Wine, Music, Wings, and Pets

Here's my quick run-down of things to do in Columbia this weekend (and early next week):

Project Pet logo
via here

Thursday, April 8th: Print out and take this Project Pet newsletter to Cellar on Greene between 5 and 7 pm to participate in a wine tasting for only $5. (The tasting is typically $10, but with the newsletter you get the discount and proceeds go to Project Pet). Love drinking for a cause :) And tell the folks at Cellar you read about it on Au Courant Columbia!

After the wine tasting you can head to 5 Points to hear Coolie G with Joal Rush & the Wares, Remedy at the 5 after 5 concert. Starts at 6:30. (Or, if you'd rather, head to The Vista to hear The Shakers at Vista After 5; starts at 5 pm).

Town Mountain, featuring Columbia's own Barrett Smith
image via here

Sunday, April 11th: Skip down to Main Street for the 2nd annual Capital City Music & Wing Fling. Tickets are $5 in advance and there will be tons of awesome music and wings; gates open at noon and event lasts until 7 pm. Town Mountain (swoon!) is playing at 2:55 pm, and there will also be music inside The White Mule. Wing vendors include Village Idiot, Wings & Ale, Sly Fox and many more.
Monday, April 12th: Go eat at Carolina Ale House in Harbison between 6-9 pm, and print and take this card with you to give to your server. 10% of your meal cost will go to help the SC Humane Society.


Tuesday, April 13th: And, if you would like to take the animal thing a step further and actually dine with your dog, then make a reservation for you and your pooch at Solstice for Tuesday night at 7 pm. You order from Solstice's awesome menu, and your dog gets a gourmet 3-course meal from Pupcakes. Call (803)461-0236 to make a reservation. Cost is $12 for your dog.

What are your weekend plans?

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Told You There'd Be More...

To add to my list of amazing Columbia events this week:

The Blue Dogs
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Friday, February 26th: The Blue Dogs and The Mason Jars are playing The White Mule. I have a special place in my heart for The Blue Dogs, as they played my high school prom one year. (And little-known fun-fact, a few years before I was in high school, Hootie and the Blowfish played the prom at my school...obviously before they hit it big). Anyway--The Blue Dogs are fun, and so is The White Mule. Tickets are $12 in advance here and $15 at the door. Show starts at 9 pm.


Sunday, February 28: The Whig is bringing back Burger Night! $2 burgers (and veggie burgers!) on Sunday nights, with the purchase of a beverage; (non-alcoholic OK).



Tonight or tomorrow night: Seriously, if you haven't seen it, go see A Single Man at The Nickelodeon; you will not be disappointed. I saw it last night and am still thinking about it. I will be very disappointed and surprised if Colin Firth does not pick up an Oscar win for Best Actor in this film. Show times: 6:00 pm Wednesday and Thursday only.

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Wile Away the Weekend

Interesting and entertaining things going on in Columbia this weekend...something for everyone:

image via here

Wanna see some art? For FREE? Gallery 80808 has their Winter Exhibition opening, reception from 6-9 PM tonight.

Wanna experience some theater? For only $5? Trustus Theatre is hosting Toast, Columbia and USC's premiere improv troupe Friday night at 11:15 PM, doors open at 10:45. (This follows the evening performance of Rent, which unfortunately for those of you who haven't seen it, is sold out).

Wanna do some yoga? For FREE? This Saturday is Yoga Day USA, and although I couldn't find a local yoga studio participating in this event, at City Yoga your first class is always FREE!

Wanna hear some live music? The White Mule has some great live music Saturday night, New Brookland Tavern has Marry a Thief on Friday and Sequoyah Prep School on Saturday, and the Art Bar is featuring Columbia Alterncirque belly dancers and music on Saturday night.

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Wanna see some roller derby girls knock the crap out of each other? The Columbia QuadSquad New Year's Knock Down starts Saturday at 4:30 PM, with a second match starting at 6:30 PM. Admission is $10 in advance, $12 at the door; kids 10 and under FREE. ($1 from every ticket sold will go to benefit Tamika & Friends who are dedicated to raising awareness about cervical cancer).


Wanna eat chicken & waffles? The Whig is cooking up chicken and waffles this Saturday night in honor of a friend's wedding...open to the public. Starting around 10ish. Click here to read a previous post about The Whig.

image via here

Wanna be a voyeur and watch some 'found footage'? And finally, to round out your weekend, go see The Found Footage Festival at The Nickelodeon on Sunday night. It is just as it sounds--"a one-of-a-kind event that showcases footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout the country." One showing only at 8:00 PM, hosted and curated by the creators themselves, Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher, whose credits include The Onion and Late Show with David Letterman.

How will you be wiling away your weekend?

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Town Mountain at The White Mule

After my husband and I attend a wedding this Saturday, January 23rd, we will be heading to The White Mule for the late show featuring Town Mountain w/ Applesauce. This will be my aforementioned and promised first trip to The White Mule, and I am so excited!

The late show starts at 9:30 and is $6 in advance or $8 at the door; the early show, which features Dylan Sneed w/ Austin Crane, starts at 7:00 pm and is $5 at the door.

Town Mountain is amazing--bassist Barrett Smith is a native Columbian and went to high school with me--(he's very easy on the eyes as well as the ears)--and he is also a super-nice guy. The group is based out of Asheville, NC, but has gotten national acclaim while touring and playing numerous festivals and winning awards across the country.

image via here
(Barrett is the 2nd from the right)

Click here to listen to some songs from Town Mountain. And click here to see The White Mule's menu--if I haven't gotten my fill at the wedding reception, I'll be looking forward to a Margharita Pizza!

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The Better to Taste and Hear With...

image via here

To taste...
Next week, January 11-17, is Columbia's Annual Restaurant Week! The website says: "Restaurant Week Columbia will be a seven day celebration of the cuisine scene in the Midlands. From fine dining to casual, participating restaurants will feature special menu items, promotions and discounts."

There are currently 20 participating restaurants, each serving a 3-4 course menu ranging in price from $19-$42 per person. (All are under $30). Restaurants include Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, MoMo's Bistro, and Dianne's on Devine--all restaurants that I have not visited when paying for my own meal ever.*


I am currently on a month-long detox diet, but might have to break it for just one night to take advantage of the deals at one of these restaurants...hmmm, maybe Cellar on Greene...the Chile Seared Yellowfin Tuna with lime creme-fraiche and sriracha sounds right up my alley.

The Blue French Onion Soup offered on the menu at Great American Grill at the Hilton Garden Inn sounds pretty amazing too. I know the chef there, Stuart Partin; he's a very nice guy--very charitable and giving.** Go give his restaurant a try, and tell him Becca from St. Lawrence Place sent you!

To hear...

image via here

Those Darlin's at Art Bar this Saturday night, January 9th. Nope, I've never actually seen them play before, but I listened to a few songs on-line...and this article in today's Free Times has convinced me. Described in the article as "s#!t-kicking rockabilly," and with Magnetic Flowers opening for them, I was sold. $5 cover; show starts at 9 pm.

The White Mule is a relatively new Main Street pub and eatery that also has regular, varied, live music. I have been excited to patronize the place for a while now, but think I may actually make it happen in the next week or two... Here's their live music calendar through March 2010.

What else is going on in the music scene?

*Full disclosure--I have eaten at each of these restaurants before, but only when my father was paying.

**Stuart Partin at The American Grill at the Hilton Garden Inn is great about donating gift certificates and sponsoring things for St. Lawrence Place, the non-profit where I work. He's awesome!

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