The Copper Rocket is closing its doors forever this weekend

Whether you frequented the Copper Rocket for their awesome trivia nights, you remember slamming beers in a booth and catching memorable bands performing on their intimate stage, or you just appreciated the low-key bar for being one of our town’s best dives, or worse, a combination of all of this and more, it will sadden you to learn as it did us that the Copper Rocket will close its doors permanently after Saturday, March 21. 

According to their website, Curtis Earth Trivia will still go down at 7 p.m. Friday, March 20, and on Saturday, the bar will open at 6:30 p.m. and will feature the last show, featuring Orlando band Blue Animal.

As for this writer, I saw some of my favorite early shows when I first moved to Orlando at Copper Rocket. Punk shows, indie shows, touring shows, local shows, I went to all of them because Copper Rocket was a spot I personally gravitated to. I won a backpack full of weird sex toys at trivia night once, due to a tie-breaker where I was the only one in the bar who could spell “Dan Aykroyd.” It was where I’d wait out movies at the Enzian before Eden Bar was a thing, and it was the bar I always hit after having dinner with my parents at Antonio’s, their favorite spot to eat when they come to town. R.I.P., Copper Rocket. I hope there are jet-fuel-strong brews in dive bar heaven.

This article appears in Mar 18-24, 2015.