Things to do / Travel Guide
The sounds of the South pulsate throughout the Georgia and South Carolina region's cities. Whether it be Southern rock, Dirty South hip hop, or the fine arts, this region's got it!
Georgia is full of all kinds of entertainment, from Underground Atlanta, to the alternative music scene in Athens and the lively River Street in Savannah. In South Carolina, Charleston's bustling bar scene revolves around Market Street, and Myrtle Beach is also full of great venues. The cities of Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston all have a thriving fine arts scene, too!
Atlanta Nightlife and Entertainment
Atlanta isn't called “Hotlanta” for nothing - this city is the cultural hub of the entire Georgia and South Carolina region and it has produced many famous artist and bands including TLC, the Black Crowes, Outkast, and Usher. The easiest way to get a handle on what's going on in the city at any given time is to pick up a copy of the free local weekly rag Creative Loafing.
There are five main entertainment areas in the Atlanta area - Midtown, Buckhead, Little Five Points, and Virginia Highland are within Atlanta, while there's another entertainment area in nearby Decatur.
Entertainment is Atlanta's Midtown
Midtown, the area between Georgia Institute of Technology and Piedmont Park, is the center of Atlanta's arts and high culture scene. Within, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Ballet are all located off of Peachtree Street, and the best place to find out what's on the schedule is from the Atlanta Now magazine.
If the greatest high-culture edifices are located in Midtown, so are perhaps the greatest nightlife edifices. You can try Lava Lounge, on 13th Street, at once a bar, a lounge, and a dance hall. It's the trendiest Atlanta has to offer, where you can go to the bar for a fine martini and then return to the floor for the latest house and industrial beats. Another great destination is Halo Lounge, on West Peachtree Street south of 10th Street. It's a trendy place for a drink by weekday, and a fantastic place for heavy dancing by weekend.
The great Fox Theatre is located in Midtown as well, and any visit to Atlanta is incomplete without paying homage to the place where everyone from the Grateful Dead to the Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company has performed. Once at the theater, which also showcases movies and plays along with concerts and dance, you can admire the fantastic architecture or take a tour.
Entertainment in Atlanta's Buckhead, Little Five Points, and Virginia Highland
Buckhead, a rather large area between Pharr Road, East Paces Ferry Road, and Peachtree Road, is full of bars and nightclubs. It's an easy place to walk around and barhop, and there's a bunch of swanky martini bars and the like in this area as well. This is where you'll find the dance clubs banging it out, as well as classic jazz and blues joints.
If you're looking for the younger college alternative punk scene, then the Little 5 Points area near Moreland and Euclid Avenues is your best bet. That's not all there is, though, of course. There's also a thriving organic hip hop scene, and lots of eclectic music to keep you going all night long. The Tabernacle, an Atlanta mainstay, is in close by, on Luckie Street. It's a five-story concert venue, featuring popular bands of a variety of genres: everyone from Indigo Girls to Deftones.
Off of Highland Avenue lies the neighborhood of Virginia Highland, where new bars are constantly popping up; this area is more upscale (i.e., yuppie) than Little 5 Points, though it can also be looked upon as the artsy district. There are a few blues bars and clubs in the area; the best one - some say the best in the city - is called Blind Willie's. Located on North Highland Drive north of Ponce de Leon Avenue, this club is named for an old Georgia standard-writer, and it has hosted many greats of blues music: Rufus Thomas and Taj Mahal, among others.
Entertainment in Athens
Athens has one of the best college music scenes of any college town in the country. The B52's and R.E.M. are just some of many to come out of the city. All of Athens' bars and music venues are centered around the downtown area, and it's an easy walk from one to another. On any weekend there are at least 50 different live bands playing. Because of the thriving music scene, many A-list acts visiting Atlanta will make a special stop in Athens.
There are two main concert halls in Athens:
- The legendary 40-Watt Club has had just about every big name act from the past 20 years grace its stage, including White Stripes, Sonic Youth, Roni Size, R.E.M, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Iggy Pop, the Foo Fighters, De La Soul, Black Crowes, and 10,000 Maniacs.
- The Georgia Theatre has had a turbulent past with a new reincarnation every 15 years or so, but today it's an Athens powerhouse, showcasing up-and-coming bands from across the spectrum: jazz, pop, and rock.
Entertainment in Savannah
Most of the nightlife options in Savannah can be found along River Street, home to nightclubs and “after-dark” venues. These offer many live music shows, especially during the summer. If dancing is your thing, head over to Johnson Square.
Other great places for entertainment include the Johnny Mercer Theater, located at Orleans Square, which occasionally presents musicals, traveling Broadway shows, and ballet. The Savannah Theater, located at Chippewa Square, presents many modern stage shows and plays. The City Market area is also home to a wide array of nightclubs and bars that have live music and jazz offerings in the evenings.
Entertainment in Charleston
There's lots of partying and dancing into the wee hours of the evening in Charleston. Most in search of a good time head towards Market Street, East Bay, and King Street. There are many college bars and dance clubs in this area. In terms of “higher-class” offerings, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra performs outside in the summertime, and the College of Charleston also puts on theater and concert events.
Entertainment in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach's entertainment traditions began more than 50 years ago, on the north end of the Grand Strand, when the area's beach halls filled with dancers who started to “shag” - a slower version of the jitterbug. Today the “shag” is long gone, but the Grand Strand is home to many music variety shows that emphasize bluegrass, country, and rock. There are also bars and clubs along Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway, which both span nearly the whole strip.
One place not to miss is Broadway at the Beach, north of Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) on Mark Garner Highway. Aside from great center for dining and shopping, the night life and entertainment opportunities are perfect for a fun-filled vacation. There are dance floors and cigar pubs, an arcade and karaoke bar, an IMAX theater, several hot live music venues, and more.
For the lover of good-natured kitsch, have a drink at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, or fight it out at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede. The former isn't actually in Broadway at the Beach, but rather a few miles north on Mark Garner Highway.
The Carolina Opry also performs in Myrtle Beach. This is a variety show featuring what you would expect - country with a down-home presentation.
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