The Ballroom in Buckeye + Bear (Photo by Joy Asico)
A cool new rock and roll bar has opened up in an unlikely location, just south of Dupont Circle. In the spot that once housed the Huxley, you can now find the laidback Buckeye + Bear (1730 M St. NW, DC), a 280-person concert venue.
From the concert posters on the walls to the red and black decor, Buckeye + Bear gives off a good vibe. It’s almost like the place belongs in an ‘80s movie about an aspiring musician who alternates between solving his life problems at the bar and jumping up on stage to rock the night away.
You will be able to catch some bands at Buckeye + Bear, of course, including the ever-popular ‘90s cover band White Ford Bronco this Thursday, June 23 in an intimate show. (Tickets are available online! $15) But Buckeye + Bear aims to provide a diverse range of entertainment, hosting comedy shows, trivia nights, and most importantly karaoke.
Tonight, you can visit Buckeye + Bear for the Underground Comedy Show, a free weekly offering on Tuesdays. And Friday, June 24, you can go for live band karaoke, where you sing karaoke with a live band backing you. That too is a regular feature, scheduled for every second and fourth Friday of the month.
Now when it comes to karaoke, it doesn’t get much more popular than DC’s homegrown Kostume Karaoke, which I first attended waaaaay back in the day at the Wonderland Ballroom. Well, after recently leaving Little Miss Whiskey’s, Kostume Karaoke is making a new home at Buckeye + Bear on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Be sure to catch it on July 6 (and then again on July 20!)
The Green Room in Buckeye + Bear (Photo by Joy Asico)
Buckeye + Bear conducts guests into an initial bar called The Green Room, where you can order from eight beers on draft, including locals like DC Brau and 3 Stars, and others like Bud Light, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Stella Artois, and Heineken. You can also order liquor, wine, or bottled beer. Buckeye + Bear also offers a southern BBQ menu that includes pulled pork sandwiches, shredded brisket nachos, buffalo chicken dip, and half-smokes, the food of DC!
You can enjoy some items at half-price during happy hour from 5-8pm Sunday through Friday (although the establishment is closed on Mondays for the time being).
Beyond The Green Room, you can enter The Ballroom, which houses the aforementioned stage. There, you also can order drinks and food from the bar.
BUCKEYE + BEAR is the newest venture from D.C. hospitality entrepreneurs Ryan Seelbach and Eric Lund, named for their home states — Ohio and Alaska. Ryan and Eric also own and operate Shaw’s TAKODA Restaurant and Beer Garden.
For more information on Buckeye + Bear, visit http://www.BuckeyeBear.com.
A hallway of posters in Buckeye + Bear (Photo by Joy Asico)