A unique part of South Side nightlife is about to slip away.
Club Cafe, one of the few venues along East Carson Street that presents live music, will close after a 25-year run.
The intimate, 125-person capacity venue has served as a music space since 1988 when it became Cardillo’s Club Cafe, a piano bar featuring jazz artist Bobby Cardillo and later his son, Harry.
In 1999, it was purchased by Marco Cardamone, then owner of South Side restaurant Cafe Allegro, who rebranded it as Club Cafe with a sleek modern design, a state-of-art sound system and a broader musical palate.
In 2011, it was acquired by Opus One Productions, a local promotion company that does most of its bookings at Mr. Smalls Theatre, Club Cafe and Stage AE.
Over the past 25 years, Club Cafe has presented such artists as John Mayer, Tori Amos, Billy Strings, Norah Jones, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Drive-By Truckers, Gang of Four, The Blasters, Glass Animals, Robyn Hitchcock, Mike Doughty and St. Paul and Broken Bones.
It’s also been a common spot for popular Pittsburgh artists such as Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, Billy Price, Bill Deasy and Bill Toms and Hard Rain.
“It’s been an incredible run, and it felt like the perfect time to move on to other endeavors,” Opus One owner Michael Sanders said in a statement. “We get to celebrate a quarter-century of incredible music and leave on the best possible note. We’ve worked hard to deliver an extraordinary experience to the neighborhood, the Pittsburgh music community, and all of the artists who have graced the Club Cafe stage. I’m grateful for the thousands of concerts our team hosted and produced, the memorable nights on the South Side, and 25 amazing years at Club Cafe.”
“I always loved Club Cafe as a performance space,” said Price, who recorded the live album “Alive and Strange” there in 2015 for Vizztone Records. “There was an intimacy and interaction with the audience that happened there that set it apart from other venues I play. They always paid attention to having good sound, which I appreciated.”
Club Cafe will continue to present shows through the end of the year with a special week of final events to be announced.
According to a press release, “Sanders and Club Cafe will announce specifics and further details about the venue’s closing plans and final shows — including potential opportunities to purchase the business, building, or other assets — in the coming months.”
First Published: September 10, 2024, 6:28 p.m.
Updated: September 11, 2024, 2:09 a.m.
