Sunday, May. 03, 2009

The Fairmount's final night

Preston Jones

If you haven't been to Fort Worth's the Fairmount, located at 600 W. Magnolia on the near Southside, get out there tonight.

According to co-owner Sally Birthisel, May 3 marks the end of the venue. (The club's pre-Cinco de Mayo celebration, which begins at 7:30 p.m., features Star de Azlan and Paul Eason.) The decision to shutter comes after a turbulent few weeks which found the co-owners wrestling with debt, stemming from owing a substantial amount of money for taxes, insurance premiums and a two-year license renewal from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC).

On April 12, Birthisel and J.R. Whitfield elected to turn the venue BYOB, eliminating the need for the TABC license, but also cutting off a major source of revenue.

The news of the Fairmount's closing was first announced via a MySpace bulletin Friday. When reached by e-mail Sunday, Birthisel was matter-of-fact. "We ran out of time and money," she said. "After [Saturday] night with Wayne 'The Train' Hancock and a packed house, I think we could have made a real go of it as BYOB. Many patrons were thrilled they could bring in their own beverages and more than willing to pay for ice and set ups. ... Several people had never been here before and said they would have certainly have been back for the music and atmosphere."

No word yet as to what happens to the shows already booked through the coming weeks -- I'll update as soon as I hear -- but Birthisel said she's already looking forward to what comes next.

"This is a sad day for me -- very hard to let go of a dream," wrote Birthisel. "I do believe when one door closes, another opens."

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