The Karman Bar in Laguna Niguel hosted its final live music performance on November 16th, at least temporarily. The bar is seeking a new site after closing its Cape Drive location. Owners Erinn Karman and Lisa Alley have promoted a live music culture in the little dive pub since it opened its doors nearly five years ago. Before that, the building housed a pub called Rocks, featured on the television show Bar Rescue, right before its closure. South County was in desperate need of some music, culture, and a spirit of community when the Karman Bar debuted.
In only five short years, The Karman Bar presented a vast number of punk concerts. Several legendary Social artists, including Narcoleptic Youth, Agent Orange, and Shattered Faith, have performed on TKB’s stage. Other emerging local bands have performed there to energized and sweaty crowds, including psych-rockers Velvet Merlin, South County punks Vagrant, and masters of funk, The Sbins. The Karman Bar has played a crucial role in attracting touring bands to town and providing a stage for local performers as one of South County’s most reliable live entertainment venues.
The Karman Bar, on the other hand, has never just been a punk bar. Karaoke evenings, Speakeasy Sundays (which included free swing dance classes), and Service Sector nights (which included $2 beverages for people in the service industry) were all often held events at the place. Lisa Black, a staff member of The Weekly, even gave at least one performance at the Karman’s Open Mic Night.
Unfortunately, the bar’s five-year lease expires this month, as Erinn Karman revealed in an Instagram post. The proprietors are presently seeking a new place to open their business as a result. Naturally, the bar’s ability to provide live music on its new site is one of the worries for the community. Fortunately, a bar spokeswoman assures that live music will continue to be the main emphasis that is going ahead.
An email response states, “The Karman Bar is moving and yes, we will continue offering live music.” “We won’t be leaving far away from our current location. TKB is seeking a place that welcomes the live music scene in addition to having a positive feel. Social media platforms and our website will be used to update our devoted consumers.”
While it is reassuring to know that the Karman Bar will continue to host live music events, the main concern is, of course, whether or not it will be able to replicate the special ambiance of its original site. No matter what musical acts or drink deals are offered in any night spent, the Karman Bar consistently gives off the impression of being unassuming and, to be honest, as welcome as any other dive bar can be.
Primarily due to its predominant female ownership and management, Lisa Black noted in her article on the establishment from 2017 that the bar seemed to be “douchebag-free.” With their badass, take-no-shit personas, Karman, Alley, and their staff demand respect while keeping the place lively and fun. The Karman Bar’s core values have always been there. It’s safe to say that it will continue in that manner as long as the following location debuts under the same management and offers a comparable environment. Where and when that might be are the only two issues still open.