Spacebar's calendar reads like a neighborhood bulletin board. Touring bands and local showcases share the week with punk rock karaoke, drag and burlesque, comedy open mics, trivia, and DJ nights built around goth or 1980s vinyl. Some nights you come for a band. Some nights you just come.
From Kobo to Spacebar
The room used to be a rock bar called Kobo. Ben DeRolph bought it, gutted the place, moved the stage somewhere you could actually see it, upgraded the sound system, and reopened it as Spacebar in 2014. The bones are still a bar first, with a stage that gives bands a real place to play.
The room
It is a small room, so the crowd and the band end up close whether they planned to or not. The bar pours craft beer and cocktails. Many events are 18 and over or 21 and over, and the limit is set show by show, so check your ticket and bring ID.
The doors keep late hours on show nights, and the venue tends to stay dark on nights with nothing on the calendar. Look before you head over on a whim.
Where it sits
Spacebar is at 2590 North High Street, just north of campus in Old North, and nearly across the street from Ace of Cups. The bus is the easy call, since the High Street lines run right past. Drivers end up on the side streets, where the posted signs matter more than you might think.
Two rooms, one block
Two rooms sit almost face to face on this block of High Street, so if one show sells out or ends early, the other is a crosswalk away. The Summit Music Hall is a short drive or a longer walk away on Summit Street. For more shows in rooms this size, our indie calendar is the place to look.