Montgomery’s Oldest Live Music Nightclub Faces Liquor License Scrutiny After Resident Complaints

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) — Montgomery’s oldest live music nightclub, 1048 Jazz and Blues, may be at risk of losing its liquor license following a series of complaints from residents about safety concerns and ongoing public nuisances.

During a heated City Council meeting Tuesday night, several residents of the Cloverdale neighborhood expressed frustration over what they described as persistent noise, litter, and disorderly behavior surrounding the club, located in the Old Cloverdale area.

“It’s in a dilapidated, blighted state — and then all the trash that’s around it,” said Scott Pierce, president of the Old Cloverdale Association. “I get comments about people being harassed in the parking lot, loud music, broken glass, fights — all kinds of things.”

Wilson Folmar, who lives nearby, said he routinely passes the club early in the morning.

“From 4 to 5 a.m., there is a conflagration of people over there acting like fools,” Folmar said.

Derrick Tenner, a twenty-year patron of the club, described how his experience with the venue has changed.

“In all the years of going to 1048, it was always fun, thriving — never dangerous. That’s changed,” Tenner said. “On July 11 at 3:30 a.m., I was brutally assaulted and robbed outside of 1048, in my vehicle.”

Club owner Doug Gurney pushed back, saying the problems stem from individuals loitering outside the venue, not patrons inside.

“The problem is not people who come to the club — the problem is people who hang around the outside,” Gurney said. “I’ve tried to get rid of them many times. One of my employees was even attacked by them. I’ve called the police, but by the time they arrive, those people are gone.”

Gurney said he has no authority over the adjacent parking lot, where he claims many of the problems occur.

“You’ve got a lot of people who just hang out in the parking lot,” he said. “They bring their own supply of drugs and booze. You can smell the marijuana smoke. I’ve never had the problems that I’ve had now.”

Councilman Andrew Szymanski said most complaints he’s received come from incidents that occur in the early morning hours.

“A lot of the calls I’m getting come between 1 and 3 in the morning,” Szymanski said. “We have to make that stop. I’m not getting those complaints and calls from other liquor license holders in the district. Not even some of the neighboring bars who also sometimes stay open that late.”

Gurney also claimed city-hired contractors threatened him while cleaning the property.

“They threatened us with knives, with sticks, and even threatened to burn down the building,” Gurney said. “I called the FBI — threatening arson is a federal crime.”

He suggested there may be ulterior motives behind the efforts to shut him down.

“From my perspective, it seems like there’s a lot of interest in putting me out of business so the guy next door can have a parking lot,” he said. “I’m sorry that he made a bad business deal, but I told him before he closed on the deal that I was not interested in selling, so I just want that to be on the record.”

Despite the ongoing issues, Pierce emphasized that residents are not opposed to having a bar in the area — just the way this one is currently being operated.

“We have no problem with a bar at 1048 — it’s been there for 35 or 37 years,” Pierce said. “We have a problem with the way it’s operated. We have a lot of great things going on in Cloverdale right now. The city is making a major investment in the streetscape, there are plans for Fairview, we’ve got new apartments, Huntingdon is flourishing, and the Capri Theatre has a new marquee that is looking great. Everything is going in the right direction except for this black hole of blight that’s in the middle of our neighborhood that everybody complains about at every meeting we have.”

Folmar urged the city to increase police patrols to deter late-night crowds.

“If the third shift police commander will send at least one officer by there at random hours every single night, this will go a long way,” he said. “This is getting out of control.”

Following the discussion, the City Council voted to require 1048 Jazz and Blues to close at midnight for the next 60 days. After that period, the council will review whether the business will be allowed to retain its liquor license.