Live Music News

Longtime rock club in Dallas' Deep Ellum to close after 20 years

You still have a few months to drop in.

Photo courtesy of Curtain Club

UPDATE 3/15/2019: The club officially confirmed the closure via a Facebook post.

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One of the oldest and longest-running live-music clubs in Deep Ellum is pulling the plug. Curtain Club, which has been open at 2800 Main St. for more than 20 years, will close on June 30.

An employee confirmed that the club would be closing, while the club posted an invitation on its Facebook page for regulars to share their favorite moments, saying, "Hey Dallas! What was your most memorable show or moment at The Curtain Club? Everyone has their own story from seeing the greatest show ever to meeting the love of your life, so what's yours?"

Owner Doug Simmons, who was unavailable for comment, was a Deep Ellum club veteran when he opened the Curtain Club in 1998. His focus on local bands over touring and national acts made the Curtain Club the de facto local-music headquarters, with shows at least five nights a week.

But the Curtain Club also hosted national bands on smaller tours such as Fear, Daughters from Providence, Rhode Island, and most recently, a March 2 show starring acclaimed Detroit rock band Easy Action.

Its tradition of painting its monthly schedule of bands on its exterior wall in bold letters, impossible to miss, have become part of the familiar landscape of Deep Ellum.

The building's listing on Dallas Central Appraisal District indicate that it was recently sold to Asana Partners, the South Carolina company that bought up a large portfolio of Deep Ellum properties in 2017.

Although its closure could be construed as another sign of the changing face of Deep Ellum, the neighborhood still has a number of live-music venues including Trees, Canton Hall, The Bomb Factory, and smaller venues such as Club Dada, Reno's, and the Prophet Bar.

In his 2012 list of "7 under-rated music venues in Dallas-Fort Worth," contributor Alan Ayo applauded the Curtain Club for its willingness to host a wide range of genres:

"It sucks to be pigeonholed," Ayo wrote. "Typecasting doesn’t only affect actors like George Reeves and Shia LeBouf; it also affects clubs that historically have relied on one genre. In the case of Curtain Club, that’s heavy acts like Drowning Pool and Slow Roosevelt. Truth is, the well-laid-out Curtain Club is one of the best live-music venues in Texas, and this place is open to all kinds of music. One recent other-than-metal example: the 'Ghost of Blind Lemon' assembly of bands, an ode to the gone-but-not-forgotten venue that used to be across the street."

An employee said that plans were still in the works for a going-away party. With the closure being a few months away, there's plenty of time to hit it up for one last visit just so you can say you did.

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Deep Ellum bar's closure leads this week's 5 most-read Dallas stories

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Editor's note: Two big closures rocked the Dallas restaurant and bar scene this week. There was also an intriguing home for sale on Dallas' ritziest road, a new barbecue joint with an unusual focus, and more. Here's a look back at the top stories of the week. Looking for the best things to do this weekend? Those are here.

1. Dallas bar closes after surviving a decade in Deep Ellum. A Dallas bar that opened 10 years ago in Deep Ellum has closed its doors: On Premise, which rode a decade-long wave in the often-turbulent neighborhood, closed on October 31.

2. Authentic upscale Mexican restaurant at Turtle Creek Dallas closes. In major bummer Dallas restaurant news, authentic Mexican restaurant Jalisco Norte has closed: The upscale restaurant and bar at Turtle Creek Village clocked out after seven years.

3. Dallas and Austin are facing the same kind of housing issues. The state’s housing crisis is effectively a new problem for state and local leaders — mainly because, for the longest time, Texas used to be cheap. "YIMBY" activists in Dallas have pushed local leaders, with mixed results, to embrace the idea that the country’s ninth-largest city should make it easier to build homes besides standalone single-family homes on large lots and big apartment buildings.

4. 50s Dallas home for sale on swanky Strait Lane still has pink bathroom. A house on Dallas' Strait Lane that is possibly home to the last '50s-era pink bathroom on the tony thoroughfare is up for sale. The bathroom's days are probably numbered — but maybe in this one case, it's not a bad thing.

5. Barbecue spot Kafi BBQ coming to Irving will be smoking halal Wagyu. A barbecue restaurant with an unusual focus is coming to Irving: Kafi BBQ, which specializes in halal Wagyu beef, will open at 8140 N. MacArthur Blvd. #100, Valley Ranch, in the former Rafikiz Bar and Grill.