Brett Barest
I know I generally use this space to look toward the musical weekend ahead but I am still too overwhelmed and distracted by what just happened Sunday night at the inaugural Upstate Music Awards to focus on anything else. The outpouring of love and support for the Upstate music scene was monumental and, if I may be so bold, I dare say the state of the Upstate music scene has been forever changed for the better because of it. Allow me to look back at just how it all went down.
View an Incredible Photo Album from the event by Grey Thompson
I have spoken here about how the awards came to pass so I prefer now to look at the response to the actual event. Before we even stepped into the room we knew a few things about how the initiative was received. The UMA website had seen roughly 200,000 page views, 10,000 plus votes had been submitted, and more than 60 artists were nominated across 14 different categories. It was obvious people were into this thing but it still came as a shock when musicians and fans alike were showing up to the 5pm pre-show at 4:30.
“How did they get musicians to show up early?” was a question I heard asked more than a few times as I paced the room waiting to perform my duties as host of the evening.
By the time Kylie Odetta kicked things off at 5:15, every seat in front of the stage was taken and the back of the room at Zen was filling quickly. She was followed by Howl in the Valley and Phat Lip, the latter of whom closed their set with a jaw dropping rendition of “Coyote” which would go on to win “Best Single” just a little later in the evening. It was then time for my contribution to the evening – the opening monologue – and the thought of following these three performers in any form or fashion in front of the largest crowd I had ever addressed was suddenly terrifying. My biggest worry had suddenly gone from “forgetting a line or two” to “passing out or soiling myself” in front of everyone.
Thankfully, neither of those things happened. Instead, people applauded, laughed, cheered, and screamed, not for me, mind you, but for the spirit of the evening. More importantly they clamored for the first awards and live performances all evening long. Every nominee was celebrated and every winner was even more so. The energy in the room was beyond electric and it was humbling to even consider myself one small part of it.
In addition to the aforementioned pre-show acts, Horrible Girl & the Hot Mess, Brother Oliver, The Old Earthquake, and Shyland Flowers all delivered stunning mid-show performances. Horrible Girl delivered an in-your-face punk rock treat, complete with violent ripping of guitar strings and the UMA’s first official “wardrobe malfunction”. As for Shyland Flowers, my Spotify account has been stuck on his stream ever since he torched the mic midway through the event.
By the end of the official ceremony, 14 local bands, artists, and contributors to the local music scene had been announced as recipients of the first, and surely not the last, Upstate Music Awards. All seemed legitimately honored, excited, and humbled by the recognition and it was a pleasure to bear witness to. Finally, Salti Ray and Seven Year Witch shut things down in grand fashion to close out a simply amazing celebration of the Upstate music scene.
If there was one constant theme or repeated sentiment of the evening, beyond humble appreciation, it was “go see a show”. Nearly every artist said it as part of their acceptance speech and they are not wrong – it is the number one way to show support for what they do and our attendance means more than we will ever fully appreciate. It is not always easy with work, family, and just plain life often getting in the way of good clean fun but it is the best way to continue to build and support our local scene.
Check out the full list of winners below and at the Upstate Music Awards website and give them a listen via Spotify, Bandcamp, or whatever your preferred means of listening to new music might be. Check out the nominees while you are at it – most of them could have been winners themselves in any number of categories. Then, cruise over to the iOnGreenville calendar and see who is playing where and get out and enjoy a show.
2020 Winners
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The Upstate music scene is not just alive and well but thriving in glorious fashion. This weekend’s UMAs put that on full display beyond my wildest expectations and it was fascinating to be a part of. Thanks to Jeremy Theall, Wes Gilliam, and Vincent Harris for putting in the work to make this thing happen. Thanks to Sheila Merck for being the hardest working, tutu wearing, co-host a guy could ask for. Thanks to the sponsors that put such faith in a first time event. Most importantly, thanks to the artists and fans that came out on a Sunday to celebrate the local music scene in such a unique way. Without them, the rest of us would have just felt silly.
Weekend Live Music Calendar
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