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SC musician Edwin McCain beat addiction. Here’s how he uses music to give back

The Rock 4 Recovery concert this Friday in Lexington is personal for Edwin McCain. One of South Carolina’s favorite sons, who hit it big in the late 1990s, headlines the concert that supports addiction treatment. McCain chatted with The State ahead of the concert about his own experience dealing with addiction, jumping on TikTok and his time in the music biz.

Money from the Rock 4 Recovery concert goes to a foundation supporting LRADAC, a South Carolina addiction treatment center.

McCain highlights a week full of diverse concerts, shows and other live music events across the Midlands that includes hand bell ringers, guitarists playing video game music and a punky blues-folk band with a washboard driving the beat. Also a standout, Wolfgang Van Halen, son of guitar hero Eddie Van Halen, comes to Columbia with his band Mammoth WVH.

Plenty of rock, country, Americana and some jazz and rap/hip hop artists perform Sept. 23 to 30.

See below for the list of live shows and check out venues websites for time and cost details.

A chat with Edwin McCain

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

Do you remember that moment when you realized “I’m going to make it in the music business?”

I know there was a moment when I made the decision ... I was busking out in front of San Miguel’s Market in Charleston and the manager came out (and asked) ‘Do you think you could play for three hours?’ And I was like ‘I could probably pull that off.’ I was lying. I think I could play 20 songs, maybe. He said ‘If I pay you 75 bucks and feed you a meal would you play on the deck here three nights a week’ ... I went and dropped out of college the next day. I thought I had made it ...

You’re into TikTok now and talking with your fans through that.

Up until the pandemic, I had not engaged in social media at all. I was one of those crabby old guys who was like “Never” ... Now I’m firmly on the TikTok wormhole ...

There’s going to be musician now that never go and play a live gig in front of people. There’s going to be a whole generation of musicians who have their entire musical life online creating content. I think it’s great. I think there’s a whole bunch of extremely introverted, talented, artistic people who ... would have limited (themselves) from playing live but will now have an outlet and people can enjoy what they do.

(See Edwin McCain on TikTok)

Would you mind talking about your own experience with addiction and recovery?

I got out on the road and you’d make all these friendships and traveling all over the country and every place you’re going to somebody’s been waiting there so they can have their big night out. ...It’s really easy to string together a decade of big nights out. That’s what I did. I strung together more than a decade of big nights out. ...

When it came time to settle down, I couldn’t. The way that I discovered I was really an alcoholic, I could go out and have a couple beers and go home and go to bed. Or I could go out and have a couple beers and it would set off a chain reaction that would last for four days. I honestly could not tell you which thing was going to happen when I had that first beer ...

I went through all the phases that everybody goes through and attempts to control. ‘I’m only going to drink beer’ or ‘I’m only going to drink Friday and Saturday.’ ... All these little things we do to try to get it under control but that’s just not an effective way of dealing with it.

What advice would you give to people dealing with addiction that you wish you had?

There’s a time when you realize that (addiction) is occurring. It’s usually a lot sooner than everyone around you notices. You have an internal barometer that says ‘this is a problem.’ Everybody tries to wrestle with it. In my case, I tried to wrestle with it for years ...

My advice, when you first have that feeling that ‘I have a problem with this’ then you already have a problem and it’s time to get to work and figure out a solution. And the truth of that is that there’s a lot of different ways to arrive at a healthy, productive, happy life.

I tweeted recently that “I could not ask for more” is one of the most 90s looking videos of the time.

You’re 100 percent right. I remember at the time they picked me up from the airport and were like “We’re taking you to Barneys,” and I said “What kind of food do they have?” They were like “No. It’s a clothing story. We have to dress you. You dress like a farmer and we’re going to need to do something about that ...”

They would hire these aspiring film directors. So, they’d have to add all these elements that would somehow speak to their creativity in hopes that they would be hired. It was ridiculous. I remember sitting there thinking ... they’re spending half a million dollars right now and there’s a Mexican guy hanging from a crane. They had him with a string of balloons. You just go, “Wow. I can’t believe this is real because 48 hours from now I’m going to be back in Greenville, South Carolina.”

Thursday, Sept. 23

Susto, Stagbriar, Cry Baby - Americana added to Cold Play. At The Senate - 1022 Senate Street, Columbia

Rod Foster & Company - Jazz hour meets happy hour. At Chayz Lounge - 607 Meeting St., West Columbia

Justin Holt Band - Bro country like the radio. At The Tin Roof - 1022 Senate St., Columbia

Sol Fusion - Horn section gives covers edge. At Icehouse Ampitheater - 107 W Main St., Lexington

Mitch Butler concert & jam session - Jazz jam led by trombonist. At The Aristocrat - 1001 Washington St., Columbia

Vista After Five Concert Series w/ Opus & the Frequencies - Groovy jam, funk via Sly. At The Senate (outside) - 1022 Senate Street, Columbia

David Rodriguez & La Caravana - Salsa, Latin jazz, merengue, more. At The Joint - 1710 Main St., Columbia

Tre Smith Band - Think of Southern Jack Johnson. At Steel Hands Brewery - 2350 Foreman St., Cayce

Tokyo Joe - Decades old local tune masters.At Market on Main - 1320 Main St. #150, Columbia

Friday, Sept. 24

Edwin McCain, Maia Sharp at Rock 4 Recovery - 90s romantic supports addiction treatment. At Icehouse Ampitheater - 107 W Main St., Lexington

