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Scattered thunderstorms, especially late. Low 73F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Erika and Rob Lamble of Ear for Music at The Refinery’s new outdoor music venue before Trouble No More takes the stage on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Erika and Rob Lamble of Ear for Music at The Refinery’s new outdoor music venue before Trouble No More takes the stage on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
It was one of the most-booked Saturday nights in Charleston in some time.
There were at least eight concerts of note going on at once across the Lowcountry on Aug. 13. To name a few, Moon Taxi was sold out at The Windjammer, an all-women lineup at Femme Fest was gracing the Music Farm, Pinegrove was playing at Pour House and it was opening night at Charleston's newest outdoor amphitheater.
The Refinery, a freshly constructed downtown complex that includes retail and office spaces, The Whale: A Craft Beer Collective, and an upcoming restaurant and distillery off Meeting Street Road, finally has its much-anticipated outdoor component: an amphitheater, sprouting up with scaffolding, lights and speakers from an elevated concrete slab.
The stage, flanked on one side by an industrial railcar green room for the bands and the other by a grassy knoll where patrons can sit on the lawn, is now up permanently and will be hosting a handful of performances throughout the year.
The 1,500-capacity space includes a VIP rooftop balcony terrace with an exclusive bar for those who want more privacy with an eagle's eye view and plenty of lounge furniture. On the ground floor, there are food trucks, container ship-converted bathrooms, and an expansive brickway for gathering in sprawled-out groups and mingling with a beer in hand.
The Refinery's shows are currently being booked by Ear for Music, a full-service entertainment agency that's been getting acts into venues in the Lowcountry for around 30 years now. Founder Rob Lamble, who also gets gigs for Firefly Distillery, Party at the Point and one-off pop-ups all over, was intrigued and excited by the new venue.
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
It's been in the works for years now.
"We've been walking through the process since we engaged with each other a few years ago, and now it's finally here," Lamble said. "We're looking forward to providing a brand new concert experience."
Lamble, who started his business in 1993 by bringing nationally touring bands into two of Charleston's then-popular venues, Myskyns and Acme, said the peninsula has never had a space quite like The Refinery.
He said in terms of outdoor venues, the structure of the property's campus has ample assets. Those include the permanent stage setup, the railcar green room and a beer collective on-site serving up drinks.
"That makes it a lot easier in terms of the logistical setup," he noted. "It's more of a glide-in smooth process for the artists and promoters alike."
The Whale: A Craft Beer Collective is serving up drafts during every show out of their window that opens up toward the stage. Liquor, beer and wine can all be purchased at booze stands on the premises, as well.
Parking isn't a problem. The street parking along Meeting Street Road is free, and even the farthest spots from the venue were only a few blocks walk away, ending in a neat row at the U.S. Chef Store. There are also 220 spots on-premise and a parking garage down the street.
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
There aren't plans to pack out the space every weekend of the year. Initial plans, according to The Refinery's developer, Lindsay Nevin, is to book 15 to 20 national touring bands a year.
"The thought from the onset has always been high quality and low volume," Nevin said. "We don't want to overprogram the space, but bring in the folks we are really interested in and who we think the community will be interested in."
Nevin said the space will also be available for private events, which has already garnered some interest from the public.
Until then, there may be a couple of concerts this fall and then a lineup starting again in the spring, said Lamble. Nothing is on the books just yet.
"It's been a long time coming," Nevin said. "It's great to see everyone's hard work paying off and have this be another great venue Charleston has access to. At the end of the day, we want this to be an asset and resource for the city."
The first step was to get through opening weekend, which included a show by Charleston band Lureto and Memphis-based Allman Brothers cover band Trouble No More on Aug. 13 and then a performance by reggae-pop act Trevor Hall on Aug. 14.
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
"Ain't Wastin' No More Time" came blasting as the sun disappeared behind the railcar, and the band called patrons up to the front of the stage to dance in a built out standing-room space in front of the grassy knoll. The lights cast purple, orange and blue hues across a sea of hundreds of bodies sitting and standing, all moving in time to the rhythm.
One toddler bopped up and down with giant earphones on to protect her hearing. A row of friends, The Whale beers in hand, peeked through the tent above the sound booth to catch a glimpse from farther back.
The sweethearts gathered in each others' arms for "Melissa" as the moon shone above the brick facade hosting the VIP balcony, dotted with onlookers across the railing. Stars shone above in the indigo sky and a sweet, soft breeze blew through with a welcoming hug.
A pretty perfect summer Saturday night, if you ask me. Hopefully there's more where that came from.
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Erika and Rob Lamble of Ear for Music at The Refinery’s new outdoor music venue before Trouble No More takes the stage on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery's new performance space in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022.
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Erika and Rob Lamble of Ear for Music at The Refinery’s new outdoor music venue before Trouble No More takes the stage on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Charleston's upper peninsula offers a new space for concerts. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Trouble No More performs at The Refinery in Charleston on Aug. 13, 2022. Edward Brantley/Special to The Post and Courier
Reach Kalyn Oyer at 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.
Kalyn Oyer is a Charleston native who covers arts & entertainment and food & bev for The Post and Courier. She's a music festival & concert photographer and used to write about music for the Charleston City Paper, among other publications.
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