We’d heard whispers of a mysterious new venue called Purple Buffalo for a while — first from these local superfans we spoke with a few months back, and again from Black Dave, who had to move his Charleston Hype hip-hop showcase there at the beginning of November, before it had even officially opened.

Then on Sat. Nov. 19, the Purple Buffalo – at 2702 Azalea Drive — had its grand opening, complete with Roti Rolls and Red Rose Vintage parked out front.  tomatoband and Contour performed as late-night revelers packed every inch of the warehouse-like space, which looks a lot like a much bigger and even artsier King Dusko. That’s because Dan Dickey, formerly of Dusko, is also the man behind Purple Buffalo.

“As it turns out, Dan actually was in part responsible for the beginning of my career in organizing shows when he was still in ownership of King Dusko, so I’m really happy to see that he’s back in a position where he can offer artists a platform,” says Khari Lucas, a.k.a. Contour, who’s also a fan of the look of the new venue. The space is accented at every turn with Dickey’s signature art pieces: paint-splattered canvas, a lawn mower, surfboards, and more.

“I think the atmosphere is going to be really good for all kinds of shows and art-related events, and I encourage anybody with ideas that might be struggling to find a place to host them to pay the Purple Buffalo a visit,” Lucas says. “I do think that the community is still in need of more all-ages spaces, but when I spoke with him about it he told me that becoming all-ages was a definite goal for the venue, so I hope we see that become a reality.”

Oh, and if you pull up to the venue and find that it looks exactly like an office building, that’s because it is. By day, the building is kept busy upstairs by the guys at Cantey Technology firm.

But on nights and weekends, the Purple Buffalo takes over, and Dickey says he’ll host outdoor events like concerts, food truck rodeos, and pop-ups (be it art, fashion, and more) in the near future.

With the Purple Buffalo landing a couple of miles north of NoMo, some folks were worried that the location was too far from the action of downtown Charleston — but from what we’ve seen so far, the North Chuck address is no obstacle, particularly since it’s so accessible for residents of North Charleston and West Ashley. And the big plus? Plenty of parking.

As for the venue’s next events, here’s what’s on the calendar: A Riley Randall (SEE WATER) solo set this Thursday, Sondorblue with Whitehall and Patrick Tobias (Mr Rosewater) on Friday eve, Charleston Hype’s #supercypher/hip-hop show on Saturday night, and a Christmas party on Thurs. Dec. 8. New Year’s Eve plans will be announced soon.

And as we speak, the venue is serving up $1 PBRs, soooo BRB — goin’ where the buffalo roam.

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