Cover Story | Entertainment changes, upcoming festivals and events in Myrtle Beach
The entertainment landscape in Myrtle Beach is evolving this year. While there is already a plethora of venues to hear live music or catch a show, restaurants to tempt our taste buds, and attractions to thrill us, more are on the way this spring and summer.
DOWNTOWN MYRTLE BEACH
Downtown Myrtle Beach, once a family friendly hub and home to the Myrtle Beach Pavilion, is now the center for all-ages entertainment. Along with the growing popularity of the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade, each year new restaurants, attractions, festivals, parades, and concerts pack the area, and this year is no different.
The Bondfire Restaurant Group, innovators behind the popular ART Burger Sushi Bar and The Chemist, will open two new restaurants downtown this year: The Edge Restaurant and Gordo’s Tacos and Tequila.
Coming in April, The Edge Restaurant will offer diners contemporary American cuisine, including USDA prime steaks, seafood, and tender chops, with their usual flair for dramatic presentation. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the eatery will be located in Wyndam Vacation Rentals’ Bali Bay Resort.
Taco and tequila enthusiasts can rejoice in May when Gordo’s Tacos and Tequila plans to open its doors. Situated on the corner opposite The Chemist, this festive eatery will offer diners an outdoor seating option and a menu featuring 50 gourmet taco offerings and 50 varieties of tequila.
Larry Bond, president of Bondfire Restaurant Group, cites his inspiration for the restaurant to Cynthia Berain, a childhood friend he met when he was 15 years old in Fayetteville, N.C., and her parents, Sonia and Ricardo Berain.
Bond says the Berain’s moved from Monterrey, Mexico with the idea of a producing a machine to make tortillas wholesale for restaurants, and it was the Berain’s who first taught him to make masa (dough) for tortillas.
“The first time they invited me to eat a real, authentic taco I knew that I would one day own my own taco restaurant so I could share them with all of my friends. It was very different than anything I had ever tried,” says Bond. “They taught me how to marinate the meat, and what you serve it with, like onions and cilantro, how to prepare the real salsa, and how to make the tortillas and chips completely from scratch. They called the chips by its original name- totopos.”
Cooking together several times, Bond says they introduced him to their favorite traditional taco, barbacoa, made with cow tongue.
“I had real authentic Mexican food,” says Bond. “And it was incredible. I can't wait to offer this experience in the downtown Myrtle Beach area.”
The Bondfire Restaurant Group is also re-opening The Noizy Oyster on South Kings Highway this month. The group has remodeled the eatery to add their signature flair to the menu and décor; it will feature a new look, along with a menu filled with lowcountry favorites and new items. Diners can enjoy classic dishes including she crab soup and fried oysters, or dine on one of their new menu items which include seafood nachos, lobster rolls, and boutique oysters shucked by hand as you order.
FESTIVALS
Along with anticipated new eateries, downtown Myrtle Beach’s calendar is also full of exciting festivals this spring and summer.
California Roots: The Carolina Sessions- April 9
Originally scheduled for October 3, 2015, the historic rainfall that hit the area that weekend caused the show to be rescheduled to April 9, 2016. According to their website, ticket holders from the original date will be honored at the new festival date to be held on the grounds of the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion.
The Carolina Sessions started in Wilmington, NC in 2013, and is an extension of the California Roots Music and Arts Festival held each year in Monterey, California.
Each year a collection of reggae rock bands hit the stage for a day filled with ‘sweet vibes’. This year, festival goers can enjoy the sounds of 311, SOJA, Stick Figure, Passafire, The Movement, Fortunate Youth, New Kingston, Fear Nuttin Band, and many more.
For tickets and more information, visit californiarootscarolina.com.
Sun Fun Festival- June 3-5
On hiatus the last five years, this popular and nostalgic festival and parade will once again kick off summer. A majority of events will take place in Plyler Park, with festival goers enjoying beach music, shag competitions, the Sun Fun jail, games, and much more.
For more details, visit www.myrtlebeachdowntown.com.
Hot Summer Nights on Boardwalk- June 4 - August 27
The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk will feature a series of free nightly events throughout the summer.
