A FUNKY PLACE TO GATHER, JOIN, HONOR THE ART OF THE LIVE JAM

by Amy C. Balfour

The event calendar for the Charleston Pour House is eclectic. There’s a Sunday Brunch Farmers Market. A weekly yoga class. A monthly drum circle for kids. And every year the Pour House hosts a mural-painting competition that transforms the building’s exterior into a Technicolor wonderland. And we haven’t even mentioned the bands.

“We’re not just a live music venue. We’re not just a bar,” said Alex Harris, who founded the Pour House in 2002 with his friend, and now wife, Vanessa. “We’re a community hub.”

A James Island stalwart that celebrated its 20th anniversary on Labor Day weekend, the Pour House is one of the top live music venues in the South. The popular club hosts local, regional, national, and international acts on two stages – one indoors and another on the large outdoor deck – and there’s live music every day of the week.

The bands represent just about every genre, with bluegrass, alt-country, roots, hip-hop, soul, and rock-n-roll acts regularly on the schedule. You might also catch classic cosmic country, jazz fusion, neo-psychedelia, and a thumping array of funk, from afro to Appalachian to swamp.

Recurring shows include a Wednesday night jam by The Reckoning, a Grateful Dead tribute band that has played at the Pour House since 2010. “We have loads of people come every week for that,” said Harris. “They just worked out this huge repertoire of Dead songs, and they mix it up like the Dead did. And they do a different set list every week.”

Another popular weekly show is the Motown Throwdown, which overlaps with the Sunday Brunch Farmers Market. “We have a band that plays Motown music, and it’s just this supergroup of local musicians who come together,” said Harris. And the scene? “It’s just packed. It’s super busy.”

The Farmers Market, which hosts more than 40 vendors, runs 11am to 3pm on Sundays. Live music and food trucks are on the scene too. The Motown Throwdown begins around 1pm.

For big-name acts, the Pour House is now hosting outdoor shows that sprawl across the back parking lot. “We bring in a stage and port-o-johns and set up bars outside,” said Harris. The venue shuttles passengers from off-site parking lots to the pop-up party.

Harris attributes the venue’s longevity to hard work and its dedicated employees. “It’s my wife and I. We don’t have any backing partners. Our partners are our employees, and they’re also our family,” said Harris. “We don’t have a lot of turnover. We care about the people who work here. It’s just a real mom-and pop.”

Success didn’t come overnight. “It wasn’t always the way that it is now. It’s been slow growth. It’s been consistency and continuing to work at making things better the whole time,” said Harris, who’s been juggling improvements this summer, from refinishing the floors in the bathroom to replacing backboards on the outdoor deck.

Another reason to visit the Pour House? The food, which is available from two on-site eateries. Helmed by chef and owner David Schuttenberg, Kwei Fei showcases dishes from the Sichuan province in western China.

Nibble on pre-show dumplings and spicy noodles, or visit just to relax and appreciate the spicy entrees. The hot-off-the-wok flank steak sizzles in a fermented chili broth with toasted garlic, toasted ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns. You’ll find several vegan and gluten-free options on the menu too.

“They were doing pop-ups downtown at a place called The Daily. My whole family would go in there and eat. That’s how we met them. We invited them to come do pop-ups here while our restaurant was closed, and the timing was right,” said Harris. “We’re the landlord, but we’re here every day working. It’s a mutually agreeable situation.”

Street food gets a global twist at Root Note, which occupies a 40ft shipping container on the deck. Look for an adobo-smoked pork grilled cheese on Texas toast, red curry chicken tacos, and a gluten-free veggie rice bowl on the menu. Root Note opens at 5pm daily.

The Pour House lives up to its name when it comes to beverages, with 12 taps inside, six on the deck, and a drink menu featuring more than 80 different beers, ciders, seltzers, and hard kombuchas. There’s a frozen drink machine on the deck that swirls up a rotating selection of frozen cocktails – just right for an afternoon of live music on a coastal island.

Tying it all together? The murals. Splashed across the walls of the Pour House and nearby buildings, the 8x10 ft paintings are the winning submissions in an annual competition sponsored by the Pour House and Redux Contemporary Art Center, a local non-profit organization dedicated to supporting contemporary artists. The selected artists are let loose over a week-long span to paint their murals on one of 23 designated spaces.

“We give prizes to the top three. Money and free entry,” said Harris. “So the building is always changing its look.”

The Pour House motto is Love. Live. Music. A concept that has helped it thrive for twenty years. If the passion of Harris and his team continues, it’s likely to remain a community hub and music destination for another twenty years. “

For years and years and years, [we’ve been] trying to make things better. Trying to make everything that happens here better. Trying to make the experience for everyone that comes into contact with the Pour House better,” said Harris. “I think that is appreciated by people.”

The Pour House is located at 1977 Maybank Hwy on James Island about 15 minutes from downtown Charleston. Doors typically open at 5pm for shows on the Deck and from 8 to 9pm for shows on the Main Stage. Some shows are free but most cost $5 to $25. National acts like the Infamous Stringdusters run $35 to $40.