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http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/rip-longbranch
What has already been a tough year for iconic local-music institutions just got even tougher: The Longbranch Saloon, Raleigh's long-running country nightclub, has closed its doors after a run of more than two decades. This past weekend was its last.

Over the years, Billy Ray Cyrus and Garth Brooks were among the many rising country acts to play the Longbranch on their way up. But the club had struggled in recent years. A $300,000 renovation to meet fire and building code violations in 2006 tightened its margins, leading to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration in February. Ultimately, changes in the local entertainment were too much to overcome.

"The economy is bad, country-music competition is everywhere, the bottom line for this place is huge and it's just too expensive," says office manager Shelle McCollum. "We have loyal customers who come out every weekend. But with a venue this size, it just was not enough."

We'll have more in Tuesday's paper.

7/7/2008 1:34:06 PM

good

7/7/2008 1:34:47 PM

score

7/7/2008 1:35:17 PM

crap

well legends it is, then

7/7/2008 1:36:58 PM

good, I hated that place.

Shitty Limits FTMFL

7/7/2008 1:39:11 PM

wheee

7/7/2008 1:44:26 PM

I went there twice. The second time, ended up locking my ID and keys in the front seat. By the time the tow truck came to open my door, they had closed the doors. This was the night Kenny Chesney was coming. On top of that, the tow truck guy screwed up my door and I had to have my body guy fix it.

I wasn't my favorite place, for sure. Its a loss for Raleigh from the nostalgia aspect, but thats about it.

[Edited on July 7, 2008 at 1:50 PM. Reason : ]

7/7/2008 1:45:07 PM

My sister worked there for a couple years

7/7/2008 1:50:48 PM

Damn, I thought this was a user. I'm glad I was wrong.

7/7/2008 1:51:57 PM

the short twig

7/7/2008 2:46:01 PM

bunch of fat country girls will now go to somewhere else.

7/7/2008 2:49:29 PM

those redneck queers need somewhere to go to stay out of everyone else's way. this place closing is a disservice to the community.

city limits is going to be crowded now.... at least hopefully

7/7/2008 2:55:33 PM

haha, i know someone who will have to get off of the gravy train because of this.

7/7/2008 2:56:32 PM

Damn, I've wanted to go there for years but never got around to it. The only time I actually tried to go the wait was estimated at an hour because of the damn G105 Slaw Slam (summer 2005), so I gave up and went to Jillian's, which had maybe 10 people in the whole place.

7/7/2008 3:05:30 PM

i went there a couple times over the years (sister's birthday, couldn't say no)

had to pay like $10-$15 to get it, and that wasn't when a band was there or anything...that was any given saturday night.

and on top of that their drink prices were pretty crappy considering the cover.

good riddance.

7/7/2008 3:12:35 PM

First, I hardly ever go to nightclubs, but I always enjoyed when I visited the Longbranch.

7/7/2008 3:50:56 PM

i've never been anywhere with a cover charge when there wasn't a live band

7/7/2008 3:52:40 PM

First Jillians and now this...What is the world coming to?

7/7/2008 4:02:22 PM

I got thrown out of there one for trying to mosh during a shitty band. I tell ya, moshing is not a popular thing to do with that crowd. I had 4 bouncers, one on each limb haulin me out the door.

fuck that place anyhow.

buncha fat chicks doing the Macarena and shit, is all i can remember.

7/7/2008 4:19:04 PM

good!
now get rid of shitty limits.

7/7/2008 4:25:50 PM

I can't take anyone seriously who wears a cowboy hat for fashion.

7/7/2008 4:28:00 PM

I actually like City Limits. I haven't been there in months but it's usually fun. I like that they don't attract much of the ghetto-fabulous crowd, and I can just barely tolerate the white trash that trucked in since there was nothing else to do after their meth lab blew up. The fatties riding the bull are good for a laugh. The cover used to be $5 but I think it's gone up.

7/7/2008 5:08:28 PM

I think jackpot should consider purchasing a mechanical bull.

7/7/2008 5:16:07 PM

i'm not a redneck, so i've never been there

7/7/2008 5:16:55 PM

i was thinking this thread was about a steak house that closed or something

or a fallen native american

7/7/2008 5:19:36 PM

Quote :

"I can just barely tolerate the white trash that trucked in since there was nothing else to do after their meth lab blew up. The fatties riding the bull are good for a laugh. The cover used to be $5 but I think it's gone up."

lol

7/7/2008 6:06:29 PM

That sucks, we used to get blitzed there all the time.

7/7/2008 6:06:47 PM

Quote :

"i've never been anywhere with a cover charge when there wasn't a live band"

Plenty of places do this. They're usually a bit nicer than Jackpot, though.

7/7/2008 6:22:54 PM

Damn, I thought this was a user. I'm glad I was wrong.

7/7/2008 6:23:29 PM

any place that charges a cover and doesn't have live band is usually a trashy slut-club

7/7/2008 6:33:17 PM

Hey, I like trashy slut-clubs.

7/7/2008 6:36:19 PM

I like trashy slut clubs

7/7/2008 6:36:58 PM

fair enough

but i don't really like nice

i like lived-in and kind of dirty

i could live with jackpot not being quite as dirty, believe it or not

just as dirty as the rockford

7/7/2008 6:37:55 PM

got thrown out of there as well.......the cop had a fucking complex or something, i dont think he realized he was a cop riding around in a golf cart at a bar.

after that i quit going there or recommending it.

[Edited on July 7, 2008 at 6:49 PM. Reason : .]

7/7/2008 6:48:57 PM

Raleigh RPD has always been pleased with security at the LongBranch. 9-1-1 Center on weekends never gets calls of trouble from that complex, but gets plenty from (name just about any other place here).

7/7/2008 6:53:37 PM