As a teenager growing up in the pre-smart phone days of the 1990s, downtown Durham was a place to skateboard and wander, to find others, who would hopefully lead you to a house show or a clandestine- D.I.Y. venue. One had to look at the flyers on phone polls instead of their phones to find out about shows or just hope that word of mouth reached them. For those who wanted to make the most of a burgeoning and dedicated D.I.Y. music scene, Durham was a playground humming with possibility. The current landscape of fast fine-dining, hotels and bars was still years away and, musically, most of the Triangle’s focus was on Chapel Hill’s indie scene. In those days, Durham was often skipped over and considered the scrappy sibling of the Triangle.

That changed with the opening of The Pinhook in 2008, a music venue and community beacon defined by punk ethics that has hosted all genres and styles of music while celebrating queer life and art with a steady and clear rejection of all things bigoted. The Pinhook cemented Durham as a destination for touring acts and as a home for bands within Durham’s greater community. It was made clear from the onset that The Pinhook is a space run by queer artists that would serve as a refuge for queer artists and audiences. The Pinhook’s presence in downtown – started as a gathering place for Durham’s queer music scene – has since encouraged other queer-led businesses and spaces in the area to blossom and thrive and to be outspoken about their support for Durham’s queer community. - Discover Durham