NoDa residents, music fans, and local musicians from
bands like the Catch Fire and the Loudermilks gathered Wednesday as the
remodeled Neighborhood Theatre reopened its doors after having to relocate four
concerts earlier this month (including Foals and Mickey Hart of the Grateful
Dead) in order to complete renovations and procure operating licenses.
With the bulk of the renovations complete, the New Neighborhood Theatre (as it’s
known on Facebook) revealed a snazzy, modern new bar and a more sophisticated
look.
Although the bar had a soft opening last weekend,
Wednesday’s open house featured live music on the big room stage by Charlotte
singer-songwriter Reeve Coobs with Jason Atkins. The first official show is
Saturday’s New Familiars concert with Brock Butler of Perpetual Groove and the
Trainwrecks, who will perform at an after party in the bar area - something
that will happen frequently at the venue. A small raised stage will be erected
in the front corner of the front room.
The layout is basically the same, but the bar is now the
centerpiece of the front room. The bar, which includes seating, is situated
along the wall between the large front room and the concert hall and is
accessible from both sides.
The bathrooms feature new toilets, sinks,
glass tiles, and wood framed mirrors and the stage features new lighting and
sound equipment. But the bar is definitely the centerpiece. The sleek bar,
which looks like a cross between a high-end restaurant bar and what the
original theater might have resembled when it was built as a movie house in the
`40s - changes the look of that front room along with local artwork that lines
the front room (many pieces are by artists that live in the surrounding
neighborhood).
The raised VIP sections in the concert space are gone. The
floor is partially seated as before. Gregg McCraw, who books and promotes
concerts at numerous Charlotte venues under the name Maxx Music and will handle
that aspect of the Neighborhood, said a VIP section will be created in the
balcony and will feature a dedicated bar of its own. He hopes to complete that project
between Saturday’s show and the venue’s second - Jesse y Joy - on June 7.
McCraw is relieved to have the venue open. It was announced
in March that he would take over managing the theater along with Evening Muse
owner Joe Kuhlmann and another partner. McCraw is now the only one of the three
still involved. Real estate developer Tyler Foster owns the building and the name and is taking part in the renovations as well.
London, England-native Alex
Shaw has signed on as general manager. He worked next door at Sanctuary for
four years before moving to Bask, the now closed NC Music Factory restaurant.
He is also tended
bar and handled social media under Neighborhood Theatre's previous management team.
“I wanted to come back. It seemed like a great opportunity
to carry on the legacy of the (old) Neighborhood Theatre and do something new
and exciting,” says Shaw, who moved to Charlotte nine years ago. He’s looking
forward to business as usual.
“The last month has been relatively trying. I’m not a construction worker or a construction boss. I’m
a bartender,” he laughs.
McCraw says patrons can look for the calendar to fill up
soon. He announced this week that Toad the Wet Sprocket will play the theater July
19.
You can keep up to date on continuing changes to the theater
here - https://www.facebook.com/NeighborhoodTheatre.
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