2021 Drifter Merch Survey

2020 was definitely an unusual year. My husband and Drifter Merch partner, Bert Griggs, died suddenly at the end of 2019, which was followed by a global pandemic. Then, concerts stopped, which was a huge blow for us all. At that point, I was just trying to get through the year running two businesses and raising our two year old daughter solo while grieving the huge loss of Bert. I can’t thank the Drifter community enough for all of the love and support along the way. While I was rolling out Bert’s already created designs, fulfilling custom orders and vending at small events, you were still purchasing (a lot) and sending kind and inspiring words along the way.

Well, now it’s a new year and I want to be proactive by creating, printing and embroidering what our customers want to buy. So, if you have some time, please fill out the survey below to give your valuable input, let me learn more about you as a customer and help Drifter Merch continue to grow into the brand that we both envisioned. As a thank you, if you choose to provide your name and email, you will be entered to win a Drifter Merch bundle.

Drifter Merch's Corona Couch Tour Series

We're kicking off a new online live music series this week called Corona Couch Tour: The Music Never Stops. The shows feature some awesome musicians that are Drifter friends and customers to introduce you all to new music to enjoy while we're all at home! The music starts on Drifter Merch’s Facebook page every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:30pm ET.

Monday, April 4th: Rob Williams of Solid Country Gold playing a tribute to John Prine

Wednesday, April 6th: Bobby Houck of The Blue Dogs

Friday, April 8th: Reid Stone of Guilt Ridden Troubadour

Monday, April 13th: Will Haraway of The Sundogs

Wednesday, April 15th: Sam Holt of Sam Holt Band, Outformation

Friday, April 17th: Cameron Williams of Tishamingo

For more details, click here!

Drifter Fest: The Inaugural Bert Griggs Memorial Jam

Drifter Fest: The Inaugural Bert Griggs Memorial Jam

We invite you to Charleston on March 6-8th to celebrate Drifter Merch Co-Founder Bert Griggs' life.

In addition to Bert’s passion for designing and creating music-inspired and custom goods for his Drifter Merch customers, Bert was an amazing father, husband, son, brother, and friend. Bert had an innate ability to make everyone he met feel like they were the most important person in the room. He never met a stranger. In fact, he was everyone’s best friend. He had the sweetest soul and a tender heart that loved hard and deeply. Bert had a unique sense of humor with an infectious laugh and smile that could light up the darkest room. He is intensely missed.

We hope you can join us for a weekend of fun events complete with great company, stories and lots of live music.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6TH:
Drifter Fest: Pre-Jam at Home Team BBQ Downtown (126 Williman Street) from 8pm-11pm with live music featuring our friends SHONUFF.

SATURDAY, MARCH 7TH
Doors for the Drifter Fest: The Inaugural Bert Griggs Memorial Jam open at 8pm at the Charleston Pour House (1977 Maybank Hwy.). Inside the venue from 8:30pm-1am, guests will enjoy a collaboration of Bert's favorite tunes from many of his friends including Reid Stone and bands Gaslight Street, The Travelin' Kine, SHONUFF, Solid Country Gold and more.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH:
Drifter Merch will be vending at Reckoning in the Park, a family friendly event featuring The Reckoning, an awesome Grateful Dead cover band from 2pm-5pm in the meadow at James Island County Park.

Drifter Merch will be available for sale on Saturday and Sunday as well as the awesome event poster created by TRiPPs Prints and Bert's portrait by artist Jason Moore.

Please email info@driftermerch.com for additional information or questions. Read more about Bert Griggs here or search the social networks for these hashtags: #bertgriggs  #driftermerch  #driftergriggs  #ripdriftergriggs #DrifterFest #BertGriggsJam #RememberBertGriggs

Listen to Lorrie's interview on 105.5 The Bridge as she talks about Bert Griggs, Drifter Merch and Drifter Fest:

Jam on the Water Concert Series in Charleston

Join Charleston Harbor Tours, Sweetwater Brewing Company and Follywood Productions for an amazing music and cruise series. The Carolina Queen will set sail for a two hour entertaining cruise featuring some great tributes to a classic rock band, Drifter Merch selling music-inspired tees, ad seasonal selections from Sweetwater plus a full wine and liquor bar. You don't want to miss this series. It will make the perfect beginning to your weekend!

