Hey readers! My name is Jasmine Pilling, and I’ll be starting to help Stu write this column. Since I’ve never been on the paper, I believe an introduction is in order for me.

Like I said my name is Jasmine, and I am a junior at Wando High School. I like the color yellow, dancing, and long walks on the beach. I am very much into music journalism, and thought sharing this column with Stuart would be a great opportunity and experience for me. I love it so far, and can not wait to write and learn more about the Lowcountry music scene.

To start things off, this past weekend I attended some concerts on our very own islands- IOP and Sullivan’s. On Halloween I went to the Windjammer to find a very rockin’ 80’s group, Bueller. The group that consisted of Jim Ratcliife, Jim Hall, Jeff Calafiore, Jason Gantt, and Miranda Jordan, along with special guest J.R. Getches filling in for Kevin Kless on electric guitar put together a mix of keyboards, bass, powered vocals, and guitar, created an 80’s hit play list. The crowd, dressed in costumes, danced to the rhythm and sang along with the band making the show have an exciting vibe to it.

Later on that evening I took a drive next door to Sullivan’s Island Home Team BBQ, to find a Nirvana cover band (for that night only) that you could hear a mile down the road. Once I walked in I found a band dressed in accordance to Nirvana, surrounded by a crowd-made mosh pit. It was almost a full house filled with loud covers of the hit album “Nevermind”, a lot of head banging, and a lot of crowd response. The band, The Sundogs from Atlanta Georgia, played true to Nirvana’s name.

You can check both of these bands out on Myspace: Bueller at www.myspace.com/buellerband and The Sundogs at www.myspace.com/sundogsga.

This week has some great performances coming up. At Hometeam BBQ in West Ashley we have The Jeff Norwood Trio on Friday. Artists such as Joshua James and Blue Plantations will be playing there during the week as well.

The Hometeam on Sullivan’s has Bob Hylton’s Electric Jam, Sadler Vaden and Doug Walters, Scissormen, and StereoReform all this week/ weekend. The Dough Re Mi has a special event going on Saturday night, the National Slide Guitar Festival and Competition with a special performance by 16-year-old Conrad Oberg. You can see that at 6 p.m. The Windjammer has some gigs going on this weekend too such as Matt MacKelcan on Friday, and Stoneking on Saturday.

Be sure to go out this week and see some amazing bands at the local venues we have around town, you won’t be sorry.

Until next week, continue to watch, make, and support beautiful music.

E-mail Jasmine at jasmine pilling@yahoo.com.