Peace Center opens Coach Music Factory in Greenville

The Peace Center officially opened the second of its two new venues earlier this month.

Coach Music Factory staged its first performance on Feb. 7 with a soul-soaked evening with G. Love & Special Sauce.

Designed and built to accommodate energetic music fans who want to move, the two-story venue is standing will see standing-room-only shows because it only has room to stand: no seats.

Future shows are the March 7 performance by The Lone Bellow and Grammy-winning modern bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters on April 26.

“With the entrance located on Graham Plaza between the Peace Concert Hall and Gunter Theatre, Coach Music Factory is where live music meets nightlife — raw, electric and unapologetically fun,” the Peace Center said in a news release. “With a capacity of 1,100, the venue is designed for fans who want to be on their feet, close to the stage and fully in the moment.

Originally built in 1857 as a horse-drawn carriage factory and blacksmith shop, the historic structure has been reimagined. Original brick walls and hardwood floors meet sleek, industrial design, while a retractable glass door behind the stage paints a natural backdrop of the Peace Center campus beyond, according to the release.

Inside, there are three full-service bars. An outdoor patio balcony behind the stage overlooks the The Pavilion outdoor amphitheater, The Wyche, and the Reedy River.

The third floor has been repurposed into a unique private event space available for weddings, corporate events and other special occasions, the release said.

Coach Music Factory is a cornerstone of the Peace Center’s campus expansion intended to be a major boost to Greenville’s nightlife scene.

On Jan. 17 the Peace Center opened The Mockingbird, designed to be an intimate listening room with seating for 180, with the debut of a Bluebird Café-style show called Song Sessions, a series designed and hosted by Nashville singer-songwriter Maia Sharp.

Established in 1990, the six-acre, 10-venue Peace Center campus consists of the 2,115-seat Peace Concert Hall; 400-seat Gunter Theatre; 180-seat The Mockingbird; 1,100-capacity standing-room-only Coach Music Factory; The Pavilion outdoor amphitheater; dedicated education space; popular event spaces including the iconic Wyche building, Huguenot Mill & Loft, Ramsaur Studio, Genevieve’s lounge, and the third floor of the Coach Factory; and artist dorms. In 2023, the Peace Center’s annual economic impact was reported to be $89.6 million.

Tickets and additional information are available at peacecenter.org.