I’ve got the warehouse blues, and you can too

I visited my old home in Durham Friday to watch a free blues concert at the West Village, which occupies the former Liggett & Myers campus. About 50 people plopped down on blankets and chairs between two renovated tobacco warehouses to hear Tad Walters and Book Hanks perform for the Warehouse Blues Series.

I used to live in a loft overlooking that courtyard. On Friday nights, I would hoist open my warehouse-sized windows and listen to the live music drift in while I cooked dinner. Then I would head downstairs with a glass of wine and mingle with neighbors, friends and city officials (the concerts are sponsored by the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation).

But that was three years ago. I thought for sure that the concert series would have either been trimmed out of the city budget or that so many people would have caught on that it would have lost its intimate vibe.

I was surprised Friday to see that wasn’t the case.

The only thing that changed was the positioning of band. Everything else was still the same. Still a good mix of West Village residents, city staff and families. Still wonderful live music. And still free.

The series runs until mid-August. Check out the line-up here.