GREENSBORO — What once felt like a construction site with a dream attached now feels unmistakably real. On this visit, with paint going up, tile going down and bar stools on order, Will Stewart and Dom Amendum say the finish line is finally in sight. Outside, The Pyrle sign now hangs over Elm Street — a symbolic milestone that makes the whole thing feel official.
“We’re basically working on getting all of our final inspections done,” Stewart said, ticking off city signoffs and a certificate of occupancy as the last major hurdles. Windows are about to be painted, interior finishes are being installed, and furniture and fixtures are being locked in. “It’s getting close.”
The project grew out of a simple, shared frustration. Stewart is one of five friends — alongside Durant Bell, Daniel McCoy, Arthur Samet and Jeff Yetter — with deep Greensboro ties who bought the former Triad Stage building in 2024 because they were tired of leaving town to see the kinds of shows they wanted to experience. Rather than complain about it, they decided to build the room they wished already existed.
From the start, the goal was to design a venue the way music fans actually want to experience shows. The group brought in WORKS Architecture, a nationally recognized firm, and paired them with local contractors to translate that vision into bricks, steel and soundproofing.
That local fingerprint shows up everywhere. Stewart’s brother is handling the millwork. Thompson Traders is fabricating sinks for the lobby and VIP bathrooms. Vivid Interiors, just down the road, helped land on finishes and furniture.
“It’s been fun having five members, their spouses and now a whole team weighing in,” Amendum said with a laugh. “Everyone’s got an opinion.”
Behind the scenes, the business side is moving just as quickly. ABC permits will be filed as soon as the certificate of occupancy is issued.
“We’ve already done the fingerprinting,” Stewart said. “We’ve got an attorney and everything lined up so we can move as soon as we’re allowed.”
That urgency matters because The Pyrle’s dance card is already penciled in. The first public show is scheduled for Feb. 27, bridging a run of soft openings into full national booking.
“We went back and forth on that first date,” Amendum said. “At some point you have to start the calendar and take the leap. We felt like we could.”
By March, they expect to be at a full sprint.
“The calendar’s pretty stacked,” Amendum said. “We’re going to hit the ground running.”
A big reason that’s possible is the venue’s partnership with Knitting Factory, the longtime national promoter. Knitting Factory handles the calendar and talent buying, but the owners keep control of the room.
“If we’ve got a special event, that always takes priority,” Amendum said. “They’re incredibly plugged in. If there’s an artist we believe in, they know exactly who to call.”
The structure itself is doing a lot of work. The first two and a half floors house the venue and a cocktail bar that will operate six days a week, whether there’s a show on the calendar or not. Upstairs, Stitch Design Shop has signed a lease for part of the second floor, while the rear of the building is being carved into a proper artist compound: a green room, three private dressing rooms, showers and laundry.
That layout came directly from conversations with touring musicians living a nomadic existence, hopping from one town to another for months at a time.
“They all say the same thing,” Stewart said. “Shower. Washer. Dryer. Anything after that is gravy.”
The team is also building out a menu of local services for visiting artists — everything from yoga and haircuts to IV therapy. One idea that’s already proven popular elsewhere: puppy playdates with adoptable dogs.
“Artists are on a tour bus all the time,” Amendum said. “Apparently having puppies show up for an hour or two is a huge win.”
Another floor is designed as flexible space, able to shift from VIP meet-and-greets and after-show DJ sets to comedy nights, graduation parties and corporate events. One of The Pyrle’s marketing partners, Ricochet, will also take office space there.
Community use is baked into the plan. Amendum recently walked the building with Greensboro police officials to talk security and broader collaboration. Not long after, GPD asked to host its GSO CAN public safety initiative in the space on select Saturday mornings.
“It was a no-brainer,” Amendum said. “It brings people from all parts of Greensboro into the same room to talk about issues that affect public safety.”
Local institutions are lining up too. UNCG’s new popular music program is exploring student showcases and “final exam” concerts at the venue. There are also conversations about apprenticeships in sound, lighting and arts administration with UNCG, Guilford College and GTCC’s audio engineering program.
“That’s a pipeline for us,” Amendum said. “We can help train young professionals and, at the same time, give 18- to 22-year-olds a great place to experience live music.”
Underneath all of it is a serious audiovisual backbone. The Pyrle is installing a top-tier Meyer sound system, including new subwoofers, along with a large LED wall and high-end projection setup. The goal is flexibility — concerts, film festivals, talks and corporate presentations for organizations tired of hotel ballrooms.
Then there’s the bar. Amendum and Stewart are betting on a cocktail program that feels like a destination, not an afterthought. Full craft cocktails will sit alongside tallboys, and the bar will stay open after shows so people can linger.
“At a lot of venues, the lights come up and everyone’s pushed out,” Amendum said. “Here, the show ends and you go grab a drink, talk about the night. Maybe the artist comes out. That’s how you build connection.”
On nonshow nights, the space will still lean into music — concert films, live recordings, themed video nights on the screens.
“You’re still in a music venue,” Stewart said. “Even if there isn’t someone on stage.”
Looking ahead, both see The Pyrle as a missing link in Greensboro’s live-music ecosystem — a room sized for acts that have outgrown small clubs but want something more intimate than the Tanger Center.
“No shade on Tanger — it’s a great addition to the city,” Amendum said. “But that’s a seated, buttoned-up experience. This is going to feel like a party. You can stand. You can dance. You can have a drink.”
Stewart believes the ripple effects will extend beyond the building itself.
“In five years, you’ll see that gap fill in between the Tanger Center and the south end of Elm Street,” he said. “The Pyrle will be the anchor.”
Amendum imagines something even simpler: A downtown where the default weekend plan is just to head for Elm Street.
“I’d love for this to be the first place people think of,” he said. “You don’t need a plan. You just come down here because there’s always something going on.”
