So says the press release:  “Please join Mayor Summey and the North Charleston Coliseum for the official announcement of THE BIGGEST SHOW IN COLISEUM HISTORY!!!”

I, for one, am refusing to get excited about this. The last time they trumpeted an announcement it turned out to be Elton John. Blech.

Who do you think this could be? We’re already taking bets at the City Paper office…

1. Blair Barna says Led Zeppelin
2. Chris Haire says The Police
3. Ballard Lesemann  says Zeppelin too
4. Scott Suchy hopes it Zeppelin
5. Erica Jackson thinks it’s Zeppelin, based on a Facebook post by a girlfriend of an assistant of a mayor or something like that
6. Greg Hambrick thinks it could be Hannah Montana
7. I think it could be REM

Who do you think it is?

Speaking of the Apple Sisters, these girls are adorably subversive and you should go see them tonight! The singing, the tapdancing, the corn, the gravy! Good stuff.

Crowds of festival performers and patrons showed up at the Mellow Mushroom for the after party, where we drank Firefly-sweet tea vodka drinks, pitchers of beer, and one very strange-tasting Long Island Iced Tea.

The Pushers out of Virginia — who perform tonight at the CBT at 9:30 — continued to be the life of the party with random chanting, loud songs, and lots of shots. At one point, it seemed as if they were all going to be coming home with me (they’d bonded with my husband Blair so). Luckily for me and my beauty sleep, they decided to go back to their hotel (and order some pizza, ironically, considering they’d been at a pizza place for four hours).

Below, some random photos of the night…..

This morning, I checked out the site — and wanted to put my vote in for HST — but found the competition pretty fierce. I was surprised to see so many Charleston Comedy Festival veterans nominated. Actually, thrilled is probably a better word. In producing this festival, Brandy Sullivan and Greg Tavares of Theatre 99 are the ones entrusted with finding the acts and enticing groups to perform at our humble little festival every year. The caliber of the shows we get to see each winter (and spring at their Piccolo Fringe series) is truly impressive. Just scan the list of nominees in this year’s ECNY Awards to see what I mean: Buffoons, Harvard Sailing Team, Elephant Larry, God’s Pottery, I Eat Pandas, Apple Sisters.

I applaud Theatre 99 for establishing such amazing indie comedy cred.

Now go register at ECNY and vote for your favorites.

We started at the top of the street and hit B’Zar, where a DJ was spinning and cham-bulls (Red Bull and champagne) were being served as part of their vinyl toy trading party. Then we made our way down King, visiting shops here and there and stopping to eat.

After a quiet dinner at the new Virginia’s on King, we walked further south. Few people were out and about, most of the shops were closed, and a giant rat was scurrying along the gutter looking for some crumbs. Blech.

Several shopkeeps were interested in finding out how many other stores were open. They weren’t surprised to learn that at least half of the stores were closed — including big chains like the Gap.

This lame Thursday night on King Street is bad for a number of reasons:

1) It shows an appalling lack of organization and participation among the businesses. The city tried to organize the extended Thursday night shopping hours and even helped promote it via posters. One closed shop had the poster displayed on their window! If shoppers know that half the stores won’t be open, they’ll head to the mall or Towne Centre where stores are required to keep certain hours.

2) It shows a real lack of concern and support for King Street among locals. The city provides free parking passes, extended late night hours, and still, we can’t drag ourselves away from the chains to patronize the local businesses?

3) It portends a crappy retail season. The Bush administration’s numbers may be touting a surge in consumer spending, but do we really still trust the data that these guys control? If you look at one report, that dramatic surge is actually a flat line. Not a good sign.

4) And ultimately it confirms what one shopowner quietly confessed to me: business is bad. Tourists aren’t here shopping. Locals are looking for bargains. And King Street has been pretty quiet overall.

For me, I couldn’t believe that I was in downtown’s primary shopping district, mere days before Christmas, and had the place practically to myself.

To get the City Paper involved in the worthwhile celebration of people who give back, we profiled young nonprofit workers — people in their 20s and 30s — who are working fulltime in a demanding field that doesn’t necessarily offer the best compensation.

We also established the Charleston City Paper Community Fund with the help of the Coastal Community Foundation. This fund will allow us to funnel money to worthwhile organizations in the area — specifically the six organization we profiled in our “Somebody’s Gotta Give” issue: Big Brothers/Big Sisters (via CYDC), Crisis Ministries, Metanoia, Redux Contemporary Art Center, Lowcountry Earth Force, and Lowcountry AIDS Services.

We can also take the money we raise at our various events over the year and make it go a little further. We’re matching the money our employees donate. If our readers would pool their money with ours, we’d all be able to make a big difference together.

Donating $25 might feel like a waste, unless you know that your $25 will be paired with the $32 from the guy in the apartment next door. It’s easy. Shoot, you can donate whatever you want — whether it’s half your age or triple. Just give. Tis the season.

Send a check made out to Charleston City Paper Community Fund and mail it to:

Coastal Community Foundation
90 Mary Street
Charleston, SC 29403

OR
Donate using a credit card via The Coastal Community Foundation by clicking here

Make sure you designate Charleston City Paper Community Fund in the box for “Designate My Donation”!

Established in 1974, Coastal Community Foundation is a public grant-making foundation fostering philanthropy for the lasting good of the community. Thousands of families, businesses, individuals and organizations have built over 470 individual funds and endowments at Coastal Community Foundation. Last year, Foundation funds generated over $11.2 million for charitable programming, community projects, educational initiatives and scholarships. To learn more, go to: www.CCFgives.org.

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill

I’m cursing my smart ass joke now that Noel is churning out there in the tropics. Oh, please, karma gods, don’t mock us with such a fate. I couldn’t handle the irony.

Has anybody made a bumper sticker yet? I need one asap.