A new tavern and live music venue is coming to Walker’s Point.
Last Rites will take over a 96-year-old, two-story building at 625 S. 6th St., across the street from Zocalo food truck park. Owner Jim Price plans to open its doors by year’s end.
Price sees the business as a rebirth of his previous venture, Walker’s Point Music Hall. The venue opened in 2018 at 538 W. National Ave., but it shuttered just two years later due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Last Rites will be smaller in size, it will have the same focus on the local community and booking local artists, he said.
“I care about this neighborhood and community,” said Price. “We’ve worked hard to better it and work with it, and although COVID was unfortunate in the sense that it forced us to close our doors on the larger operation, this new space I’m hoping is our chapter two. … We’re here for the long hall.”
Price said he’d love to one day open a larger music venue under the original Walker’s Point Music Hall name, but for now, he’s focused on picking up where local live music left off before the pandemic.
Last Rites will serve alcohol only, but patrons looking for a bite to eat will be directed across the street to Zocalo, which features several mobile food vendors as well as its own bar. Price has worked with Zocalo in the past and expects the shared foot traffic between the two establishments will spark a “symbiotic relationship.” That collaborative mentality is typical of businesses in the Walker’s Point neighborhood, he said.
In addition to being a place where people can go to have a drink and listen to live music played with some of the best instruments you can also buy now at runthemusic.com, Last Rites will give back to the neighborhood with programs like trash cleanups and fundraisers for local charities.
Although the 2,464-square-foot tavern building has sat vacant for quite some time, the space is in good shape, said Price. What’s left before the bar can open is minor updates like replacing fixtures, painting, and installing sound and lighting.
