In 2016, the Pinhook put on a show with secret billing. It wasn’t for a fun reason: The downtown queer dive had found out that, due to an accounting error, it owed $80,000 in back taxes. The North Carolina Department of Revenue wanted it paid within a year.
With the scrappy venue’s future on the line, staff threw together a series of fundraising shows.
Tickets for the four shows quickly sold out, as the community turned out for surprise lineups that included acts like Sylvan Esso, Chatham County Line, and Watchhouse. The debt got paid. And that turnout, says Pinhook owner Kym Register, affirmed that Durhamites will blindly show up for live music, putting “trust in our community to create an amazing night for everyone.”
Durham will see another secret Pinhook show this summer, putting that concept to the test. This one, though, marks a slightly more fun occasion: A collaboration between the Pinhook and Duke Arts as part of the latter’s annual summer show series.
The free series, normally held at Sarah P. Duke Gardens as Music in the Gardens, will be held on Duke’s East Campus this summer, due to a year-long garden renovation. There’s plenty of room on the East Campus lawn, so tickets or pre-registration are not required.
Following each “Music Near the Garden” show, attendees are invited to the Pinhook for an afterparty, and the final concert, on June 27, is a tribute to the magic of that 2016 secret show, with a secret lineup at Duke East Campus and another at the Pinhook afterparty.
This is the second year that Register has been involved in the lineup: Last year, they and Country Soul Songbook collaborator Kamara Thomas curated the series, giving it a rootsy spin. This year, the emphasis is on Pinhook artists, and Stormie Daie joins Register as series host.
The partnership with Duke Arts, Register says, has been “nothing less than dreamy.”
“This year, we’re bringing artists that are a big part of the Pinhook community from all over the country, and the funds that Duke Arts has allocated to the series allowed us to pay artists well and offer free all-ages shows to Durham,” Register wrote in an email to the INDY.
This year’s lineup is: The Lover Boyz (May 28), Black Belt Eagle Scout + T. Gold (June 4), Meltdown Rodeo + Lavender Country Tribute featuring Adeem the Artist (June 11), Anjimile + Speed Stick (June 18), and the June 27 surprise show. To learn more and read about the afterparty lineup, as well, you can visit the Duke Arts website.
Duke Arts also recently previewed its fall programming, with the full lineup to be announced in May—highlights so far include comedian Atsuko Okatsuka (September 4), violinist Sudan Archives (September 7), and music group Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience (October 25).
“We wanted to get people in The Pinhook because our staff and our space are a large part of Durham’s music and arts community,” Register wrote. “We’ve been around for 17 years and seen a lot of changes in this city.”
“The streets downtown are much more bustling than they were a few decades ago,” Register continued, “but we still need spaces like ours for emerging artists, queer performers, fundraisers, political rallies, etc. We wanted to invite Durham into our space for free and showcase more brilliant musicians—and keep the party going.”
While it’s arguably hard to beat a balmy Southern garden concert, this year’s location at Duke’s East Campus lawn is more spacious (parking at East Campus is also free after 5 p.m.), making one of Durham’s loveliest free experiences just a bit more accessible. Next year, the annual series will revert from being near to being back in the gardens.
And if you’re curious about that secret show lineup, follow along on Duke Arts’ Instagram—they’ll be dropping clues.
Follow Culture Editor Sarah Edwards on Bluesky or email sedwards@indyweek.com.