South Carolina’s music scene hosts a variety of talent, and Saturday’s concert at New Brookland Tavern was overflowing with just that. Locals Ye Mighty! and the Restoration played alongside Charleston’s Explorers Club to a full house.
Ye Mighty!, the first act of the night, featured a talented female vocalist by the name of Beth Dickerson. Her powerful voice and the emphatic bass guitar came together to form an energetic post-punk feel that started off the show. Newly formed in February 2011, Ye Mighty! has a definite feel for the music its members create. The band has managed to keep the music relatable, yet still retain its own unique indie-rock, post-punk vibe.
Up next was the Explorers Club, a Charleston-based band. Highly reminiscent of the Beach Boys and the Byrds, the Explorers Club has found a niche that manages to capture all types of fans. After all, who doesn’t love the Beach Boys? Their stage presence pulled the crowd in. Made up of six male members, the band wooed the crowd with their smooth harmonization.
Up last was one of Columbia’s more successful local bands, the Restoration. Members played a variety of songs, including some from their last album “Constance,” and a few new ones that will be featured on their next project. The Restoration music can be classified as alternative folk-country, and it tries to feature as many stereotypically Americana instruments as it can, including violins and banjos along with an accordion, an organ and the usual drum kit and bass guitar.
Along with original compositions, the Restoration also played “Happy Birthday” for lead vocalist Daniel Mochado’s nephew, and finished off the on-stage set with a cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” After the set, the Restoration headed out to the back patio of New Brookland Tavern to perform a special unplugged session consisting of two songs and two encores.
It’s obvious after watching the Restoration play at one of Columbia’s top venues that it is more than just a local band. Its fan base is loyal and loving, and the audience knew many of the songs by heart. It is hard to find a band in Columbia that is more appreciated for its hard work than the Restoration.
The Restoration has found a place that is fairly untapped by the musical artists and bands of today’s mainstream and even alternative channels. The songs tell a story that patiently asks the listener to hear what the band has to say. The album “Constance” was about a young woman who faces both sexism and racism through her talent for music and love for a young man while at the same time being repressed by her Calvinist family and racist community. It takes a talented writer and musician to transform this complex story line into a compilation of songs, and the Restoration has accomplished it beautifully.
To listen to Ye Mighty!, the Explorers Club and the Restoration, find the bands on Facebook.