The following dates for 2018 include...

April 20 - Tom Petty Tribute by Honey Smoke
May 11 - Grateful Dead Tribute by Burnt Wood
June 15 - Jimmy Buffet Tribute by Folly Pirates over 40
July 20 - Neil Young Tribute by Josh Roberts & Friends
August 24 - Widespread Panic Tribute by 54 Bicycles
September 14 - Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead Tribute by Grateful Brothers  
October 5 - The Band / Last Waltz Tribute by Shonuff
October 19 - Led Zeppelin Tribute by Wax Groove Revival
November 9 - Grateful Dead Tribute by The Reckoning

The 21 and over cruises will run from 7-9 p.m. with boarding beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Charleston City Marina. Tickets are available now through Charleston Harbor Tours and will cost $22-25. To purchase advance tickets, click here.

A Look at Zinnialou Jewelry

While all of our offerings are music-inspired, we knew Zinnialou Jewelry would be a perfect fit for our store. Drifter Merch carries Zinnialou's custom bangles that are made with recycled guitar strings in gold, brass and silver tones. The can be worn solo or mixed with multiples styles.

Based in Folly Beach, SC, Zinnialou Jewelry is owned by designer Shelly Lynch, a childhood friend of Bert's who actually first introduced us in Jackson Hole! Shelly's ability to cut stones along with her dedication to using original components such as porcupine quills and bullet shells enables her to create jewelry unique and customizable for her clientele.

“I love making custom pieces for clients, because it’s challenging and rewarding when you’ve created a piece that speaks to someone’s personality," stated Shelly. 

Shelly’s southern roots have provided the inspiration for many of her pieces. Her inspiration for her jewelry line is derived from a perfect combination of music, nature & travel.

For more information and to shop all of her design, visit www.zinnialou.com. 

Searching Inside Pink Floyd's Album Animals

In 1977, Pink Floyd released its tenth studio album, Animals. To mark the record’s 40th anniversary this year, I wanted to take a peek inside the timeless album that even after so long, still rings very true today with the current political climate.  

Written at the band's studio Britannia Row in London, Pink Floyd's Animals album had only five tracks and ran for 40 minutes. It is the start of Roger Waters taking more of the reigns during this period of the band.  One of my favorites, this literal album itself makes subtle human behavior comparisons to animals and is very reminiscent of George Orwell's literary masterpiece Animal Farm.

The first tune "Pigs on the Wing, Part 1" is an intro setting the tone of the album offering unvarnished lyrics like “If you didn’t care what happened to me/ And I didn’t care for you/ We would zig-zag our way through the boredom and the pain/ Occasionally glancing through the rain/ Wondering which of the buggars to blame/ And watching for pigs on the wing.”  Next, "Dogs" is a lengthy song that speaks about the band's perspective of capitalism.  During "Dogs" with Waters & David Gilmore handling the lyrics, it's Gilmore's talent on guitar that actually takes this song to places only he can.  On side two, "Pigs (Three Different Ones)" was written by Waters where he portrays what he describes as different types of pigs who have influence over the people from the politicians, authority figures and government types. The next song "Sheep" is referring to the followers that rarely do anything to change their circumstances. Finally, after all of the lengthy jams, the second part of "Pigs on the Wing" merely served as a short outro of the album. 

While Animals was an album widely appreciated by uber Pink Floyd fans, it did not see much radio play on the rock stations. However, it is interesting to note that even with such political underlyings, Animals still went to #2 on the UK Albums Chart and #3 on the US Billboard 200 chart as well as reaching 4x Platinum. 

