South Carolina’s music festival scene will be expanding this September with Extra Chill Fest, a new music festival in Charleston. For only $25, listeners can hear a variety of genres between twelve South Carolina native artists, check out other forms of local art, and enjoy available food and beverages. Chris Huber, Extra Chill Editor and Extra Chill Fest founder, was able to give Scene SC the details behind the festival.
Huber’s adventure began with him emailing ideas around Extra Chill writers, and from there, a festival was created.
“DJ Edwards of Real South Records had been writing for Extra Chill for a little while,” Huber said. “He brought the experience and logistical expertise that could make Extra Chill Fest come to life. From there we just started to go for it.”
Huber went on to explain the process that it takes to put together the plans.
“[DJ Edwards] laid out very specifically what he had in mind for the festival and made it very clear what we needed to do to make it happen. From there we made a big list of bands and artists we wanted to try and book and started to reach out.
Huber and Edwards were able to create a lineup of twelve talented local artists. Headlining the festival are Human Resources and Whitehall along with an artist Extra Chill Fest recently revealed to be Walter Brown. Artists also include singer-songwriter from Columbia, Niecy Blues, Greenville-native indie pop band Tom Angst, and Hip-hop rapper from Charleston, Sunny Malin. The retro-indie rock sounds from Daddy’s Beemer, who recently chatted with Scene SC, will be there as well.
“Nearly every artist we contacted was excited about the idea. We’re incredibly thankful for all the great musicians on the lineup, and we’re looking forward to seeing each and every one of their sets.”
You can check out Scene SC’s Extra Chill Fest playlist on Spotify to listen to the attending artists and see the variety of genres that will be attending; anything from retro pop to electronic, or from funk to rock with a twang, the variety of genres available at Extra Chill Fest is endless — and those were Huber’s exact intentions.
“One of the biggest things we wanted to do with Extra Chill Fest was to bring together fans and musicians that don’t normally mesh. In doing this, we were hoping to unite the entire scene and introduce people to music that they might not have encountered on their own.”
Apart from the lineup, other preparations had to be made. Plans to have a variety of food trucks, including vegan options, have been arranged and can be paired with beverages such as Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Huber collaborated with local artists to exhibit multiple forms of arts culture, and their work will be around the venue as well.
As far as venues go, The Purple Buffalo was exactly what Huber and DJ Edwards wanted.
“Dan Dickey, the owner of The Purple Buffalo, was instantly down with the idea. He has always been in full support of the South Carolina music scene, and without his support we would not have been able to make this happen.”
Huber mentioned a great appreciation for the strong music community within South Carolina and wanted to give back, so Extra Chill will be contributing to the Carolina Youth Action Project.
“We really felt we needed to give back to that community in a way that would strengthen it and invest in its future,” Huber said. “They’re one of the only alternatives to youth incarceration in South Carolina, and they use music as a vehicle to not only influence the lives of girls, transgender youth, and gender non-conforming youth in the low-country, but really give them the tools to become leaders in our community.”
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the festival, with two dollars from each ticket being donated to the Carolina Youth Action Project. For being a Scene SC fan and supporting local music, you can get an extra two dollars off by using our ‘SceneSC’ coupon code.
“I think it’s really important that the South Carolina music scene becomes more diverse and unified around the mutual cause of supporting the great music that this state has to offer.”
You must be at least 21 to purchase a ticket. Doors open at 4pm, and Huber recommends getting there early before the space reaches capacity so you don’t miss this incredible opportunity.
“There’s just something awesome about enjoying tons of back-to-back music with a crowd of people who love it just as much as you do. We really just want to create a positive environment and organize an event that the entire scene can be happy about.”
