Seaside Arts Council
The community organization known as Seaside Arts Council does a wonderful job of supporting the arts in the Swansboro and Western Carteret areas. They were established in 2009 and do a lot to educate and provide opportunities for the arts in the areas they serve. I wanted to share their mission and vision with my readers because this is something we can all get behind.
“The Mission of the Seaside Arts Council is to promote, advance, and provide performing arts opportunities, appreciation, and education for residents of and visitors to the Swansboro and Western Carteret County Area.
We execute this mission by Hosting the SwanFest Summer Concert Series, hosting art shows featuring local artists, offering scholarships to promising local students, and much more.”
As for their vision: “The Seaside Arts Council of Swansboro and Western Carteret is the voice of the arts, dedicated to promoting dynamic and diverse arts to our community and surrounding areas. The Arts Council strives to connect the positive power of the arts and music to educate and inspire our youth while uniting people across all cultures, building a strong community that is a quality place to live, work and play.”
They are promoting two Summer concert series for locals and visitors to enjoy each week throughout the season. SwanFest takes place in Swansboro each Sunday from Memorial Day thru Labor Day. This free concert series goes down at The Pavilion at Olde Towne Square.
On the flip side of the Swanfest Schedule is the EmeraldFest Schedule. This is a free weekly concert series that happens each Thursday in Emerald Isle at the Western Ocean Regional Access from 6:30-8:30 pm
Captain Dick & The Lost Seamen Kick Things Off
Interestingly enough, the band that will be appearing at EmeraldFest this Thursday is who opened the show on Sunday, July 3, 2022, at SwanFest. Captain Dick & The Lost Seamen is a local band project that was started by Dicky Scearce and Jack Ketner a few years ago. In fact, the quartet welcomed me into 2021, by being the first band I saw last year. I caught the original cast back then for a fun night of music at Bogue Sound Distillery. (photo below)
For those that are not from around here, you should note that Scearce & Ketner are staples on The Crystal Coast music scene. Sadly, Ketner has suffered a few medical setbacks since this band formed. Given those developments, the show goes on with another area legend holding down the strings and filling in the sounds on the lead guitar, the gifted Dino Pelletier.
Sunday would mark the first time I caught Scearce with a drummer in the backdrop. Keeping time for the band was New Bern beat maker, Josh Mineer, helping him on bass and with song and harmony, and David Stover, who played with both bands on the bill last Sunday.
The band offers many popular songs to keep the crowd dancing and enjoying the music. They also sprinkle the set with originals that keep them grooving too. They are a fun band and perfect for their beach environment. Check out their site and put them on your schedule soon by visiting: Captain Dick and The Lost Seamen.
If you missed your chance to see the band last weekend, call your friends and make a plan to see them this Thursday at EmeraldFest. The music starts at 6;30 pm Bring a chair or blanket, friends and family. Just leave the pets and alcohol at home.
The Pegasus Plus Reunion Show
Pegasus Plus was a popular rock act from NC that toured regionally, for years. In fact, many of my friends from the area recall their treks to The Attic, a popular rock club in Greenville, NC. Local music scene side note, that club was owned by Built For Comfort’s beat keeper, Joe Tronto. That blues band is rocking the scene tonight in Washington, NC at the new night spot, Sevens. Pegasus Plus was a popular attraction when they came to the area and they still have the knack for delivering a quality show.
Pegasus Plus Reunion came to be after the band took a 30 plus year break. David Stover reached out to his bandmates to see how everyone was doing. Before long the group was getting together for monthly practice sessions and now plays a couple of shows a year together.
I would love to see more of this band. Seems the first couple of times I saw them they were playing with other popular NC rock bands on theater stages. Once with the Wannabees a classic rock cover band based in New Bern, NC, and the first time was in Raleigh with Nantucket. Interesting side note about the scene, all these bands share the drummer, Jason Patterson. who has quite an impressive biography.
I have known Patterson for nearly a decade now. In all this time, we never sat down and talked about his career behind the kit. In fact, we’ve spent more time talking shop as we are both small business owners. At one point during the show on Sunday, his bandmate J. K. Loftin was talking about their rock star drummer. I already knew he logged beats with the Wannabees as that was how we met. And I learned along the way that he was Nantucket’s drummer too. But I never knew he was the drummer for Cry of Love, a popular rock band that formed in Raleigh in the late 80s and stayed on the road touring into the early 90s.
After learning this I did a little research on my friend Patterson. Following his time with Cry of Love, he ended up on tour with Texas guitarist Chris Duarte. Duarte was one of the first artists I wrote about in 1994 after landing on the blues scene. Duarte was fairly new to the scene at the time as well and I did a review of his first release. An effort that Patterson would help him support.
When I asked Patterson about his career I wondered what touring experience he enjoyed the most and he replied, “ I had a blast playing with Chris. Such a brilliant player. We were in a van loading our gear in and out a lot of one-nighters. Saw some parts of the country that I did not see with Cry Of Love.”
Both shows last Sunday were noteworthy for the bands and those that attended. Seaside Arts Council is doing a good job supporting the arts in their area. I hope you decide to show your support by attending one of their events soon. Tomorrow the husband and wife band 4EverAll will take the stage under the pavilion. The music starts at 6:30 pm. You are welcome to bring a chair, invite friends, and buy tumblers and t-shirts, but leave the alcohol and pets at home.
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