It was a beautiful evening on the night of April 21 as Dean and I made our way toward North Augusta. Traffic was heavy on the 13th Street Bridge. Georgia Avenue was abuzz with rush hour traffic and folks heading to SRP Park for a baseball game, but the ball game wasn’t the only thing happening across the river that night. It was also Third Thursday, a downtown-wide event hosted by the City of North Augusta, and this was our destination for the evening.
Once we crossed the bridge into North Augusta, we noticed a few food trucks scattered about on West Avenue offering attendees a selection of treats from cappuccino to acai bowls. A Facebook post I’d seen earlier in the week alerted me that singer, songwriter, artist and friend billy s was scheduled to perform music and paint live at The Beveled Edge, so Dean and I decided to pay the frame shop a visit. We made our way to the lot beside the shop and parked in front of the new LOVE mural painted by billy s.
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Just inside the shop, billy s was setting up his artwork for the evening and when he saw us he greeted us with a hug. His whimsical paintings filled the room with color and happiness. Large multicolor face paintings graced the wall alongside huge paintings of roses. Smaller art pieces were lined up on the floor and shelves. Taking a seat on the floor before his current creation, billy s opened a tube of bright pink paint and added his magic touches to his latest creation. It was a stunning thunderbird painting that stole my heart.
Friends of the multitalented artist stopped in to pay him a visit. People congregated around the artwork with no shortage of smiles to go around. You could feel a party vibe in the air, and it was contagious.
After visiting with a few folks, billy s picked up his ukulele, climbed up on the table in the middle of the room and began strumming one of his original tunes, “Waiting For You.” By this time, more people filled the space, taking in the love and light that is billy s. He played to an enthralled audience and launched into an Elvis song, “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You” as well as another original tune called “Love Drug.” It was a fun evening filled with joy in a colorful gallery filled with many lovely people. My heart was full.
You can find billy s nearly everywhere on either side of the river. His art graces the walls of Nacho Mama’s as well as the walls of the downtown location of Mellow Mushroom. In North Augusta, his LOVE mural is a happy statement on the wall of The Beveled Edge. billy s is almost always out painting and/or playing live somewhere in the CSRA, and his original music is fresh and lively, written and sung from the heart. You can’t listen to billy s or view his art without being moved in a most positive way.
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Curious about this creative soul? Check out the art and music of billy s online. He has an upcoming album release titled “Star Diamond Fire” so follow him on Facebook to be alerted to its release date and when you can catch him being creative out in the wild, @billy_s_images.
On Third Thursday, local businesses in downtown North Augusta stay open late with some offering live music. To learn more about this monthly event, and to see what other things are planned for the area, visit this website for more information: https://northaugustaforward.org
Looking for something fun to kick off your weekend? On Friday, Aiken’s Anybody’s Guess takes the stage at Doc’s Porchside in Augusta. Show starts at 9 p.m. Also Friday, Straw Boss performs at Edgar’s Above Broad. Show begins at 7 p.m. On Saturday, head down to the Augusta Common for an evening of funky fun. It’s the James Brown Birthday Get Down featuring live music by the Brownstown Gritty, JAMP and Funk You & Friends. The event starts at 5 p.m. and is free, so bring a blanket or lawn chair for a party on the green. You will find food trucks and a beer garden, so be sure to come hungry.
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.
