The sudden closing of MilkBoy ArtHouse in College Park has led to speculation about the reasons for its decision to shut doors.
Among other things, commenters on a popular Reddit thread argued that as a bar it was too restricted to 21-and-over customers, that the food and drinks were overpriced, and that the menu didn’t have enough vegetarian options.
Of course, any time something goes out of business, there’s not just a single answer.
But it is probably not due to a lack of demand for live music. For starters, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center will continue putting on shows in the space and may have another private partner in the next few months, and The Hall, which is opening soon, also has plans for regular live performances.
And the Route 1 corridor as a whole also has a lot more live music than you may realize.
Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mount Rainier holds regular shows featuring live music such as Paint Branch Creek, steel drummer Victor Provost and multi-instrumentalist Simone Barron.
Just around the corner, the Mediterranean Cafe also regularly features live music such as a local jazz duo. Meanwhile, right down the street, the Brentwood Arts Exchange has a long-running series called the Listening Room that features an eclectic mix of artists such as Baltimore folksinger Caleb Stine and experimental musicians.
Savor At Studio 3807, the Brentwood food hall that opened this fall, is planning live performances at some point in the near future.
You can also catch live music regularly in Hyattsville at Maryland Meadworks, My Dead Aunt’s Books inside Tanglewood Works, and at Busboys and Poets as well as occasionally at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. and Vigilante. Kahvie coffee shop at University Town Center is also working to have more live musical performances featuring soulful artists such as Abigal Furr.
And there are regular shows at the Board and Brew, Looney’s Pub, Old Parish House and the College Park Grill in College Park as well as the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt. There is also occasional live music at Denizen’s Brewing Co. as well as outside at the Station at Riverdale Park.
MilkBoy ArtHouse may have had trouble, but it regularly had sold-out shows. There is definitely an audience for live music on the Route 1 corridor. The new operators may have to try a slightly different approach to make it work.
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