This week the At The Mic blog will review a local nightspot and a local band as we twirl around the dance floor with Southern Draw at Hux’s Nite Life.
For a complete listing of at least 15 Live Entertainment happenings in the area this weekend, visit the website www.AtTheMic.com. There’s ALWAYS something to do around here.
When Toby Keith sings “I Love This Bar” he could be singing about Hux’s Billiards and Nite Life. There are cowboys and truckers, Blue-collar boys and rednecks, lovers and lots of lookers. Just walkin' through the front door will puts a big smile on your face.
Trevor and Ernest Hux bought the place in 2000 and right away they started remodeling and fixing the place up. In 2007 they bought the building next door, which was a welding shop and remodeled it into a music venue.
Every Friday and Saturday night, there is some type of live music going on at Hux’s Nite Life. The usual schedule has karaoke on Friday nights and a live band on Saturdays. Sometimes that gets switched around based on a bands schedule, but either way, there is always music to be enjoyed on the weekends.
Donny Casey with has Goodtime Karaoke and DJ Service provides the music where anyone can be a star for a song. On a typical Friday night there is a diverse blend of genres and voices of musical talents. That’s the great thing about karaoke, everyone singing their song and enjoying the talents of others. Donny also mixes in the ever-popular club and dance music for everyone to enjoy.
Local and regional bands fill the bill on Saturday nights. However, this Friday Southern Draw from Gaston will perform. Then The Dirty White Boys from South Hill and the Bertie/Hertford County area’s Moonshine will perform the rest of the month on Saturday nights. Other very popular bands that can be enjoyed include Roanoke Rapids’ own premiere party band The Cove and The Switch from Zebulon.
But there’s no need for the band to be protected by a cage of chicken wire like in the Toby Keith video, Hux’s is NOT that kind of a place. Trevor and her staff keep a close eye on everything to assure a safe and clean environment. And it is a safe place to go.
So Sing with Toby… I love this bar. It's my kind of place. Just twirlin' around on the dance floor puts a big smile on my face. Come as you are. Mmmm, I love this bar.
This Friday Southern Draw will be performing at Hux’s Night Life.
The current band members of Southern Draw have been performing Traditional and Today’s Country Music with some Southern Rock mixed in for nearly 12 years.
Southern Draw consist of Kenny Whitby, the band’s manager, on guitar and vocals, “Big John” Joyner on bass, Dennis Blackmon on drums, John Caruso on guitar, Melvin Poythress on guitar and keyboard. Melvin is the songwriter in the group and they perform several of his songs including “No Money to Play”
Southern Draw is the house band at The Chattahoochee County Club located beside the Piggly Wiggle grocery store in Gaston NC. The Chattahoochee is a fun, family-friendly place where people of all ages can go and listen to the music and dance in a smoke and alcohol free setting every Saturday night.
Southern Draw has played many gigs around the area but their biggest one was the day the developers broke ground on Carolina Crossroads. That day Southern Draw preformed for the estimated 10,000 people in attendance.
Then as the concerts were being held, Southern Draw was the band that preformed on the side stage. There was one concert that they played the opening show where the band manager’s then 7-year-old son Paul Whitby had played the drums on a few songs. Waiting back stage was an out of town band that would be playing next. Those fellows were impressed with the 7-year-old Paul on the drums and gave him a great amount of encouragement. At the time those fellows waiting to play were not known by anybody around here, those fellows are The Zac Brown Band.
Band Manager Kenny Whitby who has worked to keep the band going for nearly 20 years will be celebrating a BIG ”0” Birthday as they perform at Hux’s Nite Life this Friday night, so come out and celebrate with him.
The live music will be preformed from 9:30pm till 2am. Hux’s Nite Life located in the Forrest Hills Shopping Center (where Jack Pot Bingo is) at 1022 East 10th Street, Roanoke Rapids. The have all ABC permits and there is a cover charge for the dance hall on band nights. There is no cover for the pool hall and bar area and on the nights they have karaoke.
Andy Whitby writes about the Live Music Scene. The website www.AtTheMic.com is updated weekly with the most current events, concerts and theatre performances. To have an item included on the website, email the details to