Tim Daisy & Katherine Young Duo - Drummer, bassoonist doing improvisational music. At if Art Gallery - 1223 Lincoln St., Columbia

Marcel Anderson - Neo soul singer does hits. At Chayz Lounge - 607 Meeting St., West Columbia

A Common Wealth Band - Gamecock football hype up party. At The Tin Roof - 1022 Senate St., Columbia

Justin Holt Band - Second chance to catch him. At The Tin Roof - 1022 Senate St., Columbia

Stop Light Observations - Anthematic rock straight from Charleston. At The Main Stage - 1624 Main St., Columbia

Parker Barrow Project - Southern rock undeterred to cover. At Carolina Western Pub - 920 Lady St., Columbia

Kenny George, Elonzo Wesley, Zach Seibert - Showcase of area singer songerwriters. At Curiosity Coffee Bar - 2327 Main St., Columbia



Super Guitar Bros
- Video game music on guitar. At Harbison Theatre - 7300 College St., Irmo

Live Blues After 5 series - Feeling blue? Here’s your jam. At The Joint - 1710 Main St., Columbia

Amos Hoffman & friends - Well respected town jazz guitarist. At The Joint - 1710 Main St., Columbia

Girl Interrupted - Bar? Stage? They’ll play it. At Social Grill - 1002 A J Amick Rd., Irmo

Austin Mowery Band - Country band from Myrtle Beach. At Steel Hands Brewery - 2350 Foreman St., Cayce

Chris Reed - Covers, originals to sing along. At Highway 378 Bar & Grill - 3007 Hwy 378 Gilbert

Stank Face - The band for happy hour. At Market on Main - 1320 Main St. #150, Columbia

SixForty1 - Nashville based country-pop duo. At Market on Main - 1320 Main St. #150, Columbia

Saturday, Sept. 25

Mel Washington - Arguably one of SC’s best. At Steel Hands Brewery - 2350 Foreman St., Cayce

David Lee’s GBV, The Mystery Plan, Choir of Babble, Whaleboat - . At Art Bar - 1211 Park St., Columbia

Marcel Anderson - Second chance for Neo Soul. At Chayz Lounge - 607 Meeting St., West Columbia

P.O.D., From Ashes to New, All Good Things, Sleep Signals - Holy late ‘90s nu-metal. At The Senate - 1022 Senate Street, Columbia

Eight O’ Eight - Atlanta band comes for covers. At The Tin Roof - 1022 Senate St., Columbia

Rick Alviti - A tribute to Elvis Presley. At Newberry Opera House - 1201 McKibben St., Newberry

Hayden Coffman - “Country music’s next big thing.” At Carolina Western Pub - 920 Lady St., Columbia

KoDa - Music for the beer garden. At Steel Hands Brewery - 2350 Foreman St., Cayce

Palmetto Backroads Band - Ol’ SC folks playing tunes. At RF’s Corner Grill - 712 W Main St, Lexington

Hijacked - Taking songs from 80s, 90s. At LJ’s Par & Grill - 381 Pilgrim Church Rd., Lexington

Dave Watson & The Low Country Boys - Country fellow with country music - At LJ’s Par & Grill - 381 Pilgrim Church Rd., Lexington

Rutt Spence - Has song about a truck. At The Tipsy Toad Tavern - 103 Beaufort St., Chapin

Sunday, Sept. 26

Raleigh Ringers - They ring bells. No, seriously. At Newberry Opera House - 1201 McKibben St., Newberry

Alexis Taylor - Up and comer in country. At The Main Stage - 1624 Main St., Columbia

The (free) Concert Truck - Two pianist, one truck concert. At Newberry Opera House - 1201 McKibben St., Newberry

Paul Grimshaw - Classic guy with a guitar. At Steel Hands Brewery - 2350 Foreman St., Cayce

Synergy Twin - They play violins like guitars. At Market on Main - 1320 Main St. #150, Columbia

Rob Savage - Open mic with hiphop host. At Uncle Festers - 522 Devine St., Columbia

Monday, Sept. 27

Candlebox, The Dead Deads - Inherited American rock from Springsteen. At The Senate - 1022 Senate Street, Columbia

Freeway Music Showcase - Upcomers in the Columbia scene. At The Tin Roof - 1022 Senate St., Columbia

Tuesday Sept. 28

Dirty Honey, Mammoth WVH - Zeppelin-esque rocker, Van Halen’s son. At The Senate - 1022 Senate Street, Columbia

Otherwise, Islander, September Mourning - Edgey rock with heavy hooks. At The Main Stage - 1624 Main St., Columbia

The (free) Concert Truck - Second chance for traveling pianist. At Newberry Opera House - 1201 McKibben St., Newberry

Blues Traveler, Danielle Howle - “Suck it in...Rin tin.” At Newberry Opera House - 1201 McKibben St., Newberry

Wednesday, Sept. 29

The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Yes Ma’am - They’re punk rock with washboards. At New Brookland Tavern - 122 State St., West Columbia

Thursday Sept. 30

Vinyl Junkies - Fun wedding band, no wedding. At Icehouse Ampitheater - 107 W Main St., Lexington

Passafire, Of Good Nature, Joe Sambal - Reggae rock, think 311. At The Main Stage - 1624 Main St., Columbia

Mitch Butler concert & jam session - Jazz jam led by trombonist. At The Aristocrat - 1001 Washington St., Columbia

Highway 49 - purveyors of South alt rock. At Market on Main - 1320 Main St. #150, Columbia