It’s true: Life can come at you fast, as the TV ad says. Such as when going out to dinner results in an injury that forces the cancellation of a long-anticipated and carefully rehearsed musical appearance. University of South Carolina music professor Marina Lomazov, who lives in Columbia, was looking forward to her performance in the prestigious Piccolo Spoleto Spotlight Concert Series to be held Thursday night, May 29, at the New Tabernacle Fouth Baptist Church, 22 Elizabeth St. And, for sure, at $10 a head, the 11-concert series is one of the best deals in town.

However, according to the Spotlight coordinator Norbert Lewandowski, a cellist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, several days ago Lomazov was going through the door of a restaurant in Columbia.  When the friend with her pushed the double doors open, an 8-foot-long, approximately 50-pound dividing rod connecting the two-parts of the double doors, crashed down upon her, breaking her collar bone.

Unfortunately, this meant Lomazov would be unable to perform in a concert titled “Marina Lomazov and Friends,” featuring six of the state’s musicians performing music by Shostakovich and Schnittke.
Piccolo officials had to scramble to get someone to take her place, but Andrew Armstrong, who now lives in New York but has frequently played for events here such as the College of Charleston’s International Piano Series, agreed to take her place and the program was renamed “Andrew Armstrong and Friends.”
The good news is that Lewandowski reports that doctors expect Lomazov to fully recover within four weeks.

And, of course, there’s always next year.

We hear that Lou Reed, past master of kinkiness (with the Velvet Underground), avante ’60s New York artist, looming figure of black leathery campiness, and possessor one of rock and roll’s darkest visages (along with Keith Richards) … is coming to Spoleto. We hear that he’s booked a palatial … well, maybe not palatial, call it presidential … suite at Charleston Place.

This makes total sense. Lou Reed is married to performance artist Laurie Anderson … since last month (congratulations brilliant couple!) and the two have been collaborating musically since they got together in the 1990s.

Lou Reed, with the Velvet Underground, is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Last time I saw him was when he was touring behind the “New York” studio album, or maybe behind “Songs for Drella,” a collaboration with John Cale. Can’t remember.

Anyway, I’ve always loved Lou Reed’s finely crafted tunes that go places other songwriters won’t. Laurie Anderon’s “Homeland” arrives at Spoleto during its world tour June 4-6. We don’t know if Reed is involved in that project. But if you see him around town and you appreciate his career, say hi. We will not link here to the famous Lester Bangs interviews with Lou Reed although we recommend them as being among the funniest rock and roll mashups in music history.

I just edited my last story, proofed my last page, and that means it’s finale time at the P&C. The news desk will handle it from here.

I love going to Middleton Place for this last concert, because it is the ultimate Southern evening and the dividing line between seasons. Before this event, it’s still spring. After it, we are beginning the meltdown of summer. But for one glorious night, it seems like we might be able to stay on the cusp, put on a enough bug spray and enjoy being outside.

I like to see who shows up, as in festival celebrities; and who shows up with chafing dishes and crystal in tow, as in lifestyles I will never acquire. Then I settle back on my blanket with a glass of wine in a plastic cup and wait for the music to start. Somewhere along the line, my patient hubbie realizes I can talk again without babbling about deadlines, headlines and online.

Now the notion that I’m a music fan is laughable given the critics I’ve worked with in the last two and a half weeks, but even I can recognize that sometimes the humidity plays havoc with the string section, and the crickets chirp louder than the flutes. There are certain pieces of music that work much better outside than others. This year is “Pictures at an Exhibition” so it ought to hold its own against the climate.

But no matter what the weather, I still love the night. And on Monday, I’ll be down a bit. The artists have gone home, the gossip has died down, and the audience has all headed to the beach. So I will sleep for a week, and then wish the festival would start all over again. We’ve just gotten the hang of it by the time it’s over.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s festival and thanks for sharing your comments with us. This blog has been one great adventure. See you next year.

The jazz boat was rocking on Monday night when the Piccolo Spoleto Festival’s Harbor Cruise launched from the Fountain Walk Dock, and it wasn’t just the lively winds, which eventually died down.

Former Broadway pit band pianist Maida Libkin (musical director of “Urinetown” at the Village Playhouse) showed up with her husband, singer Bill Schlitt, who is one of the city’s premiere show singers and directs “The Good Time Variety Hours” at at the Village Playhouse. Read the rest of this entry »

I know you think they are already doing show with their podcasts and videos - and they are - but they will hit the public airwaves on NPR at 9 a.m. Monday morning as guests on the program of the same name - “Spoleto Today with Marcus Overton” - at 89.3 FM.

