Staff, fans say bittersweet goodbye to Tremont Music Hall

Tremont Music Hall’s final day was more like a family reunion than a farewell party.

Former and current managers, owners and music fans alike gathered at the Charlotte club Saturday to celebrate — and say goodbye to — 20 years of punk, metal and indie hip-hop shows.

“It’s almost like a birthday party,” owner John Hayes said of the atmosphere in the club.

The building that houses Tremont, which opened its doors in March 1995, was sold to make space for more development in the SouthEnd neighborhood — making Friday and Saturday its final days of performances.

The club has played host to hundreds of musicians over the years, including Maroon 5, Jewel and Matchbox 20. Posters featuring musicians from the likes of Green Day and Iggy Pop hang above the bar.

Its absence will leave a noticeable hole in the local music scene as a performance center for musicians that was bigger than dive bars but smaller than arenas.

But those who know Tremont say the sense of togetherness will exist even after the building is gone.

Lisa Barr, who was the club’s general manager for six years until 2013, said Tremont’s first owner always said that camaraderie could never be found anywhere else.

“Tremont has always done what it’s done because of the music,” she said.

General manager Shane Deal said the music venue has a feeling of family.

“I wouldn’t trade the memories or the friends I made here for anything,” he said.

And he won’t stay in the music industry without Tremont. Deal said walking through its doors in 1997 was life changing, and he doesn’t expect to find that feeling anywhere else.

“It’s the only place I’ve ever felt like I belong,” he said.

Lyndsey Bagi, who only moved to Charlotte in the past few years, said there’s an emotional attachment to local venues like Tremont.

“There’s a lot of relationships that get built here you won’t get anywhere else,” she said.

James Nunn, bass player for a local rock band called The Fill-Ins, said he met his band mates at Tremont, and his first show was on the floor there. They played the big stage as one of the final bands to perform Saturday.

“It’s been a weird full circle,” he said.

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Staff, fans say bittersweet goodbye to Tremont Music Hall."