If you’re looking for music venues in Charleston, SC, then you’ve come to the right place. From restaurants with live jazz music to dive bars hosting indie rock concerts, Charleston has it all. Whether you’re a tourist visiting Charleston for a weekend, or a touring band looking to book a show in Charleston, this page should prove very helpful for you.
On this page you will find a directory of Charleston music venues and other places to see live music. The venues are listed in alphabetical order, and are located both in downtown Charleston and the surrounding area.
The best way to navigate this page is to scroll down until you see a genre you’re interested in, and then read the blurb to find out more. We did our best to include every single restaurant, bar, and of course proper concert venue in Charleston that hosts live music on a regular basis.
If you want to know more about the Charleston music scene, take a stroll around our website. We’ve been covering the local scene here since 2015, and there is a lot of great South Carolina music to be found on Extra Chill if you’re interested. Also check out our Charleston live music calendar, which is always kept up-to-date with almost every concert happening on in Charleston on a given day.
Last updated: 2/26/20
Awendaw Green – Rock / Jam / Folk / Country
Awendaw Green is a longtime staple of the Charleston music scene. The venue itself is location a good distance from downtown Charleston, but the unique vibe and atmosphere makes it well worth the journey out on Highway 17. They host their main weekly event called the Barn Jam just about every Wednesday night year-round, which features both local and touring artists playing outside at the nearby Sewee Outpost. The Barn Jams are BYOB, family-friendly, and dogs are welcome on a leash.
Awendaw Green is not only a music venue, either. They’re also a production company that is involved with the Charleston Bluegrass Festival and many other live music events in Charleston. They even helped us with the stage at the inaugural Extra Chill Fest back in 2018, and were the filming location for one of the coolest all-time music videos to come out of South Carolina, “Expectations” by Human Resources.
4853 U.S. 17 North
Awendaw, SC 29429
(843) 452-1642
[email protected]
The Barrel – Rock / Jam / Funk
The Barrel is an outdoor music venue and craft beer taproom on James Island, located on the beach side of Folly Road. They have a rotating tap selection of 33 different local and regional craft beers, and instead of serving food they bring in local food trucks to keep your appetite at bay. The Barrel is known locally as one of the best places to bring a dog, because there is a fenced-in area where they can roam freely without a leash, while their owners kick back and listen to some feelgood local jams while sipping some of the finest craft beers in the Southeast.
1859 Folly Road
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 732-2337
Barsa – Live Jazz
For great Spanish Tapas and a classy environment with live jazz music in Charleston, SC, look no further than Barsa. Located downtown on the corner of King and Line, this downtown restaurant hosts a live jazz jam with Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz every Thursday night from 7 to 10pm. Recommended for a date night.
630 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-5393
Bay Street Biergarten – Cover Bands / DJs / Occasional Originals
One of the few restaurants in downtown Charleston to feature its very own parking lot, Bay Street Biergarten is a popular hangout on East Bay Street that serves up German-style grub and a commendable beer menu. The restaurant also hosts live music and other events frequently, both inside the large, open-format building and outside on their expansive patio area. It’s not exactly a concert venue, as they do book mostly cover bands and DJs, but you can certainly do worse than to spend your time here. It’s a happening spot.
549 E Bay St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 266-BIER
[email protected]
The Bend – Festivals / Special Events
This beautiful 20-acre outdoor space alongside the Ashley River is dedicated to wildlife preservation and promotion of local culture, and is the former home of the Charleston Bluegrass Festival. In 2017, there was a false start of a series called the Marsh Jam that was ultimately ruined by bad weather. In 2019, the event venue built a large outdoor pavillion area that is covered and honestly extremely nice, though it hasn’t yet passed the hurricane test, and it has mostly been host to private events such as weddings since its completion, so it isn’t truly a music venue at this point in time. I do see potential for public live music events to happen once again at The Bend, though, so it’s worth keeping it on your radar to see what they’re up to.
