News
Baltic Kiss has lost their bid to keep the music playing in Richmond. One of the few venues willing to book indie and rock bands, the club closed abruptly this week after a lengthy court battle over back rent and a history of financial trouble.
Thursday night, musicians booked as the evening's entertainment were stopped cold by locked doors. A sign posted by the Contra Costa County sheriff told of the eviction that had happened earlier in the day, leaving customers and band members surprised at the club's shuttering.
On Instagram, Baltic Kiss confirmed their closure in a post thanking supporters.
The post drew mixed reactions and more than 200 commenters – including one from Angelic Noise, the band that was slated to play Thursday night.
"We are the band they canceled on tonight. We are on tour from Portland. We are out a bunch of money on this show now," wrote Trevor Ryan Scott.
Another poster wrote, "I had the pleasure of playing there while on tour some time back. It was an absolutely amazing venue, great staff, and just an overall great vibe. You will be dearly missed."
Baltic Kiss landlord Daniel Butt confirmed the not quite three- year-old music clubs eviction.
"The sheriff locked Tony out yesterday and delivered possession back to us. It is a big mess and a lot of clean up, but we intend to keep it as a live music venue/bar/restaurant and will be looking for proposals to run it as such," Butt said.
Back in January, Baltic Kiss owner Tony Carracci set up a GoFundMe to try to save the struggling establishment after a difficult year that saw the popular club continue to rack up ever-increasing debt.
"Although we initially planned to close at the end of January, things have changed. The overwhelming love and support from all of you has given us hope, and we’ve decided to give it one more push. With some planned renovations to make our dining room and bar more functional, we’re ready to fight for the future of Baltic Kiss and the future of live music," Carracci said in a statement on his GoFundMe.
Baltic Kiss sets up “Go Fund Me” to keep doors open
Chef Tony Carracci and wife Suzi hope fans of Point Richmond’s Baltic Kiss will help them keep the doors open at their live music venue and restaurant, which has struggled to keep up with expenses following a year of declining revenue and increased food and beverage costs.
Linda Hemmila
At the time, Carracci told Grandview he had renewed hope and wasn't planning to give up on his business any time soon.
"We signed a 10-year lease and plan to be around for a long time," Carracci said. "We have been so impressed with the people in Richmond and the sense of community here, we aren't going to give up."
However, in recent weeks, social media posts began to pile up from people claiming to be Baltic Kiss employees who said they had not been paid for work and were owed money. Those posts drew comments from musicians who say they've pulled out of shows at the Baltic in support of the unpaid workers.
Richmond resident and Breedloves guitarist Jay Kirkland said that the Baltic was a big morale boost for both local musicians and Richmond.
“I have lived in Richmond for 60 years, and the Baltic was one of the best things that’s ever happened to Richmond. A well-deserved shot in the arm for the musicians and morale in the surrounding areas. Kirkland said. "Point Richmond was starting to feel like a ghost town before the Baltic Kiss. Same thing with BSPBQ, Tony and Suzie, woke up that sleepy little marina.”
This story has been updated to include additional information.
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible.
If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting local journalism with a Grandview Independent subscription. Click to see our monthly and annual subscription plans.
Copyright © 2025 Grandview Independent, all rights reserved.
Members Discussion