Visionaries Laying Foundation for Series

January 6, 2008

By JOSEPH SITARZ
Index-Journal Features/Accent Editor

GREENWOOD, SC - Simply put, there will be Music on Maxwell.

Starting this month a series of concerts is being presented by Jon O. Holloway and Nick Hyduke in what the organizers say is an indication of things to come.

Holloway, a photographer, continues to prove he is a visionary when it comes to the arts and community improvements in his hometown of Greenwood.  He gambled on moving his studio and gallery to Maxwell Avenue in Uptown Greenwood from his space on Grace Street in the early stages on the development of the Emerald Triangle Project, and it's paying off for him and the community.

Holloway has teamed with Hyduke, director of Abbeville County Career Center, for Music on Maxwell at Holloway's gallery loft opening Jan. 12 with The Everybodyfields from Johnson City, Tenn. Opening will be Haley Shaw.

"For me it's about the music and getting quality performers to come to this area," Holloway said during a meeting with Hyduke in his loft.  "I used to do small shows at the Grace Street house in the stockdale. I'd have a musician come through once or twice a year during an opening."

Music on Maxwell is The Everybody Fields Jan. 12, Jesse Harris March 6, Romantica April 19, and Sarah Lee and Johnny Irions May 8.   Harris won a Grammy for song of the year with "Don't Know Why" by Nora Jones. Romantica is a folk, Americana, pop band from Minneapolis via Belfast, Ireland.   "Like Jon said, the most important thing is going to be the music," Hyduke said.  "I think our audience is going to be people who are aware of these artists that they want to come and hear them and that's their sole purpose for coming." Hyduke and Holloway are pleased with the first three offerings.   "It's going to be a mix," Hyduke said. "We're going to try to have a little something for everybody.  We're going to try to keep it a little edgy.  We definitely want the up-and-comers.  We want people who will have some impact on the future of music.  So far I think that's what we've been   "A lot of this has to do with what Jon's done up here and just sort of being able to imagine the sound and think about who would sound great in this space,"   Hyduke continued. "Jon wants to maximize the use of the loft.  My interest is to make something happen.  It's not every day you have a Grammy Award winner come to your town, especially a town the size of Greenwood."able to do."   Holloway agreed.   "I'm excited about this whole series and the potential of acts to come through," he said.

Music On Maxwell Spring 2008 Johnson City, TN's The Everybody Fields NYC based Jesse Harris   Belfast/Minneapolis, MN Romantica Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion

While the loft is a large space and is rented for private and public events, it does offer something not found in many places to listen to music in Greenwood.

"We're trying to create more of an intimate listening room where people can come out and have a wonderful evening with friends," Holloway said.  "We want to create an event that's more about the music where people are actually listening to the words and enjoying the performance."

"It's going to be a nice environment where it's not smoky," Holloway said.  "Now that I have this space, I can utilize it more often and it's set up for crowds.  I think these first these first three shows will help people understand we're trying to bring quality music to Greenwood."

"We're trying to create a venue where the performers help us market the space.  I'm sure musicians talk about finding good places to play.  We're going to treat them well and hopefully show them a good time in Greenwood.  I think people are ready for a different venue in town that's fun," said Holloway, who's music taste varies from blues and rock 'n' roll to folk.

"I hope we can get it into people's mind sets they are coming here to listen to the music.  If they want to talk about their day, or about their week - or get loud, they can go outside or just go away from the performance."

Hyduke added, "It's not a small place, but you don't want to be distracted."

The space will get the audience up-close to the artists.

"We want accessibility to the performers.  It's not like they're going to be locked away in a back room somewhere and you don't see them unless they're on stage.  These are people who will meet you after the show and sign your CD and visit for awhile," Hyduke said.

Expected crowds should top off at 200 with beer, wine and soft drinks available.  There might also be food available.

Besides the first three shows, there are three planned for the fall and more on into 2009.

"I think we'd rather do few events every year but do them extremely well," Holloway said.

Hyduke said, "We know we've got to get some target audience.  We're going to need the same people to come out to all the shows.  There's got to be some space between one and the other.  We can't wear out our crowd."

Holloway has watched the effects of the Emerald Triangle Project on Uptown and is pleased to help provide a test for the area.

"I'm excited with what's happening on Maxwell and Oregon," Holloway said.  "I think its going to be some of the neatest little streets in Greenwood.  It's wonderful for me to see the revitalization in this part of town.  The foreseeing thought here is for it being a wonderful space when we get more restaurants here and more of the buildings renovated."

"It will be a great asset to the community when the street is done," Holloway said.

Holloway has continually said the end result of the Emerald Triangle Project will be Greenwood's version of Greenville's West End with shops, galleries, entertainment and more.

Hyduke, who helped spearhead the concerts at the Ninety Six depot in the 1990s, has a good feeling about what Music on Maxwell can be.

"It's been really exciting to me to see the level of talent we've been able to attract.  In the future, with the contacts we've made, it's going to surprise people with the national acts we've got coming here to Greenwood."

Hyduke did a lot of the groundwork on his own.

"I put a lot of feelers out," he said.  "I contacted a lot of agencies.  These are the ones that came back and were able to work it into their schedules.  It was great to see they had an interest in what we're doing."

The concerts at the depot in Ninety Six were the result of a community-based project at Ninety Six High School that had students planning, running and learning about small-town events.

The former Ninety Six High vice principal and principal said he's wanted to do something along those same lines since he's been in Abbeville.

"It's never gone away, the desire to do shows," Hyduke said. "I was kinda wishin' it would leave me.  It never did, especially when you have someone like Jon egging you on."

The shows are 7:30 to 11:59 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.  There is a $12 cover.

Holloway's studio is at 146 Maxwell Avenue.

January 2007 - Photographer Jon Holloway leans against scaffolding in what will be his new photography studio/gallery on Maxwell Avenue in Greenwood. (Photo By Chris Trainor).  

July 2007 - Many enjoyed Freddie Vanderford at jon o. holloway's Sundance Gallery opening during the SC Festival of Discovery.