Hidden Houston
Walter's rocks on in its quirky new building: More indie, artsier, even almostclean
The new Walter's is a 190-capacity warehouse just behind UH-Downtown.Google Maps
Indie-rock venue for 11 years, Walter's on Washington closed its doors this pastsummer.Photo by .imelda/Flickr
Where can you get a cheap, memorable music fix? Walter's in the the north downtown warehouse district (no longer on Washington).
Though Walter's on Washington had a catchy, alliterative name, owner Pam Robinson believes the new location is better for rock enthusiasts. Walter's has been a local favorite for 11 years, bringing emerging roots rock and blues artists, but in recent years, it's morphed into a hip destination for indie-rock bands.
The new place has twice the floor space of old Walter's. The location is a bit of an odd choice — it's situated directly behind the University of Houston-Downtown's parking garage and business building — and it's full of quirks.
Walter's is infamous for noise complaint and parking controversies. Robinson purposefully scouted for a location away from pesky neighborhoods and found a 190-person capacity building, just on the outskirts of downtown — in an old, hidden 1930s warehouse.
"This new location is artsy and just feels right. I've always loved the area," Robinson tells CultureMap. "People are always surprised on how spacious, simple, comfortable and clean it is, judging by first impressions. It's also soundproofed now because it's a concrete building.
"The old location was wooden so that's where we had problems. There will be no disrupting or shutting down, so we're thrilled even though it took longer than we thought to finally reopen."
The new place has twice the floor space of old Walter's. The location is a bit of an odd choice — it's situated directly behind the University of Houston-Downtown's parking garage and business building — and it's full of quirks.
Not only has it been a classic car showroom, it's also housed a video-production studio, a car parts distribution center and a cabinet shop in its past lives.
Walter's reopened its doors with a Christmas show in the new locale and it has a string of summer shows lined up. Walter's has teamed up with local concert booking company Elemental Hype and others to help promote the eclectic roster of artists.
"We have a very diverse lineup coming up," Robinson says. "We've been famous for folk, but we mix it up and it just depends. It's not just one category.
"Our goal was to transfer the same vibe and attitude, but to correct any issues for a perfect place, so I'm very happy."
Some of those old Walter's concerns have followed Robinson though. A UHD official filed a complaint with the Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission (TABC), alleging that the club will bring too much congestion into an area that's already under construction stress from METRO's bridge project.
