I’ve never had much of a desire to be at any bar or club during karaoke night. There was one unfortunate incident in which I decided to get some takeout from Cody’s (now Thaiphoon) during such a night, and it was one of the most miserable 15 or so minutes in a restaurant that I can recall. Perhaps it was bad timing, but sitting through it reinforced the notion that I never, ever wanted to be a part of any karaoke night ever again.

About a month ago, my entire perception of it changed. I’ve long been a fan of Two T’s, but it was only recently that I decided to go in on a Thursday night to unwind with some cold beers and then discover what would completely reverse my opinion on the idea of ordinary folks singing the classics.
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Downtown Raleigh’s Montague Building offers a commanding presence over E. Hargett St. at Moore Square. Faced in buff-yellow pressed brick, the palazzo-like building is the most prominent in the 100 block, and in recent years has become a symbol of the renaissance of Hargett St. This substantial three-story masonry structure was built in 1912 by Raleigh attorney B.F. Montague.

Soon after its construction Montague rented the building to the US government as temporary space for Raleigh’s post office while the Fayetteville St. building was being enlarged and renovated. After the post office moved out three years later, only a few storefronts were subsequently rented out. Although Montague’s own law firm, Montague and Bonner, continued to occupy offices on the 2^nd floor, the building remained largely vacant thereafter.

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Admittedly, I know far less about the local music scene than I’d like, but what I do know I learned from the Local Beat. Hearing DJ Steve-O’s lyrical wit and entertaining interviews made the dreadful commute home via I40 on Friday afternoons pleasant. In addition to learning more about some of the area’s talented musical acts, the program also exposed me to some great local shows I wouldn’t have otherwise known about.

Steve with Gabriel Pelli and Django from The Old Ceremony

Steve Salevan first started out with WKNC only a week after arriving on campus. Brought to the area from Delaware by way of the reputation of NCSU’s engineering program, it wasn’t long before he began to establish his roots in the local music scene. By the end of his first semester, he was planning events for the Inter-Residence Council. After spending a few months with the station, he was inspired to plan his first musical event, “WolfStock”. It was this on-campus show which eventually launched him into the role as Local Music director.

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