Awendaw Green is excited to announce the Awendaw Green Music Festival on Dec. 4 and 5.

Awendaw Green's founder, Dr. Eddie White, said "For the last two years we have held "Rocktoberfest" and have been amazed by its ability to connect and grow our local and regional music communities. The shock waves from these two festivals continue to be felt. This year, due to popular demand, we are offering a December version that hopes to sustain our momentum. Many local bands and few regional ones will share four stages over two days at the Sewee Outpost in Awendaw."

Last year, I got a first hand glimpse into the festival. I did sound for the smaller stage, played twice, performed some original acoustic tunes on the radio, and slept on the stage the whole weekend. On stage I worked, I saw a wide variety acts such as old friends like Flood Empty Lakes, L Brown Odyssey, Doug Jones, The Unawares (from Columbia, S.C.), and made some new friends, like Brian Ashley Jones, Hundred Hands Down, and The Red Top Ramblers, but after it was all said and done, I mixed sound for about 35-40 acts.

During my breaks I grabbed a burger or hot dog and a beer while I walked around the large festival area and saw some amazing acts like: Leslie, The Dan Wright Trio, Ten Toes Up and Zack Deputy on the two larger stages. While there was some scurrying around to solve technical problems, there was very little confusion and things flowed smoothly within the inner workings of the festival in general. It was like a fantasy camp for a fifty-year old rock music fanatic.

This year's festival should be even more interesting with the addition of a fourth stage. This will allow the Barn Jam stage to become the singer/songwriter in the round stage. Solo acts, duos and band members will be rotating in and out, in a "round robin" format, taking turns playing songs. With three or four people on the stage together, this should make for some interesting acoustic interpretations of songs, as well as some interesting cross-jamming between different acts. For more info go to: awendawgreen.com.

Closer to my house, Red Drum Gastropub (located at the corner of Coleman boulevard and Pherigo street) brings the funk to your hump day the first two weeks in December with The Louie D Project. Led by Saxophonist Louis Dixson, this scalable moving party plays Funk, Smooth Jazz, Rock, and Blues.

Dixson is one of my closest friends as jamming with him encouraged me to get back into music after I had been out of it for a few years.

Together, we wrote two of the songs that have become mainstays that I play every show I do over six years later. His smooth and easy going personality translate well to his music, but when he is on the stage there is an added burning intensity that fuels his playing.

But why take my word for it--check him out for yourself at Red Drum Gastropub, Wednesdays, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. And tell Louie that Stuie sent you. That should be good for a laugh!

(Stu Johnson is a local muscician. To read and comment on past columns, go to www.moultrienews.com. To get your establishment listed in the East Cooper Music Scene, email Stu at allnightjohnson@gmail).