As the 2008 Spoleto Festival gave its last curtain call, I wanted to leave you with my favorite Spoleto memory. Being a newcomer to the Spoleto scene my fondest memory was attending the opening weekend performances and parties with my mother. She is a huge fan of the arts and I was happy to share these moments with her. I love you mom.
On Thursday, June 6th, I attended my last Spoleto party. Sugar Bakeshop was the place, and delicious sweet confections are what everyone ate. This quaint little bakery on 59 ½ Cannon Street was packed with Spoleto SCENE members in honor of the playful and entertaining Carolina Chocolate Drops performance.
Heading to the Cistern for the concert, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had heard that the trio played the fiddle, banjo, jug (yikes!) and drum. It was an absolutely beautiful night to be outdoors (no bugs). They started with a couple of old, folk tunes, and I thought, Oh boy, here we go. But my perception quickly changed. The Chocolate Drops were very entertaining and funny. They interacted with the crowd giving us a history lesson on Carolina Piedmont bluegrass and invited us to dance and sing along. A few people in the crowd jokingly threw out song requests (“Free Bird”). Then, they unexpectedly played a rendition of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘em Up Style.” Who knew they could rock a little hip hop?
Everyone was definitely buzzing after the listening to the throwback sounds of “The Drops”, and the final Spoleto SCENE party was underway. The bakery was completely packed, almost too packed. Everyone had pretty much staked out their spot in front of their favorite homemade desserts and did not move. A few people gave me the evil eye as I reached over them to grab a cupcake, but nothing comes between me and chocolate. The desserts were outstanding. The word of the night was ummmm. How many times did I hear that sound as people were devouring chocolate brownies, cupcakes, and cookies. To wash it all down, we were given (teased with) a half glass of the most delicious chocolatinis I have ever tasted. Seriously. This drink was cold, smooth, and just plain ummmm. (There’s that word again.)
I spotted my friend Lee Deas who was making her way around the bakery double-fisting chocolate-covered cupcakes. We immediately starting laughing because she knew I was about to make fun of her. Two cupcakes. Eat one and move on. As we discussed the performance and toasted to the end of the Spoleto season, we both were disgusted with how much chocolate we had eaten.
Ok, so who was responsible for this decadent indulgence? No other than New York transplants Bill Bowick and David Bouffard. Bill is the baker, and David an architect. Both have design backgrounds, so I am sure the concept for Sugar came with ease. The oversized sugar bags on top of stainless-steel counters were perfect accessories, along with the glass-domed cake plates like you would see in your grandma’s kitchen. David thought hosting this party was a great way to introduce their bakery to a new and different demographic. I think they hit the jackpot with this crowd. Before I left, I put a few cupcakes in my purse for the ride home and a little midnight snack. I felt like the little old lady who stuffs bread rolls in her purse, but I could not get help myself. This was the perfectly sweet ending to la dolce vita of Spoleto events.
The humid, sticky weather could not keep partygoers away from Wednesday night’s party in honor of the Hotel Modern performance and Laurie Anderson. As I got there a few minutes early, Spoleto staffers Taylor Webb, Asheton Montgomery, and Brenda Thomas, who I have run into throughout the festival, were eagerly awaiting guests to arrive. I ask the girls how they were holding up, and coffee and Red Bull was quickly uttered. As I chatted with the girls outside, a few patrons arrived from The Great War performance. Richard and Jill Almeida could not stop talking about the unusual live-animation performance. Jill kept saying over and over while gesturing with her hands, “I really liked, it was just something that I have never seen before.” I may need to check this out for myself. It seemed to have stirred a lot of emotion and intrigue. Ivy-covered walls formed a backdrop as I made my way into the garden party. Host Susan Bass and Tom Bradford opened their home to guests, offering Mediterranean-style cuisine and rosemary sloe gin fizzes to keep spirits and the energy high. The roasted chicken and basmati rice was a huge hit, and the baklava indulged anyone with a sweet tooth. Susan took on the task of preparing all of the food herself. No catering company in sight. As I walked around and took quite of few pictures of the overall party scene, a few guests became mesmerized with my camera. They loved the way the white square boxes focuses in on faces without having to make adjustments. I told them that it’s literally a camera for dummies. I heard the party continued on into the early morning hours.
Hungry and ready to party, cast members from both The Great War and Homeland showed up ready to have a good time. Susan had a separate food table set up for them inside so they would not have to contend with guests over the spread. She really did think of everything. At the stroke of midnight, guests gathered to sing and celebrate Laurie Anderson’s birthday. They even had a cake.