Update (1/4/13): We caught up with Devin Mendoza, who's worked at and booked shows at Old Curtis for the past two years, and he gave us a little more insight into the bar's unexpected closing. Last call for Old Curtis is tomorrow night. There's a big bash planned to mark the closing and to celebrate Luke Fairchild's (Git Some, Kingdom of Magic) birthday. Adai, Orphans, Swells, WorldPain, Dissonance in Design and Du Bois are all slated to play.
See also: - The twenty best scenes from Rockbar's last call - Last call at the Lancer Lounge - Last call at Pete's Monkey Bar
Old Curtis Street Bar, one of the last remaining true dive bars in downtown, is closing this weekend. The building that houses the bar at 21st and Curtis has evidently been sold, and so the premises have to be vacated by Sunday. In 1978, Pete Razatos took over the space formerly known as Hogan's Bar, and in 2004 his son Kosta started chipping in and turned Old Curtis Street into more of a nightlife spot catering to live music several nights a week with local and national acts.
"The building was just sold and we have to be out by Sunday!" read a post last night on the bar's Facebook page. "Come help us drink all of the rest of our booze tonight Friday and Saturday. Thanks for all the love and support, and thanks to all of the bands that have played here over the years. Lets have a drink about it!"
Devin Mendoza, who's worked at Old Curtis for the last two and a half years and been booking shows there for the last year, says that the closing was all very sudden and that the employees were told last Wednesdays that they would be let go this Sunday.
Mendoza says the new property owners are trying to rent the space as is, and it doesn't look like they are really trying to renovate the place. He adds that the new owners are looking to get someone in there to open it as a bar/restaurant, and nobody is really sure if the place will have live music.
Mendoza says he paid a promoter to help book shows throughout January, and he's tried contacting the new owners to see if they had anyone else moving in immediately, and he hasn't heard back yet; he wanted to see if they wanted to carry any of the shows.
"If they're opening up with the same equipment and stuff," he says. "I don't see any reason why they would need any downtime. As of now, who knows what the new people will do with it. It won't be the same."
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