The Powerful and Mellow Sounds of Saxophonist Boney James at the Intimate Charleston Music Hall

One could sense the feel-good vibes as they approached the pleasantly lighted facade of the impressive Gothic Revival Style John Street landmark. Happy patrons were beginning to file through its welcoming doors and taking their seats, filled with anticipation of what was to come when the hour struck 8 pm. The venue's intimate auditorium would soon overflow with the powerful yet mellow sounds of Boney James' sexy sax.

The Charleston Music Hall is one of the oldest buildings on the block and was designed by Charleston architect Edward C. Jones to resemble a Medieval castle. Known historically as The Tower Depot, it was built in 1849-50 as a passenger station of the South Carolina Railroad. The building's most impressive feature was its three-story tower.

The Tower Depot was one of several buildings and part of a larger complex called the Camden Depot. It closed in 1853. Following the Civil War, the Charleston Bagging Manufacturing Company began building complex mills around the vicinity and bought the building on February 6, 1878, to include in their factory.

The Charleston earthquake of August 31, 1886 destroyed the three-story tower. Most of the building was torn down, with the remaining being used for storage. The Bagging Company closed during the Great Depression in the 1930s. The building then passed into the hand of the Chicco family.

The building sat vacant and derelict for sixty years until finally, in 1995, the Bennett-Hofford Company facilitated its amazing transformation into an arts venue called the Charleston Music Hall. They created a first-class performance space that retained the original historical Charleston-style aesthetic. Its goal is to create extraordinary musical, artistic, and theatrical experiences and promote the finest local, regional, and national acts while encouraging local and communal participation. It has hosted a myriad of acts since its opening. November 2022, the stage was set for saxophonist extraordinaire Boney James and Company.

James Oppenheim spent his early teen years in New Rochelle, NY. He took up the clarinet at age eight, switched to sax when he was ten, and also learned to play keyboards. At 19, while earning a history degree at UCLA, he started playing in the fusion band Line One. He worked in a pizza joint to pay the bills, auditioned for Prince associate Morris Day's band as a keyboardist in 1985, and got the gig.

Boney James was familiar with the difficult life of a touring musician. During a low-paying 1987 European tour with vocalist Randy Crawford, his now-famous name surfaced. "We were in Norway doing an extended gig, and it was only paying $30 a day, which didn't cut it," said James. "They said I'd end up being 'Boney' James. Sekou Bunch, the tour's bass player, kept introducing me as 'Boney.' The next thing I knew, I had a nickname. A lot of my musician friends thought of me as Boney. The record company said that Oppenheim was not very catchy and that we needed to do something with the name. I said I had a nickname, and when I told them what it was, they loved it." It became his performing name when he cut his first album. The rest is history.

Boney James is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a Soul Train Award winner, and received two NAACP Image Award nominations for Best Jazz Album. He has sold over three million albums and accumulated four RIAA Certified Gold Records. In 2009, Billboard magazine named James one of the Top 3 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Artists of the Decade.

Boney James was outfitted in his signature apparel--a black Fedora hat, dark jeans, spiffy sneakers, and a crew neck shirt with a suit jacket. He was accompanied by Big Mike Hart on guitar, keyboardist Jonathan Richmond, drummer Omari Williams, and bass guitarist Smitty Smith. You could see and feel the chemistry between the group. In the audience, heads swayed side-to-side while bodies gyrated to the explosive rhythms. The drummer blew the roof off the building with a booming and powerful solo. Big Mike soon followed with an electrifying lick on his guitar. Boney James was phenomenal as he gracefully moved across the stage connecting with his enthralled audience.

Photos and video by Anne-Merle Bryant

37 John Street, Charleston, SC, 843-853-2252

Box Office Hours: Thursday and Friday 10 am-3 pm

Charleston Music Hall Schedule

An Awesome Charleston English Style Pub Offering a Unique Practice Impossible to Resist

People visiting Botany Bay Beach are not permitted to remove sea shells from the beach, so they hang them on the weatherworn trees. It is a way of leaving your mark, a statement that you were there.

There is a Charleston drinking establishment where patrons leave something to mark their visit. As a result, that something covers every inch of available interior wall and rafter space. That something is dollar bills, 27 years worth. There are layers upon layers of Washingtons autographed by customers marking first dates, inside jokes, anniversaries, parties, and holidays. In 2020, it was estimated to be about $50,000 worth, and the amount has grown since, and continues to grow. The unique practice is impossible to resist. 

The Griffon is a prominent staple in the community and a tribute to the locals. Many people consider it to be a Charleston legend. Two pals looking for a place to kick up their feet with their friends opened it in 1996. It was that simple. To this day, that homey feeling remains. Dan Wenz began working for the brothers close to a decade ago and purchased the business from them in 2008. He became partners with Scott London. He vowed to leave the bar unchanged. The bills that plaster the walls since its beginning are still there, at least a significant majority. 

There was a moment when necessity dictated a divergence from the norm. It was during the Covid-19 shutdowns. Seventeen employees of the Griffon became unemployed as a result. The Griffon took down some of the dollar bills on their walls to support their furloughed staff to help pay for bills and groceries.

The Griffon is acclaimed by various media outlets as being a gem to the city. Southern Living Magazine called it "Unapologetically Awesome," and Maxim Magazine added "Where to Eat, Drink, and Party in Charleston, South Carolina." It packs a lot of power in a small punch, and the press loves it as much as the people.

