Ziggy's, Noted Winston-Salem Music Venue, To Close

One of Winston-Salem's most prominent music venues will be closing in February. Charles Womack, a co-owner of Ziggy's, says the lease on the Trade Street building will not be renewed.

Womack says there have been disagreements among the ownership group – which includes long-time Ziggy's operator Jay Stephens. Womack says the experience has left him heartbroken and he's unlikely to get back into the business.

“We had this perfect team that had so much opportunity and so many great things that could have happened," he says. "This live music, there's so much competition, I think it'd be a lot easier to just buy a ticket if there's somebody I want to go see.”

This year, Ziggy's has hosted acts as varied as The Steep Canyon Rangers and Snoop Dog.

Doug Davis is a local musician who has played the Ziggy's stage many times. He says being able to play at the venue was a career milestone for many area musicians.

“Ziggy's and what Jay Stephens has been doing in this town for the last couple of decades has been a large part of the music scene here, and that name certainly means a lot to a lot of people,” he says.

Jason Thiel is president of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership. He praised Ziggy's for being one of the first components to the growth of the arts district. But he says it's not unusual for businesses to come and go.

“When we've had other places go vacant – significant restaurants and key locations – we've seen that in time things work out for the best.” 

This isn't the first time Ziggy's has closed. Its roots go back to locations near Deacon Boulevard. The original business closed in 2007. It reopened downtown in 2011.