October 20, 2009 Music » Music Features

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Milestone hits 40th anniversary 

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click to flip through (2) JEFF HAHNE - IRVANA WAS HERE: Thousands of bands have played at The Milestone over the years.
  • Jeff Hahne

  • IRVANA WAS HERE: Thousands of bands have played at The Milestone over the years.

 

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Memorable local bands seen were the Lunatics, Tom Montefusco and his Noise Orchestra, the Blind Dates, ANTiSEEN, The Spongetones, Don Dixon and Marti Jones.

Bands I missed at the Milestone, but saw elsewhere include the likes of the Violent Femmes, R.E.M., Love Tractor, Fugazi, Hillbilly Frankenstein, Hüsker Dü, Dinosaur Jr. and the Dead Milkmen.

The old player piano in the corner is gone -- my favorite perch, above the moshers -- but the atmosphere remains the same as Harper and Shive made numerous changes. They've improved the sound system, added a few racks, took out the bleachers, added a place for bands to peddle their wares and even improved and expanded the bar. Now, they even sell mixed drinks. They keep up the place so it looks almost normal ... or at least not filthy.

When run by owner and sometime manager Flowers, for years he only served Miller or Bud and half the time ran out, so intrepid club goers had to hoof it down the street to the local 7/11 to bring back some cold ones, while dodging the locals who occasionally stole instruments left on the sidewalk.

Former manager Penny Craver, drummer for the Blind Dates -- now running the restaurant Dish -- says, "The neighbors there were as afraid of the people attending the Milestone as the music people were afraid of them, what with their wild hair, the Mohawks ..."

Craver's take on the 'Stone is "that it's the place where all the various bands on small labels would play. Now," she adds, "they're bypassing us for the larger and bigger clubs in Charlotte and elsewhere. But it's nice to have a club this size."

Penny's favorite Milestone anecdote "was our second night open, in 1991. We had Fugazi. People were climbing walls over the patio and jumping in. I let lots of local musicians in free. It was mad. There were 700 people there that night. Cool history in it. Times have changed. It was a great place to run."

Besides Harper, Craver and Flowers -- who bought the place in 1969 -- other Milestone managers included the personable Tony Farina, (from the Inn) the dynamic duo of Jeff Lowery and Tim Blong, who went on to run noteworthy, memorable venues like the Pterodactyl and 13-13.

Despite Craver's thoughts, the old days are not yet over. Harper says, "If walls could talk here, you'd need ear plugs." The Melvins -- the founders of grunge -- played here not too long ago. Dexter Romweber plays there this month.

My own favorite new band of neo-bohemians, Spindrift, played its first Charlotte gig, of course, at the Milestone. Their spaghetti-western oater "Legend of God's Gun" played recently at this year's Charlotte Film Festival.

Harper has his own current favorites playing the Milestone. He says, "Captured By Robots has been real amazing every time they're here. They come every year. The Sword became pretty big. Now, they tour Europe opening for Metallica."

Again visiting the Milestone -- it's addictive -- I caught two excellent Brooklyn bands, the So-So Glos and Titus Andronicus, playing loud, fast and relentless. Weekdays often bring the best touring bands because not having decent radio, Charlotte draws smaller weekend audiences. But lying between the larger or cooler 'burgs, like Atlanta and D.C. or Asheville and Chapel Hill, brings in notable touring bands with open weekday slots.

Another excellent Milestone quirk is that the shows start late. While not good for working stiffs going in at 8 the next morning, as far as I'm concerned, I miss way too many shows by arriving at 10 at night. Who wants to be at a music hall by 7:30 p.m.? Apparently, plenty don't mind and it leads to the Milestone's next problem. The weekday shows, however excellent, draw sparse crowds. The club is out of the way in unfashionable West Charlotte, but in reality, not too distant from city center. Though other clubs are located in more desirable locations, they lack the Milestone's mystique, attitude and presence.

Neal takes me around for one last look at the hieroglyphics on the walls, this time showing me a note signed by KMFDM:

"Itchy bitchy

Scratchy snatchy"

which sums up the Milestone itself -- short, sharp, fast and funky.

As the cliché goes, for the Milestone, this 40th anniversary is just the beginning. Let's bring on the attitude and catch the Milestone's next 40 years.

Day One of the Milestone's 40th Anniversary celebration starts on Oct. 22 with Junior Astronomers, Harvard, The Lights Fluorescent and Grids. The show is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under. Oct. 23 will be free and feature 25 Minutes to Go, PPR, Andy the Door Bum and 2013 Wolves. Oct. 24 will be $8 and $10 and feature Birds of Avalon, Maserati and Hectagons. Oct. 25 will be $7 and $9 and feature So Many Dynamos, Cinemechanica, One Another and The Heiz.

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