Music Farm : A First Glimpse

By Jillian Owens

 

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It’s finally here.  It’s finally happening.  Columbia, SC finally has a legitimately largish (but not too large) music venue that actually looks like it might have a promising future.  It’s about frickin’ time.

As you all know, I’m a big fan and advocate for this city.  But there’s always been a major gap that even someone with a vision as rose-tinted as mine couldn’t ignore:  Our music scene has been pretty lousy.  Live music venues have failed to thrive here.  If you wanted to see live music you could either go to the Colonial Life Arena or the Township, you could go to a bar, like New Brookland Tavern, or you could go to the more intimate music hall, Conundrum.  And that was sort of it.  There was no real in-between place between local and big name acts.

I love seeing live music.  I’ve gotten accustomed to driving to Charlotte, Asheville, or Charleston to see the acts I was interested in.  It was time for Columbia to step up its game.

And it has.  Meet Music Farm.

 

 

Upon first entering this new venue, I was struck by two thoughts:

1.   “This place is slick!”
2.   “I might be the oldest person here.”

As the crowd thickened, I maintained my first thought, and my second thought was diluted considerably (Whew!).  At a capacity that I’m guesstimating to be around 1,000 people, this once-warehouse is basically a large room, and is standing room only.  The décor is hip and industrial.  A large concrete bar fills one wall with 32 taps.  Giant white fans turn overhead, and local art by Zoo Valdes hangs on the wall.  There’s even a large patio area with its own bar.

 

 

The bartenders were as friendly and quick as the bouncer guys were overzealously surly (No, Overcompensating Door Dude, I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to walk through that open door, as there’s no way I’ve ever been to the place before as this is the first day you’ve been open.  Maybe you should just close that door if you don’t want people to walk through it.).  Music Farm has the same eclectic vibe as other similar venues in other cities.  It feels legit.

 

 

Of course, this place is going to sink or swim based on quality of acts it’s able to draw in.  The September 16 show I checked out was a benefit for local musician/record label owner/local music advocate Aaron Graves who has been diagnosed with cancer.  Keath Mead opened with low-key smooth set.  He was followed by Aaron Graves’ band –a local favorite–  Those Lavender Whales.

 

 

But…the headliner.  When Washed Out hit the stage, Columbia got to see what this venue can really do.  A fairly popular chillwave band that you’ve at least heard in the opening credits for “Portlandia”, they left me hypnotized by their complex & layered beat-driven sound.  Music Farm’s sound system is top-notch and the lighting display was dazzling enough to make this former theatre techie grin ear to ear.

 

 

“I am so happy to be here,” I said to no one in particular.  And I was.  I’m thrilled that Columbia has thing that could end up being a really terrific thing for a lot of people.  I’m cautiously optimistic that this is here to last.  And I didn’t have to drive 2-3 hours to get back to my house afterwards.

Welcome home, Music Farm.

 

 

 

 

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