Amos’ Southend has announced that it will be closing in March. It will be the fourth notable Charlotte music club to close in a period of just 16 months, after the Chop Shop, The Tremont Music Hall, and, come January, the Double Door Inn. You’d think that with all of the millennials moving to the Queen City it would be a good time to run someplace to come hear bands play. That obviously hasn’t proven to be the case, for a variety of reasons.
It’s always been hard to make money running a music club, which is certainly at least part of it for the Tremont and DDI and probably for Amos’ as well. Land values and redevelopment are even a bigger issue; music venues depend upon cheap rents in big old buildings with available parking close to desirable areas. As Charlotte sees a lot of infill redevelopment, those conditions no longer exist for those clubs — the Chop Shop site got redeveloped, Amos’ talks about a lack of parking influencing its decision to close, the Double Door’s owner is selling out to Central Piedmont Community College, which is located just across the street, and the Tremont was unprofitable in a hot neighborhood and the site will soon be redeveloped.
It’s all rather sad, especially as the Double Door, Amos’, and the Tremont have each operated for 20+ years. Still, nothing is forever, especially in the music business.
