Five Questions with Van Alston
Old School
Van Alston has been a fixture in the local alt-country scene since before anyone, except maybe a few locals, realized exactly how fertile this area’s alt-country soil is. And his club has been a fixture in downtown Raleigh since before anyone would have considered going bar hopping there. In 1999, Alston opened The Lakeside Lounge, a small, smoky venue in downtown Raleigh with Eric “Roscoe” Ambel and Jim “The Hound” Marshall, who own a club with the same name in New York. Two years later, Alston parted amicably with Ambel and Marshall, and opened Slim’s in the same spot. This weekend, Slim’s celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a two-night party featuring The Vibekillers, the latest band by alt-country legend Chip Robinson, who once called Alston his “Spiritual Advisor,” and the Yayhoos.
1. What’s the best show you’ve ever seen at Slim’s?
The best show I’ve ever seen at Slim’s was Chip Robinson, Kenny Roby, Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary playing upstairs, acoustic. A shitload of other local luminaries sat in and played. Slim’s was quiet as a whisper and the whole upstairs was packed to the point I thought it might fall in. Second would have to be one of my birthday parties where seemingly everyone in Raleigh put together a one-off band for the night. What little I remember included a punk band called “Battlestar Connecticut” featuring a bunch of the local alt-country folks. Third would be the Buck Jones Band, another one-off fronted by Alejandro Escovedo.
2. When you started out downtown, you were one of the few clubs around. How has downtown development affected your business, and how do you think the opening of the Busy Bee right next door will affect it?
More bars equals more people milling around. The same thing happened when we opened Havana Deluxe, and look at Glenwood South now. I’m happy to have the Busy Bee next door and I’m happy to have the Mecca around the corner.
3. Any plans to keep releasing music on Rice Box Records?
If there is one thing that ever told me I was good at the bar business, it was trying to be in the record business. While I generally don’t rule out anything, it is pretty safe to say that I won’t be releasing anymore records until after I win the lottery.
4. What was it about Raleigh that made alt-country explode here when it did?
I like to think it was benevolent bar owners, but it probably had something to do with the wealth of talent floating around.
5. What “spiritual advice” have you given Chip Robinson lately?
“Don’t drink/eat that.” Chip rode back from Honduras in the truck with me in October. I’m sure I gave him lots of advice, spiritual and otherwise, on that trip. Unlike his tequila, he has enough sense to take me with a grain of salt.
Photo by Chip Robinson
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Y'allTernative
04/22 10:28 AM
Oh, Havana Deluxe started the whole Glenwood South thing? I think I’ll also take him with a grain of salt. I believe the history was: Five-0 on Hillsborough St, and then The Comet Lounge (Why wasn’t Comet mentioned in this article? That was the real Alt-Country hangout, right?) Rockford on Glenwood and then Havana.
Slim’s is a pioneer in downtown revitalization and certainly deserves credit for that. Congratulations.
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Taylor8
04/22 05:26 PM
Ummm… Mr. Alston used to own the Comet too, genius.
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ches
04/22 06:50 PM
wow, sounds like this van alston fellow is a real pioneer in the alt-music scene in raleigh. i remember the five5-0 club. what a piece of shit. I must try to meet this fellow next time i’m in raleigh. thanks for the article.
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Old guy
04/23 12:28 AM
I’m pretty sure that Havana Deluxe was the first bar in Glenwood South. Isn’t Rockford a restaurant? Both that and 518 West preceded Havana, but Havana was the first bar that I can remember.
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msknowitall
04/23 12:37 AM
don’t forget the stingray in fivepoints..havanas and the rockford opened around the same time, back when downtown was devoid of douchebags.
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Old guy
04/23 12:47 AM
Yep, the stingray was right around then. I’m wondering what the heck 5-0 and Comet have to do with anything. They weren’t downtown by anyone’s definition.
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Johnny
04/23 09:15 AM
The Stingray is still my favorite Raleigh bar since I have been old enough to drink legally. I remember going there and waiting until 1:20 then heading down to The Lakeside/Slim’s for last call because I didn’t want to risk going to the bathroom at Slim’s and being inundated with seven people standing around the sink doing drugs. That trip from Five Points to Wilmington Street used to seem so long because nobody ever went down there back then.
