Isle Of Palms Magazine April 2018

8 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com B ecause so many people move to Charleston from other places around the country and across the world, it’s often difficult to find a born and bred native of the Holy City. The good news is that one local has not only stuck around but is also doing incredible things in local communities. Dave Brisacher – also known as Big Hair Dave, for obvious reasons – grew up on 41st Avenue in Isle of Palms with his dad, who taught at Laing Middle School for 30 years, and his mom, a newscaster for both Channel 5 and Channel 4. From the Beginning Brisacher’s childhood was like any IOP kid’s growing up in the 80s: lots of surf, sun – oh, and a little thing called Hurricane Hugo. “We had a two-story house during Hugo, and the entire first floor was covered with water and pluff mud. We had no electricity for at least three weeks, and we had to get food and supplies from the Salvation Army. It was obviously a very serious situation, but, as a kid, it was actually kind of an adventure,” he remembered. As he got older, Brisacher started working various jobs around Charleston. A black belt himself, he worked with his dad to help teach tae kwon do to kids at their after-school programs, followed by stints as a carriage tour driver, an extra hand at a boat dock and, ultimately, the place that would make the largest impact in his life: Jack’s Cosmic Dogs. “I met my wife working at Jack’s. I threw her a free hot dog, and, 16 years later, we’re still together.” But the Wando High School student class president and Mr. Wando winner got even more from that time in his life. “We would have huge woods parties with pickup trucks and tons of music, and, honestly, it’s where I really got into marketing. Eventually, the parties would draw in 400 to 500 high school kids, and we saw what was possible with a little hard work,” he said. As Big Hair Dave got older, his taste in music evolved as well, gravitating more toward the sounds of Rasta and hip-hop – and the cultures behind the music. In 2002, Dub Island Sound System was formed, inspired by Jamaican hip-hop. “It was essentially DJs and emcees performing over instrumentals with whoever had the biggest stack of speakers in town. We opened for Damian Marley, played at South by Southwest and had our own regular show at Barrier Island Bar that brought in anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people,” Brisacher pointed out. Branching Out After studying audio engineering, Brisacher got the opportunity to be a production design associate for one of the largest production companies in Charleston, which gave him a solid foundation in all aspects of running major events. Photos by Krysta Chapman. Behind-the-Scenes Dave “Big Hair” Brisacher By Krysta Chapman Action