HARLINGEN — When one door closes, another opens.
For one of the most unique businesses in the city, The Prelude’s new door is about five blocks away.
After three years at 113 E. Jackson Ave., the popular synergy of guitar store, cafe and venue for local and top Texas and national performers is moving to nearby 305 W. Van Buren in what owners say will be a trimmed-down version of the previous entity.
“There are a lot of things that are sort of in this space but it kind of outgrew us in a way,” The Prelude co-owner Angel Corsi said earlier this week. “A lot of things, we’re not experts in — we’re not experts in the culinary arts, we’re musicians.
“So we wanted to sort of go back to basics and do stuff that supports musicians, which has always been our goal, it’s always been musician-first, we’re musician-centric here,” he added.
In addition to ending the food option, Corsi said game night will also be suspended, but that performances by local musicians as well as some of the top Texas and national artists will continue.
Showcase performances will continue once or even twice a month, he said, down from as many as four a month the club has hosted.
“The new place will essentially be in day-to-day operations a guitar shop and repair shop, and then once or twice a month we’ll have a really great songwriter showcase,” Corsi said.
On The Prelude’s last day on Jackson Avenue on May 18, the entertainment for the night will be Houston duo Ordinary Elephant, the husband-and-wife, folk and Americana performers Peter Damore and Crystal Hariu-Damore.
“Luckily we’ve created a real relationship with these folks and these rosters and our reputation has preceded us in Harlingen and people from Austin already know about us,” Corsi said. “We’re still making the connections and those shows are still going to happen — they’re just going to happen once or twice a month.”
Corsi said the plan is to open the new venue, which formerly housed Martinez Re-Sale, by the end of June. The building on West Van Buren has downtown’s newest mural on the side painted by Tam Corbette Lopez.
“That was one of the selling points for us,” Corsi said. “The year one Prelude actually had a graphic artist and she’s the one who did the mural. Tam was our graphic designer back then, she actually designed the logo for The Prelude.
“When we realized that building was available, it just seemed like fate to us,” he said.
Last gig on Jackson
WHEN — May 18
WHAT — Prelude’s last night at 113 Jackson Ave.
WHO — Houston duo Ordinary Elephant
