This coming weekend, Little Stranger will play their first Charleston show since opening for Badfish at the Music Farm in January. They’re scheduled to perform two sets at The Royal American, one duo performance on Friday night and one full band set on Saturday night as part of their very own Friendly Neighborhood Fest.
I ran into Kevin Shields of Little Stranger at Royal the other night and he was really excited to be home in Charleston after so much time on the road. We talked a bit about Friendly Neighborhood Fest, and he told me that in addition to making use of the stage inside, they also plan to move all of the tables out of the way on the porch and set up an area to perform outside. I don’t think I have to tell you that this thing is going to be a party.
Joining Little Stranger on Friday night are Long Miles and Damn Skippy, who are both frequently mentioned in the same sentence as Little Stranger. For one, John Shields is part of Long Miles, the reggae inspired rock band who played a lot of shows in Charleston in the early 2010s, and who Little Stranger samples on their song “Girl III”. Damn Skippy is a frequent collaborator and friend of the duo who recently released his debut EP, The Ollie EP. Funk band Waiting On Mongo out of New Jersey will open things up.
Saturday night boasts a full band Little Stranger set, which means that they’ll be backed by members of Human Resources and Long Miles. Kicking off the night is a set from Atlanta experimental pop artist Pip the Pansy, whom Little Stranger has played with on the road several times, and whom you might have seen at Royal a few months back with 2 Slices. Then comes a special Bananaz: Gorillaz Tribute set that will include Little Stranger along with members of Long Miles and Human Resources. Charleston rapper Apollo Valdez will kick off the evening.
Tickets are $15 at the door per night, but the guys also have a limited number of two day passes available for $20. Hit them up on Instagram @littlestrangermusic to snag one. Facebook event here.