3775 Azalea Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405
[email protected]
Big Gun Burger Shop – Punk / Hardcore / Hip-Hop
Big Gun is a dive bar and burger joint in an unlikely location for the Charleston of 2020: right in the heart of downtown, just across the street from Marion Square Park. In addition to having some of Charleston’s best burgers and cheapest beers, Big Gun is also a music venue several nights per week. It’s one of the few concert venues in Charleston that favors the heavy stuff, and the tight little space always makes a show at Big Gun a wild experience. They also do karaoke every Monday night, if you’re into dive bar karaoke with a bunch of Charleston’s most glowing personalities.
137 Calhoun St.
Charleston, SC, 29401
(843) 789-3821
Burns Alley – Rock / Punk / Hardcore
Aside from being one of the best dive bars in Charleston, Burns Alley is also a great little concert venue. It’s a small, dark bar, tucked away into an alley off King Street, with cheap beer, bar games, and their infamous wall of fake IDs. In the corner of the room is a small raised stage area that is often host to live, local music. When there isn’t a show or some other kind of special event, Burns Alley is one of the best low-key places to hang out in all of Charleston. It does get wild in there, from time-to-time, and that’s just as fun as when it’s chill. Extra Chill wholeheartedly endorses Burns Alley, both as a music venue and as a dive bar.
354 King St
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 723-6735
[email protected]
Charleston Pour House – All Genres
The Pour House is one of the most popular, and also one of the best music venues in Charleston, SC. They’re located on James Island, and have been ever since 2002. The venue itself has two stages: one large indoor stage, and a smaller one out back on the deck, where they host local Grateful Dead Tribute The Reckoning for free every single Wednesday. The property boasts a decent amount of parking and a large backyard type of space where they host a local farmer’s market every Sunday. There is live music to be enjoyed at the Charleston Pour House just about every night of the week, featuring both local and touring artists.
If you enjoy the music and culture of the Grateful Dead, and the greater psychedelic movement in general, you will find your family at the Charleston Pour House. The Pour House has established themselves over the years as a hub for this, and in the process they’ve become one of the most iconic music venues in the Southeast. Many artists who perform at the Pour House once return again and again, and once you see a show there it’s easy to understand why. It sounds great in there, the lights are trippy, the crowd is always energetic and enthusiastic, and often quite drunk.
In short, the Pour House is a fantastic music venue, and Charleston is proud to have it. If you’re in the area, and you like live music, the Charleston Pour House should be on your to-do list.
1977 Maybank Hwy
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 571-4343
Capacity: 650
Charleston Princess – Boat Venue
Owned by Charleston Harbor Tours, the Charleston Princess is a passenger vessel with three decks that hosts a variety of live music cruises on board. The boat has a capacity of around 300 and the cruises generally run for two or three hours. It’s a great way to see the beautiful Charleston Harbor while listening to live music and enjoying an ice cold beverage.
17 Lockwood Drive
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 722-1112
Charleston Woodlands – Festivals / Special Events
The Charleston Woodlands is a nature preserve located in plantation territory way out on Highway 61 in West Ashley. While there had been a few events there in the past, in 2019 they really kicked into gear as one of Charleston’s premier music festival venues, hosting three of them in one year on the beautiful 6000-acre property: The Woodlands Festival, Into the Woods, and Skinful Halloween. They don’t appear to be slowing down any time soon, as evidenced by the upcoming Charleston Bluegrass Festival 2020.
4279 Ashley River Road
Charleston, SC 29414
(843) 400-3003
[email protected]
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina – Party at the Point
This waterfront hotel is one of the most desirable places to stay in Charleston. With it’s own marina and a beach and boardwalk area, Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina truly has one of the best locations to see live music in the entire city. During the summertime they host Party at the Point featuring local and touring musicians who set up and play concerts on the beach. It’s always a really fun time, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina
20 Patriots Point Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC
(843) 856-0028
1055thebridge.com/tag/party-at-the-point/
Charleston Music Hall – All Genres
The Charleston Music Hall is a beautiful concert theater located right off Upper King Street, not far from its polar opposite, the notorious dive bar AC’s. It’s on the high-end side of things, as its a seated venue (not for long!) in a historic Charleston building, but it has hands-down the best acoustics in town. Every concert that I’ve ever seen at the Charleston Music Hall has been an absolute treat. They bring in mostly bigger artists that would overcrowd a venue like the Pour House, and offer intimate, memorable performances.
