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Willie Painter plays guitar as Bill Newton leads on the soprano saxophone and Robbie Link strums on the upright bass. Singer-songwriter Michael Borstelmann is usually on stage with his guitar and mandolin but was working the soundboard for this show at The Blue Note Grill.
Striking the Right CHoRd Chord B Y AN N A- RHESA VERSOLA PHOTOG RAPHY B Y
J OHN MICHAEL SIMPSON
This band of acoustic brothers rocks The Blue Note Grill every Friday
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he Duke Street Dogs’ band members deliver decades of combined musical experience, drawing devoted fans to a neighborhood restaurant known for its barbecue and live shows. “It’s become a thing on Friday night for these guys, and that’s kind of an understatement,” says Bill Whittington, owner of The Blue Note Grill, which is located on Washington Street near the Historic Durham Athletic Park. “It changed our Friday nights because they bring a crowd. … We get a lot of people that come just to see them. We get parents with kids, the kids get up there and dance, and the adults are dancing, so it’s a good thing.” Duke Street Dogs have played every Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the popular barbecue restaurant for the past 10 years, except during the pandemic shutdown. Before that, they played weekly at Parker and Otis. And further back in time, they performed for Sunday brunches at the since-shuttered