The Charleston Music Hall has been one of the city’s most popular concert venues for 30 years.
The former train depot on John Street is in its third decade of bringing top notch entertainers and local stars to its stage, including Keb’ Mo,’ Shovels & Rope, Ranky Tanky, Silversun Pickups, Blackberry Smoke, comedians Ms. Pat and Bill Burr and many more.
The 1,200-capacity Music Hall has also been home to plenty of events that connect to the community, including an annual Blue Dogs Homecoming Show to raise money for MUSC, multiple Charleston Ballet and Charleston Jazz Orchestra performances, periodic PechaKucha shows and YALL Fest, the young adult book festival every November.
“I have so much gratitude for all the amazing musicians and artists who have performed in this venue,” said the hall’s executive director Charles Carmody. “I’m grateful to be a part of this building’s history. I’m grateful for the staff and for this community.
“When I first took the job in 2012, I’d just sit on the empty stage at night and feel this sense of wonder. I still feel that wonder today.”
Thirty years as a popular venue is a long time for any locationt to thrive, and Carmody said he and his staff constantly work so that the Music Hall can evolve.
“One big change we’ve done recently is make our orchestra seats removable,” he said. “That change helped us to diversify our lineup and appeal to a younger audience. We still host around 180 seated shows a year, but we’ve added 40 standing shows with Thundercat, Chelsea Cutler, Noah Kahan, Beartooth, Primus and Tyler Childers, to name a few.”
Carmody said he’s already thinking about the Charleston Music Hall’s next 30 years.
“We’re going to continue focusing on diverse programming and serving our fans and artists,” he said. “And I want to create more relationships with other businesses and organizations in the city. We’re strongest when we all work together.”
13 years of memories
Carmody’s favorite Music Hall moments:
Great supporter – “Bill [Murray] has been a regular patron over the years. From buying 40 tickets to Steeldrivers and handing them out to people on the street to convincing Dawes to skip soundcheck and go to a RiverDogs game with him, he’s just the best.”
Fishy tale – “Getting fish for (comedian) Marc Maron at Coast. He said he was a fish connoisseur. And he loved it.”
Finding space – “Parking buses in the empty lot by the U-Haul on King Street. It’s been funny trying to figure out where and how to park all the buses and semi-trucks over the years.”
Packed house – “John Legend playing at the Elizabeth Warren event. We had to turn away a thousand people.”
Word from a legend – “Peter Frampton saying it was one of the best sounding rooms he ever played in.”
Around the block – “Helping produce YALL Fest for 13 years. We’ve often had lines around the building at 7 a.m. for the keynote speakers. I also got to meet R.L. Stine, author of the beloved Goosebumps series, which was an important moment for 8-year-old Charles.”
Concert – “Jump Little Children’s concert with the Charleston Symphony.”
Tributes – “The artists who have performed at the venue and since passed: Dr. John, Leon Russell, Justin Townes Earle, Gregg Allman, Jeanne Robertson, Kris Kristofferson and Gordon Lightfoot to name a few.”
Long nights – “Dave Chappelle did two nights in 2017. They partied in the venue until 5 a.m. both nights and were the best with our staff.”
Downtown attraction – “Getting to watch all of these artists experience Charleston is great. A lot of the places they will play won’t be in the center of the city. They’ll be performing arts centers next to a shopping center. But here, they step off the bus and are in the heart of Charleston.”
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