They are also as supportive of the local music scene as they could possibly be, without going broke, and host local music events whenever they have a chance. The Charleston Music Hall was the host of the live recording of Charleston activist and musician Benny Starr’s live recording of the groundbreaking A Water Album, which landed the number one spot in our best South Carolina music of 2019 rankings.
I wouldn’t expect a rowdy party from the Charleston Music Hall, although it does happen from time-to-time, and I imagine that might change in the future when they finish the removal of permanent seats from the floor level. That will open up a standing room area that will in tandem open a lot of doors to concert opportunties for the hall, as there are artists out there who don’t want to play a seated venue.
Either way, the Charleston Music Hall as it stands today is already one of the best concert venues in Charleston, and you should check it out.
37 John Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 853-2252
[email protected]
Capacity: 1000
Charleston Tea Plantation – Special Events
This historic plantation on Wadamalaw Island is an absolutely enormous space that is available for special live music events. It’s got some of the most awesome scenery as far as places to see live music in Charleston, and is open year-round for tours. For everyday touring, the Charleston Tea Plantation offers free admission.
6617 Maybank Hwy
Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
(843) 559-0383
Chico Feo – Rock / Jam / Open Mic
Chico Feo is a Caribbean food and live music joint out on Folly beach that has live music a few nights per week, including an open mic every Monday night. They also do some drinking and painting events and their website offers a Folly Beach Surf Report. Check them out on your next beach day.
122 East Ashley
Folly Beach, SC 29439
(843) 906-2710
The Commodore – Funk / Hip-Hop / R&B
Located on the East Side of Downtown Charleston, The Commodore is a music venue owned by the same people that own Palace Hotel, which closed due to a back fire in January 2016, but is now open once again. The Commodore is located in the same building as the former Charleston Jazz club, Touch Of Class, and the interior is mostly the same as it was in the 90s. They bring in mostly local artists to play on the stage in the center of the dimly-lit bar. The place is usually packed on weekends, so get there early if you don’t want to wait in line.
504 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29403
Charleston Grill – Live Jazz
Charleston Grill is a fancy restaurant located in the indoor shopping center on the first floor of the Belmond Charleston Place Hotel. This restaurant offers live jazz music to accompany your dining experience seven days per week. They have a rotating cast of musicians that changes each night, so if you’re looking for live jazz in Charleston, SC, and you have a couple hundred bucks to spend on dinner, then Charleston Grill will provide you with the best of both worlds.
224 King Street
Charleston, South Carolina 29401
(843) 577-4522
Dockery’s – Country / Folk / Blues
Dockery’s is a large, popular restaurant and brewery located on Daniel Island that hosts live music several times per month. In one part of the (did I mention large?) restaurant, there is a stage where musicians and bands will come to play at a reasonable volume during dinner service. Dockery’s also boasts a large, outdoor pavillion area where they host events like Oyster Roasts and such. The place is quite a sight to behold, though I will admit that the crowd at Dockery’s is not likely to be very young, or very hip.
880 Island Park Dr.
Daniel Island, SC 29492
(843) 471-1130
[email protected]
Elliotborough Mini Bar – Acoustic / Open Mic
Located in a comfortable residential neighborhood, Elliotborough Mini Bar is literally as described. It is a tiny little bar that brings in a totally local crowd. This is a very cool place if you’re interested in an intimate setting for live acoustic performances and open mic nights for Charleston’s local musicians.
18 Percy St
Charleston, SC 29403
Frothy Beard Brewery – Rock
Not only does this West Ashley brewery make great beer, but they also often have musicians come in and play while patrons drink. Frothy Beard also has a built-in pizzeria called Zombie Bob’s that makes all sorts of different pies, calzones and salads with a beer-infused crust.
