Bands hold sold-out Halloween show at Grantski Records

By Caelyn Dockal | Staff writer

The crowd was packed shoulder to shoulder inside Grantski Records on Halloween night as four Georgia-based bands took the stage for a night of live music, costumes and chaos.

The show completely sold out before doors even opened, with over 200 presale tickets gone by 1 p.m. and an estimated 275 people filling the downtown Augusta record store by showtime. The energy was palpable, with everyone eagerly anticipating the encore.

Outside the record store, featuring the “sold out” sign. (photo by Caelyn Dockal)

The lineup featured Fly the Crow, Frigga Five, Intension and local headliner Estimated Principles, a band that’s become a highlight in Augusta’s alternative scene since forming in 2021.

Fly the Crow, an Augusta-based group formed in 2022, kicked off the night with original indie and alternative rock tracks. The band, composed of Justice Howely, Phillip Agerton, David Bishop, Zeke Bonham and Jaledn Lewis, set the tone with the lively energy that drew the crowd in early.

Next up was Frigga Five from Atlanta, bringing their blend of alternative rock and nu-metal to the stage. Made up of Kaleb Justice, Addison Whitney, Alex Hall and Jay Long, the group’s heavy sound added the grit and intensity to the setlist.

Intension, starting from Monroe, kept the crowd moving with a punchy mix of hard rock and alternative originals. Members Zach and Same Coffman, Anthony and Tristan Hogssed brought a high-energy performance that had fans jumping, headbanging and even crowd surfing.

Finally, Estimated Principles closed out the night with a Halloween-themed set that had everyone screaming along. The five-piece band—Cody Widener, Ethan Schomacker, Andrew “Drew” Renner, Olivia “OE” Waddell and Clay Waddell—performed dressed as Marvel characters, a nod to their playful stage presence and sense of humor. 

A night of friendship, music and mayhem 

The bands weren’t just random acts thrown together; each group had a story and a connection to the headliner.

“We picked Fly the Crow because they’re another band from Augusta,” said drummer Clay Waddell of Estimated Principles. “We’ve known those guys for many years and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to put them on a bigger stage in front of a crowd we know will love them.”

Waddell said it was important to have bands that have played together before.

“Frigga Five has been super generous to us, letting us play shows in Atlanta and introducing is to a lot of important people in that scene,” Waddell added. “The guys in Intension have been like family to us ever since we met earlier this year. Their upbeat energy was a must-have for this event.”

Singer Widener said performing at home made the night special.

“There’s something different about playing in Augusta,” Widener said. “You can feel the love that our friends, family, old classmates, and other bands bring to the scene. It makes you feel really good when your community shows up and supports the band, and I… made it feel like one giant house Halloween party.”

Guitarist Ethan Schomacker agreed, saying the band’s chemistry comes from how close they’ve become offstage.

“We hang out all the time, even when we’re not playing,” Schomacker said. “So when we’re on stage, it’s like five people just joking around in costume, playing our set together, just with the crowd energy and crazy atmosphere that events bring…. makes it ten times more fun to be with.”

Renner, the bassist, said he was blown away by the energy of the crowd.

“When we all finally took the stage and looked out at the crowd, it was amazing… the people started crowd surfing … we all just kinda looked at each other like, ‘Okay, this just got real’” Renner said, laughing. “It was chaotic in the best way possible.”

Renner stated that the energy of the crowd that night truly was what made the night. 

“We were really able to just feed off one another with the chaos of the night and just really let loose and have fun, didn’t matter if everything happened perfectly, everyone was still loving it.”

Guitarist OE Waddell added that the costumes made the night even more memorable.

Olivia “OE” Waddell, playing guitar on stage. (photo by Caelyn Dockal)

“Everyone was going all out, the fans, the other bands, and us in our Marvel fits,” Waddell said. “You don’t always have a show that feels this connected and creative at the same time with everyone dressed up and bands coordinating…. I loved seeing all the Halloween costumes, and coming on stage to the Marvel-themed music to set up the scene for our part of the night.”

Augusta’s music scene keeps growing

For a city often overshadowed by its medical side, its ever-growing music scene keeps growing exponentially. The Halloween show at Grantski Records was proof that Augusta’s local scene is alive and thriving.

From the sold-out presales to the energy of the night, each performance reflected the creative bond between this growing scene of alternative and indie rock artists and the community that continues to support them. 

As the final chord rang out and the crowd cheered for one last song, one thing was clear: Augusta’s music scene isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

Note: At the top of the page, Estimated Principles plays before a solid-out audience at Grantski. (photo by Caelyn Dockal)

Contact Caelyn Dockal at cadockal@augusta.edu.