Charleston Area Inspiration Guide • Charleston Area Inspiration Guide 2019 • Music from the Hip

The music genre pool is deep and diverse in the Charleston area. You’ll find live music seven days a week at venues ranging from the Clay Center’s Maier Foundation Performance Hall to the open-air amphitheater at Haddad Riverfront Park. Catch an arena show at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center or hoist a local craft beer to a local band at Bluegrass Kitchen.

Mountain Stage, live performance radio recorded on the grounds of the State Capitol, presents emerging musical luminaries and established stars to an international audience of more than 200 National Public Radio stations. Airing since 1983, artists like REM, Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones and Jason Isbell have performed on this iconic show.

Catch Live on the Levee every Friday night between Memorial Day and Labor Day at downtown Charleston’s open-air amphitheater at Haddad Riverfront Park. This weekly concert series is free to the public and features local, regional and national acts. Bring a blanket or chair, a cooler and an appetite, as food trucks and drink vendors line the street above the stage.

Symphony Sunday takes place on the beautiful front lawn of the University of Charleston, directly across from the city’s gold-domed capitol building. This free outdoor festival features food, games and artisans, as well as a concert by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra that concludes with a fireworks display.

Also celebrated on the lawn of the University of Charleston each June, the Wine & Jazz Festival features an array of performers, regional beer and wine, and delicious food. A water taxi takes participants back and forth between Wine & Jazz and downtown FestivALL events.

Multifest celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2019! This three-day August festival features jazz, blues, R&B and hip-hop performances at Charleston’s outdoor amphitheater at Haddad Riverfront Park.

For more than 30 years Charleston’s premiere music bar, Empty Glass, has been showcasing the best in local, regional and national music acts at its poster-plastered East End digs. On nights when Mountain Stage is recording in town, the bar hosts after-show jam sessions featuring performers from the live radio show.

Get out of the seats and up on the stage for Sound Check Sessions at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences. This cabaret-style concert series pairs up-and-coming national acts with favorites from the local scene. You can grab a drink and sit in chairs right on stage, but feel free to get up and dance, too.

You’ll find a mix of Motown, oldies, jazz and country every Friday and Saturday night at Louie’s inside Mardi Gras Casino and Resort. A full-service bar, craft beer selection and a dance floor fronting the performance stage add to Louie’s allure.

Want to see a cool band in a barber shop? Or rock out in a T-shirt store or bakery? Take in a house show presented periodically at Kin Ship Goods, Bully Trap Barber Shop and Rock City Cake Company. These intimate venues sell a limited number of tickets to keep crowds down so everyone can focus on the talent showcased.

Shhh! The Kanawha County Public Library’s Sunday Jams series is one of Charleston’s best-kept secrets. This five-week concert series takes place February through March and features local performers in a relaxed, family- friendly setting. Performances are free and open to the public.

The Historic Alban Theater

The Alban Arts Center is a small arts organization housed in the historic Alban Theater in the heart of downtown St. Albans. Built in 1938 as a movie house, the Alban hosts acclaimed local productions — large and small — as well as visiting touring companies, concerts, movies and other entertainment. In addition to providing theater classes and performances, AAC produces the popular “Shakespeare in the Park” at St. Albans City Park each summer. Theatergoers can enjoy several local restaurants before and after performances in this quaint downtown. albanartscenter.com

Charleston Area Inspiration Guide - Charleston Area Inspiration Guide 2019

Music from the Hip

The Historic Alban Theater

Issue List