A Syracuse music venue is closings its doors permanently “with both a heavy heart and an eye toward the future.”
The Jugg on Teall announced Friday that it will remain open through last call on Thursday, Jan. 15, and then officially close as the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 16. The Lyncourt bar, known for regularly featuring live music, said it will feature “a blowout slate of shows next weekend” to help say goodbye.
“This has been an incredible run and it’s not over,” The Jugg on Teall’s Facebook page said. “There are so many people to thank from our frontline of dedicated employees who have done their best to hold this dream together over these difficult final months to all of the artist who have come through here and contributed to creating this living, breathing space for Rock ’n’ Roll to not only exist, but where it was literally conceived, polished, birthed, and performed on what we believe is a legendary stage. And of course, to our loyal patrons who have become so much more, a family. The JUGG Family. So, this, you see, can never actually end. A family, indeed this whole Rock ’n’ Roll community that’s converged right here in Lyncourt, that embraced us will come with us wherever next we go. The JUGG Family stays together.”
The announcement comes less than two months after The Jugg hosted a music festival to raise money for Jesse Buckley, who co-owns the venue with his wife Aimee. Also known as “Buck” and “Coach AutoTune,” Jesse was diagnosed with stage 3 voice box cancer (laryngeal cancer) and his treatment and medical bills left them struggling to keep the business alive.
“With Coach’s health the priority, we need to take a break and regroup. Because this doesn’t exist without him,” The Jugg’s Facebook page said. “He’s dedicated every one of those 40+ years, starting as drummer, then a funder, a manager, a hustler, the very dreamer who never gave up, the man who gave this community of artists a blank canvas to draw on and a playground that was safe, accepting, and a little off kilter to run free, be supported, and express their art without limits or censors or rules. So, you better believe we’re not giving up.”
The announcement said other factors in the decision included “an untenable situation with our landlord and lease… a s—-y parking situation [and] not much in the way of community support even though we kept this corner safer than it’s ever been.”
“However, this is not the end of The JUGG itself. This is simply the end of this chapter on Teall Avenue,” the venue’s Facebook page insisted. “We’ll be back. Not quite sure when, but lean in, believe in. We’ll do it again.”
The Jugg on Teall is located at 2026 Teall Ave, Syracuse, N.Y. For more information, visit thejugg.net or facebook.com/TheJUGGonTeall.
“Come get your last taste of The JUGG on Teall. Give this place a hug, some love, because we had some damn good times here and created art together here. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for leaning in with us,” said a note signed by “Coach.”
