So that means I didn’t take pictures of a lot of things: I barely wandered into any stores, I spent almost no time at any of the booths or presentations in the middle of the street (except for the Savannah Skate Park set up), and I got sidetracked for a while enjoying a detour to a friend’s elegant, air-conditioned office overlooking the street. Mostly, I talked to randomly encountered friends and spent my time at one stage or the other — with each stage hosting two bands and three runway shows, that was plenty to do. In the process, I missed Whaleboat’s performance entirely, missed one of the finale shows (two were held simultaneously), and missed part of another runway show I had intended to catch.

What a great night, and apparently a big success building on last year’s inaugural event.

And FNO Savannah could still get better. Some of the blocks would benefit from street entertainment of some sort or another and a few large vacancies (the former Shipwreck space, for example) certainly contributed to some dead spaces. I’m glad there were DJs playing before and between the bands, but I sure wish the world of DJ music included more fun songs and a little less beat — some R&B and classic disco would have had the crowds dancing in the streets. Next year, I would stagger the finale fashion shows so guests don’t have to choose one over the other. And the general backdrop of the stage at Montgomery Street had some clear advantages over the one at Drayton, which has a brighter block behind it and less attractive buildings around it.

I struggled a little to get good pictures before sunset. The sky and buildings were really bright and the street pretty heavily shaded for the first hour or so that I was downtown. I needed my flash to get some better shots under those conditions, but I rarely lug it around.

Anyway, here are lots of photos, including the Savannah Skate Park supporters’ ramps; Mayor Edna Jackson greeting the crowd: shots of Triathalon, KidSyc@Brandywine, and CUSSES; lots of models with clothes from area retailers; and some other random shots.

If you click on one to enlarge it, then you can scroll quickly through the large sizes with the directional arrows on your keyboard. Get in touch with me at billdawers[at]comcast.net if you’re interested in larger res versions.

This past Thursday (April 26th) was the first In So Many Words open mic night presented by Brandywine, the instrumental portion of KidSyc@Brandywine made up of Daniel Butler on guitar, Charles Hodge on bass, Lane Gardner on keys, and Derrick Larry on drums. KidSyc (Lloyd Harold) hosted.

My former student Eva Sadler belted out the national anthem, and a diverse group of rappers took to the stage afterward. Before the first break, KidSyc joined the rest of the band for a couple of songs. I left pretty early, before things got really rolling, but I’d say the first open mic Thursday was a big success. It’s not billed as a hip hop night and Brandywine is a wonderful, versatile combo of really talented musicians, but there will probably be more hip hop than not.

On Friday night, Charles and Derrick hastily put together a band — Good Time Charlie and the Brothers — to open for Boom Chick at Live Wire Music Hall. It turned into a rollicking funk and soul set with Live Wire’s Andrew Robertson joining on congas and a couple of audience members singing. I could easily imagine that project taking on a life of its own.

A few pics from In So Many Words at Taco Abajo: