Eclectic collection of bands performing at The Courtroom

What a great idea – kick off the summer with several days of live performances at this weekend’s Don’t Sweat It Fest 5 in The Courtroom at the Gettys Art Center in downtown Rock Hill. Things hit the ground running with Thursday’s five bands, but there’s plenty music to surprise, even energize Friday and Saturday.

Get ready to shake things up with an eclectic collection. Some return as favorites having made their mark in past events, some come to reunite for the glory one more time; others maybe to revisit thrills and chills or just share new sounds.

It’s not your parents’ rock show. What they do have are tunes and talent for bold ideas, sassy viewpoints and unconventional creative approaches to musical development. This can be refreshing, especially for open-minded fans, ready for something out of the ordinary. Just jump in and go for it.

Friday’s lineup features: Townhouse, 9 p.m.; LEGGGs, 9:45 p.m.; Fk Mt, 10:30 p.m.; GASP, 11:15 p.m.; Terror Pigeon, midnight; performing in The Courtroom.

Out of those, let’s look at Legggs. Founded in 2011, this band hangs with a surf, punk and art/rock attitude all the way.

Experimental, even eccentric, the members are listed only by first names along with quirky ideologies to add to the mystique. Musically, they’ve been compared to The Ramones, The Pixies and Jello Biafra. So it’s art meets oddity, sparse chords with hooks and manic left-field musical expression.

On Saturday, the festival has two live music phases. First, outside on the Loading Dock: 86 Hope, 4 p.m.; Amigo, 4:45 p.m.; She Returns From War, 5:30 p.m.; Motel Glory, 6:15 p.m.; Patois Counselors, 7 p.m.. Then, Saturday’s scene moves to The Courtroom: Mall Goth, 9 p.m.; Glass, 9:45 p.m.; Young Tom Fury, 10:30 p.m. and Secret Guest, 11:15 p.m.

Amigo makes an early appearance on the Loading Dock stage. This trio outfit of Slade Baird, guitar, Adam Phillips, drums and Thomas Alverson, bass, hail from Clover, Rock Hill and Charlotte respectively, but name Charlotte as their collective base. Their savvy musical mix is a little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ pop and falls in the direction of Americana, but their alt-country twang hybrid could just as easily be interpreted as an old-school, raw rock throwback.

Amigo has made a lot of fans and friends, including many in the press who throw out influences they’ve heard left and right. So, here’s mine: I’m immediately reminded of Jason and The Scorchers. Others point to Wilco, Neil Young, Moby Grape, Flying Burrito Brothers and more among classic references.

Whatever you call it, Amigo is melodic, infectious, rootsy and user-friendly.

Along with mucho music at the Don’t Sweat It Fest, you can also explore the Art Bazaar, selling works by assorted artists including Jordan Sommer, Dylan Bannister and Lila Shull.

Break free with Don’t Sweat It Fest 5 Friday and Saturday, part of the Concerts in the Courtroom at Gettys Art Center, 201 E. Main St., Rock Hill. For event information and links to the bands and their music, visit Facebook.com/thecourtroomgettys.

Elsewhere

Friday: Mike Faulkenberry & Chase Killough at McHale’s on Main, Rock Hill; Songwriter Showcase/Open Mic at Ledo Pizza, Rock Hill; Jukebox Junkie at Luke’s Bar & Grill, Rock Hill; Almost Famous at SandBar Grill, Rock Hill; Weekends at Empire Pizza II-Newport, Rock Hill; Ultimate Rock Machine at The Sylvia Theater, York; Bonfire at T-Bones on the Lake-Lake Wylie; Eddie’s Song at The Handlebar Tavern, Catawba; Rod Fiske at Madison’s on the Corner, Tega Cay-Fort Mill.

Saturday: Carolina Nation at Revolutions, Rock Hill Galleria; Crashbox at Luke’s Sports Bar & Grill, Rock Hill; Raymond Franklin at Ledo Pizza, Rock Hill; Frank Sciandra at Original Empire Pizza, Rock Hill; Shannon Warren Band at T-Bones on the Lake-Lake Wylie; Khaos Kings at The Back Porch, Chester; Oneppo Brothers Band at Beef o’ Brady’s, Baxter Village, Fort Mill; MLB Allstars at Pineville Tavern, Pineville.

Sunday: Just for Fun Band at The Handlebar Tavern, Catawba; Summer Pops Concert with Charlotte Symphony, Symphony Park, Charlotte.

This story was originally published June 23, 2016 at 1:01 PM with the headline "Eclectic collection of bands performing at The Courtroom."