Tour Stop: Charleston, SC

When you think of Charleston, South Carolina, music is hardly the first thing that comes to mind. You probably conjure images of beautiful beaches, historic buildings, carriage rides, mint juleps and Rhett Butler. However, in addition to being one of the most picturesque old southern towns, Charleston is home to a burgeoning music scene that's not to be ignored. The city and surrounding suburbs boast a mass of music venues that feature music ranging from the blues and bluegrass to good old rock 'n' roll. This year marked the inauguration of the hugely successful Charleston Music and Heritage Festival, AKA Chazzfest, on Charleston's Daniel Island. The festival attracted the likes of music legends Al Green and Buddy Guy as well as southern rockers Drive-By Truckers, who are quickly becoming legends in their own right. While brimming with antebellum charm, Charleston has lately given rise to many up-and-coming acts like Handgun Sonata, Leslie, Carry Ann Hearst and The Explorer's Club. Any musician touring the Southeast or up the entire East Coast should take the time to discover what this beautiful old town has to offer, both in the clubs and on the beaches.

Book a Gig: Venues

A Dough Re Mi Pizzeria
1220 Ben Sawyer Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 881-6989
www.adoughremi.com
This retro pizza joint located in a suburb of downtown Charleston doubles as a popular bar and music venue by night. The pizzeria serves New York Style pizza with a variety of specialty toppings as well as salads, subs, calzones, gyros and wings for non-pizza lovers. The bar features pinball and video games as well as two pool tables in a private room right next to the stage. For information about booking, call the venue or email adoughremi@adoughremi.com.

Cumberland's
301 King St.
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 577-9469
www.cumberlands.net
Nestled in the heart of downtown Charleston, Cumberland's is a popular no-frills bar and grill. The grill serves up standard bar fare for lunch, dinner and late night snacks. The management books a variety of local and out-of-town ska, rock, indie, punk and jam bands. To inquire about booking, call (843) 577-4085 on Tuesday or Thursday from 3PM to 6PM or fill out the booking form on the website. The venue does not accept electronic press kits, but hard press kits can be mailed to Johnny's attention at the address listed above.

Johnson's Pub
12 Cumberland St.
Charleston, SC 29401
(843) 958-0662
This pub and restaurant serves up great music and great food. Known for some of the best burgers in town, the restaurant offers upscale versions of traditional pub food. Johnson's Pub doesn't have a web site so call the number listed above for more information about booking.

The Map Room
1650 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
Charleston, SC 29407
(843) 769-6336
www.themaproom.net
Located in the Village Square shopping center in West Ashley, The Map Room is a live venue and restaurant that has an extensive list of beers on tap. The venue hosts national, regional and local musicians several nights a week in genres ranging from rock and pop to blues and jazz and rarely charges a cover. For information about booking, email adam@themaproom.net. Promotional materials can be mailed to Adam Davidson's attention at the venue address listed above.

The Pour House
1977 Maybank Hwy.
Charleston, SC 29412
(843) 571-4343
www.charlestonpourhouse.com
This laid-back Bohemian beer hall features funk bands, jazz, blues, rock and more. For booking information, contact owner Alex Harris at alex@charlestonpourhouse.com. Interested bands and artists can also find an online booking form on the venue's Web page.

Village Tavern
1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 884-6311
www.village-tavern.com
A major supporter of local and independent music, The Village Tavern in Mt. Pleasant is known for its friendly bar staff and impressive beer list. The bar serves food until late into the night and features pool tables and video games to kill time. Shows range from all ages to 18+. For information about booking, call Trey or send him an email at trey@village-tavern.com.

Promote a GIG: Media

The Charleston City Paper
1049 B Morrison Drive
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 577-5304
www.charlestoncitypaper.com
Charleston's alt-weekly features an extensive music section both online and in the paper edition. Each week, in addition to a live music calendar, the paper runs several feature articles on visiting music acts along with venue information and the time and date of the show. The "Sound Checks" section provides shorter write-ups of other bands and artists playing in town that week. City Paper's website features alphabetical guides to all the area venues with contact information and a directory of local musicians. The music editor is T. Ballard Lesemann, who can be reached at extension 118 or by email at ballard@charlestoncitypaper.com.

96 Wave, 96.1FM/WAVF
Apex Broadcasting
2294 Clements Ferry Rd.
Charleston, SC 29492
(843) 972-1100
www.96wave.com
On Sunday nights, the Charleston area's alternative rock station, 96 Wave, airs a show called The Cutting Edge, hosted by station DJ Bryant Stowe. The weekly show, which airs from 9PM to midnight, features both new and local music. For more information about getting your music aired on The Cutting Edge, email thecuttingedge@knology.net.

98X, 98.1FM/WYBB
59 Windermere Blvd.
Charleston, SC 29407
www.98xonline.com
Charleston's dirty rock station, 98X, airs a local music show featuring local and regional rock called Local X. Hosted by Amy Hutto, Local X airs each Sunday from 8PM to 11PM. To get your music on Local X, mail CD and press kit to the address above. For more information, email localx@hotmail.com.

Gear/ Repairs

Ye Olde Music Shop
1276 Yeamans Hall Rd.
Hanahan, SC 29406
(843) 747-0014
www.yeoldemusicshop.com
According to owner Michael Davis, Ye Olde Music Shop handles all sorts of last minute and not-so-last minute gear repairs on just about anything. The store is open from 10AM to 6PM Monday through Friday and from 10AM to 5PM on Saturday. If you have an after-hours emergency, try the store's toll-free number, 1 (800) 734-9199.

Mt. Pleasant Music
217 Lucas St.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
(843) 849-1004
www.mtpleasantmusic-sc.com
Mt. Pleasant Music is the Charleston area's only full-line music store. In addition to selling and renting instruments and equipment, the store also handles gear repair. The store hours are Monday through Friday from 10AM to 6PM and Saturday 10AM to 5PM.