DIY punk subculture can be hard to find among the palmetto-lined parkways of preppy, pristine Charleston, but one teenager is trying to change that.
Tucker McManus, the 16-year-old daughter of Hed Hi Studio owner Tim McManus, has been privy to many an art show and concert at the headquarters for her dad’s video production company in downtown Charleston.
By day, “Southern Charm” has shot promo ads there. By night, a giant octopus with moveable tentacles has poured Miller Lite into someone’s open mouth and fuzzy stuffed animal seagulls have soared through the room on ceiling strings. Projectors have cast art films on white walls, a skateboard that’s also a clock has ticked away and a band called Beer has unleashed a thrilling, thrashing set of egg punk to a packed house.
The space has hosted dozens of art exhibits, typically on display for one night only and sometimes accompanied by an open bar and live music. It’s a place for whimsy and imagination to let loose, for those who might not get a frame in a traditional art gallery to be put on display, for a collective appreciation for the weird, wacky and wonderful to come alive.
And Tucker McManus has been there for a good chunk of it, befriending Charleston’s underground visual artists along the way while gabbing about her and her dad’s shared love of punk bands that they’ve traveled the country to see live together.
Minor Threat
The old soul but now-junior at Academic Magnet High School decided it was time for her fellow teenagers to get a shot at a showcase, which is why from 5-10 p.m. on Oct. 18 she’s hosting an all-youth art and music exhibition called “Minor Threat.”
It’s named after the D.C. teenage punk band from the ’80s known for their DIY spirit and creation of the straight-edge movement. McManus is hoping to translate that retro attitude to modern-day Charleston. She wants to create a community of younger people who have shared interests in art and music and who want to make an impact.
“My biggest influences have been going to shows with my dad, the local art scene, and music and activism, especially the ’70s punk movement,” said McManus.
So far, McManus has secured five bands and about 15 visual artists, all under 18 years old, for the show. Several of them met up at the studio about a month ahead of their big Hed Hi debut to mingle with each other, snack on D’Al’s Pizza and for one band to practice a few of their songs.
In an oversized tee, baggy jeans and with a shag haircut, McManus played host to some kids she was just meeting for the first time — teenagers from Wando, School of the Arts, Ashley Ridge, James Island and more. Others she knew from Magnet. All, she greeted warmly.
Laine Edwards, 16, was among those who gathered, the photo editor for Wando’s photography department. Her photography has been showcased before at ArtFields, a huge annual arts festival in Lake City.
When she first saw an ad for Minor Threat, she thought it was a scam. There aren’t a ton of opportunities for high school artists around town, she said. But then McManus texted her back, and the ball was rolling. She’s most excited to see everyone else’s art, as well as to get her own name out there in the scene.
Sam Harris, Grey Harlos and Ty McGinnis are the members of New Dirty Shoes, a jam and Southern rock band that’s been together for about five months. Halos’ mom spotted a flyer advertising the show, and the high schoolers applied. So far, they’ve played a couple private parties and on the Charleston Pour House deck. They said this will be a great opportunity for exposure, and it’s not every day this shot comes around.
“I love music and art coming together for this,” said McGinnis. “I haven’t really seen anything like this around town.”
Athan Tawes, 17, is a painter whose surf art will be on display at the show. Inspired by Charleston’s own surf culture and a love for the water sport, Tawes decided to turn the passion into art.
“It definitely gives people our age the chance to show off our art,” said Tawes. “We’re usually just doing it in class.”
Post-COVID coming together
One of the first thing McManus brought up is nepotism. She admits that she’s privileged in being able to host this show at her dad’s studio. She knows that her time spent traveling for concerts isn’t something everybody gets to do. She also isn’t using her family ties to showcase her own art but give the spotlight instead to others.
“I genuinely would not be doing this without the opportunities that have been given to me,” she said. “Barely any kids my age have stuff like this, a studio at their disposal. But I wanted to do what I could with the resources I had.”
McManus is hoping to carve space for others her age, all while surrounding herself with creative people. She’s passionate about music, about community and about a shared bond through art.
She’s also longing for deep connection in the post-COVID age of surface-level social media. She was in fifth grade when COVID seemed to dismantle the world and changed the way people communicated and socialized.
“TikTok is now peoples’ personalities,” McManus shared. “People are just always on their phone now. Everyone has originality, but it’s been lost a little in a social media world. There’s this divide between superficiality and real life.”
She’s hoping the real-life shared experience of Minor Threat will help break through the screen.
“I hope people can get together outside of school and not get worried about the social situation — not worry if they’re too loud or too quiet or if their hair’s weird … or be afraid to do anything in case it’s posted on Snapchat,” she added. “Everything’s already so hard when you’re 16, everything is dramatic. I feel like social media just magnifies it.”