Slim’s has always been a fun bar, but I grew to like it much more during the last few years since Joe from The Bleeding Hearts started turning it into a music room. Raleigh needed something to fill the void that King’s left when it closed and Slim’s stepped up to the plate unexpectedly.
Slim’s is what it is. No pretensions. Good people working. Good people drinking. Great music (both live and on the stereo). Chris and Jim (I think he’s no longer there) and Joe have always been accommodating to me and my band and I never feel like a lesser person like I used to feel when I started going there years ago when the guy who opened the Capitol Room was running the place.
There’s a lot to be said for any place to make it for TEN years. Slim’s is almost like the red headed stepchild of bars in Raleigh.
What they have pulled off in the last few years is quite amazing. From private clubhouse/drug bar to very respectable music venue(albeit cramped, smoky and loud), is a transition that has benefited this city but is often overlooked.
I have never met Van Alston, but I am sure that I have been in close proximity to him from time to time.
I have had friends from L.A. play there after booking a show with Joe and they have said that it was one of the best rooms and experiences that they have had on the road.
That says a lot for a little sleazy hole in the wall that reinvented itself a few years ago by smart people making smart decisions to become a music venue and is now about to celebrate a decades worth of existence. Not many businesses (especially Downtown) can say that.
Kudos Slim’s. Congratulations. Joe - keep up what you’re doing with the music. It’s more appreciated than you may realize and you essentially saved Raleigh’s music scene when King’s closed. Jimbo - I still feel bad about ordering that Cosmo for my girlfriend. I was almost blushing before I even got to the bar. Chris - You are one of the best bartenders I have encountered in all my travels.
I can’t wait to celebrate with you guys this weekend. What are the details anyway? The website seems kinda vague. Is the singer of The Yayhoos the guy from Georgia Satellites?
With love -
Johnny -
WiseOne
04/23 11:44 AM
Wow, that sucks. I thought Slim’s was still a ‘private clubhouse/drug bar’...well, you gotta grow up sometimes, right Van?
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Roy
04/23 01:19 PM
It should be noted that Slim’s has some the coolest bartenders in Raleigh. They are always nice to the customers and do a good job getting drinks out when the place is packed.
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Van Alston
04/23 03:29 PM
Lord have mercy, I sure wasn’t trying to take credit for starting the Glenwood South frenzy, only pointing out that we were down there with Havana Deluxe early on and that as more businesses came it got better and better. To be quite honest I was looking for cheap rent rather than to start a trend. It is fun to hear the names of some of those old bars, though. I miss the Comet (which I did own for ten years) and Five-0 (which I didn’t, but drank enough there to probably make a rent check or two) and the Sting-Ray like the old friends they were.
To those who have pointed out what a wonderful staff we have, let me say thank you. The staff is, after all, what ultimately makes the difference between a shitty bar and one that you will want to return to repeatedly. We do have a great staff, one that I am proud to work with and it tickles me that folks care enough to take the time to write about it.
I hope we’re around for another ten years and that we’re still worth talking about. See you at the rock shows.
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WiseOne
04/23 04:07 PM
I hope you are around too.
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broke down car guy
04/24 03:00 PM
Hey, I know that dude. He helped me once when my car broke down…even bought me some gas. salt of the earth, this dude is. salt of the earth.
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Y'allTernative
04/29 12:13 PM
Mr Taylor, I was giving Van props for owning The Comet and thought it should have been mentioned in this article given it’s history in the Raleigh music scene and Van’s involvement. I am in fact a genius. I sense you were being ironic. I am not.
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PJ
07/23 11:41 AM
I was wondering if the Comet was still open. Originally I used to Love that place when I frequented there, I used to love going in there after seeing various Gigs in the Brewery. Then all of a sudden I got threatened and then barred by the main Bartender (whose name I forget, but he was a Round, Blonde Guy with receding Hair who wore a Beard) Its like he hated me cos I was from another Country, maybe hard to believe but its true. I swear I never said a thing to provoke the Guy, all i remember is some night back in 1998 or 1999, I went in there, and he turned on me and all I was trying to do was purchase a Drink.
Sorry to write a less-than-favourable review, but thats my most vivid memory of the Place.
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