Day Fourteen

I mentioned in a previous post that I would be giving an update last weekend about the Columbia Festival of the Arts as it enters its final week.

I lied.

So I'll attempt to make amends by giving that update tonight which is actually very appropriate since this is the only "dark" night of the entire eighteen day celebration.

Let's start with last evening. Barrage was the featured performance at the Rouse Theatre. This show continued a long tradition of fiddle/violin artists that have visited Columbia during the festival. Barrage is a high energy group that could exhaust you just watching them. Their music covered a variety of genres combined with their own high velocity approach to music. It was awesome.

If you haven't been there, the Rouse Theatre is deceptive from the outside. It looks like a fancy high school auditorium but it is much more than that. It is an intimate theatre (no more than 800 seats) with fine acoustics. You certainly get your moneys worth with a show there. There also isn't a bad seat in the house. Barrage rocked the house.

Still to come this week is MOMIX tomorrow night which is sold out; The Hampton ROCK String Quartet at the Belmont Conference Center on Thursday night (ticket includes dinner) with tickets still available; The Second City comedy troupe on Friday night at Rouse Theatre (tickets still available) and Squonk Opera on Saturday night to close the festival.

Squonk Opera is a doing a special musical just about Columbia. They have been in town for a few weeks interviewing Columbians and filming around town. It should be interesting. Tickets are also still available.