Gone, but not forgotten by music lovers
December 20, 2023
by Sharon Smith | photos by Daniel Coston
On what would have been the Double Door Inn’s 50th anniversary, music makers and fans celebrated the storied venue’s enduring legacy.
More than few years have passed since the Double Door Inn shuttered on Charlottetowne Avenue near uptown in 2017. But if you ask folks in the sold-out crowd at a recent reunion show held at Neighborhood Theatre in NoDa, it seems like yesterday.
Yes, the music plays on. Beloved bands that had a longtime home at the Double Door took the stage during this music homecoming of sorts. “This was an amazing night. Everybody had a great time,” said Nick Karres, who owned the Double Door. The concert venue opened in 1973 and became a home to blues, rock, and jazz with the likes of Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn gracing the stage through the years.
“Here’s to another fifty years of the Double Door!” came a shout from Lenny Federal of the Lenny Federal Band on stage. And why not keep it going? The physical building can’t be replaced, but there’s something intangible that no wrecking ball can silence. The people, the music, and the vibe that made the Double Door special was heard loud and clear again that Saturday night in December.
“The Double Door went through us as much as we went through it,” says Daniel Coston, a Charlotte photographer and music historian around town. “It also fostered a community of people. Music lovers, friends, and people looking for a communal place. That need for community continues, and as long as we are here to celebrate its legacy, the Double Door will always be there for us.” SP
Want more? There’s also a documentary screening, Live from the Double Door Inn, showing at the Independent Picture House on Dec. 22.
SLIDESHOW: The Double Door Inn Anniversary Concert
