 49 made their Amp debut last Thursday, and the first thing that hit wasn’t flash or fire, but precision. They carried the stage with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing exactly where every note belongs. It wasn’t a show built on gimmicks or spectacle — it was built on craft. Brandon Kelly, Paul’s son, looked every bit the wild youngster you’d expect to see tearing up a green room with Skynyrd — but when he hit the stage, it was another story. He played

This week was hard. I didn’t even really want to do this. I thought about just posting the gallery, typing “the band did a good job,” and calling it a day. Not out of duty. Not for any noble purpose. Just out of exhaustion. It’s been an onslaught since before Savannah Sunday even showed up to load in. First the pundits I probably watch too much. Then the self-anointed pundits, who I probably read too much. And last week was different. It was the anniversary of 9/11. The

If you want to know where Aiken’s heartbeat can be felt loudest, you only had to be in The Alley last Thursday night. Chairs lined up before sound check, anticipation building with every passing hour until Heart & Soul returned to the Bud Light Stage. By showtime, the crowd was alive, dotted with bright red Randa’s Roadies shirts—a surprise fan club from Randa Berry’s church that cheered every note she sang.

Dave “Muz” Mercer has always been hard to pin down. Some nights he’s a one-man loop-pedal show. Other nights he’s side-by-side with Josh Pierce in Guns for Hire. He’s backed Chris Ndeti, sat in with Kenny George, and now he’s fronting his own power trio with Jo Bone and JT Smith. And with the Trio, it wasn’t just Mercer on display — it was the chemistry. Think Pantera soaked in turpentine. The layers peeled back, stripped raw, but every now and then a flash of 3 young m

Hurricane Erin was spinning well north in the Atlantic, but she still had Aiken on edge. When I got downtown, the puddles told the story—they’d already taken a soaking. I pulled out the tarps anyway, because nothing keeps the rain away quite li Their set list was a hall of echoes — Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” Son House’s “Death Letter Blues,” Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker.” Songs born in the Delta nearly a century ago, but carried forward

Blues isn’t a relic — it’s a current. It runs through generations, and by the time it reaches us it carries the echoes of everything it’s passed along the way. Last Thursday, Edward & The Blue dropped us into that current, right here in Aiken. Their set list was a hall of echoes — Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” and “Sweet Home Chicago,” Son House’s “Death Letter Blues,” Elmore James’ “Shake Your Money Maker.” Songs born in the Delta nearly a century ago, but carried forward

Last October, we thought we were finally getting Trae Pierce & The T-Stones on the Bud Light Stage. The weather had other plans. Hurricane Helene carved a wide path across the Southeast, canceling not just that week’s show (Low Country Locals, 9/26/24) but also the following week’s (OGR, 10/3/24). By the third week, we were finally getting back to business with Trae & The T-Stones on the calendar for October 10, 2024 — and the skies even looked like they might cooperate.

It's felt like some cruel joke as I've started writing this and it is 68° outside! I immediately mowed the lawn and started a bonfire anticipating the rubberband snap of nature that seems to have us wondering every week if we will be victims of some solar revenge or some mythic flood that sunk Atlantis. Also, I'm in my office typing instead of being outside an enjoying it. It's probably a smart move so that I'm not too spoiled yet... but it's coming. Cool air, football, h

Alright, I owe Tom Reed & The Tandem an apology. Last week, I said it was their first time playing Amp. It wasn’t. They played here back in 2018—before I was writing these blogs, before I was even really involved with the series. Which is probably why I didn’t remember. I was too busy helping open Whiskey Alley to notice what was happening just outside the front door. But looking back now, that version of The Alley feels like a different lifetime entirely. Davoirs wa

These three don’t need big intros anymore. Ruskin, Cam, and Brannon have been playing Amp for years—in King Size and every other local supergroup worth its strings. You’ve seen ‘em at full volume and in different costumes, but what never changes is the way they land with this crowd. King Size didn’t just play a show. They upcycle memories into new ones. From a boombox being held over your head, to detention with the brat pack, anarchy symbols written in white out on a bla

Sometimes the most electric shows come in the most unexpected packages: a three-piece band in a barbecue joint during a thunderstorm. Sometimes, the best way to support downtown isn’t by planning perfectly—it’s by adapting relentlessly. Because at the end of the day, it's not about the weather—it’s about who’s willing to pivot, hustle, and make it happen anyway. That’s what happened last Thursday when we moved Amp the Alley indoors to Southbound Smokehouse. The radar

I thought I had it this week. After months of second-guessing Doppler radars, relocating bands last-minute, and watching the sky like a paranoid farmer, we were finally looking at a Thursday with no threat of rain. I even considered starting this blog with something wild like “Hey, everything went smoothly!” But just to be safe, I still stopped at Harbor Freight before load-in and bought two emergency tarps. Because you and I both know what usually happens when I don’t.

Last Thursday had all the markings of another weather curveball. Kenny and I had the gear loaded in, tuned up, and ready to roll. The skies were clear. Spirits were high. Then, just as showtime neared—a soaking downpour. Quick, but heavy. The kind that makes you question everything. That’s exactly where Anna Hudson found herself. After a week full of setbacks—her guitar broke, her car died, she borrowed a friend’s car only to get a flat on the way—she pushed through it

The Grumble—Patrick Daddario (lead guitar/vocals), Bob Honck (bass/vocals), and Blase Dragna (drums)—launched into a 90s alt and soft rock set that didn’t just nod to the era—it dragged us right back into it. You could hear it in the way folks started shouting lyrics they hadn’t thought about in years. The kind of songs that live in the back of your brain until someone cranks an amp and they come flooding out. Songs from Stone Temple Pilots, Sister Hazel, Red Hot Chili Pepper

We Know. We Talk About the Weather a Lot. At this point, you could set your watch by it: Thursday rolls around, and we start nervously refreshing radar apps like they're stock tickers. The truth is, we second-guess the skies just as much as you do. Probably more. Every week, it’s a fresh round of “Will it? Won’t it?”—and every week, the safe bet is showing up anyway. Because even when the forecast says chaos, Amp delivers connection. And this past Thursday? No rain. Ju

When the forecast forced a venue change, the Kenny George Band didn’t flinch. They arrived early, worked alongside the Electric Eats crew, and helped rework the layout to squeeze their setup into the corner of the downstairs dining room. It was a tight fit—probably not the most comfortable staging they’ve had—but the energy never dipped.

There are songs you didn’t know you needed until you heard them live—melodies that stir something up, lyrics that feel like they were written just for this moment. That’s exactly what happened Thursday night in The Alley. A performance so dialed in, it didn’t just entertain—it affirmed why we show up week after week.

Mike Anzalone, Kenny George Band, Mike Frost, and The Experiment & The I20 Horns Bring Music Downtown All Weekend Long.