For years, Jimmy Buffett used the Charleston Music Hall for a week or two at a time to rehearse for his tours in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Bill Murray was spotted in the Hall’s crowd singing along at a Chris Stapleton concert in 2015.
Dave Chappell did four nights of stand-up at the venue in 2017. Danny McBride came out for his pal Adam DeVine’s comedy show there in 2018 right before they started filming Season 1 of “The Righteous Gemstones.” And the Hall had holds for Lizzo to perform before she shot to stardom.
Chelsea Cutler performs at the Charleston Music Hall in 2022.
The Charleston Music Hall first opened its doors in 1995, and many a music legend has graced the stage since then, including Herbie Hancock, Bela Fleck, Doc Watson, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, David Byrne, Stephen Stills and Sam Bush.
After famed bluegrass pioneer Ricky Skaggs spent two nights recording his live album “A Simple Life” at the Hall in 2002, the title track went on to win a Grammy for best country performance in 2004.
There’s too many magical stage moments to mention here, so instead, let’s dive into the history of the venue in honor of its 30th anniversary.
The Charleston Music Hall was formerly a train station in the early 1900s.
Full steam ahead
The Hall’s lobby facing John Street downtown was originally a passenger station for the South Carolina Railroad in 1850. Bennett Hospitality, helmed by hotelier and businessman Michael Bennett, built the venue we know today in 1995, preserving the late-19th century Gothic Revival architecture.
Charles Carmody remembers the first big music act he saw at the Hall was Ryan Adams in 2006, back when he never could have anticipated that he would run that very room.
When he took on the role of director in 2012, he said fireworks went off in his head. As a Charleston native, he felt drawn to the venue that was right in the heart of downtown and reminiscent of a medieval castle.
Carmody helps unload gear for Shovels & Rope as the duo prepares for its recent show at the Charleston Music Hall. Jan. 26, 2014
Back then the Hall was a rental-only facility, and he was over the moon to meet the challenge of transforming it into a producing venue with world-class shows. Today, the Charleston Music Hall hosts more than 200 shows a year.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.postandcourier.com ’
