Note: this is an older Article written back in 2017 for a previous blog i ran. i thought i would bring it over here and re-post it for more eyes to see.
On April 7, 2017, Montgomery lost more than a bar. It lost one of its last true homes for original music.
Head on the Door closed its doors for the final time that night, bringing an end to an era that shaped countless musicians, artists, and fans across the River Region.
The news had arrived quietly just weeks earlier. Two of Montgomery’s best-known bartenders suddenly lost their jobs, and within hours the announcement spread across social media. It wasn’t long before patrons learned the new management intended to close the bar for good.
After an outpouring of support from longtime regulars, the owners agreed to let the previously scheduled V8 Death Car record release party serve as Head on the Door’s farewell.
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As the evening began, people poured through the doors one last time. Some arrived heartbroken at the thought of losing their favorite gathering place. Others came to celebrate the friendships, music, and memories that had defined so many nights over the years.
The first band to take the stage was Shehehe. From the opening note to the final chord, the crowd erupted in applause. Between songs, the band’s lead singer spoke about what Head on the Door had meant to them and how every stop in Montgomery had felt like coming home.
By the time the venue reached, and unofficially exceeded, capacity, familiar faces filled every corner of the room. Members of the Plug Uglies, Montgomery’s longtime punk rock community, stood shoulder to shoulder with musicians, artists, and fans. At Head on the Door, everyone was welcome. If you walked through the door, chances were someone would introduce themselves before you ordered your first drink.
At 10 p.m., hometown favorites V8 Death Car took the stage.
Led by Trey Martin, the band had spent years building its reputation inside those walls, opening for touring acts before eventually becoming one of the venue’s premier headliners. On this night, however, it wasn’t just another show. Every song carried the weight of knowing it would be the last time this stage would host live music.
As the final notes echoed through the room, it became impossible to ignore what everyone already knew.
This was goodbye.
When the house lights came on, strangers embraced like family. Friends hugged through tears. Conversations lingered as no one wanted to be the first to walk out the door.
For many, Head on the Door was Montgomery’s version of Cheers, a place where everyone knew your name. For others, it was the city’s closest equivalent to New York’s legendary CBGB, a gritty sanctuary where original music mattered more than image. Above all else, it was one of the few places where local artists could perform their own music for an audience that genuinely cared.
One of the venue’s defining features was its famous wall of band stickers. Every touring act left behind a piece of its history, turning the front windows into a colorful scrapbook of the musicians who had passed through Montgomery.
After the doors closed, that wall disappeared.
The stickers were stripped away. The windows were tinted. Decorations that had given the bar its unmistakable personality were either moved elsewhere or discarded entirely. Within weeks, little remained of the place that had meant so much to so many.
Yet its influence didn’t disappear.
Britt and Adam Powell of the band BPM often credited Head on the Door as an important part of their early success. Inspired by the venue and determined to keep its spirit alive, they later opened their own music venue in Wetumpka, Against the Grain, creating a new home for Alabama’s independent music community.
Head on the Door may have been a small neighborhood bar, but its impact reached far beyond its walls. It launched bands, inspired artists, created lifelong friendships, and gave Montgomery’s original music scene a place to call home.
When the lights went out on April 7, 2017, a venue closed.
For many of us, it felt like an entire chapter of Montgomery’s music history came to an end.
Jason Davenport is a seasoned media professional with over two decades of experience in the fields of broadcasting, audio/video production, and media consulting. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, Jason is the owner of Deep South Media, where he specializes in providing innovative solutions for clients, including podcasting, blogging, web design, and social media management.