185 King Street – A Place for Musicians and Audiences
It was just a couple years ago when Madeline Magin and her fiancé, Cody Noble, decided to take the plunge on a longtime dream by opening Noblebrau Brewing in Brevard. The endeavor also included taking over the storied 185 King Street music venue/restaurant housed in the building.
“We began construction of the brewery in November 2019 and worked on the build-out through the early months of the pandemic,” Magin said. “We’d already bought all the equipment and all of our plans were in the works. So, we had our fingers crossed about reopening in the fall of 2020 when live music and gatherings would be allowed again.”
When the COVID mandates were lifted and folks were once again able to congregate and see live music, 185 King Street and the brewery quickly became a highly sought-after beacon of music, culinary delights and genuine connectivity dearly missed during the shutdown.
“Our goal is to provide an amazing experience to people — to come and play, and to come and listen,” Magin said. “We want everyone to enjoy the beautiful music of our local artists and national touring groups. We’re constantly doing our best to uphold those two goals and continue to grow in the process.”
Established in 2009 by Jackson Wine, 185 King Street came to fruition in an area of Brevard that was once abandoned and silent. Just outside of downtown, the district was formerly a large lumberyard and railroad depot. The music venue became an anchor business, with several other companies soon calling King Street home, ultimately creating this beehive of commerce and culture.
Though the music venue is well-known for its cozy, intimate feel inside, Magin and Noble wanted to also make everyone feel safe during the ongoing pandemic. With that, they started opening up the garage door behind the stage for patrons who wanted to sit outside and still be able to enjoy the live performances.
“And it’s the local people who really appreciate having that option to either be inside or outside for a show — it’s they who keep coming and supporting us, who ensure our survival as a business,” Magin said.
The move proved very popular, especially with the fire pit in the backyard and the night sky above. And as live music slowly crept back onto the once blank calendar, one of the first acts was (and remains) the “Travis Book Happy Hour,” a livestreamed weekly musical showcase (with limited seating) hosted by Book, a Brevard resident and Grammy-winning bassist for The Infamous Stringdusters.
“Having Travis here every week during the shutdown was a big deal for us,” Magin said. “And he’d bring in all these world-class musicians each time, where we’d have some of the finest bluegrass, Americana and folk musicians on the scene coming to play our small stage — it’s been such an honor to present.”
Now that live music is back in full swing at 185 King Street, Magin and Noble are seemingly running on all cylinders, whether it’s booking nightly bands, brewing batches of craft ales or running a busy kitchen.
“It been a whirlwind couple of years for us,” Magin said. “And to see the tables full and the backyard full, we’re just incredibly grateful to be able to provide this place for our community to come back together.”
by Garret Woodward, 2022 Down the Road – Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Guide
