Popular Charleston listening bar expanding to Charlotte
Why it matters: It's by the same owners as nightclub Trio and cocktail bar Blue Door in South End, Eric and Kate Gussin. They're teaming up with another South End bar owner, Orlando Botero, of Must Be Nice and Broken Promises.
The vibe: Groovers will have a stage for live bands and a DJ booth. You'll hear a mix of 70s, 80s and 90s music intended to make you dance and sing along.
Disco DJs will spin live vinyl and later in the night, the party will ramp up.
Its menu will feature hot dogs by Lizzy's Glizzys, grilled cheese sandwiches, plus craft cocktails.
"Every now and again, we get an itch to go out 'til one or 2am but don't necessarily want to be at Trio, even though I love Trio," co-owner Eric Gussin tells Axios.
Between the lines: Trio is an EDM venue with state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems.
By contrast, Blue Door is known for its molecular gastronomy, music is not the centerpiece, and the demographic skews a little older.
Groovers "has the high-level hospitality and production of Blue Door, with the entertainment and fun dancing vibes of Trio," co-owner Kate Gussin tells Axios.
The big picture: The Gussins are a key part of the transformation happening on South Mint Street, in an increasingly popular pocket of South End.
Groovers (1510 S. Mint) will be next to Blue Door (1508 S. Mint) and across from Trio (1513 S. Mint).
On the same street, you've got Gamecock sports bar The Horseshoe, sushi restaurant YUME, and soon, Tyber Creek pub's new location.
Flashback: The name "Groovers" is a nod to the building's history on Charleston's Calhoun Street.
While researching the property, Kate says she learned that in the mid-90s, it housed a bar called "Groovers" that "was really the first place in Charleston that people were starting to DJ."
They loved the name and its history, so Groovers was reborn into what it is today.
Zoom in: Every Thursday night at Groovers Charleston, they host a "flip through" party. Their DJ brings 800-1,000 records and people can flip through them, put one in the queue, and the DJ will mix and spin it live.
The Gussins hope to bring the same kind of party to the Charlotte location if they can find the right DJ.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
8 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I beat Mafia: The Old Country in a single weekend on PS5 Pro — and I wish more games were this short
In the current gaming landscape, conventional wisdom is 'bigger is better.' Ahead of release, many blockbuster games market themselves on their size and scale. Boasting about vast open worlds, a large focus on replayability, or a playtime count measured in hundreds of hours. And that's not even talking about live service games that want you to play forever. That's why I found the lead-up to the release of Mafia: The Old Country so refreshing. Developer Hangar 13 (steward of the Mafia franchise since 2014) wasn't shy about setting expectations. From the start, the California-based studio made it clear that Mafia: The Old Country was designed as a more manageable experience that players would be able to complete without having to dedicate entire months of their precious spare time. As somebody who's finding their time to game more and more limited (curse you, adult responsibilities), that was a very compelling pitch. And after blasting through the game's entire story on PS5 Pro in a single weekend, taking around 10 hours total, I was delighted to have a more focused third-person action experience. I came away hugely satisfied, and a part of me wished that more video games were this short. Furthermore, Mafia: The Old Country feels like a throwback in more ways than just how long it takes to beat. It's the type of largely linear, narrative-driven, single-player-only experience that started to go out of fashion in the mid-2010s. But I am delighted to see Mafia bring it back in style. The latest game in the Mafia series takes you back to 1900s Sicily, the birthplace of organized crime. You play Enzo, a fresh recruit in the Torrisi crime family, and must work your way up the ranks to become a "made man." Offering a narrative-driven campaign packed with third-person firefights and high-speed chases (in cars and on horseback), Mafia: The Old Country is a highly engaging action-adventure game. While the previous three Mafia games have each jumped forward in time, with 2016's Mafia 3 taking place in the 1960s, Mafia: The Old Country leaps backward, to the start of the 20th century. And it also swaps settings from (fictional) American cities to Sicily, the birthplace of the original Mafia. You play Enzo Favara, a lowly miner who escapes captivity and finds himself taken in by the Torrisi crime family. As you might expect, he slowly rises the ranks, taking on jobs for the family's head, Don Torrisi, until he becomes a vital cog in the crime syndicate machine. All the while falling in love with the Don's daughter, Isabella. Which is a very forbidden love. It's not exactly breaking new ground for the Mafia genre, but that's okay. It's a functional narrative, and it's brought to life by strong voice acting across the board. You are unlikely to be shocked by any of the twists, and the bittersweet ending is a bit of an anti-climax, but the characters are compelling enough to keep you invested across the shorter playtime. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This willingness to follow genre conventions is also seen in the gameplay. There's no vast open world littered with map icons. Instead, Mafia: The Old Country is a linear third-person shooter, with a few driving segments (in old-timey cars and on horseback) to add variety. Missions often conclude with one-on-one knife fights, which function sort of like a boss battle, but they're repetitive and very easy to exploit thanks to an extremely generous parry and slash system. None of its gameplay hooks are unique, but the shooting and driving are both respectable, and the digital recreation of 1900s Sicily feels authentic and is packed with tiny details for those who want to take their time to pause and smell the freshly picked tomatoes. Everything about Mafia: The Old Country is functional, and while that's not the highest praise, it means that a playthrough remains enjoyable through until the end credits. If Mafia: The Old Country was a gigantic 50+ hour experience, I'm sure I would have been craving more mechanical inventiveness, but as noted, that isn't the game Hanger 13 wanted to make. This is an unapologetically old-school game. You're supposed to enjoy the ride for 10-12 hours, and then you're free to move on and play something else (or start a second run, if you really wish). That's a gaming philosophy we need more of in 2025. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy meaty experiences. Some of my favorite games of all time, like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Elden Ring and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, demand dozens of hours of your time just to walk the golden path. But there's something very refreshing about a blockbuster game that can be completed in just a few sessions. I had a ton of fun playing through Mafia: The Old Country across a lazy Saturday and Sunday, and when I was done, I certainly didn't feel shortchanged. I got a complete story, and just as I started to get a little bored of the largely same-y shooting galleries and car chases across the stunning Sicilian countryside, the game was already wrapping things up. So, thank you to Mafia: The Old Country for not wanting to become my 'forever game' and serving as a welcome palate cleanser to hold me over until a glut of new games launch in the fall, many of which are going to do their utmost to keep me playing for a ludicrous amount of time.
