Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011

The 12 Daze of Gen-Xmas

Night of a thousand candles Brookgreen Gardens. File photo.

 

A dozen alternative homegrown gift ideas from the Grand Strand

Historian pinheads can wax scientific on generational theory all day long, but when you melt it down into a soupy mess, it goes like this…anyone born between 1960 and 1980 are part of what is called a Nomad Generation, otherwise known as Generation X. The Baby Boomer Generation that came before Gen X strived to change the system, railed against injustice and fought for assimilation. Conversely, Gen Xers wanted to get away from the system, thumb their nose at authority and embrace their nonconformity.

The indie culture was born out of this Gen X, nomad mentality. Kids from divorced households babysat themselves with technology and started making their own movies, their own CDs, writing code for computer software, publishing their own indie presses. The ingenuity and artist expression of the slacker generation goes on and on. What used to be left to the discretion of a corporate minotaur became a D.I.Y. project – so why can’t we have that same philosophy when it comes to Christmas? We don’t need grubby corporate fingers all over our Xmas.

No matter your age, you can be reborn as a Gen Xer. As long as you have disdain for behemoth businesses telling us what to buy…what’s cool. Here on the Grand Strand, we say what’s cool. We’re surrounded by hundreds of gift ideas created by our neighbors, in our own backyard. It’s hard to narrow it down to 12, but we’re nomads, damn it – independent thinkers.

So, sing it with us – on the first day of Generation Xmas, my Grand Stand gave to me...

One Signed Murder Mystery: “The Ocean Forest” by Troy Nooe

Yes, there are plenty of hot holiday books in any of the big booksellers out there but none of them have the guerilla-author flair that Troy Nooe brings. Nooe is a Grand Strand transplant from Baltimore who has worked for the last 15 years in the local hospitality industry, including his day-job working the front desk of the Marriott. He’s surrounded by all that Myrtle Beach hotel history and it must’ve soaked into his creative pours. His novel revolves around a murder in the first major hotel in Myrtle Beach. It’s the first in a planned series for Nooe’s genuine, 1940s hard-boiled detective, Frankie McKeller. Nooe makes a play for picking up Mickey Spillane’s torch (Spillane was a Murrells Inlet resident, by the way). When Nooe was asked what made his book a worthy addition to our list, he states, “It celebrates the history of Myrtle Beach. I tried to weave a traditional murder mystery with the cultural origins of what is now the 2nd most-popular vacation destination on the East Coast. It’s a mix of history and entertainment that will appeal to locals and visitors alike.” It sells for $14.95. If you want to meet the writer and ask personal questions such as, “What’s up?” - he’ll be doing signing parties at Liberty Taproom and Grill (7651 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 839-4677, www.libertytaproom.com) from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday. He’ll also be at The Hot Fish Club (4911 U.S. 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, 357-9175, www.hotfishclub.com) from 5:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, with free appetizers and a free wine tasting. If you can’t make one of the parties, you can still get a signed copy at Mr. Fish (3401 North Kings Highway, Unit A, Myrtle Beach, 492-3474, www.mrfish.com), The Marriott Gift Shop (8400 Costa Verde Drive, Myrtle Beach). You can also order a signed copy from the book’s Web site, www.theoceanforest.com. Just want a copy of the book sans autograph? Get it at Litchfield Books (14427 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, 237-8138, www.litchfieldbooks.com) or Sunset River Marketplace Art Gallery (10283 Beach Drive S.W., Calabash, N.C. 910-575-5999). If you have to bow down to the man, you can get a copy at Barnes and Noble at The Market Common (3346 Reed Street, Myrtle Beach, 238-2917, www.barnesandnoble.com) and Amazon.com in standard or Kindle edition.

Two Booze Baskets: Grapefull Sisters or La Belle Amie

Go ahead, get a fruit basket from a chain whore…it’ll only turn into rotten fruit. Hickory Farms baskets will give you heartburn and make you fat. But you can’t lose when you give hand-crafted booze and gift baskets are available from two local vineyards. Grapefull Sisters has an order form online where you have the choice to pick it up or have it delivered. They offer all things associated with the Muscadine Grape to stuff the baskets with. You have nine types of wine to choose from, including a non-alcoholic option. To fill in the gaps, there’s cider and syrup and jellies and wine tools and hand-painted wine glasses…even BBQ sauce made from Muscadine grapes. Prices vary by the items and amounts you cram in the wicker. They’re available to order at 95 Dot's Drive, Tabor City, N.C.; 910-653-2944, www.grapefullsistersvineyard.com.

