Musician McKenzie Eddy can now add another title to her resumé: entrepreneur. With the recent opening of King Dusko at 541 King St., Eddy marks her first Holy City venture into the art gallery, coffee shop, music venue, and bar business. Indeed, the new Upper King biz is as eclectic as Eddy’s music, a mash-up of hip-hop, jam, old-timey, and folk.
Although King Dusko was originally intended to be an art gallery, today it’s a creative space that hosts events surrounding art and music. The inside art gallery houses oil paintings and sculptures created by local artists such as Sarah Haynes and Casey Cohoon. Behind the gallery, Eddy and company have created a beer garden with a stage for musicians, from DJs to hip-hoppers to singer-songwriters.
However, Eddy is particularly excited about one upcoming performance, an intimate 50-person show by Angie Aparo June 9 inside the gallery. “Angie and I met through a mutual friend, but I’ve always known of him growing up on Hilton Head,” Eddy says. “We’re good friends. He’s someone I can talk to about the industry. He’s always been a mentor for me.”
In addition to running Dusko and booking performances, Eddy also plans on releasing a new collection, one that’ll differ greatly from her previous album, the very cool Slow Your Horses Down, Son. The new disc will feature collaborations with Aparo and Cranford and Son’s John Cranford and a handful of piano-driven songs. Eddy hopes to release the collection this summer.
As for King Dusko, Eddy hopes to begin pressing vinyl at the venue and releasing records to the public, much like Jack White’s Third Man Records shop in Nashville.
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