When the Gas Lamp closed in downtown Des Moines, it left a hole in the local music scene. Small bands looking to play in front of a crowd of 100 to 200 people no longer had a venue. The bar, which closed in July 2023 and reopened as the Lamp in the East Village, was considered crucial for local music development and provided a space for artists to progress from smaller clubs to larger venues.
When Teehee’s Comedy Club was still open at the corner of Walnut and 14th streets in Des Moines, it briefly catered to that crowd. Punk rock, heavy metal, and more took the stage on odd nights. Teehee’s closed in 2024, and the owners are still searching for a space to relocate.
Enter Locals Bar & Stage, a music venue in the former Teehee’s space from Ben Norris, the co-owner of The Walnut, the former food truck that opened as a restaurant eight years ago, a few doors down. Norris and his co-owners in Locals Bar & Stage — Anthony Vasquez, Eli Berry, and Sid Juwarker, who sold Teehee’s to AJ Simmons in 2022 — leaned into the locals part of the name…