Brazos River Bottom, the gay country and western bar and dance club that has called the Montrose area home for more than three decades, will be closing its doors at the end of March.
Robert Harwood, co-manager and bartender at BRB, tells CultureMap that the 100-year-old building at 2400 Brazos Street has seen better days. The owners have sold the property, and are eyeing a few different replacement locations — and Harwood estimated just a 50/50 chance of finding something suitable.
"There's been a lot of things go on here over the past 35 years," he said, noting a number of different bar owners and Houston's changing LGBT scene.
The owners have sold the property and are eyeing a few different replacement locations — estimating just a 50/50 chance of finding something suitable.
Just consider the recent makeover of Mary's, Houston's historic gay bar, into a coffee shop. And the fact that the BRB is now smack dab in the booming Midtown area (35 years ago there was no such label as Midtown), where apartments, condos and mixed-use complexes are going up everywhere.
BRB's calendar is packed with scheduled events until closing night, with Sunday night shows, free Thursday evening dance lessons and entertainment events associated with Luey Weekend in mid-February and the TGRA's Texas Tradition Rodeo in mid-March.
But there will also be two bittersweet causes for celebration in these last days: The BRB's 35th anniversary party during the second weekend in March and a blow-out on its last night, March 30.
"I'm sure it will be busy 'til the very last minute we close," Harwood said.
The 100-year-old building needs a lot of work, explained Robert Harwood, that it's not currently feasible to complete.
