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Downtown music anchor the Bunkhouse set for a summer hiatus

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Downtown’s Bunkhouse will close on July 1 and is planned to reopen in September.
Photo: Corlene Byrd
Jason Harris

On June 30, a Downtown music anchor goes dark ... at least for a couple of months. What was already known: The Downtown Project bought the Bunkhouse, the countrified bar/music venue located off 11th Street just south of Fremont. What’s new: The Bunkhouse will shutter its doors starting July 1, with plans to reopen in September.

“They feel like there are some improvements to the room, bar and kitchen that need to be made,” says local promoter Patrick “Pulsar” Trout. “I think they think it’s smarter to take the time with it and redo the place than to keep it open as they renovate.”

As for Pulsar, his last show as the Bunkhouse’s booker will take place June 29, with local indie bands Dusty Sunshine, Same Sex Mary, The Big Friendly Corporation, The Clydesdale Avalon Landing, Crazy Chief and The All-Togethers on the bill. After that, he’ll move on to a new position working for Bogus Productions and focus on booking for other Downtown venues, namely Backstage Bar and Billiards and Fremont Country Club.

Pulsar says he has always appreciated the Bunkhouse’s commitment to musical diversity. “The Bunkhouse was really the only bar that was centered around live music, and it was the only spot that was booking all genres. Punk, metal, reggae, hip hop—they’d take anything on.”

Though Pulsar says he’s not sure what direction it will take after it reopens, he remains optimistic. “The Downtown Project has some cool ideas for the place, and I have high hopes for it.”

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