La Belle Amie can stock you with everything you’ll need to get your wine on. The vineyard has selections that vary from traditional wines to Muscadine blends. They even offer “Bitch Bags,” which are prepared wine slushies in a pouch that you throw in a blender with ice. They also have mulling spices and soaps and a bunch of logo products – magnets, aprons, wine glasses – to give it a local touch. Go see the vineyard and tour around the loaded gift shop at 1120 St. Joseph Rd, Little River. Call 399-9463 or visit www.labelleamie.com.

Three Funny Joints: Tickets to Comedy Cabana, Stand-Up Carolina or Uptown Improv

Nothing is more in-your-face than comedy and the Grand Strand has had a boom in comedy showcases. But it all started out with Comedy Cabana – The OG. The club’s been bringing quality talent to the mike for more than 16 years – including big-time acts Lewis Black and Jimmy “J.J.” Walker. Admission to most shows is 15 bucks with a two item minimum, so a $50 gift certificate should do the trick. Get them at (9588 North Kings Highway on Restaurant Row, Myrtle Beach, 449-4242, wwwcomedycabana.com).

If you’re on the South-end, Stand-Up Carolina is your best bet – it was recently voted “Best Comedy Club on the Grand Stand” by the WMBF City Voter contest and was cited as the “Local comedy venue most likely to tickle our funny bones” in the inaugural Surge Superlatives best-of publication. It’s the new kid on the Strand but has already had a long list of famous comedians on its stage – including Pauly Shore, Gallagher, Tom Green and Ralphie May, just to name a few. There’s no drink minimum and the tickets range from $10 to $30 – most shows are $10 and they’re always running ticket deals on Facebook. So a $50 gift certificate might get you a couple of shows. Get them at 3140-D U.S. 17, Murrells Inlet, 651-7819, www.standupcarolina.com.

Carolina Improv Company is a two-headed comedy beast. On one side, it’s an improv troupe doing interactive shows with audience participation at the Uptown Theater inside Myrtle Beach Mall. On the other side, Gina Trimarco, founder of CIC and a Chicago improv import, has set plans in motion to infiltrate the Grand Strand with lateral thinking by not only offering shows but teaching classes on the art of improv. Some of the shows are family-friendly (and if they’re not, the group issues a warning) and the tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for kids. The introductory class, Improv 101, costs $150 and you don’t have to be a comedian to take it. Frank Glidden, a recent graduate of CIC’s improv classes, says, “They’re fun, they teach you to think fast on your feet. The people I took classes with are still great friends of mine. My girlfriend now, I met in class. There’s always a chance to audition after you finish classes and become a performer…giving improv classes this Christmas, may change someone’s life.” Start saying yes by contacting CIC at 10177 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 272-4242, www.carolinaimprov.com.

Four Neighboring Cities: Day or Weekend Trips to Charleston, Wilmington, Charlotte or Beaufort

So, you have to read about Myrtle Beach’s history in a murder mystery novel because we’re a never-look-back culture. Fear not, we’re nomads. There are cities all around us that are knee deep in heritage. Build your own package and head out in any direction. Want to visit Fort Sumter but still have time to shop the wares of an open market and see the fashions of Kings Street? Head a couple hours south to Charleston. Want to tour the USS North Carolina, see the hideouts of pirates, maybe check out a planetarium – go north, my friend, an hour-and-a-half to Wilmington, N.C. Maybe you just want to take in a beautiful view in a city, outside of time, or see one of the locations from “Forrest Gump.” Or if it’s a ladies’ trip, perhaps you want to pick up a Marine and make your own movie – Beaufort is a short three-and-a-half hours away. So, sports are your thing? Want to see the Carolina Panthers or Charlotte Bobcats play? Hit the road and go west, my boy – Charlotte, N.C. is also only three-and-a-half hours away. And these activities are just the tip of the Carolinas’ iceberg. There’s loads of really cool shit all around us. Prepare or don’t…hell, go totally nomad, buy a map and a bunch of tickets to different attractions and go for a brochure explore. Hit the road and don’t forget to stop at the weird roadside attractions – that’s half the fun.