In its early days, the Griffon was the center of nightlife downtown. People made a loop between Charlie's Little Bar, the Rooftop at Vendue Inn, Blind Tiger, and maybe Dengate's in those days. Everyone had just been to Dengate's or the Tiger. It was a smaller pool back then. Now the area is a bit more touristy, and the college-aged crowd has migrated to Upper King with its ongoing development, now rarely seen. 

The Griffon is a bar for two distinctly different patrons: the locals and the astute tourist who asked a local. The old English-style pub appeals mostly to the working class—and there's a good reason, its lunch menu. It gets a lot of lawyers, a lot of food and beverage workers, and a lot of tourists. Quality food that's affordable is hard to find. As the neighborhood slowly transforms, the locals still flock to the Griffon because they know they can get a great meal that won't bend their credit card.

The Griffon's lunches are loaded, so they're doing really well in the good eats department. A crowd comes through its door every day. The secret is pretty simple: a meat and three veg daily special. Other items on the menu include classic comfort food, like grilled cheese, hot wings, and burgers.

The pub has served a lot of beer over its time, Bud Lights and Pabst Blue Ribbons, but have shifted more to satisfy the craft beer craze. The pub went from selling 10 cases of Bud Light a night to selling a couple of Bud Light cases and mostly draft beers. With that said, Pabst Blue Ribbon is still the number one seller.  

The Griffon is a casual beer bar with cheap food. With the restructuring of the Anchorage Inn at 26 Vendue and 24 Vendue in 2013, along with the presence of Waterfront Park, the tourist crowd flowing in from East Bay Street and through the doors of The Vendue keep the English style pub busy, not to leave unmentioned, the dedicated locals who patronize it just because they want to. Next time you are in the downtown French Quarter, visit the Griffon, have a beer, enjoy the menu, and staple a Washington on the walls of anonymity. Nobody will know you did it, except you, and that is all that matters. 

18 Vendue Range, Charleston, SC

Monday-Friday 11am-2am

Saturday and Sunday 12pm-2am

(843) 723-1700

Bonny's Hideaway on King Street is a Must Experience

Anne Bonny's story is a tale of two lives, one supported by historical documents of which there is very little, the other embellished by fiction and creative imagination. It is up to you to separate the one from the other because you will hear her name echoed in the pirate stories of Charleston, the Pink House on Chalmers Street, to name one, and the old Powder Magazine on Cumberland Street, another. Nonetheless, she is a historical figure who dared to step outside the conventional into a maelstrom of infamy. In homage to this daring woman, Jim McCourt and James Walsh, operating partners of the award-winning Prohibition, conceived Bonny's Hideaway, located next door at 549 King Street.

Bonny's Hideaway is a new Tiki-influenced concept that incorporates Irish and Caribbean cocktail cultures, including the rich history of rum in Charleston. Step through its entrance, and you will enter a comfortably lit venue with a long bar and plenty of seating running the length of its interior space. To your immediate right awaits an intimate niche dominated by a large painting of tall ships engaged in a massive battle with lush lounge seating and an area called Bonny's Bed with a view of King Street. Usually requiring a reservation, the space was appreciatively offered to us, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Our server for the night, a very enthusiastic and engaging young lady with a darling of a personality, promptly brought us the drink and food menus. Her name, like her personality, was uniquely pleasant, Lyric. She offered suggestions and shared her favorites. She allowed us a few moments to peruse the two menus and make our choices. She was very conscientious, checking in with us often throughout our visit.

From the list of 14 drinks, I chose the Mai-garitta for $14, a blend of Lunazul Blanco, Lime, Lemon, Orgeat, Ginger, Honey, and bitters. My date, Anne-Merle, chose the Caribbe margarita for $14, a concoction of Birds eye chill tequila, mango, lime, Cointreau, and chili salt. Off the food menu, I selected the Caribbean Crush Burger Single for $12--Angus beef, peach pepper jam, Bermuda onion, and American cheese with fries. Anne-Merle chose the Yellow Curry Cauliflower for $14--golden raisins, coconut, cilantro, and mint. She described it as scrumptious. My drink was delightfully uplifting, the Angus burger was mouthwatering, and the crispy fries were the best.

When we arrived at 6:30, the crowd was light, but not for long. The Halloween partiers began to steadily flow in and fill the seats at the long, impressive bar, including the partitioned table seating along the left side opposite the bar. Stede Bonnet and pirate friends made a surprise visit. Towards the back of the establishment were themed seating areas. One wall had fireplace seating, another wall accommodated what is called the Bamboo Room, and in the back corner was the Rum Room surrounded by Rum Barrels.

The venue is very imaginative and beautifully decorated. It includes a collection of sea-inspired artwork, an antique cannon by the front door, a detailed portrait of Bonny herself, Irish whiskey barrels, and more.

Bonny's Hideaway is a must experience. The cocktails and food are fantastic. The service is top-notch. The atmosphere is a pirate's paradise. I most definitely will return many times. Cheers to Anne Bonny and owners.

549 King Street, Charleston, SC

843-793-3465

Wed-Sat: 4:00 pm – 2:00 am, Sunday: 4:00 pm – 12:00 am

Book a reservation