1. Pigs on the Wing, Part 1 1:25

2. Dogs 17:06

3. Pigs (Three Different Ones) 11:26

4. Sheep 10:20

5. Pigs on the Wing, Part 2 1:26

Gov't Mule's The Tel-Star Sessions

During their stint with the Allman Brothers Band, guitarist Warren Haynes & bassist Allen Woody started a side project known as Gov't Mule.  Warren recruited drummer Abts after playing together in the Dickey Betts Band.  While this band started as a side project, they quickly discovered that there was a unmistakable chemistry between the three musicians.  The Tel-Star sessions is the first ever, never before released recording of the band.  This recording captures this group in their rawest form.  While some of us Mule hard-cores have had a bootleg of these recordings in our woodshed, we have not had the opportunity to hear it in this pure format.

This album starts off with "Blind Man in the Dark", which is a song that blends the musical influences of rock, jazz, funk, & R&B.  There isn't a song in Mule's repertoire that is more appropriate for a opener/encore of a show than this one.  Over the years the band has incorporated Frank Zappa's "Pygmy Twylyte" as a prelude to this song.  It carries an instrumental dark undertone before launching into this heavy number.  "Rocking Horse" is the second number that comes up on the album.  It contains one of my favorite lyrics in Gov't Mule's arsenal, "My guardian angel wears a hard hat said the boy with the microphone".  This tune was written while the guys were staying at Big House in Macon, Georgia and the Allman Brothers Band played it for years.  "Rocking Horse" on this album is in it's earliest form, and while you don't see it on many Mule set lists nowadays, I wish the band couldn't "leave it alone".  

Next up, is the rocker "Monkey Hill".  I'll leave this up to your imagination of what the song is about as it includes lyrics like, "between the buildings and the alleyways, that's where the living is done, where the young boys chase the dragon, that's where flesh and steel are one".  Back in the 90s, Warren uses a microphone component, that is perfect for making his voice sound like he takes a trip into the oblivion of drug addiction. In these early days of Gov't Mule, the trio was as heavy as it gets. The three members had a tendency to push each other and they would be completely in sync, knowing exactly where the other one was going to go musically.  

"Mr. Big" is the next song on the album. It is a greasy version of the band Free's "Mr. Big" that was written by Paul Rodgers & Andy Fraser.  With songs like this, you get a feeling of just where the band was musically with each member contributing equally in their respective roles.  Allen Woody's parts on this song are so heavy, he almost sounds like he's playing the lead on bass.  His style on the bass was like no other out there and this album highlights his ability as a musician throughout.  "The Same Thing" follows next on the album.  It was written by Willie Dixon, known as "the poet laureate of the blues".  I believe some of you might know some of this greats other songs that have been covered out there on the jam band scene.  These include "Spoonful", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Bring It On Home", "Weak Brain/Narrow Mind", and "Hoochie Coochie Man", just to name a few.  "The Same Thing" is another tune that found its way into the Allman Brothers set list.  While this song was played pretty heavy during the early years of 1994-1997, it has been shelved for some time now.  The next tune, "Mother Earth" originally was a slow twelve-bar blues song written by Memphis Slim back in 1951.  It was reconstructed into this heavy blues number by Haynes, Woody, & Abts.  It is is one of the good, old school Mule songs that still finds its way into set list with the current lineup.  

The next thing you hear on The Tel-Star Sessions is Bud Snyder's voice in the background saying "tapes rolling" as the bands kicks into overdrive with this beefed up version of ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid".  As a Mule fan through and through, I feel that the placement of this song couldn't be more appropriate.  Right in the middle of the album, the band launches into this raw, loud version of it.  It's hard not to say that this is a highlight of the album, but I think the entire album is unbelievable.  While the band's first self titled album is a great album, this live one captures just how Gov't Mule were firing on all cylinders in 1994.  While the 1990s were great to the Allman Brothers Band musically, after hearing this Tel-Star Sessions album, one can understand why Haynes and Woody went on to see just where this band could go.  

