CALENDAR:  Keb’ Mo’ Solo set for Sept. 19 at Gaillard

Staff reports  | American blues musician Keb’ Mo’, who was born in California in 1951 as Kevin Roosevelt Moore, will show why he’s earned four Grammy Awards with a Sept. 19 performance at the Charleston Gaillard Center with music that often defies labels

It all took off for Keb’ Mo’ in 1994 with the self-titled release under his newly coined Keb’ Mo’ moniker. With 14 albums to his credit, he’s received 11 Grammy nominations, including Country Song of the Year for “I Hope,” co-written with The Dixie Chicks, and three alone for his 2014 self-produced release, BLUESAmericana including Americana Album of the Year. 

Over the past two decades, Keb’ has cultivated a reputation as a modern master of American roots music through the understated excellence of his live and studio performances. Artists who have recorded his songs include B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Dixie Chicks, Joe Cocker, Robert Palmer, Tom Jones, Melissa Manchester, Solomon Burke and the Zac Brown Band, to name a few. 

He also has been featured in TV and film, playing Robert Johnson in the 1998 documentary “Can’t You Hear The Wind Howl,” appeared three times on the television series, “Touched By An Angel,” and was the ghostly bluesman Possum in John Sayles’ 2007 movie, “Honeydripper.” In early 2017, nine songs from Keb’s extensive catalog were featured in the film Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Higher Ground on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel. This film was also Keb’s first feature film lead acting role 

Keb’ Mo’ has been a long-time supporter of the Playing For Change Foundation, a nonprofit organization that creates positive change through music education. PFCF provides free music education to children in 9 countries, including Brazil, Bangladesh, Ghana, Mali, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa and the United States, and has established 12 music schools around the world. In 2017, Keb’ Mo’ released TajMo, a collaborative album with the legendary Taj Mahal and included a tour for which Charleston was a stop.

Young multi-instrumentalist and blues tunesmith, Jontavious Willis is scheduled to open the show. Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, Willis grew up singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather. At the age of 14, he reportedly came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and was instantly hooked on the blues.

• The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19.  . Tickets are $25 to $69.

Check out these other awesome coming events at the Charleston Gaillard Center, 95 Calhoun St., Charleston:

Tom Segura’s “Take It Down Tour:” 7:30 p.m., Sept. 13.  Actor, comedian and writer Tom Segura has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most in demand and highly regarded talents. He is best known for his three Netflix specials, Disgraceful (2018), Mostly Stories (2016), and Completely Normal (2014). Tickets are $32 to $78.

Theresa Caputo, Live:  7:30 p.m., Sept. 20.  Therese Caputo, star of the hit TLC show, Long Island Medium, will share stories about her life and explain how her gift works. She will deliver healing messages to audience members and give people comfort knowing that their loved ones who passed are still with them, just in a different way.  Tickets are $40 to $100.

Peppa Pig’s Adventure:  6 p.m., Sept. 24.  Peppa Pig Live! is a new action-packed live show featuring your favorite characters as life-size puppets and costume characters. With lunch boxes packed and Daddy Pig driving the bus, Peppa and friends are excited about their outdoor adventure, full of singing, dancing, games and surprises!  Tickets are $21 to $66.

Also on the calendar:

CofC Piano Series:  7:30 p.m., Sept. 10, Emmett Robinson Theatre, 54 St. Philip St., Charleston.  American pianist Johnandrew Slominski will open the 30th anniversary season of the College of Charleston International Piano Series.  Slominski’s program will include an impressive body of repertoire featuring works by Liszt, Mozart, Brahms and Glass. General admission is $20 and FREE for College of Charleston students and employees. Tickets available online at go.cofc.edu/ips or at the door.

Wine Down Wednesday: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 11, Old Towne Creek County Park, Old Towne Road, West Ashley.  Charleston County Parks will kick off this fall series of four events to allow you to enjoy wine, food and live music in a new park.  Admission is $15 in advance of $20 at the gate. Other dates are Sept. 25, Oct. 9 and Oct. 23.  More info.

