The Back Stage, a staple of Windsor’s live music scene, will host its final concert on March 15, 2025, after the building’s recent sale ended its 11-year run as a music venue and sports bar. Co-owners Stephanie Farrugia and Brynn Kimble announced the closure in a social media post, stating, “There comes a time when everything runs its course… We would like to thank every band and musician that has ever played The Back Stage”. The venue, located at 1530 Langlois Ave, became a hub for local and touring acts since opening in 2014, hosting genres from hardcore punk to tribute bands like Cancer Bats and Blimbizkit.
The closure marks another shift in Windsor’s entertainment landscape, following the relocation of iconic venues like Phog Lounge, which moved to Erie Street after rent hikes downtown. The Back Stage’s final show will feature a return of NO YOKOS, the band that performed at its 2014 debut, with an open invitation for local musicians to join an onstage jam. “Let’s make this a banger,” the owners urged, emphasizing a celebratory sendoff for the space that weathered pandemic restrictions, including capacity limits and midnight curfews that forced last-minute booking changes.
The closure highlights the venue’s role in fostering Windsor’s artistic community, noting its reputation for “chair dancing” during COVID-19 protocols and its support for emerging acts. The Back Stage’s exit follows broader challenges for independent venues, as rising rents, soaring expenses and redevelopment reshape the city’s arts scene.
No plans have been announced for the Langlois Avenue building’s future use. The Back Stage’s closure leaves fewer mid-sized stages in Windsor, though venues like the relocated Phog Lounge and Craft Heads Brewing’s upcoming Erie Street collaboration aim to fill the gap. For now, the spotlight turns to March 15, when NO YOKOS will helm a final bash that the Facebook post says honors “where we all started” — a full-circle moment for a venue that once echoed with the riffs of a city ready to rock.