"Left Coast Groovies" was written in honor of the late great Frank Zappa and was the first song that was written by the three original members.  It is a tune where the band asks for the audience help to contribute vocally, way before they did on songs like "Don't Step On The Grass, Sam" and "Lay Your Burden Down".  I for one, feel that Allen Woody and his talent as a musician have been hard to replace when the bass needs to come in as heavy as ever.  "World of Difference" closes the album with two different mixes.  This tune, written by Warren Haynes, is a bluesy number that carries such a serious message.  This song would appear in the set list in the early years of Gov't Mule from 1994-1996, but after the New Years show at the Wetlands in New York, it hasn't been seen in the set list much at all and is the only song that I have never heard live.

When I first heard The Tel-Star Sessions album was going to be released,  I had to have it on vinyl.  The album catches Gov't Mule in it's rawest form in the early days and this live performance captures the band in its element.  Gov't Mule is the heaviest, greasiest band in the land. I am proud to be a lifetime, hard core Mule fan and have seen them so many different times through so many various lenses. I cannot wait to see what their work in the studio this month develops into for a new album release.  In the meantime, if you haven't ordered this archival album yet, you owe it to yourself to grab it now. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

The Tel-Star Sessions Track Listing:

1. Blind Man In The Dark

2. Rocking Horse

3. Monkey Hill

4. Mr. Big

5. The Same Thing

6. Mother Earth

7. Just Got Paid

8. Left Coast Groovies

9. World Of Difference

10. Bonus Track: World Of Difference (Alternate Version/Original Mix)

Follypalooza Cancer Benefit and Street Festival in Folly Beach, SC

The 9th Annual Follypalooza Cancer Benefit & Street Festival will be held on Saturday, October 22nd from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Folly Beach, SC. Follypalooza is an annual cancer benefit & street festival on Folly Beach, SC that raises money for local cancer patients & other Folly Beach residents in need of medical help. An all-day event, Follypalooza is family-friendly with Live Music by Guilt Ridden Troubadour, Forty Mile Detour, Saluda Shoals, Burnt Wood, Taco Donkey & WPOS. Other attractions include a 5K, silent auction, 50/50 raffle, carnival games, jump castles, face painting, balloon animals, mechanical bull, Art in the Park, and various vendors including Drifter Merch. Local restaurants will also set up food stands & food trucks along Center Street throughout the day. With the street closed off from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., patrons are permitted to roam freely with adult beverages with purchase of a $1 ID bracelet sold at our t-shirt & info booth. A community fundraiser with fun-filled & family-friendly activities, Follypalooza is a great reason to show support for a good cause & one of the longest running cancer benefits in the State of South Carolina.

Taking a Look at Townes Van Zandt

I remember a time where I would stop in random record shops in search for gems on vinyl. For me, there's something about stopping in a local record store and shopping to collect more muses for my musical arsenal.  It's an experience that touches the core of my soul, something that can't be achieved by shopping online.  Since I live in the desolate town of Jackson, Wyoming with no record shops, anytime I travel, I always find myself researching the city for the best local stores to purchase vinyl.  A great find is always Townes Van Zandt. 

Townes Van Zandt spent most of his musical career playing local dive bars, and during July 1973 he played a string of shows over five sweltering nights Live at the Old Quarter in Houston, Texas where he recorded a live album of the same name.  On these night he played in an intimate setting to a few 100 folks in the audience.  It was so packed that waitresses could not take drink orders in the crowd.  The folks would pass money hand over fist in hopes that a cold beer would find it's way to them while watching the show. Townes played numbers such as the well known "Poncho & Lefty" and "If I Needed You" to a crowd that weren't that familiar with the tunes.  Most actually recognize "Poncho & Lefty" as it was later covered by well known acts such as Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, & Merle Haggard. 

Along with the songs I mentioned earlier, some of my personal favorites on this live album include "Lungs", "To Live Is To Fly", "Cocaine Blues", "Waiting 'round To Die", "Tecumseh Valley", and a cover of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love".  Townes Van Zant's songs feel like poetry in its purest form. Meant to be enjoyed and listened to, his songs grow with you every time you give a listen.  Townes spent most of his time in the 70s living in a simple shack with no electricity or a phone.  He suffered from drug addiction, alcoholism, and bipolar disorder.

