Cheer Up Because Cheer Up's Is Back
Cheer Up Charlie's is back with opening date for new Red River locale, plus epic first night lineup
And, it's back! Less than a month after closing its doors on East Sixth Street, Cheer Up Charlie's announced that it will be reopening at brand spanking new Red River digs on Friday, February 21.
Taking over the the former home of Club DeVille, Cheer Up's is promising to bring the same "anything goes" spirit to the new, larger downtown location. "We all gave Cheer Up Charlie's a proper burial, but like our mama said, you just can't keep a good woman down. She has risen from the ashes to take on downtown Austin. The bearded dudes with guitars have been warned," Jeremy von-Stilb, local promoter and DJ, said in an email.
Patrons will undoubtedly find the new space aesthetically similar to the East Austin locale. "It's an evolution," Maggie Lea tells CultureMap. Lea, who co-owns Cheer Up's with Tamara Hoover, says the move has consisted of 12-hour days for the staff, most of whom are making the move to the new spot. "There is a very conscious effort to make it familiar to people. We want the events to feel the same, we usually don't charge a cover and we want that to still stand."
In addition to friendly faces behind the bar, look for art from Adrian Landon Brooks and Matthew Rodriguez, two Austin artists whose triangle mural and playful illustrations, respectively, became an integral part of the Cheer Up's identity.
And for those of you worried about the fate of the famed parachute, rest assured it has found a home in the new space. "We've moved most of our iconic landmark things like the parachute, furniture and the colored wall," says Lea. "We [took] a lot of our wood so we could refurnish the things (in the new space)."
The inaugural party will spread over two days, with opening night performances by Whiite Walls (who will also be celebrating an EP release) and Silk Rodeo. Gretchen's Disco Plague is also on the lineup, a special treat considering this band also played the venue when it was known as Chances. PooPoo Platter Drag Queen Mortal Kombat will be giving a performance Cheer Up's is promising will be "the messiest queens in town host[ing] a battle to the death that'll bring new meaning to the phrase "finish her."
Look forward to an epic Cheer Up's dance party (but really, can't we always?) when four DJs take to the dance floor to get folks moving and grooving (and probably making out).
The party rages on Saturday with Nakia's Annual Birthday Bash featuring the amazing Riders Against the Storm (if you haven't caught a performance from this husband and wife duo, remedy that immediately), Big Bill, Sampler & Son, Mom Jeans and XBRMNT. Nakia will be hitting the turntables from midnight until the 2 am closing time. The party kicks off at 8 pm and Cheer Up's is asking for $5 suggested donation at the door.