Five Golden Cock Rings: Badd Kitty’s Naughty Bags

There’s pocket vaginas and remote control dildos, crotchless panties and Avatar pornos…these are a few of my favorite things. While getting a demonstration of a revolutionary vibrator with Wii technology, an employee of Badd Kitty, Riley Morris, tells us, “It’s great that a local businessman was able to create a store of this genre, geared at making everyone, including women, feel comfortable…We’re small town, a boutique.” And she’s right. Badd Kitty has transformed what might have been seen as a seedy atmosphere into a place where singles or couples or senior citizens can come and shop for items to improve their sex lives. Morris says the words “cock ring” as easily as she says, “cash or credit.” The newest and most cutting edge goodies are there – you can get furniture contoured to increase your sexual pleasure. You can get silent, waterproof vibrators. You can get five porn DVDs for 10 bucks. You can get sexy outfits for the bedroom or the nightclub or the strip club. You can get a canvas and paint set that you use during intercourse to immortalize the experience with a piece of abstract art. But perhaps the coolest thing is the thing you can’t see. Badd Kitty’s Naughty Bags are $50 worth of fun for $25. They are sealed and tagged as “His,” “Hers” or “Couples.” The only person who knows exactly what’s in them is owner John Gaik. It is assured that every bag contains a toy. Now, how fun is that? Not only are you buying a gift for your significant other but when they open it, you get to be surprised too. There are three Badd Kitty stores strategically placed across the Grand Strand – (2903 U.S. 17 South, Atlantic Beach, 272-4000; 1104 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, 946-7000; 11774 U.S. 17 Bypass, Murrells Inlet, 769-9990. Web site: www.baddkitty.net).

Six CDs-a-Playing: Pick Up the Local Tunes on CD at Kilgor Trouts

Go ahead, go to Best Buy, you lemming. Just wait until the guy in the blue shirt says, “Fu got what?” Then knock over that standee of Justin Bieber and shout “Fugazi, dumbass” on your way out the door to Kilgor Trouts. This place is old-school indie-cool. It’s like our version of Atlanta’s Wax N’ Facts – a store that’s survived six years by being full of treasures that a large portion of folks would consider yard-sale fodder or behind-the-digital times. The shop still buys and sells vinyl - as in records, not the stuff on the side of your house. Kilgor Trouts also buys and sells used and new music, movies, games and whatever else you want to barter. The employees love a spirited discussion and don’t mind being at work. Best of all, its a safe harbor for the music of local bands. Owner Gary Finkenbiner encourages area musicians, despite status or genre, to come by and market their music in his store. Here’s a quick list of the local acts you’ll find on the racks – Ten Toes Up, Sleeping Policemen, Octopus Jones, Silenced, Wicked Gift, I God, Bamboo Forest, Mike McCoy of the Necessary Band, Christian-rockers Hundredth, the jazz of Bernie Kenerson and Nate Collinsworth – a decent sized collection of Michael Wood and Brian McKenzie-related discs, including Something about Vampires and Sluts, Planet Cock and Electric Bird Noise. There’s even a Christmas compilation with all local bands called “Christmas is Still Christmas (Whether It’s Snowing or Not)”. If you’ve filled your quota on local music and are still looking for an unusual, music-related gift – Finkenbiner has something for your timetable – he’s transforming vinyl albums into clocks. You can get “Van Halen II” to mark the time and the centerpieces of the vinyl are made into drink coasters. The clocks are sold for $45 and the coasters are a buck a piece. Kilgor Trouts runs weekly specials highlighted by Wednesdays, when you get 25 percent discount on anything in the store. Located at 512 8th Ave. North, Myrtle Beach, 445-2800, www.kilgortrouts.com .

7 Days of Walking: Tickets to Brookgreen Gardens

If you live on the Grand Strand and you haven’t been to Brookgreen Gardens…what the hell? I mean really, right down the street you have a wealth of American history, mixed with more than 1,000 pieces of art, coexisting with local wildlife, exotic rescue animals and surrounded by some of the best vistas in the region – and you’re too cool to make the drive a few miles south of Murrells Inlet, past the naked guys on horses and into the 9,200 acres of lush scenery? The dichotomy of its existence alone is worth a visit. Since 1932, it’s been a place of cultural blending. But this very land where you can learn about art and botanical gardens and local wildlife was once owned by the largest U.S. slave owner. Yes, the same land that was designed for slave labor and social hierarchy is now dedicated to rest and relaxation for everyone who comes through the gates. It’s open seven days a week. A great place to picnic or attend classes or party at seasonal festivals – there’s hours of stuff to do. But the best part is you can just get lost for awhile. This place is the tip of our social fulcrum from tourist veneer to a culturally relevant locale. Tickets prices are $12 for ages 13-64, $10 ages 65 and older and $6 for ages 4-12. Buy a ticket, enjoy the day and then come back for the next six consecutive days for free. But $60 for individuals and $90 for families gets you a 12-Month Pass – a whole year with the opportunity of ditching away from your troubles. Find it at 1931 Brookgreen Gardens Drive, Murrells Inlet, 235-6000, www.brookgreen.org.

Eight Bands-a-Playing: SXSE hosts between six and eight Music Feasts a Year (we hope eight)

How would you like to say, “I put guitars into classrooms. I rocked that school”? It’s just a cool statement. That is what being a part of South by Southeast is all about. SXSE is a non-profit/charitable organization whose aim is “to provide assistance and support to local musical education programs with a goal to offset some of the costs associated with the music education of young people in our area,” according to its mantra. And 25 bucks makes you an annual member and that should be enough – just knowing you were part of something that helped increase the instruction of orchestras in our schools or helped supply guitars to students who wanted to learn. But it doesn’t stop there. Your membership also gets you discounted tickets to SXSE Music Feasts. The feasts are exactly that, free pot luck dinners, free drinks (including locally-brewed New South beer and wine) and live music – all for $20 if you’re a member and $25 for non-members. Try to go out for dinner and drinks and a show for $20 anywhere else. The past acts to play the feasts are not a bunch of hacks, these entertainers deserve much ups, just to name a few – Carolina Chocolate Drops, Mike Farris, Justin Townes Earl and The Randall Bramblett Band. The feasts are held at the Myrtle Beach Train Depot (851 Broadway Street, Myrtle Beach, 918-4906). The music is a grab-bag of styles. One feast may highlight blues, another bluegrass, another jazz – another rock ‘n’ roll. There are six to eight shows a year and they already have four booked for 2012. The blues of SaRon Crenshaw Band in January, bluegrass from The Barefoot Movement in February, the jazz/rock of The Randall Bramblett returns in March and Guy Clark sidekick Verlon Thompson brings his iconic Americana in November. SXSE is an organization run by eclectic music lovers for music lovers. This will sound cliché, but it’s the gift that keeps on giving…to the recipient to music education to the advancement of the musical community. While you’re at it, buy a membership or order tickets for yourself at www.southbysoutheast.org. We promise it’ll feel good and benefit your ear holes.

Nine Ladies Skating: Palmetto State Rollergirls

The first rule of Roller Derby is...not enough people are talking about Roller Derby. But the Palmetto State Rollergirls aim to up the buzzworthiness. The team’s slogan is, “Join the REVOLUTION!” These girls spend all their spare time smashing into one another – a rollergirl’s ultimate trophies are a black eye and a bruised body – all they’re asking you to do is come watch them bash. These misfits have been leaving skate tracks on the backs of their opponents since 2006. Their battleground is the J. Bryan Floyd Community Center on Possum Trot Road and they’ve been hammering out a package for season tickets but PSRG has a definite gift alternative. In January, you have the chance to lace up and report to Rollergirl Bootcamp – you don’t even need to be a girl to do it – open to guys and dolls. There are three practices a week and it runs for a month. Some of the practices are on skates and some are off skates. You too can learn to kick-ass like a rollergirl. If you’re lucky, you might get one of those cool nicknames such as Bedlam Betty or Adam Anarchy 86er. And if you’re female and learn fast, they may even ask you to join the team. Either way, how cool is it, to not only support the underground art of Roller Derby but to also train with these vanquishers of the flat track? The practices of the bootcamp alternate between Fun Warehouse (2349 Dick Pond Road, near Surfside Beach, 748-0302), Dreamland Skating Arena (4475 Privetts Road, Conway, 369-2055) and The X Sports Complex (568 George Bishop Parkway, Myrtle Beach, 236-0009). The cost is $25 and it comes with a PSRG T-shirt. Join the revolution on their website, www.palmettostaterollergirls.com or feel the fury of their wheels.