When I was first introduced to Townes Van Zandt by a dear friend of mine, I remember asking him what I should be on the lookout for when I was spending countless hours at various record stores looking for finds.  He always responded, "anything Townes!"  Since then I've collected some of his most prolific work spanning from 1968 to 1973.  These records include For the Sake of the Song, Our Mother the Mountain, Townes Van Zandt, Delta Momma Blues, Low and In Between, and The Late Great Townes Van Zandt.  As he is no longer with us, one can only wish that they could time travel back to where they could pay $10 to see this master at work.

Live At The Old Quarter, Houston Texas Track Listing: 

Side One

1. Announcement

2. Pancho & Lefty

3. Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold

4. Don't You Take It Too Bad

5. Two Girls

6. Fraternity Blues

7. If I Needed You

Side Two

1. Brand New Companion

2. White Freight Liner Blues

3. To Live Is To Fly

4. She Came And She Touched Me

5. Talking Thunderbird Blues

6. Rex's Blues

7. Nine Pound Hammer

Side Three: 

1. For The Sake Of The Song

2. Chauffeur's Blues

3. No Place To Fall

4. Loretta

5. Kathleen

6. Why She's Acting This Way

Side Four

1. Cocaine Blues

2. Who Do You Love?

3. Tower Song

4. Waiting 'Round To Die

5. Tecumseh Valley

6. Lungs

7. Only Him Or Me

Who was Blue Floyd?

For us at Drifter Merch, we love to pay our respects to some of our favorite artists and bands out there on the scene.  For me, I wanted to feature one of the best side projects that have graced the stage.  With that being said, Blue Floyd was the obvious choice! 

Blue Floyd was a conglomeration of players from other big bands that you definitely know. Forming a traditional blues lineup, the band consisted of Allen Woody (guitar) and Matt Abts (drums) from Gov't Mule, Marc Ford (guitar) from the Black Crowes, Barry Oakley Jr. (bass), and Johnny Neel (keys) from the Allman Brothers Band.  Allen Woody once said that the concept came from Michael Gaiman of Jazz is Dead.  Gaiman called Woody to let him know that he wanted to put together a blues band to play tribute to Pink Floyd music. Seeming like an obvious choice, Gaiman already had son of Allman Brothers founding member Oakley on board along with Abts, Ford, and Neel who Woody stated would " take them to church". Woody goes on to say, "Pink Floyd's material is so timeless".  Dark Side of the Moon spent a total of 917 charted weeks on the Billboard 200.  The album, which was released in 1973 and spent a week at No. 1, continued to chart mostly on a regular basis through 1988.  "Everyone had their coming of age time with their experience with Pink Floyd," said Marc Ford.  "We've heard this band's music for so long.  Pink Floyd is a perfect band and I remember when this music had all the answers for me."  He continues, "When you break it down, it's really just a spaced out blues band and we're just putting a little more blue in the ink."  "I view this as a real tribute." adds Woody. "We all have a tip of the hat to Pink Floyd, respect their music and enjoy it. We really just wanted to put a different spin on it."

My perception is that these reworked Pink Floyd tunes get such marvelous treatment, that the result is just sheer jam and fusion bliss!  Not too many folks out there even knew that Allen Woody could shred the guitar like he does in this group.  With another extraordinary player like Marc Ford on the guitar, the two are a perfect concoction for any exploratory jam sequence. Vocals are peppered by almost every member in the band. It was during the jam sessions that the members organically figured out who was going to contribute vocally.  Berry Oakley Jr.'s style and approach to these jams are nothing short of spontaneous and world class.  As an avid Mule fan, I've been aware of Matt Abts technique for some time now.  He is such a force behind the Mule and I'm guessing the band nicknamed him "Stain" because he leaves a lasting impression on all of us as fans.  During the stint of Blue Floyd's existence, other mind-bending guitarists such as Jimmy Herring, Jeff Pever, Audley Freed, & Alvin Youngblood Hart sat in and jammed with the band.  If you weren't able to catch this incredible act in the early 2000s, don't fret. That's the beautiful thing about music, it lives on forever!

Blue Floyd 02-12-2000
Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA