(Disclaimer: Broad Street Beat is a music column and contains opinion.)
The first time I ever heard Rae’s Creek Revival was in April 2022 when I was writing a story about the Augusta Canal Moonlight Music Cruise.
If I’d known banjos were involved, I probably would’ve chosen another date to do the canal tour, but I was stuck and pleasantly surprised when I knew two of the three members of the group.
Another surprise was that I also liked the music — even with the banjo. Billed as bluegrass, new grass, Americana, Rae’s Creek Revival sings songs with quirky and fun lyrics I didn’t expect. So over the weekend, when I ran into Bryan Hatch, the group’s lead singer who I graduated from high school with, I asked when they’d be playing again.
“Tonight at Southbound Smokehouse” was the reply.
Food and music – the perfect combo especially when I saw Green Jacket salad on the menu at the website.
My husband, Bret, and I headed to North Augusta on June 24 for a date.
When we arrived, I noticed a fourth person warming up on the stage. It was Sallie Shuford – another person I’ve known for years. I had to tell Bret the Sallie connection. She went to school with my brother, and my mother knew Sallie’s mom. There’s always some connection in Augusta, right?
Sallie plays violin, and Bret and Sallie had a chat about taking violin from Mrs. Browning. Like I said, small world.
We had some time before their set, and Sallie said it was her debut with the group. She’s known the group’s double bass player, Catherine Robertson, for a while and just had her first rehearsal with Luke Teague on banjo and mandolin among others and Bryan a few days before.
Once again, Rae’s Creek Revival provided a fun night – where else are you going to hear a song about an argument related to one person’s statement that the world is flat or about tearing someone’s still down?
If you want to see Rae’s Creek Revival before they take the month of July off, then head to Augusta’s Mellow Mushroom at 7 p.m. June 29.
There’s always live music available in the area, and here are a couple of options.
Your Pie in Grovetown has Pizza, Brews and Tunes with Blue Lava on June 29. Also on Thursday is Amp the Alley with The Experiment and the I-20 Horns at 6:30 p.m. in The Alley in Aiken.
At 9 p.m. Friday, Jaycie Ward will sing at Draft Society Taproom, and Matt Dahlheimer will play at 1 p.m. Sunday at Cantina Locale.
Charmain Z. Brackett, the publisher of Augusta Good News, has covered Augusta’s news for 35 years. Reach her at charmain@augustagoodnews.com. Sign up for the newsletter here.
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