Mondays will feature Kidz Carnival with kid-friendly movies, inflatables, face painting, balloon artists, stilt walkers, games, and more. Tuesdays will feature country music concerts, on Wednesdays enjoy a DJ, karaoke, and fireworks display, and Thursdays will offer a variety of free live concerts.
On Fridays attendees can enjoy a DJ and karaoke with Boardwalk’s Got Talent, and Saturdays will offer Family Movies under the Stars. Sunday Celebrations features a concert series with contemporary Christian rock bands taking the stage.
For more information, visit www.myrtlebeachdowntown.com.
The Native Sons Salt Games 2016- June 4-5
This two day beach festival on the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion deemed ‘Myrtle Beach’s only competitive beach festival’ will showcase beach life at its finest with 15 different competitions.
Participants can sign up to compete in a variety of games including Paddleboard Warrior Race, Ron Jon Pro/Am Surf Off, Lifeguard Games, 5K Beach Bum Run, Open Skateboard Contest, Crossfit Competition and Half Pipe, as well as volleyball tournaments, yoga, and much more.
The Native Sons Salt Games are free to attend and is family-friendly. Along with the competitions, attendees will enjoy live entertainment, kid’s games, food, beer vendors, and more.
To enter a competition or for more information, visit www.thesaltgames.com.
Carolina Country Music Fest- June 10-12
In its second year, country music enthusiasts will revel in this year’s anticipated lineup that includes Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, Jake Owen, Kelsea Ballerini, and many more.
Taking place over three days on the former Myrtle Beach Pavilion site, concert goers will enjoy three days and two stages filled with performances by some of the hottest acts in country music.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.carolinacountrymusicfest.com.
ELSEWHERE IN MYRTLE BEACH
GTS Theatre
Myrtle Beach has a new offering for catching a live show- GTS Theatre. Their tagline is ‘We’ve Got the Shows’ and they plan to back it up by providing an extensive list of live shows throughout the year for audiences of all ages.
Undergoing a makeover inside and out to transform the space next to Jamin’ Leather on Port Drive in Myrtle Beach from a western theme to a 1920’s cabaret style theater, they are on schedule to have the renovations completed by the end of May.
While they currently have three shows taking the stage, Elizabeth Wylde, the Group Sales/Marketing Manager and a performer at GTS Theatre, says they plan to pack their calendar with three to five shows daily once the renovations are finished.
GTS Theatre is designed as a small, cabaret style theater that holds 150 patrons, so all the shows are designed to be intimate and audience interactive.
Currently playing at GTS Theatre is ‘Wild 4 Hypnosis Wild & Crazy Adult Show’ on Friday nights, and ’Wild 4 Hypnosis Fusion Family Fun Show’ on Wednesdays. Both shows feature Wylde and her husband Rich Wylde, who have been hypnotists for over 20 years.
Each 90 minute show is centered on their talent for hypnosis and is interactive with volunteers from the audience joining on the stage. The Wild & Crazy Adult Show is geared toward the older audience, while the Fusion Family Fun Show is appropriate for all ages.
“We never make fun of anybody, we have fun with them,” says Wylde. “You can be guaranteed at our shows that you’re not barking like dogs or any of that other nonsense, it’s a lot more creative than that.”
‘Motor City Musical: A Tribute to Motown’, another show currently on stage at GTS Theatre, will run through the end of October.
This musical revue centers on Motown music from the 60’s and 70’s. While the cast of performer’s belt out a collection of Motown hits, they intersperse the songs with monologues about Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Records, and his influence on the music industry.
Additional shows will take the stage throughout the year, with more planned for the future.
In May, ‘Vaudeville the Show’ will open. “It will be very similar to the movie Burlesque,” explains Wylde. “Beautiful costumes with burlesque dancers with that old flair of the 1920’s Vaudeville days.”
In September, a Broadway revue will open, featuring highlights from past popular Broadway shows, and November will host the holiday comedy musical, ‘Redneck Christmas Show’.
Broadway at the Beach
Broadway at the Beach, a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, will undergo major changes this year as part of a multiyear transformation. In February, owners Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. announced plans to update the 20-year-old entertainment complex.
The first phase, according to a news release, will focus on the entertainment and nightlife area, formerly known as Celebrity Square. A new name for the section has not been released.
