Winston Watchman (https://winstonwatchman.com/tag/ziggys/)
Winston’s music scene just got an unexpected shot in the arm today. Ziggy’s at 9th and MLK will be re-opening under the curious name RamKat. Triad City Beat reported that Richard Emmett and Andy Tenille, will be co-owners and managing partners of the new club. TCB also reported that Bryan Ledbetter of Airtype, has invested in Ramkat and will be responsible for the new club’s brand. Having Richard Emmett involved in Downtown Winston is truly good news.
Winston was sad to see its beloved little music venue (the Garage) close on New Year’s Eve. The question now is, what should Winston do to promote live music in a city that calls itself, “The City of Art’s and Innovation?” Public ownership of Winston’s shuddered music venues is a solution worth exploring. Downtown Winston’s success killed The Garage. Bars and breweries now line Trade Street and Liberty Street.
For 10 years now Winston’s music scene has been in a precarious state. Ten years ago today, on November 25, 2007, Ziggy’s played its last show. The property then was sold to Wake Forest and demolished. Ziggy’s longtime owner, Jay Stephens spent years before he eventually found a new location, formed a partnership and reopened Ziggy’s on W. 9th Street in 2011. Sadly, Ziggy’s 2.0 closed a few years later in February 2016. Unfortunately, neither the partnership nor the location worked out.
It was two years ago today that Snoop Dogg came to Winston. It was the crowning achievement of Ziggy’s reopening in Downtown Winston. Thousands of fans gathered to see a member of hip-hop royalty perform on an outdoor stage that Ziggy’s built for the show. It was a bold attempt to put Ziggy’s back on the map. It certainly created a buzz for Winston’s largest live music venue.
Last Sunday night was the last Waltz for Ziggy’s, a live music venue that was once the epicenter of live music in Winston. In November, the shocking news that Ziggy’s would be closing stunned this observer. I knew that Ziggy’s wasn’t drawing very many big acts, the place wasn’t what it used to be. But Ziggy’s has been a linchpin of Winston’s music scene for decades. I thought that place would stay open for years to come.