This beloved midtown Sacramento music spot will close in August. What will take its place?

For 40 years, Luna’s Cafe and Juice Bar has been a mainstay for the Sacramento arts and culture scene.

The small yet beloved midtown venue has given countless artists – from up-and-comers to veteran talent – a platform to share their talents and a safe space to express themselves. Monday jazz nights and Thursday evening poetry slams have anchored each week of nightly entertainment, along with a rotating crew of singer-songwriters, blues bands, comedians and more.

“There’s just been such a variety here, and that’s what I’ve always loved about this place,” said owner Art Luna. “Every day, there’s something different, and I think that’s the key to this business – we’re not depending on one type of audience.”

In August, Luna’s Cafe will host its final show.

Last call for smoothies, sandwiches and Luna’s famous quesadillas is tentatively booked for Aug. 7, although Luna acknowledged that could change. (He originally planned to close on Saturday, Aug. 5., but some of his regular Monday night jazz musicians wanted to play one final show.)

As one chapter closes, though, another one opens. Luna has agreed to sell the venue to first-time business owner William Houser, an Air Force veteran and bartender who had dreams of opening his own piano bar. Nearly two years ago, Houser approached Luna and asked if he’d ever considered letting someone else adopt the space and carry on the Luna’s Cafe tradition with a new twist.

“He made an offer that, really, I couldn’t refuse,” Luna said, declining to share any additional details about the sale.

Barring any unforeseen delays, Houser hopes to re-open the venue as The Silver Lining in early October.

He plans to remodel the interior and reopen the space as a community cocktail lounge and arts hub. The new place will have a “soft, ’80s Miami feel” with a little bit of neon and a lot of nostalgia. A new stage with two shiny, baby grand pianos will be the focal point of the new space, and up to 52 guests will be able to kick back around a variety of tables and lounge couches.

“I want people, when they come in here, to feel like maybe they’ve taken a little bit of a step back in time,” Houser said, “to maybe a time when things were a little bit simpler for them.”

Although Houser wants to introduce a few dueling piano nights into the monthly lineup, he emphasized that he’ll continue offering a wide variety of entertainment. He plans to continue the Luna’s Cafe tradition of weekly jazz and poetry nights, and Luna will stay on to help him book artists and serve as a mentor.

“This is not going to be some chain restaurant taking over this spot,” Houser said. “I want this to be a good spot for everybody.”

Artists bid farewell to Luna’s Cafe

Katie Knipp hardly knew anyone in the Sacramento arts community when she moved from Mill Valley in 2008. The blues and Ameicana singer had been very active in the Bay Area for a long time, but when she got engaged and moved to Sacramento, she knew she’d have to rebuild her fanbase from scratch.

“I was pretty overwhelmed,” Knipp said.

Knipp’s husband, who’d lived in Sacramento for a few years already, frequented Luna’s Cafe and immediately suggested she call Luna to see if she could get a gig. He said yes, and having left her band behind in Marin County, Knipp played a solo show – her first in Sacramento.

“Art was very, very welcoming,” Knipp said. “He trusted me enough to give me a chance.”

Now, 15 years later, Knipp has a full band with eight members and a global fan base. Her last three albums broke the Top 10 on Billboard music’s blues chart, and the band frequently goes on tour across the state. She’s planning to do more out-of-state shows, and even take the band to England and the Netherlands, where most of her international fans live.

Knipp appreciates that Luna’s Cafe doesn’t feature a full bar, and the people who show up are truly invested in the performers in front of them. Instead of drinking and chatting with music as the background, the audience sits attentively as artists take center stage.

Luna also banned cover songs, which Knipp says more bars should do to encourage people to write and perform original music.

“It’s a very small venue,” Knipp said. “But it’s huge when it comes to the audience and how they’re there to actually support the arts.”

Indie rock artist Christopher Fairman played his first show at Luna’s Cafe 21 years ago, when he was only 17. It was only his second-ever gig, but Luna took a chance on him. Fairman also started going to Thursday night poetry slams and found comfort in expressing himself through spoken word.

“It brings a little slice of New York to Sacramento where you can go and, you know, present yourself as a poet,” Fariman said. “Without Luna’s, I don’t really know where people are going to go to do that on a stage like that.”

Now, 21 years later, Fairman hopes Houser and The Silver Lining will preserve the safe space for artists and musicians.

“For me, it’s very sad that it’s changing hands. I really hope that it’s in the right hands,” Fairman said. “I really hope that they embrace the same energy that (Art) was providing to the community and don’t just turn it into something that is not as weird as that place is,” Fairman continued. “Because it’s a f---ing weird place, and that’s why it’s beautiful.”

Both Fairman and Knipp praised Luna for his contributions to the Sacramento arts community, and while they’re sad to see him semi-retire, they agree that he’s earned a vacation.

“Nobody in this whole world can really replace Art as a human,” Knipp said. “He’s extra special and everybody knows it, you know?”

New owner asks, ‘Give me a chance’

Houser first discovered Luna’s Cafe when he was bartending part-time at Karma Brew in midtown. He would walk down 16th Street on his way to work and said he would always marvel at the crowd inside, toes tapping and faces smiling.

One day, he thought, I’d like to open a place like that.

The 35-year-old has never owned a business, and he’s grateful to have Luna on board as a mentor and guide. At the same time, he’s hopeful that Luna will take time off to relax and also attend shows as a guest rather than an employee.

“That guy works so hard back in the kitchen,” Houser said. “Hopefully this gives him, you know, that opportunity to come in and enjoy the musicians that he’s been booking and see some new talent.”

Like Knipp and Fairman, other artists have expressed concern and skepticism about the change in ownership. Some acts have even told Luna that they won’t return to the stage after the business changes hands – a move that Luna has called a mistake given Houser’s commitment to continuing some of the same programming.

All Houser asks is for the opportunity to prove that the safe, welcoming environment of Luna’s Cafe can live on, even if the inside looks a little different.

“Give me a chance,” Houser said, “to show you that you haven’t lost your space.”