1401 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 872-1075
Fuel – Singer/Songwriter at Happy Hour
Converted into a restaurant from an old gas station, you may have heard of Fuel if you’ve ever found yourself watching Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network. This is one of the best places to grab lunch in Charleston, and their happy hour isn’t too shabby either, especially when they bring in local musicians to set the mood.
211 Rutledge Avenue
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 737-5959
Garage 75 – Rock / Country
Perhaps the coolest thing about Garage 75 is their array of arcade and bar games. There are several pool tables, pinball machines, and many more games to be enjoyed, along with live music and affordable drinks. Garage 75 is easily one of the best bars on James Island.
1175 Folly Rd G
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 225-4030
The Grove at Patriot’s Point – Festivals / Special Events
Nestled in beside the main area of Patriot’s Point and the USS Yorktown stands is The Grove, a popular Charleston concert venue for larger shows and festivals. This is an all outdoor venue with great views and wide open spaces. For everyday use it is a park, but when there’s an event it is converted into an awesome space to see live music.
40 Patriots Point Road
Mt. Pleasant, SC, 29464
(843) 881-5989
Home Team BBQ – Rock / Country / Folk
Boasting some of the best barbecue in Charleston, this restaurant also doubles as a bar and live music venue. Between their three locations (and one in Colorado), there is always something going on at Home Team. They host some bigger, festival-type events with local and out-of-town musicians and also bring in local and touring artists to play several times per week. Most events at Home Team are free, and there’s plenty of parking.
Downtown Location
126 Williman Street
Charleston, SC 29403
West Ashley Location
1205 Ashley River Road
Charleston, SC 29407
Sullivan’s Island Location
2209 Middle Street
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
All locations: (843) 225-7427
JohnKing Grill & Bar – Rock / Open Mic
This central King Street bar boasts reasonable drink prices, decent bar food, and a quiet upstairs music venue that has been known to get pretty rowdy from time to time, whenever a well-known local artist decides to play there. The stage is surprisingly big for a small venue, and the long stretch of wooden planking between the staircase and the stage has an unsettling amount of bounce. JohnKing is certainly an interesting place to see live music in Charleston, SC, but it sometimes plays an important role in helping new artists have their music heard by offering them their first gigs.
428 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 965-5252
Capacity: 90
King Street Public House – Pop / Rock / DJ
And here we have the one of the worst Charleston live music bars, if not the worst bar in genral in the whole city, King Street Public House. This venue is a notorious hangout for Charleston’s frat and sorority crowd. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend going anywhere near this venue if you’re looking for a cool place to hang out in Charleston, but hey, it is what it is. There are many stories to be told about artists and even patrons being burned by this place. If Extra Chill’s word means anything to you, don’t go to Public House. Especially not when you’re in a town with so many better options for both live music and for a bar experience.
549 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 793-3465
Kudu Coffee & Craft Beer – Indie / Singer/Songwriter
Kudu is more of a coffee shop than a music venue, but they have been known to bring in local artists from time to time. When they do have live music, the artist usually plays outside in the awesome patio area. Even if you don’t go there when they have live music, Kudu is one of the coolest places in town, with a great selection of craft beer and coffee, and there are always some great people hanging out in the patio area.
4 Vanderhorst St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 853-7186
Local 616 – Rock / Punk
This dive bar on Meeting Street serves cheap drinks and hosts rock ‘n’ roll shows and comedy open mic on their stage. They have a fenced-in back patio area, pool tables, and late night food. Plenty of parking and an open-minded vibe make Local 616 a favorite watering hole for Charleston locals.
616 Meeting St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 414-7850
Lo-Fi Brewing – Indie / Rock / Jam
This downtown Charleston brewery has nestled itself finely into the Charleston music scene. Not only does Lo-Fi make great beer, they also spin local music in the taproom all the time, and recently they have started to turn the brewery into a part-time warehouse style music venue. Their concerts are always well-thought out, and though they may be infrequent at the moment, if you hear about a concert at Lo-Fi Brewing, it’s probably going to be a good time.
