A chronicle of the Upstate South Carolina music community and beyond
By DAN ARMONAITIS If not for social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, MerleFest would have been held this past weekend in Wilkesboro, N.C. Since 1988, the festival has brought tens of thousands of music lovers — including many from the Upstate — to the Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS As I started the new year, I couldn’t help but take inventory of what has happened with TheMusicAdvocate.com in the short period since the site launched on Oct. 23, 2019. While having a morning cup of coffee, I looked back at the statistics for the site and Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS Twenty-five years ago, David Ball burst into mainstream consciousness with his breakthrough single, “Thinkin’ Problem,” which reached No. 2 on the Billboard country charts and was the cornerstone of a fabulous, neo-traditionalist album of the same name. What was unknown to much of his newfound fan base Read More
By DAN ARMONAITIS During Episode 6 of Ken Burns’ eight-part “Country Music” documentary that aired last month on PBS, there’s a scene in which songwriting giant and Country Music Hall of Fame member Kris Kristofferson speaks of his deep appreciation for the works of Romantic period poet William Blake. Slightly Read More