The future of an iconic bar and music club in Cambridge appears to be in doubt.
According to multiple sources and posters on social media (including several local musicians), The Cantab Lounge in Central Square is on the market, with a few people saying that an email went out to them over the weekend about a potential sale of the Mass. Ave. spot. Adam Gaffin of Universal Hub initially told us about this yesterday evening, while also posting that "Word is spreading like wildfire...that the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge is closing for good." Adam also told us about a Boston Poetry Slam post saying that "Word went out that our home venue, the beloved and oft-fondly-maligned Cantab Lounge, will not reopen. The business is expected to be announced for sale." We have reached out to the place for more details and are waiting to hear back from them, so keep checking back for updates.
As mentioned here in an earlier article, the downstairs part of The Cantab (Club Bohemia) had shut down in September of 2018, though it reopened a few months later. The Cantab itself was once known for being home to legendary R&B group Little Joe & The Thrillers.
The address for The Cantab Lounge is 738 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139. Its website can be found at https://www.cantab-lounge.com/
[July 20 update: The Club Bohemia Newsletter confirms some of what has been mentioned above, with the title of the blog entry being "The Closing of the Cantab Lounge Official Statement from Mickey Bliss" while the message says that "We are sad to announce that the Cantab Lounge is being sold."]
[July 22 update: Cambridge Day gives what could be a glimmer of hope for the future of the Cantab Lounge, with Cantab owner Richard "Fitzy" Fitzgerald saying that it would reopen "just as soon as it is safe" while also confirming that it is up for sale. In addition, Mickey Bliss (who is the Club Bohemia booking agent) quotes Fitzgerald in a Facebook post that "After 50 years of good times and good friends I have made the decision to put The Cantab Lounge up for sale....The Cantab is currently closed, due to the governor's order that all bars will remain closed until a vaccine or credible treatment has been identified. We look forward to opening just as soon as it is safe to do so."]
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