2038 Meeting St.
N. Charleston, SC 29405
Mex 1 Coastal Cantina – Stripped-Down / Acoustic / Folk / Rock
In addition to having some really tasty salsa and commendable Tex-Mex food, Mex 1 Coastal Cantina is also sometimes one of Charleston’s concert venues. They have a series called Mex 1 Sessions, where artists come in to their Sullivan’s Island location for intimate performances that are limited to 100 or so tickets. There are three different Mex 1 locations, and they all do host live music, but the location on Sullivan’s Island is the main hub for their more well-promoted events.
Mex 1 Sullivan’s Island
2205 Middle St.
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
(843) 751-4001
Mex 1 Mt. Pleasant
1109 Park West Blvd.
Mount Pleasant SC, 29466
(843) 352-9699
Mex 1 West Ashley
817 Saint Andrews Blvd.
Charleston SC, 29407
(843) 751-4001
The Mill – All Genres
The Mill is a bar and music venue in the Park Circle neighborhood of North Charleston that used to allow smoking inside, but they have recently changed that rule. While it was part of the place’s charm, they changed it because a smoking venue is a drawback for many. Get yourself a beer and watch live music all night long. If you need to smoke, simply step outside. All shows at The Mill are free, and the kitchen is open until 1am daily, serving up tacos and nachos to go along with your appetite for heavy booze.
1026 E. Montague Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 225-2650
Monster Music & Movies – Special Events
Monster Music is the biggest record store in Charleston, with thousands of records for sale and a little space in the back where they sometimes bring in local or touring artists for intimate in-store performances. The record store has been host to some notable performances including local breakout band SUSTO performing their sophomore album & I’m Fine Today in its entirety the day before the album was officially released.
946 Orleans Rd # 4
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 571-4657
My Father’s Moustache – All Genres
My Father’s Moustache is an English pub in Mt. Pleasant that often hosts live music from local bands. For the soccer (football) fans, MFM is an Arsenal Bar, and serves as a hotspot for many of Charleston’s fans to go and watch the games. They have food specials on gameday, including 10% off your tab for wearing Arsenal gear.
1405 Ben Sawyer Blvd, Ste 103
Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
(843)884-2425
MUSC Health Stadium – Large Concerts
Home of the Charleston Battery soccer team, MUSC Health Stadium is also home to quite a few concerts and events. With a capacity of 5,100 people, this venue is on the larger side of music venues in Charleston. MUSC Health Stadium is also home to the yearly Southern Ground Music and Food Festival, headlined by the Zac Brown Band. Get out there for a soccer game or a concert at some point during your tenure in the Holy City.
1990 Daniel Island Dr
Charleston, SC 29492
(843) 971-4265
Music Farm – All Genres
The Music Farm is a popular music venue in downtown Charleston, and it joins the Charleston Music Hall as one of the two mid-sized venues downtown. Though similar in capacity to the Hall, the vibe at the Music Farm is much more rowdy. This is due in part to the fact that the Music Farm is a standing room venue, but it’s also due to the types of artists that they bring in. The Music Farm is very rarely going for a listening room type of vibe, and we love them for that. They book a lot of reggae, EDM, emo, rock, and hip-hop artists that get are known to get people very excited.
The Music Farm is booked by promotional giant Live Nation, which means that their schedule is mostly filled by whatever Live Nation decides to fill it with. Despite this potential downside to the venue, the Farm does manage to snag some good dates for local shows, set up both in the back area near the bar, known as the Music Farm Den, and when the draw is appropriate, on the main stage.
Now, of course with being such a well-used and well-loved venue for so many years the Music Farm does have its share of problems, sound quality being one of them, but it’s still a great place to catch a show. This is the workhorse of Charleston music venues, and it would be tough to find somebody who has lived in Charleston for more than a few years and hasn’t been to the Music Farm.
