Poster of canceled show! By Dave Herrera, Westword | On Saturday, Oct. 2, word came down that the Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues had closed permanently. The lauded LoDo venue (it took home a Best of Denver nod in 2018 for Best New Venue, a year after opening, and received an additional nod in 2024 for Best ’90s Nostalgia Trip) sent word of its closure online through a Facebook post. Physical news of the abrupt closure came before then, courtesy of a flyer affixed to the front door.
Fans who visited the venue at 1624 Market St. – previously home to Brendan’s Pub back in the ’90s and later the Blue Mule in the 2000s – were greeted by a note alerting them to news that “That Black Buzzard Has Closed” in bold letters, above word that “Oskar Blues Denver and the Black Buzzard closed permanently on October 1.”
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The venue advised that refunds were available, but no other explanation was given. A subsequent, handwritten note taped to the glass below that flyer read, “We’re sad to say our Denver location is closed! But don’t be a stranger! Take a pic of this sign, head up to Oksar Blues in Longmont or Lyons, and we’ll buy you a beer and a burger! Thanks for all the good times Denver!
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Read more on this sudden event here:
https://www.westword.com/music/oskar-blues-denver-black-buzzard-closure-40949049/
Dave Herrera helmed the music section at Westword for almost a dozen years. After taking a year off to pursue other endeavors, the Colorado-bred music scribe returned to writing as a columnist, critic, and features reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, followed by a lengthy stint with Dotdash Meredith. His byline has also appeared in Spin and Fortune. He returned to his post as music editor in September 2026 and is picking up where he left off.
[Thanks to Alex Teitz for contributing this article! https://www.femmusic.com ]
Photo: Black Buzzard poster | https://www.theblackbuzzard.com/
