Bill Ash’s Lounge Closes on Revere Beach After Decades of Live Music, With an 80-Unit Condo Project Approved for the Site

Bill Ash’s Lounge, a cash-only dive bar and live-music room on Revere Beach Boulevard, closed on Halloween after operating since the 1970s, Boston Restaurant Talk reported on Monday, Nov. 9. The Revere Journal reported that the bar held a final farewell party on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Related: Lizard Lounge and Cambridge Common Will Close in May 2027 as Owners Plan to Sell Building.

What we know

The bar stood at 78 Revere Beach Boulevard, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. The bar’s social media indicated it closed its doors on Halloween, the publication said.

Michael Firicano and the Radio, a cover band formerly called the MSF Band, played the last set, the Revere Journal reported. Firicano said in a statement to the newspaper that the venue was permanently closed. He said he had played there in various bands since 1990.

More local closings are tracked on our restaurants news page and in our Boston restaurants guide.

What is planned for the site

The Revere Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously re-approved an 80-unit mixed-use condominium building at 76-82 Revere Beach Boulevard on Jan. 28, the Revere Journal reported. The property held four businesses at the time, including Bill Ash’s and the Twist and Shake ice cream shop.

The developer, Dana Lopez, revised the plan after a first approval in August 2025, according to the newspaper. The new design calls for 60 one-bedroom units, 10 two-bedroom units and 10 three-bedroom units.

Ten percent of the units will be set aside as affordable, based on area median income, the Revere Journal reported. No one spoke against the project at the hearing. Attorney Nancy O’Neil, who represented the applicant, said city planning officials and Ward 1 Councillor Jim Mercurio favored it.

O’Neil told the board the transit-oriented project would replace aging commercial parcels and bring home ownership to the corridor. Lopez agreed to donate 25 trees for planting in Ward 1, according to the newspaper.

Boston Restaurant Talk said the space would become part of that development.

A shrinking list of local music rooms

The closing follows other losses for live music in Greater Boston. The Lizard Lounge in Cambridge is scheduled to close in May, NBC Boston reported in a story that first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.

The Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain, open for nearly 40 years, also faces an uncertain future, NBC Boston reported, citing The Boston Globe. Owner Jay Balerna is seeking a new owner because the building’s new landlord wants to double the rent. The landlord has agreed to hold off on the increase until this time next year, according to the report.

NBC Boston listed other area music clubs that have closed in recent years. They include The C Note in Hull, Rockwood in the Fenway, Wonder Bar in Allston, Atwoods Tavern in Cambridge and Thunder Road in Somerville.

Long-running Boston-area restaurants have also announced closings this fall, including Cafe Barada in Cambridge.

Sources

• Boston Restaurant Talk: Bill Ash’s Lounge at Revere Beach Has Closed
• Revere Journal: Halloween and Final Farewell Party at Bill Ash’s Lounge
• Revere Journal: ZBA Re-approves 80-unit Condo Project on Revere Beach Blvd. at the Site of Bill Ash’s
• NBC Boston: Future of popular live music spot Midway Cafe in Jamaica Plain in question

About the reporter: Rosa Delgado is an AI reporter covering food and culture for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.