AIKEN — Who loves a party? I sure do, especially a party held outdoors on a warm summer evening. Summer was less than a week away on Friday, June 17, but the weather didn’t know it. Hot and hazy, the late afternoon sunlight cut through a gathering blanket of grey clouds and lit up the road before us on our way toward Aiken. Our destination, once again, was the Aiken Alley. Our friend Ben Newman and his band Anybody’s Guess was slated to play in front of the Tailgate Tavern. It had been a while since we’d last seen Ben, so we knew we had to go.
Anybody’s Guess has been a fixture on the local music scene for a number of years. The first time we saw them, they played the old Red Pepper in Aiken. Each time we attended a show, we found the place packed.
This was the exact same situation in the Alley that hot Friday night.
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The four-piece band arrived and kicked off its set with “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” by the Tams. The song was followed by a couple of highly danceable tunes that ramped up the energy and got people up on their feet to dance. The early 70s hit “Your Mama Don’t Dance” by Loggins and Messina turned into a bit of a jam session. Anybody’s Guess carried the song into the stratosphere, building up the momentum for “Boogie Shoes” by K.C. and the Sunshine Band. The guys were in a groove and tearing it up on stage, but they weren’t the only featured entertainment. A lovely couple, friends of the band, got up and danced several times throughout the show, adding an extra element of fun. I am not much of a dancer, but man oh man could I have cut a rug with them that night!
The sky grew darker, and my weather app alerted me that we were under a severe thunderstorm warning. The threatening clouds didn’t keep folks from coming out to enjoy the start of the weekend, however. The Alley had filled up with people enjoying dinner and cold beers at tables lining the patios in front of Tailgate Tavern and Whiskey Alley.
The band slowed the tempo down a bit and invited more couples to get up and dance as they sang “Into the Mystic” by Van Morrison. The clouds grew darker and heavier, and a wild breeze buffeted us and attempted to lift the band’s canopy tent off the ground. A fan of the band ran up to grab a tent pole and held onto it until the wind eased off. It was a crazy weather night to be outside listening to music, but it was perfect.
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With a wildly eclectic repertoire that covers disco to rock, beach music to country, Anybody’s Guess delivers. Just like their band name suggests, it truly is anybody’s guess what Anybody’s Guess will play. And that makes their shows that much more exciting. You won’t want to miss them next time they play. The band performs at venues on both sides of the Savannah. Follow them at their website here: https://anybodysguess.net
If you’ve read my previous columns, you will notice that the Alley has recently become one of my favorite stomping grounds. With its Thursday night Amp the Alley events, an art co-op gallery of which I’m a member, and great local restaurants, my radar is locked in on that brick walkway separating Laurens Street from Newberry. The Alley’s resident Tailgate Tavern hosts concerts on a regular basis. Check them out at their Facebook page for the next musical offering. Find them here at: https://www.facebook.com/tailgatetavernaiken
Hungry for some good music and fun times this 4th of July weekend? Head over to the Fox’s Lair Friday to hear classic rock performed by Blue Lava. Show starts at 8:30 p.m. Brandon Bower rocks World of Beer tonight at 8 p.m. Saturday night Gabriel Flores opens for Blue Dogs at Aiken Music Fest. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 7 p.m.
Francie Klopotic is an author, artist and music aficionado living in Augusta. She writes The Night Beat column the first and third Fridays of each month.
