Banzaicon and Jam Room Music Festival happening at the same time and place
Jam Room Music Festival, a yearly free music festival that draws some surprisingly big acts to Columbia's Main Street, was going smoothly. Then the cat-ninjas, claymore-wielding princesses and Narutos spilled out onto the street. Banzaicon, a Japanese Animation and gaming convention, had struck again. Of course, it was still a great music festival, but scantily clad warriors didn't help with the family-friendly atmosphere. Maybe these are two flavors that just don't go together.
Overly populist CP concerts
It makes sense that Carolina Productions grabbed Andy Grammer for their last spring concert. He's mashed potatoes — most people will eat it, but no one's too excited about it. But it's time to make a choice that isn't the most bland, widely-appealing option. USC crowds would still turn out for a strong hip-hop act like Chance the Rapper or Vince Staples, and the rock can come in varieties other than country-lite. Icona Pop was a step in the right direction — bubblegum dance pop is a strong identity, at least — but CP can go farther.
Dracula: Ballet with a Bite
The Columbia City Ballet has tried for too long to breathe life into this dead corpse of a production which has plagued the cultural pete bogs of Richland County. This twisted excuse for a classical experience is more like a Milli Vanilli concert where a David Hasselhoff look-alike dances to songs that sound like they were written and performed on a single Casio keyboard in your neighbor's basement. In other words, Dracula needs to get staked.
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