Rapid City, SD – Unfortunately for many local artists and show-goers the rumors have been confirmed: Aby’s Bar and Venue is closing. The whispers began with a cryptic Facebook post from April 27, 2026, stating that “due to logistical issues the following shows have been moved to 707 Nightlife (The Park). All tickets will be honored”. More than two weeks later, on May 13th another post was made saying: “The pub is now closed. The event space is still open. More updates soon”. In an interview with the general manager, Johnny Service, he told Rapid City Post that Aby’s will be fully shut down by July 31^st. But don’t worry, there are three major music shows left to attend along with the monthly drag shows and the ever-heated, highly anticipated Hot Hunks competition (June 19). 

Doors are open for all ages at 7 pm on May 22, 2026. Minneapolis based metal core band WASTE will be dropping by with Nebraska’s CATSCLAW to kick off “The Weight of Everything” tour. They will be accompanied by local bands, Reviver, God Cult, and Wicked Six. The second show will be the untimely “Aby’s Farewell Show” at 7 pm on June 26, 2026. This event will feature local favorites, Fueled by Spite, Goodfire, Wicked Six, and The Fatal Few. Finally, the last head banger of the summer will be held over the course of three days (July 9 – 11, 2026) for the “Punk Rock Family Reunion”. Seventeen bands spanning from forty years of Rapid City punk scene will send the venue off. 

“[Aby’s] was for the community” says Service, “It’s for every artist out there. It was for the misfits, the people that don’t fit into regular places. That’s the thing I’m going to miss the most”. Many local visual and performative artists can share Service’s disappointment and sadness. From burlesque and drag shows to late night Club 605 vibes, Aby’s was a collective for those who loved all forms of art. For years it hosted The Cave, where many young artists began their musical career with open mics. The wooden walls held visual artists prints like a gallery. 

While the artistic community is losing one light house in the storm of life, the keepers are still alive. People like Co-owner of Stupid Happy Collective, Lucian Bedard, have spent years working with Aby’s to provide a launching pad for underground dance and bass music while building his skills as a media representative. He participated in the running of Aby’s Club 605, until 2025, but still performs with his friends on occasion. Losing Aby’s is a mixed bag for the young artists as he states: “Rapid City doesn’t have the healthiest representation of midsize music venues. There are some small places that bring in forms of live music and then of course there are some bigger venues that are not always easy for locals to work with. And I feel Aby’s did a decent job of feeling like that midsize space”.  Bedard continues: “The vacancy that Aby’s will leave will certainly have some impact on local and regional performers of all kinds”. Local drag queen, Dixy Divine, has similar sentiments to Bedard. 

Dixy recounts how the drag scene of Rapid City is not much older than Aby’s itself. After reaching out to previous management in the early 2020’s, they formed a bond and became one of the first acts of the venue. “I reached out the [previous management] and had multiple talks, and it just worked out because they wanted to support all communities”. Divine has been producing and performing in monthly drag shows at the venue for the last six years. On top of an already hectic schedule Divine must now “be on the hunt for something new”. Places like Aby’s provided a safe home for underrepresented communities like queer and drag groups, and losing it is a massive loss to all artistic, creative, outside-of-societal norms community. “It’s kind of sad that [we] don’t have that anymore” Divine continues, “Considering it supported so many people. It was an opportunity for people that didn’t fit into most fringes”. 

Johnny Service and the Aby’s crew continue to man the boat by keeping Aby’s fun and safe until the doors shut for good. Service seems to have high hopes of finding another location to replace this loss. “I’m not done,” Service states, “I’ll find a place and open it up.” The artistic community is trembling with murmurs of the next location to host generations of performative and visual artists. Until then, events like Synesthesia Music Festival (more details to come), pop-up music, and drag shows will keep the town entertained.