Sunday brunch series:  11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 15, Rose Pavilion in Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Drive, Charleston.  The Charleston Parks Conservancy is hosting the fall series of Sunday Brunch in Hampton Park with food trucks and live music. Bring blankets and chairs to enjoy live music by local indie rock band Argot while relaxing in the park. Local food trucks Semilla, Lola’s Lumpia and Pita Stroller will have food available for purchase along with coffee from Independent Coffee Grounds and beer, wine and mimosas available for purchase from MIX Charleston. New this year, Create Your Own Mimosa Bar hosted by The West Edge. Advance tickets are $10. Tickets purchased at the door are $15. Free admission for children 12 and under.

The Reckoning: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 15, James Island County Park, James Island.  The popular Grateful Dead tribute band returns to the county park in its off-leash dog park area.  Beer and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase, but no food is allowed into the dog park.  Free with park admission of $2 per person. Dogs welcome, too!

Galivants Ferry Stump:  5 p.m., Sept. 16, Pee Dee Farms General Store, 125 West Highway 501, Galivants Ferry, S.C.  Democratic presidential candidates will be vying for attention in a special edition of the nation’s oldest stump meeting in Horry County.  Learn more here.

New citizens to be sworn in:  11 a.m. Sept. 19, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site,  1254 Long Point Road, Mount Pleasant. The site will host its 22nd Naturalization Ceremony as approximately 100 people from countries all over the world take the oath of citizenship during this ceremony. The event is free and open to the public. 

Tribute to Aretha Franklin: 5 p.m., Sept. 28,  Citadel Square Baptist Church, 328 Meeting St., Charleston.  The Charleston Gospel Choir will present an encore performance of its sold-out April event, Queen of Soul and Gospel: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, under the musical direction of guest conductor Dr. Jason A. Dungee.  Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students. More: www.charlestongospelchoir.org or (866) 811-4111

Footloose, the musical: Through Sept. 28, Dock Street Theatre, Charleston. Charleston Stage will present the 1980s movie-turned-rock-and-roll musical for the first time in a month of performances sponsored by the Henry and Sylvia Yaschik Foundation.  Tickets are $29 to $71 for any of the 16 performances of the show. Buy tickets.

North Charleston art show:  Through Sept. 30, North Charleston City Gallery, Charleston Area Convention Center, 5001 Coliseum Drive, North Charleston.  The show will feature mixed media works by Vik Hart of Charleston, and abstract paintings by Pascale Bilgis of Lexington.  

Blue Jamboree: Day-long event, Oct. 5, The Bend, Azalea Drive, North Charleston.  More than 2,000 tickets have been sold for this all-day event that will feature a broad array of Democratic presidential candidates.  Sponsors of the event include these presidential candidates:  Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bennet, Tulsi Gabbard and Julian Castro. Learn more and find out about tickets.

Black Ink:  11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 5, Memminger Auditorium, 56 Beaufain St., Charleston.  Black Ink, Charleston’s African-American book festival, will feature world-renowned poet and educator Nikki Giovanni as keynote speaker at 2 p.m. It is an exciting program of Charleston Friends of the LIbrary and a part of the MOJA Arts Festival. Cost:  More info.

Early morning bird walks at Caw Caw:  8:30 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday, Caw Caw Interpretive Center, Ravenel.  You can learn about habitats and birds, butterflies and other organisms in this two-hour session.  Registration is not required, but participants are to be 15 and up. $10 per person or free to Gold Pass holders.  More:  http://www.CharlestonCountyParks.com.

AREA MARKETS

TUESDAYS.  The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is every Tuesday from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the market pavillion at Moultrie Middle School, 645 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Free parking.  Lots of activities. More info.

WEDNESDAYS.  The West Ashley Farmers Market is every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Ackerman Park off Sycamore Avenue in West Ashley.  The last week of the market will be the first week of October. More.

FRIDAYS/SATURDAYS:  Night Market.  Every Friday and Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for the rest of the year, you can shop with 108 vendors, including artists and craftsmen, at the night market on Market Street between East Bay and Church streets.  It’s more than four blocks of local shopping and fun. Free.

SATURDAYS:  Johns Island Farmers Market operates each Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. year-round with more than 50 local farmers and vendors, food trucks, music and more.  The market is located on the campus of Charleston Collegiate School, 2024 Academy Road, Johns Island

SATURDAYS: The Charleston Farmers Market is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Marion Square each Saturday through Nov. 30.  More info.

• If you have an event to list on our calendar, please send it to feedback@charlestoncurrents.com for consideration. The calendar is updated weekly on Mondays.