LUPO'S HEARTBREAK HOTEL

 

 

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1975 - 2017

 

www.lupos.com

 

For a history on the venue and Rich Lupo

 

CLICK Music Man  By  Zachary  Block  '99

 

  

CONCERT WE PRESENTLY KNOW ABOUT

 

THE STORY OF PHASE THREE


 Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel to relocate to the Strand


BY IAN DONNIS

Settling a long-running dispute and maintaining the downtown presence of Providence’s landmark rock ‘n’ roll club, Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel plans to relocate a block away in early December, settling into the Strand nightclub on Washington Street. "Even two to three days ago, I thought I might just stay at Lupo’s [current location on Westminster Street]," club owner Rich Lupo said in an interview as this week’s Phoenix was going to press, "but this really does seem to be the best thing to do for the longevity of the club and to satisfy so many needs."

 

Under a complex licensing agreement worked out between Lupo, Arnold "Buff" Chace, the owner of Lupo’s current home in the Peerless Building, and nightlife impresario Mike Kent, who holds the lease for using the Strand, Lupo has the option to present live music at the Strand for up to 15 years. In order to accommodate Kent’s dance club business at the Strand – and following a wider industry trend -- the Lupo-presented shows need to conclude by 10:30 p.m. on Thursday through Sunday nights. Lupo’s will be able to offer entertainment later into the night, he says, on Mondays through Wednesdays.

 

The club owner says a closing night at the Westminster Street location, dubbed, "Lupo’s Last Stand," will be marked on Wednesday, December 3. "A lot of bands are signing up, right off the bat," he says. "We plan to give a piece of Lupo’s," particularly from the band rooms, "to any customer that wants it." Although it will take a little time to line up live bookings for the new venue, Lupo’s could mark its start at the Strand, Lupo says, as early as Monday, December 8.

 

 

The 1200-person capacity of the Strand is smaller than Lupo’s 1500-person capacity, although, Lupo says, the opening of balcony space toward the end of January will expand the capacity to 2000 and enable the booking of more big shows – the kind, he says, "that would prefer to be in a theater." At the same time, the move from Westminster Street will also mean the closing of the Lupo-owned Met Café, a venue for many local acts and more eclectic touring bands, like the Pernice Brothers, Juliana Hatfield, and Southern Culture on the Skids.