Ten Toes-a-Hangin’: Village Surf Shoppe

A staple of indie-cred, Village has transcended the surfer community, the majority of locals who’ve been here a while know the shop simply by its logo – the woodie with a surfboard poking out the back. A little blue concrete building off Atlantic Avenue in Garden City Beach, painted with surfing murals – it’s become a legendary landmark since the lights came on in 1969. Kelly Richards took the torch in 1988 and his surfboards, Perfection, have been top-shelf not only with local surfers but they’ve become a standard of surf competition finalists around the world. Just for Christmas, Richards and Village are running some awesome deals. You can get a custom fiberglass board, up to seven feet, with airbrush artwork, fins, traction pad and leash attached for $475 – if you’re not a surfer, it means a fully-loaded surfboard for a very low price. If you don’t want to wait for a custom job, he’s also got various-sized epoxy surfboards, fully-loaded and designed by Richards for $425. If the giftee likes to hang ten on the terra firma, there’s also deals on skateboards – completely assembled skateboards normally costing $140 are going for $80 to $100. Village also has all the gear you’ll need for the lifestyle. If it’s something you’re interested in getting into, Village offers beginner lessons in the summertime. If you or yours are in need of a new board – why would you go anywhere else? Go by or call to set yourself up at 500 Atlantic Avenue, Garden City Beach; 651-6396, www.villagesurf.com.

Eleven Sculptures Swimming: Terry Brennan’s Recycled Art

What’s more Gen X than taking the world’s leftovers, its trash and making art out of it? Isn’t that what grunge did? Terry Brennan started out as a painter but through the years, his use of discarded materials in his paintings evolved into making full-blown sculptures of animals out of recycled materials. Or as he says, “I did not set out to be known as an environmental artist or to create art with a social commentary but as my work progressed to sculpture my eyes opened to new materials and the association naturally occurred...throwing our everyday objects right back at us. I hope to spark a conversation about the definition of art and who truly decides what becomes the master pieces of the future.” Brennan has competed at ArtPrize in Grand Rapids, Mich. for the last two years and placed Top 50 in 2010 and Top 25 in 2011. These are pretty awesome accomplishments because ArtPrize pulls in thousands of artists from around the world, turning the entire city into one giant art gallery. Locally, you can snag one of his masterpieces at Midtown Bistro (2004 U.S. 17 South, Unit 3, North Myrtle Beach, 427-4720, www.midtownbistro.com). If you’re willing to drive a little, check out his stuff at Lantana's Gallery in Southport, N.C. (113 South Howe Street; 910-457-0957, www.lantanasgallery.com). The prices of the various pieces range from $175 to $2,000. Brennan lives in Little River but his art has been bought by newbie collectors and seasoned art buyers from across the country, Canada and internationally. He’s serving as an Artist in Residence at The Beaulieu House Inn on Cat Island until March 10. He sends open invitations to anyone who wants to B’N’B and take a few art classes. For more info, contact them at (3 Sheffield Court, Beaufort ; 770-0303, www.beaulieuhouse.com.) For a more detailed gander at all the work from his studio, check him out on Facebook at Artist Tree Studios.

Twelve Trinkets Twinkling: Roses Queens and Palaces Jewelry Company

There are thousands of hippie artisans out there creating cute little pieces of jewelry, but let’s be honest, most of them look alike and tend to blend together on a table at a craft festival. In 2007, Roses Queens and Palaces Jewelry Company, or RQP Jewelry Co. for short, started out in its Myrtle Beach studio with a line of two-sided pendants made of pewter and silver with renaissance-style paintings on one side and inspirational or witty sayings written on a scroll on the other. Not all of them are that complex - some are just simple and sassy. From there, RQP took it a little further, amassing a collection of wax seals dating from the early 1700s to the 1890s, mostly from France and England – silver is pressed into the seals and after they work their magic in the kiln, they come out with an oxidized, vintage look and turned into pendants. The seals range from symbols to mottos to initials to depictions of Aesop’s Fables. But RQP didn’t stop there. They rummaged through closets and junk drawers and came up with “RQP Vintage” – the artists took the keys from an early 1900s Royal Model 10 Typewriter and broken pieces of old pocket watches to make something quite remarkable. Pendants mixed with silver and pewter, unusual designs of birds and insects and Latin phrases on a hardly recognizable watch-face – letters, numbers and symbols of the typewriter keys are encased in glass and put on a silver chain – all of the shop’s jewelry are conversation pieces – handmade and certain to be imperfect…but that’s the charm. The prices of the pieces vary from $25 to $70 – affordable and distinct. RQP is exclusively sold on the Grand Strand in the Too Qt store at Broadway at the Beach (1325 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach; 916-1738, www.tooqt.com).