32 Ann Street
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-6989
[email protected]
Capacity: 800
North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center – Large Concerts
The North Charleston Coliseum is one of the biggest music venues in the Charleston, SC area. Boasting 14,000 seats, this venue is also home to the South Carolina Stingrays hockey team, as well as a number of other events that take place over the course of a year in Charleston. Chances are if a big name artist comes through the area, this is where they are going to play. Artists such as Drake, Mumford & Sons, and Modest Mouse are some of the bigger names who have played shows at the North Charleston Coliseum, and in 2019 the venue hosted three nights of Phish. The place is big enough to support an artist that consistently sells out shows, and thus it would be ridiculous to imagine them playing at most other venues in town.
5001 Coliseum Drive
North Charleston, SC 29418
(843) 529-5000
Capacity: 14,000
northcharlestoncoliseumpac.com
Omar Shrine Temple – Special Events
Though the Shrine Temple doesn’t host events very often, they do have a few live music events per year, and they are always popular and planned well in advance, and with 16,000 square feet to work with, they have no shortage of space. This includes Chucktown Countdown, their annual New Year’s Eve party that has really made them a contender when it comes to concert venues in Charleston.
176 Patriots Point Rd
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 971-0131
Palmetto Brewery – Rock / Jam
Palmetto Brewery is one of many brewers in Charleston, brewing craft beer and serving it from the tap in their brewery-turned bar. Palmetto Brewery also has a large outdoor patio area with a stage that is often used to host concerts. They mostly bring in local artists, and for these events they also bring in food trucks that park right outside the main entrance and serve food to concertgoers. Palmetto Brewery is definitely worth checking out while you’re in the Charleston, SC area.
289 Huger Street
Charleston, SC, 29403
(843) 937-0903
Planet Follywood – All Genres / Open Mic
Planet Follywood is a beach dive, through and through. It has all the essential elements of a Charleston dive bar, including cheap PBR and just the right amount of grunge and live music several nights per week. If you’re out on Folly Beach and looking for the local dive, then you head to Planet Follywood.
32 Center St
Folly Beach, SC 29439
(843) 588-7380
PURE Theatre – Contemporary Plays / Occasional Live Music
Okay, so this is more of a theater than a concert venue, but PURE Theatre has also been know to host live music events from time-to-time. Even if there isn’t live music happening on a given night, this is an awesome place to catch some of the city’s most talented actors and actresses putting on exceptional performances of contemporary drama.
477 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 723-4444
Prohibition – Live Jazz
Centrally located on King Street in downtown Charleston, Prohibition is a fancy cocktail bar and restaurant that offers live jazz music to accompany their 1920s aesthetic. They make some amazing cocktails at this place, but that of course comes with a price. If you’re looking or a classy night out, Prohibition is a good choice.
547 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 793-2964
The Pub on 61 – Rock / Country
This bar located deep in the heart of West Ashley hosts live music several nights per week, and sometimes on weekends it can feel like a country bar. It is a popular hangout spot for people living in the neighborhoods connected to Highway 61. There is a large selection of local and regional craft beer and bar food at reasonable prices.
2366 Ashley River Rd
Charleston, SC 29414
(843) 737-0072
The Purple Buffalo – All Genres / Eclectic / Off-Beat
Perhaps the quirkiest and most off the beaten path of all Charleston music venues is The Purple Buffalo. The venue is located way up at the end of King St. Extension, just before it merges into North Charleston’s Rivers Ave. It’s location so far out of town kind of gives it an “anything goes” atmosphere, in terms of Charleston’s art and music scene. The walls inside of the Purple Buffalo are decorated with the handmade visual art of both the owner and other local artists, and on the stage inside there are frequently concerts that fall outside the lines of mainstream acceptance.
The Purple Buffalo also boasts a large parking lot behind it, with an entrance through a carport that makes it an incredible venue for small-scale outdoor music festivals. In fact, The Purple Buffalo was the host of Extra Chill’s inaugural music festival, Extra Chill Fest, back in 2018.
Over the past few years, The Purple Buffalo has established itself as a haven for Charleston’s underground hip-hop scene, as well as the hardcore and electronic DJ scene. They’ve become an important player in the Charleston music scene by offering a space for people to be weird, and we’ve spent many a night getting weird out there on Azalea Drive.
