Yellow Cab Tavern, a longtime fixture of the Dayton music scene, is closing for good on Saturday, Oct. 31, after 15 years in business. The venue at 700 E. 4th St. will mark the occasion with two final nights of music: a free open-mic farewell party on Friday and a curated Halloween bash to close out the building for the last time.
Owners announced the closure in June, citing rising business costs and a decline in sales, according to bizjournals.com. The tavern will remain open through Oct. 31 specifically to honor its previously booked events, as WHIO reported following the owners’ social media announcement. Management has said musicians, artists and nonprofits helped make the space unique over its decade and a half in operation, per the same report.
The farewell includes an open-mic party Friday, Oct. 30, hosted by Windsor and co-owner Paige Beller, according to the Dayton Daily News. Evan Miller will DJ, followed by Tyebee and his band.
Halloween Lineup Caps the Final Night
Saturday’s closing show, dubbed Dayton Halloween, starts at 5 p.m. and costs $10 in advance or $15 at the door. The bill features Sheller, Good Soup, Tino, Wujeria, the Rong Brothers, Lil Kevo 303 — who is from Boston — and Halloween, a Philadelphia act, according to the Dayton Daily News.
A Stage for More Than Just Bands
Beyond live music, Yellow Cab Tavern hosted art shows, giving artists a place to share their work, the Dayton Daily News reports.
Poetry Slam and Other Programming Scatter
The closure is already reshaping Dayton’s arts calendar. Dayton Poetry Slam, which has called Yellow Cab home for just shy of 11 years, held its final slam at the venue on Sept. 20, drawing more than 40 people who signed up to read, according to the Sinclair Clarion. The slam is moving to Black Box Theater on Third Street and shifting from a biweekly to a monthly schedule starting Oct. 18, a change organizer McGee said might even free up time to travel for shows or try out different venues, per the Clarion. The group previously adapted during the pandemic by moving to Discord while still holding regular slams and featured-poet events, the outlet noted…