Sightsee Shop's Tiny Bus music series showcasing Charleston talent at pop

Wesley Pickell, or DJ Mosaic, spins vinyl during a pop-up event held by Sightsee Shop on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

Under cloudy skies on a recent Sunday, a line meandered out the door of a local coffee shop and down a sidewalk in the Elliottborough neighborhood while old-school soul and funk tunes radiated from a renovated Volkswagen bus on the street corner.

Diego Funes served sizzling empanadas from the grill out back Sightsee Shop, while owners Allyson Sutton and Joel Sadler poured cold brews, chai lattes and cortados for patrons, many suppressing a shimmy to the beat as they waited on their drinks and perused the shop's curated knickknacks — coffee mugs, travel books and art prints.

Co-owner Joel Sadler makes coffee for a customer at Sightsee Shop on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

The aquamarine folding chairs and tables to the right of the converted old Charleston house cycled through with sippers and nibblers enjoying a surprise 70-degree winter day, despite the gray clouds above.

Many wandered over to the bus and to DJ Mosaic, who rotated 45s from a wooden crate onto his two-deck mixer board. Wearing headphones and slinging merch out of the trunk of the bus, Wes Pickell talked between transitions with those interested in either his music or graphic design company, Eyeland Graphics.

Tie-dye and graphic T-shirts representing the brand were available for sale, while stickers and fliers for upcoming events, like Tin Roof's Deep Crates vinyl DJ night on March 10, were handed out for free. By the early afternoon, the stack of stock had dwindled, and Pickell's Venmo account was satiated; Sightsee Shop also compensated him for the event.

Among attendees of the event were Pickell's parents, who promised to give the DJ's car a jump after the show; his battery had died after pulling up. Luckily, the VW bus was running just fine, though it stayed in place for this particular performance.

Wesley Pickell, or DJ Mosaic, takes a break from spinning vinyl to sell a T-shirt during a pop-up event held by Sightsee Shop on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

That's not the case all the time, though. The traveling cream-colored vintage van, painted around the middle with a stripe matching the shade of the shop's outdoor furniture, pops up around town at events with the goal of hosting musicians for short segments.

While Pickell spun vinyl for the majority of the morning, Sutton explained that some artists have only performed for 30 minutes or an hour.

So far, the bus has hosted rapper Clayton James before his move to New York City; a DJ set with Tyrie Young, Charleston City Paper's hip-hop artist of the year; and the Rave Salon, a non-binary and queer local DJ collective; among others.

This collection of pop-up shows has been dubbed the Tiny Bus Series, an ode to NPR's famed Tiny Desk Series, which hosts intimate performances with musicians at the desk of "All Things Considered" radio program host Bob Boilen.

Those stripped-down sets — that have featured artists from Usher to Sting to Lizzo — are filmed and posted online for the world to see.

Sightsee Shop's Sutton loves the format and wanted to host somewhat of a local version.

"The stripped-down, scaled-back setup is such a cool way to really see the artists' talent and personality," said Sutton. "There are no stage effects or anything to distract you, and it makes you feel much more connected to the artist. We wanted to create a similarly intimate way to showcase local musicians. No frills; just their talent and good energy."

While the first installments in the series haven't been videoed, DJ Mosaic was streaming his set on Twitch, an interactive livestreaming service, and Sutton and Sadler have plans for filming future sets with musicians as they drive the bus around town.

Owners Joel Sadler (left) and Allyson Sutton serve coffee to customers at Sightsee Shop on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Charleston. Sightsee has been holding pop-up events, bringing musicians and vendors to their shop. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

Sutton and Sadler have wanted to purchase and convert a VW bus for years now, before they even opened Sightsee Shop in 2019, but it wasn't until they found a local seller on Johns Island in 2021 that their vision began to come alive.

"We're passionate about creating cool experiences and building a sense of community and had a vision for how a VW bus could play a big role in that for our brand," said Sutton. "The puzzle pieces sort of fell into place."

The 1974 bus is named Olive, and she's a beauty, with a surfboard rack up top and a shiny silver VW logo up front. Sutton and Sadler spent two years making necessary renovations and upgrades.

The bus accentuates a theme running throughout the coffee shop: travel.

"Sightsee aims to inspire exploration in all forms," explained Sutton. "Exploring new cities. Exploring your appreciation for coffee and the many hands that make it possible. Exploring the role you play in your community. Exploring how to make the world a better place."

The bus has been an exciting extension of Sightsee Shop's already-in-place pop-ups, which have spanned from local brand debuts to tarot card readings to last year's High Water Festival.

From 3-5 p.m. March 5, the bus will roll up to Graft Wine Shop for a Tiny Bus Series set with DJ Discreet.

Wesley Pickell, or DJ Mosaic, speaks with people on the street while spinning vinyl during a pop-up event held by Sightsee Shop on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, in Charleston. Gavin McIntyre/Staff

"Street music has kept hip-hop music alive," Pickell said from the side door of the VW bus. "As a presentation, doing this on the street, is a really cool idea and sets a vibe."

Pickell has been collecting records and DJing for 20 years. He's originally from northern Virginia and spent some time living in Philadelphia. He settled on Johns Island 12 years ago.

DJing old soul, funk, jazz and hip-hop records is his side hustle, and he's popped up around town for private parties, like at Basic Kitchen and Leon's Oyster Shop, and has played shows at smaller music venues.

While Linda Lyndell's "What A Man" played, Pickell explained his love for old funk and soul music; he remembers an integral moment in building his collection when he bought a box full of 45s, including Aretha Franklin and James Brown, for 50 cents a pop from Mr. K's Used Books, Music and More in North Charleston.

He's since cumulated around 2,500 45s, in addition to at least 5,000 full-size vinyl records. Many of those are hip-hop records, another genre Pickell loves, especially the early stuff from the '70s.

WHAT: Tiny Bus Concert w/ DJ Discreet

WHEN: 3-5 p.m. March 5

WHERE: Graft Wine Shop, 700b King Street

PRICE: Free to attend

MORE INFO: instagram.com/sightseeshop

"Hip-hop changed the DJ game," he said. "Allowing people to rap over those records was totally fresh."

While DJs and rappers have been among the first Tiny Bus Series performers, Sutton said she hopes to host more local musicians and bands down the line, though fitting inside the VW might pose a bit of a challenge.

A tight squeeze in exchange for expanding and bolstering this community effort may be worth it.

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Reach Kalyn Oyer at 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.

Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native and the features editor for The Post and Courier. She's a music festival and concert photographer and avid showgoer who used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper as well as national publications.

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