2702 Azalea Drive
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 735-8843
facebook.com/thepurplebuffalo843
Que D’Keys Dueling Piano Bar – Covers
This is a fairly pricey spot located in the tourist part of town, but could be fun if you’re looking to enjoy some corny, sing-along type songs played on the piano. I’m talking all the hits, and they take requests. Be warned, you probably won’t find a single local in this place other than the musicians and the bar staff. It is a decent spot though if you’re just looking for live entertainment in Charleston, SC.
32 N Market St, Suite D
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-2474
The Recovery Room – Rock / Punk / Hip-Hop / DJ
Rec Room is a bar that is way up on King Street, known for being the number one seller of PBR in the entire nation. Aside from 12 oz cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, Recovery Room also boasts live music and great late-night dive bar vibes. They’ve got pool tables, pinball, darts, bocce ball and tater tots, and not to mention plenty of Charleston locals. Check out the Recovery Room whenever you’re looking for a cheap PBR and a crazy late night filled with music and the ridiculous antics that Charleston is famous for.
685 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-0999
Red’s Ice House – Cover Bands / Reggae
This is the Shem Creek party spot. If you’re looking for affordable seafood, drinks, and a stunning view, then you’re looking for Red’s Ice House. This is an extremely popular spot for the younger crowd when they make it out to Shem Creek. With plenty of seating, multi-level outdoor decks, and marine life in the creek, Red’s is a great spot to grab a beer, listen to some live music, and watch the sunset.
98 Church St.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 388-0003
Redux Contemporary Art Center – Festivals / Special Events
Redux Contemporary Art Center was at one point located downtown on St. Phillip’s Street, just a few blocks from the College of Charleston campus. In 2017 they moved into a larger space on Upper King St and since then they have continued to serve as a haven for local artists who are looking for studio space or a place to present their work. Redux also hosts occasional live music events, both inside the large building and more predominantly out back in the lot behind the building. Most notably, in 2019 they were the venue for Pabst Blue Ribbon’s annual Dirty Southeast Music Festival.
1056 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 722-0697
Republic Garden & Lounge – Pop / Rock / DJ
This King Street nightclub offers a popular space for Charleston’s sophisticated crowd. Enjoy overpriced drinks and a superficial demographic at this amazing downtown venue. Spend your whole paycheck on a VIP table to get the most that Republic has to offer.
462 King St
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-0999
Riverfront Park – Festivals / Special Events
Home to High Water Festival and Trondossa Festival, Riverfront Park is the go-to venue for music festivals in Charleston. Situated on a 15 acre lot, this space has room for up to 15,000 people with ample parking and an ideal waterfront location. This is the type of music venue that you plan your trip to Charleston around.
1061 Everglades Ave
North Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 308-4746
northcharleston.org/Visitors/Attractions/Riverfront-Park-(1).aspx
The Royal American – All Genres
If you’re looking for the hub of Charleston’s local music scene, you’ll find it at The Royal American. The concert venue and dive bar on the outskirts of downtown has live music most nights per week, and there is usually at least one local on the bill. If not on the bill, then you can guarantee that the crowd is filled with musicians and people who genuinely care about music, for the most part, and it makes for an unbeatable vibe. The Royal American hits all ends of the musical spectrum, from the rowdy and ridiculous to the laid-back and cerebral, so the crowd varies, but there are a bunch of regulars who will be there no matter what, because they just like music and they like hanging out at Royal.
Couple this with affordable beverages and delicious food that while greasy, thinks a bit outside the box of typical late-night bar food, and you get a place called The Royal American. It’s a very special, one-of-a-kind music venue that has been crucial to the growth of the music scene and the fostering of connections within that scene. The venue and its small stage has been a sort of stomping grounds for local bands ever since its opening back in 2011, and its role is only becoming more important as the scene continues to expand.
The Royal American also hosts concerts in their parking lot, which allows them to expand the limited space of their interior stage and bar area, and bring in larger artists and an outdoor stage. Notable parking lot concerts at The Royal American have been The Summer Shindig, Cultura Festival, SUSTO, and Shovels & Rope.
