OAKLAND, Calif. - One of the East Bay’s long-running independent music venues is set to close its doors for good.
Oakland’s Eli’s Mile High Club announced in an Instagram post on Wednesday that it would cease operations at the end of October. The bar has been open since 1974
"Hello beloved community, it is hard to announce that Eli’s Mile High Club will be closing its doors at the end of October," the bar announced on social media. "We could still use your support, by writing to the Oakland city council and the Mayor’s office. Let them know how much this place means to you.
"If you have ever played a show, thrown a benefit, been an artist in our markets, adopted a dog from OAS, watched the baseball team "the Beers," danced at Blues nights, played pool, grabbed a bite to eat with friends, are homies with this amazing staff, or simply slapped your sticker or tag on our walls, let them know that 50 years of community culture is important and you DO NOT want to see another Oakland treasure disappear!"
The announcement goes on to say the bar’s owners hope to reopen once the patio is fixed, and asks for continued support from patrons.
The backstory:
Eli’s has a reputation as a legendary dive bar that hosts live music most nights of the week.
City code enforcement officers in November 2024 red-tagged the venue’s patio as a violation, and the outdoor space was closed as a result.
That closure forced the venue to cut back on hours and reduce its staff. Owner Matthew Patane launched a GoFundMe to help alleviate the costs of addressing the issue. The effort made headlines in March 2025 when Green Day’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong donated $2,000 to the cause.
Patane set a goal of $150,000, but as of this writing had only raised about $78,000.
The impending closure of Eli’s Mile High Club is the latest blow to the Bay Area’s independent music venues.
Potrero Hill music venue Thee Parkside closed its doors in July after a 26-year run, and nearby Bottom of the Hill, which has been open for 35 years, announced in January that it would cease operations at the end of this year.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from the Eli's Mile High Club Instagram page, as well as previous reporting on Eli's Mile High Club.