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Rock & Roll Hotel, the H Street NE club and music venue established in 2006, is closing immediately, according to a press release.
“Over the last 3 years Rock & Roll Hotel experienced rising operating costs, an increase in the number of music venues, and the decrease in ticket and bar sales,” reads the release. “While Rock & Roll Hotel did all we could to adjust with the times, it was not enough to stay a float [sic] and hence, we sadly join a growing number of small businesses and music venues by closing our doors permanently.”
In September, PoPville got a tip that the venue would potentially be closing soon, noting the venue’s thin announced bookings for the end of 2019 and 2020. The venue wrote to the blog and denied any closure was around the bend, saying “December and January are notoriously slow. We have national acts confirmed that cannot yet be announced. Not sure where this rumor is coming from, but it is false and they are misinformed.”
The Rock & Roll Hotel’s website has been wiped of content beyond the release announcing its closure under “About Us,” but a Wayback Machine capture from Dec. 18, 2019 lists performances by Beach Bunny on March 27, which was canceled on Feb. 28, per a Facebook post, and Airbourne on May 2, while its Facebook lists events for Anti-Flag on March 20 and The Coronas on April 14, which are now all canceled. The venue’s Twitter account is protected.
“Over the last several months, we had tried in earnest to find a local buyer to purchase the business or secure a loan to keep the foundation of Rock & Roll Hotel as a music venue, and to keep our beloved staff employed,” they wrote. “Though there was some interest and tireless efforts were made to secure a deal, in the end, we were unable to reach one.”
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