With the year winding down and holiday-themed shows packing the December concert calendar, I thought I would take a look ahead to 2025 and check out some of the artists coming to venues all over the Upstate, such as the Radio Room, the Peace Center, The Well and more.
Space doesn’t permit listing all the great shows coming to town, so I’ve narrowed it down to a list of five Upstate concerts to look forward to in the first half of 2025.
Blue Dogs, Gunter Theatre, Jan. 25: They say the only things you can count on in life are death and taxes, but in South Carolina, you can throw the Blue Dogs annual handful of fantastic shows on this list. Led by singer-guitarist Bobby Houck and bassist Hank Futch since 1986, the band still plays its cheerful brand of acoustic-electric rock ’n’ roll, which we might call “Americana” today. Perhaps a better term is simply “great music.”
Marty Friedman, Radio Room, Feb. 13: For many years, ace guitarist Marty Friedman was Dave Mustaine’s right-hand man in Megadeth, spinning out impossible-sounding solos and thrashing riffs. But he’s always had a concurrent solo career no matter what his day job was, and he’s in town to shred in support of his new album, “Drama.”
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, April 12: It’s a pretty long journey from the epic “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” a triple-LP set with country and bluegrass masters joining the group, to top country radio hits like “Modern Day Romance,” but these guys did it with ease. Don’t miss this stop on the “All the Good Times” tour, because it’s the band’s farewell trek.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Peace Center, April 13: What is there that’s left to say about Jason Isbell? We know he’s one of the great songwriters of our time, we know that his band the 400 Unit rocks hard and sweet, and we know that his latest album, “Weathervanes,” is yet another incisive look into the heart of a turbulent country. We also know this show will probably sell out, so don’t wait to get tickets.