Los Angeles Times
15 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Prince Harry and Meghan stay with Netflix — but with a lesser deal
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will continue their stint at Netflix after their production company signed a multi-year, first-look deal with the streamer for film and television projects. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new arrangement is less exclusive than their original 2020 agreement with Netflix, which was an overall deal, according to a person familiar with the pact. That earlier deal gave Los Gatos-based Netflix the exclusive rights to anything developed by the Sussexes' Archewell Productions and covered things like overhead costs. Netflix and Archewell Productions did not disclose the terms of the Sussexes' new deal in statements released Monday. 'We're proud to extend our partnership with Netflix and expand our work together to include the As ever brand,' Meghan said in a statement, referring to her lifestyle brand, which was developed in partnership with Netflix and includes wine, cookie mix and fruit preserves. So far, Archewell Productions has released several documentary series and reality shows, including 2022's 'Harry & Meghan' and 'Live to Lead,' which chronicled the life stories of world leaders, 2023's sports-focused 'Heart of Invictus,' 2024's 'Polo' and cooking show 'With Love, Meghan.' 'Harry & Meghan,' which detailed the couple's love story and exit as working royals, got a total of 23.4 million views on the streaming platform, making it Netflix's fifth-most popular documentary series of all time, the company said. 'With Love, Meghan' had 5.3 million views in the first half of 2025, making it Netflix's most-watched culinary show since its release. 'Harry and Meghan are influential voices whose stories resonate with audiences everywhere,' Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. 'We're excited to continue our partnership with Archewell Productions and to entertain our members together.' Archewell Productions' upcoming slate of projects includes a second season of 'With Love, Meghan,' which releases later this month, a film adaptation of the romance book 'Meet Me at the Lake' and a documentary short called 'Masaka Kids, A Rhythm Within' about an orphanage in Uganda. Times staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brandon Blackstock cause of death: Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband died of melanoma, coroner says
"Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years," his family said in a statement. Brandon Blackstock, Kelly Clarkson's ex-husband, talent agent and her former manager, died at his home in Butte, Mont., after a battle with cancer, his family announced on Aug. 7. He was 48. The type of cancer was not initially disclosed. But a coroner told People magazine that the cause of death was melanoma, a form of skin cancer. "It is with great sadness that we share the news that Brandon Blackstock has passed away," a representative for his family said in a statement to multiple news outlets. "Brandon bravely battled cancer for more than three years. He passed away peacefully and was surrounded by family. We thank you for your thoughts and prayers and ask everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time." The announcement of his death came a day after Clarkson revealed that she was postponing the remaining August dates of her Las Vegas residency due to Blackstock's illness. 'Unfortunately, I need to postpone the remainder of the August Studio Session dates in Las Vegas,' Clarkson announced in a post on Instagram. 'While I normally keep my personal life private, this past year, my children's father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them.' Clarkson and Blackstock married in 2013. The couple had two children together: River Rose, their 11-year-old daughter, and Remy Alexander, their 9-year-old son. Blackstock also had two children from a previous marriage. According to People magazine, his eldest daughter, 23-year-old Savannah Blackstock Lee, revealed in July that she is expecting her second child early next year. Blackstock was the former stepson of Reba McEntire, who was married to his father, Narvel Blackstock, from 1989 to 2015, and is the mother of Brandon's half-brother, Shelby. Narvel Blackstock, who owns the Nashville-based talent agency Starstruck Entertainment, previously served as Clarkson's manager. Brandon Blackstock formerly represented Blake Shelton and Rascal Flatts in addition to Clarkson. Clarkson filed for divorce from Blackstock in 2020. An acrimonious split followed, with the couple's Montana ranch becoming "a point of contention" during the divorce proceedings, according to People magazine. Clarkson "was eventually awarded ownership of the property, even though Blackstock was living at the home at the time, and lost a legal fight to evict him from the ranch." Their divorce was finalized in 2022. In March, Clarkson stepped away from her eponymous daytime talk show for nearly two weeks while a variety of celebrities acted as guest hosts. When Clarkson returned, she cited only 'personal reasons' for her mysterious absence, which stirred speculation among fans that it could have something to do with Blackstock. NewsNation subsequently reported that Blackstock was sick and that Clarkson skipped show tapings to take their children to see him. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. It typically starts on skin that's often exposed to the sun, and can be treated successfully if it is found early. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 100,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma in the United States each year. Clarkson's remaining shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace this month had been scheduled for Aug. 8-9 and Aug. 15-16. Her next run at the 4,100-capacity venue, which was previously announced, is set for November. This is the second postponement of Clarkson's residency, which opened in July. The first show was abruptly postponed just hours before she was set to take the stage after the singer said that she needed to rest her vocal cords. "The prep and rehearsals have taken a toll on my voice," Clarkson wrote on Instagram on July 4. "I want the shows to be perfect for y'all and I need to protect myself from doing serious damage."
