“It was so nuts. I’ll never forget it.”
Kym Register, owner of the Pinhook in downtown Durham, reminisced on the venue’s hugely successful opening night in 2008. And now, approaching its five-year anniversary, the Pinhook is planning on celebrating the advancements since its start.
Register said the stage was one example of the venue’s growth.
“We built this super not so great stage, then tore it down and built this better not so great stage that this band stomped a hole through,” she said.
Now there’s a professionally built stage, but Register said the biggest change is the sound system. Another change was the shift of owners, from three to one.
Register, a longtime Triangle musician, joined forces with Elizabeth Albrecht and Nick Williams in 2007 with the collective idea of opening a bar. They found the perfect location downtown, and after a lot of work and help from friends, the Pinhook was ready.
Williams, the self-described “hype man” of the venue when it began, helped bartend and book shows. He sees the overall atmosphere of the Pinhook as one of the main changes in five years.
“When we first started, we weren’t really going to focus on music or events – it was mostly going to be a bar,” he said. “Then we realized how good the space was for throwing parties.”
Williams left the Pinhook in 2011, but he and Register have stayed on good terms.
“Kym has really persevered,” said Williams. “I think she’s gotten a bit of a reputation as a solid club owner now.”
Darren Sink, the current manager, agreed that Register excels at running the venue solo.
“It seems like the Pinhook’s doing better every month and getting better shows,” Sink said. “It seems like Kym has really hit her stride as far as bringing folks in and keeping the place full of bodies.”
Two shows celebrate the anniversary: a Nov. 2 show that includes the widely anticipated reunion of Tooth, the Durham metal band that played the Pinhook’s first independent show, and a Nov. 5 show with Big Freedia, the New Orleans bounce-hip-hop star.
Big Freedia, who sold out the Pinhook the last time she was there, brings in crowds that appeal to all types of people — something Register has strived to maintain throughout the years.
Register, who identifies as queer, opened the Pinhook with inclusivity in mind.
“It’s always been really important to me to have a space be conducive to everybody feeling comfortable,” she said. “We wanted to open our doors to as many people as possible.”
The venue switched to gender-neutral bathrooms last spring, which Register said made those not identifying with any gender feel more welcome.
Register said the Pinhook hosts two to three queer-friendly events a month, but the venue isn’t a gay bar.
The anniversary shows give Register and others a lot to look forward to, but most of the excitement boils down to the Pinhook’s general success.
“I think it’s really cool that it’s lasted five years,” said Williams. “There was nothing like it downtown when it started, and now there’s new things opening every month.”
“People count five; they don’t really count three,” Register said. “I’m excited to be more of a staple in the music scene.”
diversions@dailytarheel.com
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