There’s no relationship to the program and the blog other than once upon a time both the newspaper and Marc jumped on the name at about the same time. Believe me - there will be a lively discussion about it.

In case you don’t know it, Marc once ran Spoleto Festival USA, so he’s an insider and knows what he’s talking about.

He also rode his motorcycle in the storm over the weekend to Georgia and back to see elderly relatives. He said he felt like a drowned rat by the time he got back to Charleston this afternoon. There’s more to this man than a great radio voice.

Janet and Dan, along with intrepid videographer Geoff Marshall, plan to talk with him about this grand new blogging frontier for The P&C, otherwise known as how to learn to podcast and videoblog in five easy lessons. It should be fun - if they are awake, that is.

I heard something about a party tonight …

Tune in.

Here’s a mea culpa - it’s Saturday I think, and the halfway point of the Festival.

Since I edit Spoleto Today for the ‘dead tree edition’ (as Dan likes to call it), I’m now a night owl. I tend to hum Eliza DoLittle’s song to Henry Higgins under my breath (Words, words, words …) Because I work straight through the 17 days, I lose track of time, a point my husband reminded me of when I asked him for the third time what day it was. I liken the festival to going on diet of chocolate cake: There are so many sweet things to do, that it’s hard to know when to stop and take a slice of daily life.

Tonight is the night I usually do that by watching something atrocious on television - like staying up to 2:30 a.m. to watch the HGTV series Clean House. (I do that instead of actually CLEANING the house, while I try to separate the cats from the dust bunnies).

It takes some endurance to keep up the pace, as glorious as it may be. Even Joshua Rosenblum said, when he turned in his column tonight, that he had stayed up last night watching “The Empire Strikes Back.” No classical music in that unless you count the opening credits, which is a modern day icon of sorts.

So I’m not the only one. Dan and Janet have been partying harder than I have, and they have teens at home, so … need I say more.

Here’s my theory: If you live on chocolate cake, eventually you will go nuts, or crash after the sugar high, but it sure is delicious while it lasts. I’m headed to Harris Teeter at midnight. I hear they might have a discount in the darkened bakery aisle and I need a rush to keep me going.

YES - we were out late partying last night at the soiree (photos below), but as we are so lovely we still got up bright and early on a rainy Saturday morning to record podcast #13 for y’all.

And there’s a ’round table’ discussion feel to todays show, as we mainly discuss one thing:

Spoleto - Is it a snobfest?

Does the affluence of your ‘typical’ Spoleto audience member put you off Spoleto events? Is it geared towards more senior members of society? Geoff, Dan & Janet lift the lid on the can of the worms that is the demographic of your average audience member.

You can either play the podcast direct here, or go to our podcast page and learn how to subscribe on a permanent basis throughout the festival period.

• Hear Patrick’s “rap” at the Lowbrow Spoleto Blog from City Paper.

Dancing, pointing and spinning in evidence. Even Andy Warhol showed up - Spoleto 54, perhaps?

Podcast #11 - In which Janet talks to Sharon Gracie and Rodney Lee-Rogers, founders of the PURE theatre. Dan & Janet saw their their play Cloud Tectonics … which they suggest is one for the adults only. And then there’s some more in our series with Enrique Graf.

All this plus talk of badgers, Geoff’s tweed pants, Dans offer to do your grocery shopping, and the gradual realization that maybe (just maybe) Spoleto this year is perhaps a little too … “Nice”? As there’s no sex with midgets this year. Discuss.

You can either play the podcast direct here, or go to our podcast page and learn how to subscribe on a permanent basis throughout the festival period.

• Oh, and why it’s good luck to say “Rabbit Rabbit” on the first of every month.

I almost wanted to call it the Podcast Friday Five, as it’s a Friday and it’s podcast number five. But instead we’ll just go with the drums (but the real Friday Five is here).

On Spoleto starting day, Janet catches up with Eunjoo Yun in person - she’s the director of the Charleston academy of music, and talks to Deanna McBroom on the phone, music professor and director of the voice program at the College of Charleston.

Plus … those drums? Ah … that’ll be Dan, infiltrating his way into a rehearsal of Faustus.

And that Harriet & Jack … they know how to chat, and chat, and chat, and tell a joke or two!

You can either play the podcast direct here, or go to our podcast page and subscribe on a permanent basis throughout the festival period.

Marcus Amaker is a poet and graphic designer in Charleston. He will perform at Piccolo Spoleto’s Sundown Poetry Series on June 6.

Marcus Amaker,Dock Street Theatre Courtyard
133 Church Street, Downtown Charleston
June 6
6:30PM - 7:15PM Free

Stay tuned for Spoleto Today’s upcoming podcast with Marcus. And here’s the list of other poets performing in the series.