Live music in Richland County, SC

A free concert on the Koger Center Plaza Stage spotlights the Levitt AMP Columbia Music Series, presented by the Koger Center. Headliner Making Movies guides listeners through a vivid, psychedelic blend that Rolling Stone has praised for mixing rumbero rhythms, airy organ textures, and gritty fuzz-rock energy. Founded by Panamanian artist Enrique Chi, the Latin Grammy-nominated quartet serves as the main outlet for his songwriting and cultural work. Their approach pairs electric guitars with the Mejorana, a traditional Panamanian guitar, and threads together cumbia, blues, salsa, soul, and rock and roll into a sound that is unmistakably their own. Over the years, the band has appeared as a Tiny Desk newcomer with A La Deriva, raised its voice for immigrant rights with the album I Am Another You which reached number 3 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart, and co-wrote No Te Calles with Rubén Blades, the first single from his Latin Grammy-nominated album. Opus & The Frequencies open the show. Known for electrifying live sets and a reputation as a must-see act in Columbia, they have moved from intimate rooms supporting local and regional tours to larger stages such as the St. Pats Festival in Five Points, Columbia Food and Wine Festival’s Concert on the Runway, Solfest Rollfest, and USC traditions like Tiger Burn and First Night Carolina, sharing bills with artists including Hippo Campus, Illiterate Light, The Blue Dogs, Flipturn, lighthearted, and Brook and The Bluff. Their sound draws on funk, indie rock, Latin grooves, and pop, and it thrives whether performed by a tight four-piece or an expansive ten-piece lineup.

The Koger Center for the Arts and the ColaJazz Foundation present a new Live in the Lobby Jazz season featuring guitarist Pasquale Grasso. This series unfolds in spaces throughout the Koger Center and is created for listeners who value exceptional jazz offerings in a unique setting. Grasso, born in Italy and now based in New York City, has forged a remarkable solo-guitar voice shaped by bebop pioneers such as Powell, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie, along with the classical guitar tradition. His digital EP series on Sony Masterworks spotlights that synthesis, bringing together midcentury jazz language and refined technique. Beyond recording, he teaches and performs widely around New York, including frequent solo sets at the Greenwich Village venue Mezzrow, where a steady residency helped sharpen his solo arranging. He has noted that the musicians he admires continually inspire new ideas, and that his style keeps evolving.

Treat yourself to cotton candy, funnel cakes, corndogs, and popcorn as country music fills the air.

Quaker Steak and Lube in Columbia hosts an evening of live music. This series often blends performances with an open mic, but a one week host swap with Madison means this edition will feature live music only.