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downtown
How about A Little Night Music? By jenni hart
H
onky tonks, juke joints, music clubs...whatever you call them, live music venues are an irrefutable bellwether of a diverse and vibrant downtown, no matter the city. Raleigh is no exception. From relaxed to raucous, featuring local hobby musicians to international recording artists, these stages are lighting up nearly every night of the week.
Kings Barcade In its first incarnation, Kings was open from 1999 to 2006 on McDowell Street. From its current location at 14 West Martin Street, which opened August 2010, Kings has resurrected its reputation as a hub of creativity and fun, with offerings as diverse as live bands, to game shows, comedy nights and even the occasional play. Co-owner Steve Popson has seen smaller, independent acts play on the Kings stage on their way to bigger venues. “Since our original opening in 1999, we’ve had a lot of different types of bands, but indie rock is how I would describe most of them,” he says. Acts like The Shins, Calexico, Mastodon, and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have all entertained Kings audiences. Popson describes the average Kings By Christa Gala patron as young and energetic, but he adds that the attractions are so diverse that every
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4/26/11 4:56:53 PM