Live: Tobacco Road, Penelope Road, & Winyah

The Senate, Columbia, SC | August 21, 2026
Cherry Mac

Three highly anticipated bands took The Senate’s stage on Friday, August 21st in Columbia, SC: Tobacco Road, Penelope Road, and Winyah. The venue was packed with fans pressed against every spare inch of the barricade as they eagerly waited. There was a real sense of community under The Senate’s roof as local and traveling fans shared stories of their favorite songs and last-seen shows of the bands. The night was a true testament to the power music holds to bring people together.

Photographer: Cherry Mac

Tobacco Road opened the night, warming up fans new and established with overwhelming success. The blues-rock band played a short but soulful set with sounds akin to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Fleetwood Mac. Noticeably loud cheers mixed with soulful, 70s-inspired songs as each number built on the last, creating a tangible energy between band and audience.

Penelope Road took the stage next to chants from superfans leaning over the barricade to share the moment with the five-piece band. A synchronistic energy took over The Senate as Penelope Road’s Eagles-era harmonies were mirrored back to them by many who knew every song. The band pulled everyone in with two covers on their setlist: crowd favorite “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears and a version of Olivia Dean that ignited short-lived crowd surfing.

Finally, South Carolina local band Winyah closed out the night with an electric set. From their first song played, “Ignition”, the crowd bounced against the barricade and each other, filling every free space possible to feel the high-powered music they all were waiting for. As the venue heated up, Winyah delivered their southern indie rock with bounding energy across the stage. Halfway through their set, they announced the next song, “Spinning”, released a few weeks prior, with a reminder of their upcoming album. Their sophomore album, Right Here, Right Now, is set for release on September 18, 2026. If you can’t wait the now less than month until the release, Winyah is playing several tour dates from Charlottesville, VA to Isle of Palms, SC leading up to the 18th, where you can hear tracks on the album including “Ignition”, “Spinning”, “Rat Race”, and “Canopy”. You can pre-save the album here.

View our full Winyah gallery.

Photographer: Cherry Mac