Rumors of the Music Farm’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The downtown Charleston music venue, which many assumed had permanently closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has new life courtesy of a partnership between the Charleston Music Hall, Frank Productions, National Shows 2 (NS2), and Live Nation. The organizations have signed an operating agreement with Homegrown Hospitality Group, the owners of the Music Farm.
The new team says they are “thrilled about this new opportunity to cultivate and grow the arts community in Charleston by increasing the number of shows at the venue while also diversifying the programming.” Their plan is to renovate the Music Farm and reopen it in 2022.
Renovations and modifications to the club are already underway and include reducing the capacity to a 650 maximum, installing brand new air conditioning units, replacing the sound system, adding additional acoustic treatments to the room, and upgrading artist amenities. The newly renovated, multi-purpose space will allow for live music, private event rentals – such as weddings, corporate events, and community fundraisers – comedy shows, themed dance nights, and more.
In addition, the team announced that The Royal American will be running the kitchen at the Music Farm. They will be serving food for concert goers at every show and will also have a window open on Ann Street with seating so late night King Street bar hoppers can stop by and grab some food. The menu is still to be determined, but attendees can expect to see some Royal American staples.
“The Music Farm is one of the most important venues in the City of Charleston and has been since the early 90s,” said Charles Carmody, director of the Charleston Music Hall. “I fell in love with live music in this room in High School, and it is a dream come true to now be working with an amazing team to bring the Farm back to life. We plan to utilize the space to grow local artists as well as welcome new and diverse touring artists to the city.”
Jerry Scheer with the Homegrown Hospitality Group said he was excited about the news.
“As former co-owners of the Music Farm business and current landlords of the Music Farm venue, we cannot be more excited to be handing the baton to a community based group such as Frank Productions,” Scheer said. “We feel they will move the Music Farm forward while still paying respect to the history of the venue. We are looking forward to being part of the Music Farm becoming a new tradition.”
The new Music Farm logo (above right) were designed by local Charleston artist Gil Shuler, who also created the original poster designs when the Music Farm first opened in 1991.
