Lost Lake Lounge (Sputnik the sequel?) opens in March

Matt LaBarge—co-owner of the Hi-Dive and its companion hangout Sputnik—is expanding his bohemian empire to Colfax with Lost Lake Lounge, set to open March 5. Taking the space back to its 1940s roots, when it was known as The Alamo, the first piano bar on East Colfax, the horseshoe-shaped lounge will feature a cozy interior complete with a wood-burning fireplace. The atmosphere will be considerably more low-key than his South Broadway bars.

“Lost Lake Lounge won’t have a calendar full of loud music and loud DJs,” LaBarge says. But the place is by no means anti-music, as there will be weekly piano lounge nights and monthly band residencies. With the residencies, LaBarge is hoping to bring friends in from the local music community—Bad Weather California is tentatively on tap for April, but not confirmed—allowing them to play acoustic sets, jam out, or showcase other bands they think are worth a listen.

“The idea,” LaBarge says, “is to give bands freedom to do whatever they would like.”