Today we’d like to introduce you to Abbey Spoon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
We are Josh King and Abbey Spoon, the owners of Flat Iron–an intimate music venue in Greensboro, NC. With backgrounds in music and the service industry (respectively), it’s always been a dream of ours to own & operate a live music venue. We purchased the business last summer, one month before the birth of our second child.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting a business with a newborn and a preschooler was challenging enough, but we’ve definitely hit other obstacles along the way. We’ve been hit hard with some maintenance issues since taking over the lease, which sort of come with the territory of operating in an old building. Our street has also been shut down since the beginning of 2023 for city maintenance so that certainly hasn’t done us any favors.
Our goal has always been to create a space with live music at i’s center, where artists are fairly compensated for their craft. This means the majority of our events are ticketed, with almost all of the revenue from tickets sales going directly back into the artist’s pocket. Because of this, we’ve definitely competed with local bars and breweries who offer free music, because obviously people love free stuff! (So do we!) Free live music is great, obviously, but there is definitely also value in purchasing tickets that directly support the artists for their services. And to be honest, when people spend their hard-earned money on something, they are more likely to listen to the music and engage with the artists, so our space creates a really special reciprocal relationship between musicians and listeners. But yes, competing with free music has definitely been a big struggle.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Flat Iron?
ABOUT US: We are a small, intimate music venue and cocktail bar in Greensboro, NC. We are owned and operated by musicians and service industry veterans. On average, we have live music 5-6 nights a week, ranging from listening room style singer-songwriter nights to rock n roll shows, bluegrass quartets to hip hop showcases, 10-piece jazz groups to electronic dance parties. We try to book a wide array of quality music that is as diverse as the community that we serve.
THE VENUE: The acoustics of the venue have been professionally treated, so the room sounds incredible. We are also home to Hole in the Wall, a recording, mixing, and mastering facility owned by our sound engineer, Jeremy Chereskin. We have the ability to record and multitrack our shows, which is a unique feature. We’ve even had some artists release recordings from their live shows, which is pretty neat.
THE BAR: Our friend Caleb Creed (of Caleb Creed Libations) creates our custom cocktail menus that always feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. Of course, we also serve beers and highballs like every other music venue, but it’s really special to have the option to sip a high-end, hand-crafted cocktail while watching a show.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Ultimately, we want to be a destination spot for touring artists–a place where musicians from all over the country really want to play. And we want the venue to be a destination for music lovers all over NC. We definitely have some bigger things in the works too, so keep an eye on us for some exciting announcements over the next year!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flatirongso.com/
- Instagram: flatirongso
- Facebook: flatirongso
