Hotel Carolina is an annual singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 music festival

Music festival

A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...

 which is held in Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Isle of Palms is a city in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population on the island was 4,133. Isle of Palms is a barrier island on the South Carolina coast. As defined by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, and used by the U.S...

. Featuring an array of touring

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 singer-songwriters on the scene today, Hotel Carolina was conceived to provide an opportunity for fans

Fan (person)

A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...

 to see a number of nationally-touring singer-songwriters on one concert stage

Concert

A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...

 during a multi-day event.

Two-time participant Tony Lucca

Tony Lucca

Tony Lucca , is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and sometime actor. He is perhaps best known for starting his career on the Mickey Mouse Club. After the Mickey Mouse Club, Lucca went to LA for a brief career as an actor, then became a full-time musician, releasing over seven studio albums...

 likened it to "playing in the coolest sandbox ever", and explained: "To be able to hang with so many of my friends, musical companions, tour mates, fans, and new listeners in such an intimate, yet festive, setting makes me burst at the seams." Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter is an American singer/songwriter. He is currently signed on Rock Ridge Music.Born in Inglewood, CA in 1974 and raised in Orange County, Halter started playing piano when he was 8, guitar when he was 14, and writing his own songs when he was 16. His first disc Lo-Fidelity came out in...

, who also performed in 2009 and 2010 called it "summer camp for big kids. ...I get to hang out at the beach and make music with all my friends, old and new". To further describe Hotel Carolina, Lucca said: "[It's] definitely a 'who's who' of indie singer-songwriters, as well as a 'who's who' of loyal supporters and music lovers."

Hotel Carolina 2011

The 2011 Hotel Carolina event was expanded to three days and was held September 22, September 23 and September 24. The line-up included Ingram Hill

Ingram Hill

Ingram Hill is a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee.In the summer of 2000, after attending the University of Memphis childhood friends Justin Moore and Phil Bogard joined with Shea Sowell and Matt Chambless to form the band. They spent much of the next year and a half touring throughout the...

, Curtis Peoples, Josh Hoge, Jerad Finck, Jared McCloud, Benny Marchant, Maggie McClure, Shane Henry, Nina Storey, Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons is a Los Angeles recording and performing artist. He is signed to CBS Records and his music has been featured on shows such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Crash, American Dad!, Harper's Island, and The Cleaner to name a few...

, TFDI, Matt Hires

Matt Hires

Matt Hires is an American singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Drawing inspiration from influences as disparate as The Band, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco and Ryan Adams, Matt became the first artist to sign with F-Stop Music, an imprint of Atlantic Records.- Biography :As a cabinet store worker by day...

, Pawnshop Kings, Todd Carey

Todd Carey

Todd Carey is an American musician and singer-songwriter currently signed to Rock Ridge Music. Born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, he later relocated to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California for a degree in music. At USC, Carey formed a band, Telepathy, with other students...

, Rachel Platten

Rachel Platten

Rachel Platten is an American pop singer best known for her single "1,000 Ships", a top 30 hit on the Adult Top 40 Chart. Platten grew up in Newton Centre, Massachusetts. Her album, Be Here, was released from Rock Ridge Music in 2011....

, and Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter is an American singer/songwriter. He is currently signed on Rock Ridge Music.Born in Inglewood, CA in 1974 and raised in Orange County, Halter started playing piano when he was 8, guitar when he was 14, and writing his own songs when he was 16. His first disc Lo-Fidelity came out in...

. As in past years, the weekend included "Camp Carolina," a series of activities at which fans and artists could participate together and compete against each other.

Hotel Carolina 2010

The 2010 Hotel Carolina event was held August 27 and 28. Friday night’s list of performers

Performing arts

The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...

 included Todd Carey, The Bridges

The Bridges (band)

The Bridges is an American folk rock band that formed in Oxford, Alabama in 2005 consisting of cousins and siblings Brittany Painter , Natalie Byrd , Stacey Byrd , Issaca Byrd , and Jeremy Byrd...

, Curtis Peoples, Joe Firstman

Joe Firstman

Joe Firstman is an American adult alternative rock musician. Former musical director for Carson Daly's house band on Last Call with Carson Daly on NBC. His latest release was 2010's "Live at The Treehouse".-Early life:...

, Josh Hoge, Sequoyah Prep School, and Tony Lucca. Saturday night’s list of performers included Jim Bianco

Jim Bianco

Jim Bianco is a critically acclaimed independent musician, singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...

, Jay Nash, Sun Domingo, Matt Duke, Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons is a Los Angeles recording and performing artist. He is signed to CBS Records and his music has been featured on shows such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Crash, American Dad!, Harper's Island, and The Cleaner to name a few...

, Benjy Davis Project

Benjy Davis Project

Benjy Davis Project was formed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2001 as a simple folk-rock duo, but quickly grew into a popular regional band. Eventually expanding into a six-piece group, the Benjy Davis Project has recorded four albums and two EPs...

, and Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter

Ernie Halter is an American singer/songwriter. He is currently signed on Rock Ridge Music.Born in Inglewood, CA in 1974 and raised in Orange County, Halter started playing piano when he was 8, guitar when he was 14, and writing his own songs when he was 16. His first disc Lo-Fidelity came out in...

. In addition to the concert, Saturday’s events included an afternoon jam session

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

 (hosted by Roy Jay), and participation in “Camp Carolina,” a series of activities (flip-cup

Flip cup

Flip cup is a team-based drinking game.Two teams of an equal number of players stand on opposite sides of a table, facing one another. The players directly facing are opponents. In front of each teammate is a disposable plastic cup filled with a set amount of beer...

 tournament, beach volleyball

Beach volleyball

Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....

, etc.) where fans had the opportunity to compete with and alongside the artist

Artist

An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...

s.

Hotel Carolina 2009

The 2009 Hotel Carolina event was held September 25 and 26. Friday night’s list of performers included Drew Copeland

Andrew Copeland

Drew Copeland is a member of the band Sister Hazel. He plays baritone, rhythm and acoustic guitar, and sings lead and background vocals for the band. He also originally played harmonica...

 (of Sister Hazel

Sister Hazel

Sister Hazel are an alternative rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style also blends elements of folk rock, pop, classic rock 'n' roll and southern rock. Their music is characterized by highly melodic tunes and generally optimistic lyrics. The band's instrumentation often features abrupt...

), Sara Kelley, Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons

Keaton Simons is a Los Angeles recording and performing artist. He is signed to CBS Records and his music has been featured on shows such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Crash, American Dad!, Harper's Island, and The Cleaner to name a few...

, Andrew Hoover, Josh Hoge, Curtis Peoples, and Ernie Halter. Saturday night’s list of performers included Matt Duke, Jay Nash, Sarah Haze, Gareth Asher, Tony Lucca, Benjy Davis Project, and Tyrone Wells

Tyrone Wells

Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter in the folk-pop genre from Spokane, Washington. His songs have been featured in television shows Tyrone Wells is a singer/songwriter in the folk-pop genre from Spokane, Washington. His songs have been featured in television shows Tyrone Wells is a...

. Saturday’s itinerary also incorporated an all-star

All-star

All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...

 afternoon jam

Jam session

Jam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...

 which included all Hotel Carolina artists with additional special guests JT Spangler, Chardy McEwan (of Pat McGee Band

Pat McGee Band

The Pat McGee Band is a rock band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed by frontman Pat McGee, who attended Longwood University in Farmville, VA. On the heels of his solo release From the Wood in 1995, the Pat McGee Band signed with Warner Bros. Records subsidiary Giant Records in 1999...

), and Roy Jay. Local artists and musically-inclined fans were also encouraged to join the jam session.