Q&A: Motorco' Chris Tamplin

It’s no secret that the Triangle’s music scene is rife with venerable and established music venues, but that’s not scaring off Chris Tamplin.

As one of four founders of Motorco Music Hall (along with Jeremy Roth and Mike and Candy Webster) in Durham and a former curator of the Local Beer Local Band series at Tir Na Nog, Tamplin’s had his fair share of planning shows and entrenching himself in the local music scene.

This week, Tamplin talked with Diversions Editor Linnie Greene about the challenges as well as the ultimate rewards of opening a music venue in the area.

Diversions: What prompted you to open Motorco Music Hall? What function will it serve in the local music scene?

Chris Tamplin: I guess it was just really, I felt there was a need for a bigger, better venue for Durham to have because there wasn’t anything big enough to hold larger bands that come through.

I had the desire and dream to open up a place that could cater to touring bands and bring them to Durham, along with Raleigh and Chapel Hill. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do anyway. Since I’ve been old enough to work in bars, I’ve wanted to open a bar. Durham seemed like the right place, since there wasn’t anything like this in the town.

Dive: How did your experience managing Tir Na Nog’s Local Beer Local Band events help prepare you to open Motorco?

CT: It’s more of working in general in bars over the years that has kind of been the thing that’s helped me out. Local Beer Local Band has helped me with booking and talking to bands, having a feel of what bands want.

The reputation I had has been that I work with and treat bands well. That end of the hospitality has been helpful when I talk to agents and bands about playing. I can give them an idea of what we have to offer.

Dive: What are some of the difficulties you’ve encountered so far as you prepare for the opening?

CT: Things like contractors, trying to get them to work in a timely fashion —that’s pretty much any kind of project, where you have to bring in someone to do work, trying to get things done on time. Then not knowing the exact opening date for a long while, that’s been hard to book bands, because they plan tours and what towns they’re gong to go through pretty far in advance.

Touring bands that we’re looking at, they book six months out, and when you don’t have an answer, even a month in advance, it’s kind of one of those things that it’s hard to pull bands in. Once we get up and running, that will happen.

Dive: What are you most excited about once the venue opens?

CT: Having great bands come through, and the fact that we’ve been working on trying to find and open a place for a good 15, 16 months now.

Just seeing the fruition of the first show happening, an event being open and just making it — I’m just looking forward to being able to bring some great shows to Durham.

I want people to be able to come see shows and have a more relaxed, community feel to the place as opposed to just being a bar. We want it to be a part of the community in general.

Dive: What niche do you think Motorco occupies in the midst of so many other local venues?

CT: I guess it’s like a good mid-size venue with a capacity. We’ll be able to bring in smaller national touring acts, but the way the room’s set up it’s still going to have a nice, warm feel, so when local bands play, they won’t feel like they’re playing some giant, empty hall.
We’re going to be doing some other things besides music, so hopefully it’s a place where people actually want to come hang out. One night I’m going to have some harder metal bands, and then another night I’m going to have a German cabaret. We’re also going to be doing different events and working with people in the community to actually throw events. We’re going to be doing some big kind of matinee shows over the weekend too, so families and kids can also come. We’re not going to be driven to just have shows and sell a ton of alcohol.

Dive: What reaction do you hope people have when they come see shows at the venue?

CT: It’s one of those places where, when people walk in, they’re just going to say, “wow.” We’re doing a lot to make it more than just four walls and a roof and a sound system.

It’s going to be nice, we’ve built some things into it to where it’s more user-friendly for the crowds. We’ve built in bleachers and things like that so you’re not just standing on the floor where you can’t see the band. We’re trying to do a nicer venue of sorts, where people will feel comfortable when they walk in the door.