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Sunday Silver Linings: A Free, Curated Open Jam at Groovers Listening Bar
Published: November 11, 2024

Local musician Johnny Holliday curates the series.

This Sunday, November 17th kicks off a new, curated open jam series titled Sunday Silver Linings at the recently-opened Groovers Listening Bar at 139 Calhoun Street. This free event is curated by local musician Johnny Holliday, a longtime regular in the local scene who seeks to create a communal experience where local players & listeners can come participate in real-time creation.

“The goal for this is to start a semi-open jam session with established musicians in town and a space that is inviting, welcoming for conversation, a hang, a casual cocktail,” Johnny explains. “Something that can be a little bit more inclusive and build a community, build a scene, and bring artists together that wouldn’t necessarily play together or even know each other.”

Johnny mentions being inspired by events like the Sunday Sessions at The Bounty Bar on Folly Beach, and Foxy G’s weekly Soap Box open mic at Chico Feo, and Mash Music Mondays at Bar Mash. These are three local live music staples that showcase some of the best talent in Charleston, and are regularly well-attended.

Curated Open Jam with Top Local Players

The Sunday Silver Linings present a take on the format of an open jam session, with Johnny utilizing his connections in town to provide a semi-curated stage of extremely talented local musicians. The style will be free-form and jazz influenced.

There will be gear set up on stage, and a few of his friends in key positions to start, including Jamal Hall on saxophone, Jeff Caldwell, Kelly Morris (The Mobros), Pat Marzett (Illa Zilla), Shawn Beckner (Illa Zilla), plus special guest appearances throughout the night.

“I’m going to have my drums set set up,” Johnny says. “I’m going to have my bass rig set up, so artists can just show up. I’m going to have multiple guitar rigs, because there’s always too many guitar players. And I want to keep it that way. I’m going to have plenty of microphones set up for horn players and vocalists if they choose to be involved.”

Johnny Holliday on a horse outside of Frontier Lounge.

Reigniting the Charleston Music Scene

By hosting the Sunday Silver Linings, Johnny wants to help reignite the Charleston music scene, which has admittedly experienced a slump in the years since the pandemic (something I have personally discussed on Extra Chill).

“The intention is to get people out and get people involved in the music scene and reinvigorate and reignite this music scene that is not dead. It’s just kind of in on pause,” he says. “Because if you look around this town, the talent and the level of players in this scene, they’re here. They’re just tired and they’re burnt out. So they’re not excited about it right now. I want that buzz to be reinvigorated.”

As seen by the lineup of players on this, the standard for musicianship is quite high, and there are many more players in town who are likely to hop on the stage.

“I just show up and I play the hell out of the saxophone,” says Jamal Hall, also present for part of this meeting. “That’s what I do.”

Left to right: Jamal Hall, Myself, Johnny Holliday at Chico Feo.

About Groovers: Listening Room Venue

The venue itself represents a unique opportunity for artists and listeners alike. It is a purpose-built listening room right in the middle of downtown Charleston. Both Johnny and Jamal had nothing but praise about the venue, which is owned by the same owners as the successful night club and electronic dance venue, Trio, located above Groovers.

“I’ve been a working artist in Charleston for years now and I’ve played most every room in this town,” Johnny says. “And I will say that Groovers is one of the best sounding rooms in town. He went all out with sound treatment, the stage, it’s great.”

“Groovers, in my opinion, is perfect for the musician who has original music,” Jamal says. “Like a catalog of original music. You go to any bar in Charleston, you’re going to have TVs, you’re going to have all this other shit going on. But Groovers is specifically for listening to music. And I appreciate that very much to have another space like that in Charleston.”

“It’s not party focused,” Johnny says. “It’s a hang. It’s a lounge.”

Groovers Listening Bar, 139 Calhoun Street. Photo by Michael Georgopulos (@michaelg.mov)

Raffle Partnership with Levity

The Sunday Silver Linings are sponsored by Levity, a local company crafting cannabis-infused seltzers and pre-mixed cocktails. Levity stickers with raffle numbers on the back will be handed out at the door. A randomly-selected winner will receive a free bottle of Levity.

“I love raffles, but I’ve always hated the idea of the raffle ticket,” Johnny says. “The raffle ticket’s so silly. What do you do with a raffle ticket? You just throw it away. A sticker, it goes somewhere and it means something after the point.”

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Sunday Silver Linings promises a refreshing take on the local music scene, offering a welcoming space for connection, collaboration, and spontaneous creativity in downtown Charleston.