GREENSBORO — My wife asked me not to become a “Pyrle rat” after the doors to downtown’s newest venue officially swung open to the public Feb. 27.
That’s a tall order given the impressive list of bookings so far.
Begrudgingly, I’ve mostly respected her wishes and, for reasons outside my control — with the exception of one soft opening — have attended only two performances, coincidentally exactly one month apart.
Following four soft openings (a wise decision by the owners to work out the kinks), Anders Osborne had the honor of christening the stage for the inaugural official show at The Pyrle. The New Orleans songwriter and guitarist brought his road-tested blend of Delta blues, rock and Crescent City soul to the room, a fitting first act for Greensboro’s newest live music venue.
While the music was indeed wonderful, what tickled me most was the palpable energy beneath the marquee. People were excited to walk through the doors where, upon highly secured and properly staffed entry, the glittering lobby bar served — with smiles and efficiency — craft cocktails and heady brews for the hop-and-barley set to a crowd of happy customers.
The place was firing on all cylinders.
At the one-month mark, Asheville bluegrass band Holler Choir opened for Chatham Rabbits. The husband-and-wife duo of Austin and Sarah McCombie began in bluegrass and old-time music but expanded their guitar-and-banjo roots into a fuller Americana sound, now backed by a rhythm section and saxophone.
That evening, exactly one month later, what I witnessed was critical mass: a full house of people — all kinds of people, young and old. As a newcomer to Greensboro, it was a new sensation for me.
In between — and in my absence — The Pyrle has hosted a well-curated mix of acts, another smart play by the operators. The lineup has ranged from EDM artist GorillaT and Drive-By Truckers co-founder Patterson Hood to Tab Benoit, Ricky Skaggs, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, a Taylor Swift-themed dance party and rap icon Rakim — something for nearly every palate.
It’s no secret North Carolina has produced a long list of music legends — John Coltrane, Maceo Parker, Nina Simone, Ben Folds and many more.
Just as important, though, are the venues, large and small, that have served as incubators for emerging artists — places where bands cut their teeth and generations of fans found their footing.
And this weekend brings one of North Carolina’s own.
The Connells were a household name — a band the Raleigh children of the ’80s knew was going places, the one older kids and babysitters wouldn’t shut up about. Of course, I was too young to identify with Mike Connell’s world-weary, introspective lyrics, catch references local to Chapel Hill, or absorb the nuances of their hook-laden melodies and jangly guitar work.
But I was a fan.
Raleigh’s The Connells — the state’s proud sons of alternative rock whose catalog includes the albums “Fun and Games,” “One Simple Word” and “Ring,” which features the enduring hit “’74-’75” — will take the stage Saturday night.
For guitarist Mike Connell, the band’s continued run still comes with a sense of disbelief.
“It’s immensely gratifying that people still come out to see us,” Connell said in a recent phone interview. “And perplexing in a way. But mostly, we’re just incredibly grateful.”
More than four decades after forming in Chapel Hill, The Connells remain a working band — albeit at a more relaxed pace. Connell said the group played about 10 shows in 2025, a schedule that fits comfortably around day jobs and family life.
Yet the audiences remain strong.
Even more astonishing to Connell is the presence of younger fans discovering the band through streaming.
“Something I never thought I’d see again is college-age folks in the audience,” he said. “That’s been a real surprise.”
Part of that renewed attention stems from the band’s unexpected streaming life. Connell said The Connells now have roughly 168 million plays on Spotify, driven largely by “’74-’75,” the melancholy single that became a massive hit across Europe in the mid-1990s.
The song reached No. 1 in Norway and Sweden and climbed high on charts across western Europe.
“I remember the president of our record company calling me one morning in 1995 and saying, ‘Congratulations, you’ve got your first No. 1,’” Connell said. “That’s not a call I ever anticipated receiving.”
The Connells emerged from a particularly fertile era of Southern alternative music.
Before the band arrived in Chapel Hill, musicians such as Mitch Easter, Don Dixon and Rod Abernethy were already shaping the region’s sound. Meanwhile in Winston-Salem, future members of the dB’s — including Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey and Will Rigby — were laying the groundwork for what would become a vibrant Southeastern pop scene.
“Those guys cast a long shadow,” Connell said. “All of that was happening before we even came along,”
Today, The Connells’ lineup still includes founding members Mike Connell, guitarist David Connell and singer Doug MacMillan, joined by several longtime collaborators who help recreate the fuller sound of the band’s later albums.
New material exists — at least in fragments. Connell said he has dozens of unfinished songs, and the band has recorded demos with producer Mitch Easter in Kernersville.
But when audiences come out to see The Connells, nostalgia still carries the night.
“We know people want to hear the older songs,” Connell said.
And in places like The Pyrle, that connection between past and present is exactly the point.
For Greensboro, the venue represents more than another stage. It’s a long-awaited anchor — a brick-and-mortar room in the lineage of the clubs and halls that helped shape North Carolina’s music culture, the kind of place where bands like The Connells — and the next generation behind them, big or small — find their footing with a live audience.
