One Door Closes
East Austin music venue shuts doors permanently due to pandemic
Over the weekend, the pandemic shut the door on another long-time music venue. In a Facebook post on Friday, September 11, the North Door announced it would be closing permanently, citing the “dark times” of the pandemic.
Established in 2008, the Brushy Street lounge over the years became an Austin staple due to its lineup of live music and community and creative events. It was also the home of excellent taco window Pueblo Viejo.
“To our DEDICATED and LOYAL staff, clients, and patrons; You are the lifeblood of the The North Door,” the post reads. “Without your continued support throughout, we would have never come this far. So, THANK YOU for all of your support over the years, we really could not have done it without you.”
The post says the goal for the venue was to create "an atmosphere where people are allowed to be themselves and where they can feel at home." It recalled Game of Thrones screenings, New Years Eve parties, laugh riots over Bedpost Confessions, and Peligrosa performances every third Friday.
“We will never forget the relationships that were created, and we will treasure them always,” it reads. “If we could list every single person who helped us succeed over the years, we would never finish this post. Hopefully, you know who you are.”
A survey released in July by the University of Houston predicted that a majority of local music venues would close prematurely due to the pandemic by this fall. The industry is one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis, which prompted mass closures and layoffs and also hurt vendors.
One unnamed survey subject went even further, telling UH researchers: “I think there’s a real risk of losing 90 percent of the independent music venues in Austin within the next few months.”
But there might be a silver lining, at least in the North Door’s case. According to the post, the North Door will be back at some point under a new name and potentially in a new location.
North Door hasn’t responded to a request for more information on the new venture and when we might expect it. We will update this story with any additional information.
