The Waiting Room on Delaware Avenue, a fixture for music in downtown Buffalo, closed on Wednesday after four years in the city.
Waiting Room owner, Chris Ring, announced the changes on the venue’s Facebook page around 12 p.m. Wednesday. Ring said in a statement after legal consultation, the reason for the closure wouldn’t currently be made public.
Ring thanked staff, artists and concertgoers for their support over the years, concluding his statement with lyrics from Fugazi’s song “Waiting Room” – the venue’s namesake.
“This isn’t goodbye. To me this is a ‘see you soon’ kind of moment,” Ring said in a statement. “I promise we will be back, somewhere, some day.”
The move to close the venue leaves most concerts scheduled from September through December rescheduled to other venues. Shows like Raekwon’s gig at the Waiting Room on Sept. 7 will now be at the Town Ballroom, while !!! (Chk Chk Chk)'s show will be cancelled.
A full, tentative list of relocated and cancelled shows can be found on the Waiting Room’s Facebook page.
Benjamin Blanchet is a senior arts editor and can be reached at benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com.
Benjamin Blanchet is the senior engagement editor for The Spectrum. His words have been seen in The Buffalo News (Gusto) and The Sun newspapers of Western New York. Loves cryptoquip and double-doubles.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