Perhaps you can already tell, but we’re quite fond of The Royal American here at Extra Chill. If you look around this website a bit, you’ll see the name mentioned a whole lot. We’ve been going there for years, and in 2018 we started booking concerts there, including Extra Chill Fest 2019.
The Royal American is the number one music venue in Charleston in terms of getting involed in the local music scene. If you don’t want to get invovled, but would rather just observe, that’s cool too. Just pay the cover and tip your bartender.
970 Morrison Dr
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 817-6925
Capacity: 250
The Sparrow – All Genres
The Sparrow is a dive bar and music venue in Park Circle offering live music almost every night, with the occasional comedy show or other event sprinkled in. They have craft beer on tap from Holy City Brewery as well as other local and regional imports, and plenty of bar games to keep you entertained if the music just isn’t cutting it. The Sparrow is a cool venue to check out if you find yourself in the Park Circle or North Charleston area.
1078 E. Montague Ave
Charleston, SC 29405
(843) 744-7753
facebook.com/thesparrowparkcircle
Surf Bar – Rock / Reggae / Country
For an awesome place to see live music on Folly Beach, head to Surf Bar. It’s a favorite local hangout that has been voted “Best Folly Beach Bar” by the Charleston City Paper for several years in a row. They have a full calendar of live music from both local Charleston bands and touring acts, as well as late night food and some serious character.
103 W Cooper Ave
Folly Beach, SC 29439
(843) 588-2009
Tin Roof – All Genres
Holding down for Charleston music venues in West Ashley is the dive bar, Tin Roof. One of the best things about Tin Roof, other than the $2 PBR, is that they are not afraid to get weird and quirky. Tin Roof frequently hosts drag shows, karaoke, trivia, and of course concerts, and its all tinged with Tin Roof’s brand of Southern grit. Tin Roof is incredibly loud, no matter who’s playing. Perhaps this is from the roof, which is actually made of tin, or maybe all their sound guys just have heavy fingers. Regardless, the loudness fits the atmosphere of the place, which is plastered with stickers from local artists and strung up with ghetto Christmas lights.
Either way, the beer is cheap, and Tin Roof is always a good time. Their booking is a healthy mix of locals and touring artists, and they put on a lot of really interesting events, almost all of them featuring some form of live music.
Tin Roof is also the place where Charleston band Shovels & Rope filmed the music video for their breakout hit “Birmingham”.
1117 Magnolia Road
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 571-0775
Capacity: 200
USS Yorktown – Special Events
The Yorktown is a historic aircraft carrier built near the end of World War Two. It sits in the mud at Patriot’s Point in Mt. Pleasant and serves as a major tourist attraction for the City of Charleston. In addition to its position as a revenue-driver for Charleston, the Yorktown also hosts a few special events per year with live music for occasions such as the 4th of July, New Year’s Eve, and the Cooper River Bridge Run. These are big events planned several months in advance.
40 Patriots Point Road
Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
patriotspoint.org/explore/uss-yorktown/
Volvo Car Stadium – Large Concerts
Volvo Car Stadium, formerly known as Family Circle Stadium, is another very large music venue in Charleston, SC that is also used for large tennis matches and other large events. It’s an outdoor venue with seating for 10,200 people, and they bring in all sorts of big names such as Hootie & The Blowfish, Dave Matthews Band, Kacey Musgraves and many more. Big name artists who come to Charleston often play their shows at Volvo Car Stadium, as they would quickly sell out and overly fill most other venues in the area.
161 Seven Farms Drive
Charleston, SC 29492
(800) 677-2293
The Windjammer – Rock / Jam / Reggae
The Windjammer is a beachfront bar located in beautiful Isle Of Palms. There you will find a restaurant with a beach volleyball court and plenty of live music, including both local and touring musicians. They have been around since the early 70s, and are always known to have a rockin’ party going on. Check out the Windjammer for a great live music venue on the water in the Charleston area.
1008 Ocean Blvd.
Isle Of Palms, SC 29451
(843) 886-8596