Jess Ottinger and Josh Pendley enjoy and evening at Southbound Bar & Grill.

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KNOXVILLE — The Old City has been home to a number of bars and clubs over the years. Some manage to find success and stay in business, while a others change hands and names or closed down for one reason or another.

A prime example of this was seen at 106 S. Central St., which has most recently been Club 106, and before that the Red Iguana.

After watching two separate hip-hop clubs come and go in the spot over the last few years, the new owner decided to do a complete 180 and remodel the space into a country-western-style bar and dance club.

I first visited Southbound Bar and Grill the week after its grand opening. While I certainly appreciated and enjoyed the changes, it was clear that they were still getting things in place and trying to find a new crowd. On that particular Monday evening, the bar area was packed with an older crowd playing poker and enjoying a quiet evening.

I went back recently to find a very different crowd partying it up at the Southbound Bar and Grill on a Saturday night. Gone was the quiet poker scene, replaced by a more college-aged crowd.

Southbound has two bars on the main level, making sure you have easy access to drinks on either side of their gigantic dance floor. Flat-screen TVs line the walls and hang above the two bars, displaying music videos of whichever song is playing at the time. Farther back in the room, you come to a set of stairs leading to the second and third level of Southbound Bar and Grill.

The second level “is a private VIP area that will be home to some of the biggest stars ever to grace Knoxville with their presence,” while the third is home to “an '80s & '90s dance party that would make Bon Jovi himself blush.” It appeared that both of these floors were inaccessible during my visit. Perhaps they are still under construction.

Southbound’s row of pool tables were constantly in use while we were there, as well as a few arcade games.

Past the pool tables is the venue’s large patio. Outside you will find plenty of picnic tables and yet another nearly full service bar.

Alcohol pricing was pretty standard at Southbound, with well drinks running $4 and domestics hovering around $3. I didn’t notice if they offered anything on draft, but there was a decent selection of bottles. Smoking was allowed inside.

Currently, the venue is sponsoring a Sundown-esque concert series, "Old City Live," in the courtyard between Barley’s and Southbound. The next scheduled concert will feature Coal men and Homer Hart on Thursday, July 30. Other upcoming shows include Larry Keel & Natural Bridge on Aug. 13 and Knoxville’s own The Dirty Guv’nahs on Sept. 10.

My experience at Southbound Bar and Grill was a positive one, and the country-western theme is an appreciated change of scenery for the Old City.