Thursday, Dec. 01, 2011

If you’re making noise, you’re making money

Paul Grimshaw.

 

You’ve got to admire their tenacity. Whose tenacity? The long list of long-suffering bands, artists, and club owners attempting to create, recreate, and breathe some sort of life into a seemingly disinclined original music scene in Myrtle Beach. The latest club to tempt fate is the Sound Hole, a music venue/bar in downtown Myrtle Beach with a permanent P.A. system, a dedicated stage area, and a husband-and-wife team who work the bar, manage the business and love live, original rock ’n’ roll.

Owners Robert Rowell and his wife Shellie Rowell were both behind the bar during last week’s BBQ of Brutality, a five-band show that featured Nothing (Whiteville, N.C.), With Intent (Charleston), and Myrtle Beach acts Prowler, Circles In Autumn, and The Creepshow MoFo. “We have bands every Friday and Saturday,” said Robert Rowell. “We love anything rock ’n’ roll.”

The Sound Hole, which opened Oct. 29 at 1004 Chester Street, will be familiar to some locals who’ve visited in one of its past lives (the original Rainbow House, Two Dollar Bill’s, the Animal House, and others). The nearly 80-year-old house-turned bar/music venue oozes character, and dark rock ’n’ roll ambience. Outside the simple structure is white with blood-red trim – an ordinary looking home. Inside most of the walls are painted high-gloss black, fitting for the young crowd and bands (many in costume) at the BBQ of Brutality. With its metal motif retrofit, the bar felt like a freaky rock ’n’ roll haunted house, which I suspect was just what the Rowells were going for.

With a bit more than 30 days under its belt, the business is showing real potential, and if last week’s show was any indication, the Sound Hole has a shot at being a viable new home for young bands plying original material. “We’re slowly building,” said Shellie Rowell, a pretty woman whose face piercings, pink and black hair and tattoos helped her fit in with many of the patrons she was serving. If the anemic original music scene here in Myrtle Beach is terminal, as some have suggested, then the Rowells didn’t get the memo.

Plenty of adults mixed with the well-marked under-aged who roamed the multiple rooms (one with a pool table) and spacious open-air patio deck in back. “We’ve had a real good relationship with the police,” said Robert Rowell, who remembers things got a little dicey when the bar was The Animal House, a late-night venue in which he worked. “It [The Animal House] had a bit of a reputation,” he said. “So we went to the City of Myrtle Beach Police and said ‘We are not them. We are completely new.’ We invited them in, and have been open about everything. We’ve had a really good working relationship, and haven’t given them any reason to [worry].”

Friday’s music line-up at the Sound Hole was undetermined as of press time, but Saturday will feature Plus One, and The Izm, fresh off its battle of the bands win at Butter’s Pub, which no longer hosts live rock shows. Just as bands had found a new home in Socastee, after the closing of the Socastee Music Station, Butter’s, a sports bar/restaurant (and now former live music venue), has become the latest to pull rock ’n’ roll from its offerings. Butter’s canceled shows and removed its stage not long ago, without much comment. An employee stated last Monday, “One of the owners didn’t want [late-night music] anymore.” Another stated, “We’ll start up again with live music in the spring.” I guess we’ll see.

But the dream dies hard in Myrtle Beach.

Just before the Socastee Music Station pulled the plug on its live music, it hosted dozens of shows – some quite large – and even a fundraiser to put in a permanent “community” P.A. system, as it was called by the bands that played there. That P.A. is now at the Sound Hole, serving the bands and fans that helped purchase it.

“We got the P.A. system from The Music Station,” said Robert Rowell. “The majority of the P.A. is that same community system.” Guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Chris King, or Patrick Best (Prowler), usually run sound. In addition to the weekend multi-band shows, the Sound Hole and King host open jams on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The venue also offers a variety of bar food items priced perfectly for younger patrons without deep pockets. French Fries for $1, burgers around $5, Chicken Fingers for $3.50 and a few creative, upscale offerings as well.

Open every day except Sunday, the Sound Hole has palpable energy and can get raucous. When the landlord, who lives next door, was approached by the Rowells, apologetic for a particularly loud evening, he commented, “If you’re making noise, you’re making money.”

That’s a good sign.

Have a thought, comment or newsworthy item for Weekly Surge Music Notes? Send an e-mail to pgrimshaw@sc.rr.com.