Opus Underground is leaving live music in 2022. The Salem bar and restaurant, which featured a treasured downstairs performance space, is undergoing a transformation this winter that will split the business into two new restaurants, marking the end of Opus as both an eatery and venue.
Floor manager Derek Thompson confirmed the news to Vanyaland this week, saying there were “no foreseeable plans” for live music to return to 87 Washington St. Opus’ final day as a restaurant is this Saturday (January 7), while Opus Underground raised its final ruckus on New Year’s Eve with a performance from Boston soul band Big Ol’ Dirty Bucket.
Gloucester-based owner Serenitee Restaurant Group will be renovating and rebranding the two-floor space this month, and has previously shared on Instagram that their new “concept” will open in early February. The Opus Underground Facebook page also stated that “Serenitee will stay in the building, and we can’t wait to share our next chapter with you.” The names of both new restaurants have not yet been announced. Serenitee owns eight additional restaurants across Massachusetts, including locations in South Hamilton, Lynnfield, Beverly Farms, and other North Shore cities.
While Salem has proved to be fertile ground for emerging bands, Opus was one of the few places to host full-production, multi-act shows in Witch City. For years, an illuminated Rolling Stone logo or portrait of Jerry Garcia greeted fans as they climbed down either of the staircases to Opus’ underground lair, eager to watch live bands or burlesque acts. Most notably, Opus Underground was home to “It’s Gonna Get Weird,” a Monday and Friday night punk-rockabilly-hardcore series, and Rock for HAWC, an annual fundraiser for Healing Abuse, Working for Change.
On Wednesday night (January 4) — just four days before closing — the underground space at Opus seemed barren without framed show posters lining the walls and rugs cordoning off the stage area. Layers of stickers scattered around the former venue are all that remain to document the space’s well-earned local music cred, displaying logos from Salem bands old and new, from Petty Morals and The Von Trapps to Oh the Humanity and Radio Compass.
With the loss of Opus Underground, neighboring venue and Asian restaurant Koto remains the only spot in town to host full-tilt rock shows. As an unfortunate coincidence, Koto will also close for renovations in the near future, leaving Washington Street eerily quiet for a spell. Other performance options for musicians in Salem — like The Gulu-Gulu Cafe and Mercy Tavern — are geared towards smaller, more low-key performances.
Many artists chimed in on social media to lament the loss of Opus Underground and reflect on the venue’s significance in the North Shore music scene.
“Extremely disappointing that we are losing a great north shore venue,” Lauren Recchia, of Boston band The Downhauls, commented on a recent Facebook post from Opus Underground. “Not many to choose from already, so it’s a huge loss. Still hoping that Serenitee will keep the basement as a venue in its new form, but sounds like the outlook is not optimistic. Serious bummer.”
“This one really hurts,” shared Diablogato’s Jesse Mayer, who posted photos of the empty room on Facebook this week. “Opus was a pretty magical place. I hate this.”
Take a look around the remnants of Opus Underground below.
