Flat Rock – The cinema is at the corner of 2700 Greenville Hwy./U.S. 225 and West Blue Ridge Road, in the Village of Flat Rock. It is in Flat Rock Square, across U.S. 225 from Flat Rock’s post office.
Bryan “B Squared” Byrd is the cinema’s often-grinning owner. Byrd moved here 12 years ago. He worked in national industrial sales, and locally running B Realty. He said, “Real estate helped me invest in the cinema.”
Byrd is an auctioneer. He runs the crowded, lucrative Bearfootin’ bear figurine auctions in Hendersonville. The next one is on Saturday, Oct. 26. Byrd will host the 13th annual Bids and Blues for mental health and housing non-profit Thrive on Oct. 12. “My role is to keep the event going, to keep the crowd engaged and mention sponsors,” he said. Telling jokes is a bonus “for fun.”
Live Music Producer
June 28 marked Byrd’s one-year anniversary as the cinema’s owner. He bought it from Howard and Barb Molton. “I was looking for a place to produce live music,” above all, Byrd explained. He booked acts for what was the Center for Arts and Entertainment in Hendersonville.
Byrd drummed at local farmers’ markets, and with the local Apple Country String Band. He even sang backup vocals in a Barry Manilow tribute act a decade ago at the Flat Rock Playhouse.
“I was a colleague with Howard Molton’s work as a commercial broker,” Byrd noted. He admires how “the Moltons built the cinema from scratch as a listening room” on part of the former Flat Rock High School site.
The Moltons stayed on for a transitional month. “They trained me side-by-side,” Byrd said. “We didn’t want people to feel that much changed.” Byrd works there full-time. He rotates six part-time employees.
More Movies, Beverages
Byrd expanded the name to Flat Rock Bistro Cinema, to emphasize the food and drink aspect. “Your locally-owned bistro cinema featuring a full food and beverage menu, first-run films, and live music” is a slogan.
Angus cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, beef hot dogs, pulled pork BBQ, and chicken salad remain. “I kept the food menu, experimented with charcuterie, and added candies and a dozen local beers and ciders,” Byrd said. “We offer quality food at a good value. We do this while seating 60-70 people in 30 minutes” ahead of movies.
“We’re an experience” multi-purpose venue and eatery, Byrd said. He said that from chatting with patrons, he’s finding that more and more are coming from across WNC and beyond Greenville, S.C.
He added movies on more days, live music, and improvisational comedy acts on Monday about every seven weeks. He kept movie ticket prices very affordable, at $7 for all times. There are also meetings of local groups in the cinema’s screening room, which seats 70 people. For instance, Edward Jones advisor Ty Keplinger holds client meetings there.
Magnolia Concert Series
More concerts are held in the cinema than ever in the year-round Magnolia Concert Series. Tickets are $20 each. Live music is mostly on multiple Wednesdays per month. That fills a scheduling void, not competing much with other venues’ shows, Byrd said. “We get to grab some names who play bigger venues on weekends.”
Performers are impressed with the excellent acoustics and ambience. Derek Stipe likes its “really cool listening room vibe, with food and drinks onsite.”
The next Magnolia performer is Vaden Landers. He’ll play honky-tonk and country blues on Wednesday, Aug. 28, starting at 6:30 p.m. He also headlines the Rhythm and Brews outdoor concert on Sept. 19 on Main Street in Hendersonville.
Recent acts in the cinema were Saluda’s popular Aaron Burdette in late May, David Childers’ trio on July 24, pop-rock artist Stipe on July 25, and roots-folk singer Anya Hinkle on July 31. Earlier acts include young female folk trio The Wilder Flower, and Alexa Rose who won Merlefest’s songwriting contest in 2019.
“The majority of our artists are singer-songwriters,” Byrd said. “They play many genres.” That includes folk, pop, country, bluegrass, and/or old-time mountain music.
Songwriter Trios
Ryan Taylor Price handles Magnolia booking and sound. He hosts a three-artist roundtable, once per calendar quarter. Three singer-songwriters take turns playing a song, after telling about it. “They might say where they were when they wrote it, and why they wrote it,” Price said. Some tell quick jokes, others keep it serious.
Price knows enough area singer-songwriters to brings in different ones. “They’re plugged into the Asheville area music scene,” he said. Many come from Greenville, S.C., and beyond. Price was a Seattle rock band’s lead guitarist years ago. His songwriting influences include Paul Simon and Van Morrison. He likes this area’s value of traditional acoustic music, and its “great outdoors.”
Check flatrockcinema.com for information about upcoming films and concerts and the menu.