West, who graduated college in
1973, was offered a job running
the place beginning a
nearly decade-long chapter in the Crest’s
history as a concert hall. “The stage,” West
says, “was still there, and they’d extended
the balcony to include wings to either side.
It became a rock ‘n roll night club, and
started featuring local bands and traveling
acts.”
Among the local acts were bands like
Lush, Heather, Brice St. (from the Triangle
area), Choice (from Atlanta), Nantucket,
the Super Grit Cowboy Band, and
Sidewinder, featuring local resident Jerry
Powell.
“The Crest drew people from everywhere,”
Powell says. “It was a unique center
for live music. We not only played there,
but we rehearsed there, too, during the
day.” Many bands showed films as a backdrop
to their music.
Along with the patrons of neighboring
bars, crowds spilled onto North Lumina
at closing time. In the wee
hours, noise levels increased,
residents complained and
the local police stepped up
enforcement.
“They started cracking
down on the whole club
scene,” West says, “and drunk driving particularly.
They had a noise ordinance passed
that said the noise had to stop at 1 a.m.”
“Gradually,” West adds, “that kind of
enforcement kept people from coming to
the places.” In May 1981, the Crest was
sold to the town, which, according to a
report in the Wilmington Morning Star,
“spent about $160,000 with the intent of
closing the bar and keeping the building
from ever being used as a bar again.” There
was some thought given to turning the
building into a combination community
center and town hall, but those thoughts
were scrapped when the town faced possible
renovation costs of $130,000. Harper
Peterson proposed plans that would return
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the building to its original use
as a theater, but when those plans fell
through, aldermen began discussions centered
on tearing the building down for a
parking lot. Two years later, in a unanimous
decision, the town sold the building
to Johnny and Estelle Baker, owners of the
Bridge Tender Restaurant, who proposed
plans for a fitness center and health
food restaurant.
“It was in deplorable
shape,” Estelle recalls from
her Airlie Road gift shop,
The Fisherman’s
Wife. “We basically
gutted it.
In the mid 70s, The Crest, was converted
into a recreation and concert hall.
Courtesy of Estelle and Johnny Baker.