Closed for the past 22 months Avondale Estates' Towne Cinema quietly reopened with a concert last weekend. The iconic structure is now leased by 37 Main which runs two other clubs in Buford and Gainesville, Ga. The company’s owned by three brothers from Cumming, Ga., John, David and Joe White who have mostly booked cover and tribute bands in their original two locations.
The next show is the Led Zeppelin tribute band, Led Zepagain, tonight (Oct. 16) at 8:30 p.m.
The Whites conditional use permit application to lease the 96-year-old landmark was approved by the city’s commission in Dec. 2018. Since then the interior was thoroughly gutted and the seating capacity more than doubled to 600.
The Towne Cinema has a diverse history. It dates to 1924 when it was originally the post office and city hall before serving as Avondale Estates' movie theater from 1938 until roughly the mid-1960s. For long stretches it also served as a renowned recording studio.
More recently it sat dormant for nine years before getting reopened in August 2015 through December 2018 by Tony Longval, longtime band roadie, set builder, entrepreneur and jack-of-all trades, who also ran a music club.
Youngest 37 Main brother Joe White, 34, recently emailed answers to several questions posed by the AJC. They have been edited for space and clarity:
Could you give a little background on you and brothers' history in the club business?
We opened our first location, 37 Main Buford, in December of 2008, our Gainesville location in 2017. Each location is different but share similar qualities that take an ordinary night out to an extraordinary one!
During our father’s youth, he had diners throughout Savannah, Ga. (his hometown), so I guess hospitality has always been in our blood. To put it simply, we just really enjoy what we do and we really look forward to bringing Avondale Estates some great memories and unforgettable shows.
All three of us attended South Forsyth High School and went on to do various things until the decision to launch 37 Main was made. Me personally, I attended Georgia Perimeter college where I played baseball and studied business. I was drafted in 2005 by the Seattle Mariners where I played 4 years in their minor league system before walking away to start the 37 Main journey with my brothers.
You have two other clubs that focus mostly on cover or tribute bands. What kind of format are you looking at with the Avondale space and do you plan to go with groups that play more original music?
We’ve become very well known for our amazing tribute acts, and there’s a great explanation. These guys spend their lives recreating the sounds and moves of our iconic rock heroes. They truly keep the ghosts of these legends alive.
That said, with our Avondale Estates location we will focus on everything. From Tribute shows, to huge national touring names, to boutique shows featuring Grammy award winners, comedy acts, plays and more. If it’s entertaining, we will feature it at 37 Main Avondale Estates. We also want to keep a strong relationship with the very talented local music community, and we encourage all bands to reach us at 37mainbooking@gmail.com. Also check 37main.com for all upcoming shows.
Can you describe your renovations to the Towne Cinema’s interior?
The entire inside of the Towne Cinema was completely gutted [and now includes] all new electrical, plumbing and HVAC. The room has been opened up as we removed many of the walls that were obstructing the stage view. We added the original balcony back to the building, creating a historic feel and premier seating to see a concert. This addition increased our capacity to 600. We did complete an addition to the back side of the building which will be the green room for artists to relax before the show. The old Towne Cinema is unrecognizable from the inside but unrecognizable in a great way.
Do you offer food, as with your other venues?
We offer snack and small combos that go perfect while sipping on your favorite beverage. Here’s a link to our food and drink menu that better explain our options:
https://avondale.37main.com/food-drink/
Previous owner Tony Longval dug up some intriguing history regarding the building, so I’m wondering what additional history, anecdotal or otherwise, you might’ve excavated. Most of those circa 1920s theaters around Metro Atlanta (like the two in next-door city Decatur) were torn down years ago.
We were able to find some history on the building and [Longval] shared some interesting stories of Elvis Presley actually performing for a children’s hospital on his way home from an arena show in 1956. The B52s, Allman Brothers and REM are some other names that have performed on our very stage! I have recently discovered that the rock band Jakyl (heavy metal/Southern metal band formed in 1991) was signed on that very stage as well. Also, some great musicians and Grammy winners have recorded some pretty historic albums right here when it was J&S Recording and Nickel & Dime Recording.
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