Last year Johnathan Wilson got about halfway through his set before the sky decided it wanted a solo. Rain came in sideways, short-circuited the night, and left everyone wondering what might’ve been. This time the weather held, and Wilson came back with the same crew and a clear plan—to rinse off the bad luck and finish what he started. What followed wasn’t so much a setlist as a ritual. From a distance, it might’ve looked like some kind of musical séance—the stage lit by amp

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Thursday Night Party | The SureFires at Amp the Alley Some nights walk in with confidence. Others edge in — slowly, cautiously — like they’re not sure they’ll be invited to stay. Last Thursday was one of those. By mid-afternoon, the radar looked clear enough. The humidity was a presence. Folding chairs started to appear, and The Alley began to fill — not in a rush, but with quiet optimism. And for a while, it seemed like we were in the clear. Then came 8PM.

The Thursday Night Party | Lost Dog at Amp the Alley By now, Thursdays in Aiken arrive with bated breath. You can feel it in the way the chairs start stacking near the door, in the slow-down of the last afternoon meeting, in the hopeful glances at the sky. Because Thursday means music. It means downtown fills in — not in a rush, but like a tide. It means people you know, and people you don’t yet, gathered under lights that flicker on just as the sun lets go. But this past Th

AMP IS BACK!!! This year we tried something new and kicked it off with a full week of music for the coveted Masters Week! Despite being from Florida and growing up around golf, I'm not sure if I've lived where there was a giant PGA tournament, so I don't know if anyone else has A WEEK - but in the CSRA, it's a thing.