In 2003, a group of friends and fellow musicians opened The Whiskey simply because they wanted a place to hang out and play shows.
A decade later, those founding principles are carried on by Alecia Mitchell and Andrew Brothers, who have owned and operated the bar and live music venue on Front Street for the last six years.
And that friendly, laid-back approach, Mitchell and Brothers agree, is what has made The Whiskey a landmark in the ever-changing landscape of downtown Wilmington.
This weekend, The Whiskey celebrates a milestone–its 10th anniversary–with two nights of performances from local bands Nautilus and Dubtown Cosmonauts on Friday and Saturday. Doors open at 8 p.m. both nights. Admission is $5.
Mitchell and Brothers–who were friends with original owners Matt Barbour, Christian Cardamone, Dave Harrington, Matt Perkins and Wright Murray–were both bartending in Wrightsville Beach when The Whiskey opened its doors. Brothers worked at Red Dogs and Mitchell was at nearby King Neptune’s.
“We were friends and into the same music,” Mitchell said. “We used to always say if we were going to keep bartending it was going to be at a place we owned.”
So, when they found out The Whiskey was up for sale, they decided to take a chance.
“This was always mine and Andrew’s favorite bar,” Mitchell recalled.
When they took over, they didn’t change a thing.
“I like The Whiskey the way it was,” Mitchell noted.
But it was a tough beginning for the new business owners. They bought The Whiskey in September 2007, just before the “bottom fell out,” Brothers recalled.
A steady stream of loyal musicians–and the fans who supported them–helped keep them afloat.
“Our saving grace was finding Bibis Ellison, who started coming and playing shows every week,” Brothers said.
They started booking other groups who wanted to play the venue regularly, like Same As It Ever Was, a Talking Heads tribute band and The Mantras.
“We loved them so much we just kept having them back,” Brothers said.
Over the years, the sound within The Whiskey’s walls slowly began to evolve.
“We didn’t start out to be a hippie bar but that’s kind of what we became,” Brothers said. “Somehow jam bands started bombarding us. It used to be we’d have a few bands playing an hour set each. Now, one band comes in and plays for three hours. Sometimes we have to tell them to stop at 2:30 (a.m.).”
“We started with a mix of music,” Mitchell added.
Regardless of the genre, Mitchell and Brothers said bands like playing at their bar because of the star treatment they receive. Even those that move on to bigger venues tend to make room in their tour schedule to return to The Whiskey.
The co-owners have their hands in every aspect of the small operation. They book and promote the bands and are behind the bar most nights.
“We became such good friends with the bands, and what they would tell us is they like that we are the ones they talk to directly about everything,” Brothers said.
And taking a “family-esque” approach, he said, they are generous to the live acts that come through. “One hundred percent of the profits at the door go to the bands,” Brothers said. “And if we are having a good night behind the bar, we’ll share some of that with the bands, too.”
“We are a big family here,” Mitchell said.
It’s fitting, then, that they are celebrating The Whiskey’s 10th anniversary with fond members of that extended “family”–funksters Dubtown Cosmonauts and progressive jam band Nautilus.
Both have become something akin to house bands over the years. In fact, booking them for the two-night run was kind of serendipitous.
“We decided to have those guys play two nights because they know how to throw a party, for sure,” Mitchell said. “Then we realized, ‘Hey, it is going to be our sixth anniversary.’ And then we realized, ‘Hey, it is going to be The Whiskey’s 10th anniversary.'”
It’s not easy to keep a bar afloat in downtown Wilmington–where watering holes seem to come and go quickly–so Mitchell and Brothers are counting their blessings. But they aren’t discounting that the best business model they can have moving forward is the same one that started back in 2003–friendship and music.
“We have been fortunate, especially in such a fickle town where bars are opening and closing down all the time. Having a venue is so different than a normal bar. So much goes into it.
“We’re about making sure everybody’s happy and everyone’s making money…we don’t want to get rich off this place. We just want everyone to have a good time and make a living. And we want to continue providing that for Wilmington,” Brothers said.
Hilary Snow is a reporter at Port City Daily. Reach her at (910) 772-6341 or [email protected].
