Save Sacramento's Torch Club: A Beacon for Live Music

Neon sign for 'Torch Club' featuring a martini glass and an arrow pointing left, illuminated against a dark background.

A painting of a sad clown wearing boxing gloves, holding a newspaper with a boxing article, in front of a boxing ring illuminated by spotlight.

SACRAMENTO, CA — The rhythmic pulse of 15th Street is facing a quiet but existential threat. For nearly nine decades, the Torch Club has served as the heartbeat of the Sacramento music scene but owner Marina Texeira warns that a complex web of city rules and escalating permit fees is threatening to permanently “stop the music.”

The vintage neon sign outside the venue marks a sanctuary for independent artists. The legacy of the club is woven into the very fabric of the city’s history. Established in 1934—immediately following the end of Prohibition—the venue has survived everything from The Great Depression to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Originally located at 8th and L Streets, it was purchased in 1969 by Frank Texeira and became a sanctuary for a diverse crowd ranging from state politicians to local street characters.

Under the guidance of the Texeira family across three generations, the Torch Club evolved into the city’s premier home for live blues in the mid-80s. Today, Marina Texeira continues that tradition, keeping the doors open as the only venue in the city to feature live music twice a day, six days a week.

Over the decades, the club has hosted a diverse tapestry of sounds, ranging from the world-class jazz and blues to folk, rock and reggae. UBO ENT artists like Santa Cruz, CA traveling neo-soul, funk and Hip Hop band Trianna Feruza and the Heavy Hitters and Sac’s singer songwriter Clemon Charles have graced the stage at the Torch Club.

“[I] love places like the Torch Club. [They] aren’t just venues, they’re part of the cultural heartbeat of Sacramento. It’s where musicians grow, where community connects and where live music stays alive in a real, human way. Losing a space like that would be a real loss for artists and for the city itself. I hope we find ways to support and preserve spots like this so they can keep doing what they’ve done for generations.” Clemon Charles, a long-time performer, attendee of shows and venue supporter of Torch Club laments.

Local staples such as Sacramento’s very own Mind X perform in their signature jam-band sets throughout the month, while Lab Rats and the Aaron King & The Imperials also call Torch Club a regular performance performance home. King and The Imperials are also fixtures at the large-scale community events like Concert In The Park at Caesar Chavez Park (currently being renamed by the city, according to CapRadio). The Torch Club remains a vital launchpad for these local heroes as well as national acts like Janiva Magness and Terry Hanck.

“The Torch Club is more than a legacy venue—it’s a lifeline for original music and local bands. With an A-team staff, stellar sound and a groovy atmosphere, it’s not just a great night out—it’s essential to Sacramento’s music scene. We make it a stop almost every tour and we’re always grateful to be a part of the Torch Club family,” Trianna Feruza tells UBO MAG.

Trianna Feruza & The Heavy Hitters at the Torch Club, July 25, 2025. Video recorded by Zach Latham on bass.

However, the “venue ladder”—a term city officials use to describe the ecosystem where local bands grow—is becoming increasingly expensive to climb. While the City of Sacramento recently introduced a “Limited Entertainment Permit” to reduce costs for smaller venues, many legacy establishments find themselves caught in a regulatory squeeze. For a venue where music and dancing are the primary draw, the “General Entertainment Permit” can cost over $2,000 every two years, with high renewal fees and strict security mandates that often outweigh the thin margins of a live music bar.

“The Torch Club is one of the creative hubs of our city right now and one of our venues that’s actually accessible to locals. This is the exact opposite of creative economy. This is the City is taking resources from the community that are desperately needed in these times.” says poet and community activist, Andru Defeye on a Facebook post he made, directed at Sacramento Mayor, Kevin McCarty, Jason Jong, community advocate and percussionist and Melissa Cirone in the office of Arts and Culture for The City of Sacramento. “Please take a look at this matter immediately and reverse the fines. Marina and her team support so many creatives in the city and they don’t deserve this and it doesn’t make sense.”

The issue isn’t just about the money; it’s about the bureaucracy. Business owners argue that being categorized under the same umbrella as large-scale nightclubs ignores the community-centric nature of historic dives. For the Torch Club, which has weathered the Great Depression and a global pandemic, the prospect of being “priced out” by the very city it helps define is a bitter pill to swallow.

Sunday Sessions with the Lab Rats – Live from the Torch Club – April 19, 2026. Video provided by Folk Around The World on Youtube.

How to Support

The most immediate way to help is to “partake in the media”—sharing the story across social platforms to raise public awareness. Supporters are encouraged to tag city representatives and the Sacramento Office of Nighttime Economy to express the cultural value of these historic spaces.

Additionally, the public can support by:

Attending Live Sets: Covering the door fee for local favorites which directly fuels the venue’s ability to pay city fees.
Engaging Locally: Participating in events like the Sunday Sessions Jazz Jam or the long-standing Blues Jams ensures these programs remain viable.
Advocating for Policy Change: Pushing for fee waivers or further exemptions for “legacy venues” that have provided cultural value for over 50 years.

As city officials look to revitalize the downtown core, the community’s message is clear: a city without its historic stages is a city without a soul. To keep the music playing at The Torch Club, fans must show up—not just at the bar, but in the halls of city government.

The issue of fees has caused many venues to close down or just not have performance acts at their places of business. The Press Club, another iconic Sacramento venue that recently relocated to the old Barfly spot at 1119 21st St, has a strong online presence for its live music and dance nights.

“I travel all over the country in small to large venues. Sacramento is the only place I regularly see issues like this. For as long as I’ve been doing this (almost 30 years) Sacramento has made it really tough to open, own and operate a venue. We have like four venues that are on The Grid and doing shows. Some of the smallest cities I’ve been to in the US have twice as many. Every year we hear from the powers that be that they are gonna ‘fast track’ the process but still shit like this happens. Save us the bureaucracy and let the arts and culture do their thing.” Ira J. Skinner was a prominent DJ and promoter who brought popular nights like “Dance Party” to the venue. On Facebook, he continues to thank readers “for coming to my Ted Talk.”