The sounds of crashing waves and singing seagulls aren't the only good vibrations in Myrtle Beach. From hole-in-the-wall beach bars to professional concert halls, the Grand Strand has great live music playing at a variety of venues. Whether you want to hear an acoustic guitar strumming in the ocean breeze or catch a major concert or theatrical production, you can find what you are looking for just a short distance from Paradise Resort. Here are five of our favorite places for live music in Myrtle Beach:
- Beach Bummz: Amid the rows of hotel towers along the Myrtle Beach oceanfront sits a small beach cottage that looks a bit out of place. However, this is the place to be for music lovers on a sunny day. Beach Bummz features live music on the outdoor stage daily. Lawn chairs, picnic tables and bar stools surround the small wooden stage as patrons relax in the sea breeze and shout out requests. Live music is usually a one- or two-piece act and play during afternoons only so the beach party doesn't disturb neighboring hotels.
- Bourbon Street/Pine Lakes Tavern: You don't have to go all the way to New Orleans to get a small taste of Bourbon Street, and this bar and grill is known to host some of the top local and regional bands nearly every night of the week. Located on the north end of town, Bourbon Street is right next to another musical hot spot, Pine Lakes Tavern. Many guests stroll between bars throughout the night to catch the different acts. Tuesdays are open mic nights at PLT if you feel brave enough to take the stage.
- The Bowery: Since 1944 this beachside bar has been packing the house with locals and visitors to hear “real” country music at an authentic honky-tonk. Billing itself as the “8th Wonder of the World,” The Bowery has live music every night from March through October, featuring house band The Bounty Hunters six nights a week and a special act on Sundays. Things haven’t changed much at The Bowery since the good ol’ days, when country music super-group Alabama served as the house band. Cold beer, good times and great music are still the big hits.
- The Carolina Opry: The Grand Strand is known for its live music theaters, and The Carolina Opry is the crown jewel for folks who love live country music. Founded by former Grand Ole Opry star Calvin Gilmore, this state of the art theatre hosts the namesake show “TCO” that has been delighting audiences for years. In keeping up with the times, TCO has added new shows to appeal to a younger and broader audience, such as “Time Warp”, a tribute to pop music in the 1960s and ‘70s, and “Thunder and Light”, a combo show of popular tap dance troop All That and a laser light show.
- House of Blues: The Grand Strand used to have a hard time attracting national touring acts due to the lack of a mid-sized music venue. That all changed with the opening of the House of Blues at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach. Doubling as a Southern soul-food restaurant, the HOB also serves heaping helpings of live music – both in the main concert hall and the Crossroads Bar. Major touring acts pack the concert hall, while top local and regional acts play the bar. For a taste of food and music that are good for the soul, check out the popular Sunday Gospel Brunch.
After a great night of live music, come back to your room at Myrtle Beach’s Paradise Resort and relax on your private balcony to the other sounds that make Myrtle Beach famous. The waves and birds always give an encore.