Original Shucker’s Raw Bar, Carolina Comedy Club, Crocodile Rock’s, and Malibu’s Surf Bar will remain in their current locations, while Broadway Louie’s and Hard Rock Café are relocating within the section. Gone are Club Boca, Froggy Bottomz, and Country Roads Bar & Grill.
Broadway Louie’s has moved to the corner location next to Carolina Comedy Club, while Hard Rock Café will leave its iconic pyramid and move into Broadway Louie’s former location, with plans to open this summer.
The American Tap House, “a chef-driven American gastropub”, will fill Club Boca’s old spot. According to The American Tap House’s website they plan to open this spring, serving 40 craft beers on tap with chef-inspired cuisine.
Although Revolutions has closed, a new nightclub, OZ, will take over its venue.
Alyssa Petitto, the marketing director for Celebrations Nitelife, describes OZ as a place “where your imagination takes flight into an ever-changing digital world.”
OZ will feature different theme nights that will change on a monthly basis, go-go dancers, and Eyecon as its resident DJ. Its grand opening is set for later this spring.
Another great nightlife spot joining Broadway at the Beach will be Dave & Buster’s. Branded as the “the only place to eat, drink, play and watch sports,” the full-service restaurant and arcade will be the first location for the Grand Strand. An exact location and open date have not yet been announced.
The Market Common
While the store popular with foodies, Williams-Sonoma, closed its doors earlier this year, Heather Gray, general manager of The Market Common, projects a prosperous summer ahead.
“Last year our sales increased and we had a higher customer count,” says Gray. “We feel that will only grow this summer.”
A new tenant is on its way this year; however, Gray would not release any information or distinguish if it was a restaurant or retail store set to open, citing they like to allow the business the right to release their information first.
Along with a calendar full of festivals and events including the Dragon Boat Festival on April 30, the Military Appreciation Days Parade on May 28, and the Movies under the Stars series which begins June 3, a new restaurant has recently opened shop.
The Brass Tap is the complex’s most recent addition. Opening this past January in the spot situated next to Co-Sushi, The Brass Tap is an upscale craft beer bar that serves over 200 craft beers.
Gray says the representatives from the Brass Tap have reported a strong opening. “They are very happy with the showing of customers and with how the startup of the business has been,” she says.
With over 60 brews on tap, and a large selection available by the bottle, craft brew lovers will relish their global and local selection, as well as their food menu which is designed to complement the variety of beers. Along with a selection of seating options indoors, the Brass Tap also offers an outdoor patio and will host live music and special events each month.
Restaurant Row
Restaurant Row will be home to a new go-kart amusement park, The Track. Located in the former spot of the Myrtle Beach Shrine Club, this will be the fourth location in the United States for the company that’s based in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
While they’re still in the construction phase and have not set price points or an opening date yet, Travis Kearney, general manager for The Track says they plan to be open by summer.
The Track will feature two go-kart tracks- a rookie and kiddie track for small children, and a large arcade.
“The go-karts will be electric instead of gasoline. They’ll be environmentally friendly and quieter,” says Kearney.
The Track will be designed with families in mind, with additional details being finalized later this spring.
“We’re looking forward to being part of the community,” says Kearney.
MURRELLS INLET
The Claw House
Located next to Dead Dog Saloon, The Claw House is the newest addition to the Marshwalk, opening its doors this month. The restaurant features New England style lobster, seafood, and a raw bar with a southern twist.
If you’re a fan of oysters, rejoice. John Campbell, Managing Partner at The Claw House and Dead Dog Saloon, says their oyster raw bar will feature a creative collection of oyster infused cocktails and bubbly drinks.
Along with a 30 seat horseshoe shaped raw bar and outdoor deck, guests can enjoy a variety of drink specials, views of the water from every seat in the restaurant, and live entertainment nightly.
Campbell says they don’t want to compete with Dead Dog’s popular live music scene, but will book entertainment seven nights a week, focusing on acoustic bands for happy hour and early evening dinner crowds.
“We hope that people finish their dinner at The Claw House and come over to Dead Dog for after-dinner drinks and to watch the band,” says Campbell.
This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 12:26 AM with the headline "Cover Story | Entertainment changes, upcoming festivals and events in Myrtle Beach."