Evolution of the Alturas
Reno’s oldest bar has found its sweet spot.
How do you keep a bar in business for more than a century?
Ask the folks at Alturas Bar at 1044 E. Fourth St. in Reno. Since it first opened at its original location on East Second Street in 1915, generations of bartenders have been pouring libations for loyal patrons. But that’s not to say it hasn’t evolved — it has, slightly.
Considered the oldest bar operating under the same name in Reno, Alturas, located on Fourth Street since 1948, has resisted much aesthetic change over the years. It underwent some remodeling when it was purchased by the current owner, Patrick (last name withheld by request), seven years ago, but the mission was to keep it as nostalgic as possible due to its deep-seated place in Reno’s history.
According to local historian Alicia Barber, who wrote about Alturas’ history on Renohistorical.org, the place was first opened by Al Franck in 1915 “‘as a first-class saloon and café with attached restaurant’ featuring live entertainment.”
Prohibition violations cited by the Carson City federal court forced the bar to close in 1928, but it reopened in 1931 and was among the first establishments to apply for liquor licenses when Prohibition was repealed in ’33.
The Reno Hide and Fur Co. was the original occupant of Alturas’ current location on Fourth Street, which eventually morphed into a junk store, then Maytag Co. over the years, also offering apartment residences in the building’s second story.
Tunnels were built under Fourth Street during Prohibition, and a basement under Alturas became an underground venue for blues musicians in the ’70s and ’80s, hosting the likes of Jonny Lang and Buddy Guy, among other genre legends, over the decades.
Modern Metamorphosis
Ten people can sidle up to the bar at Alturas at once, around the clock, to sip on any of a large selection of fine whiskeys and other libations, shoot pool, or take their chances on the gaming machines that average a staggering $120,000 in payouts per month.
But what lies beneath this historic locale? Much.
A venue dubbed Cellar Stage was launched in Alturas’ basement in 2019, hosting heart-pumping musical acts, largely in the heavy-metal realm.
At the helm of Cellar is booking and production manager Dennis McDonald. When Alturas’ owner called on him to breathe new life into the bar’s basement venue, McDonald took one look and said, “Are you freakin’ kidding me? Literally, what am I going to do with this?”
Major renovations and cleaning were needed before he could bring in musicians. But that’s exactly what happened. Décor heavy in black and silver tones, plus chains and skulls, made it an ideal venue for the local metal and punk scenes.
Tapping into his local music connections, McDonald started booking bands for the 170-person-capacity venue with a 10-inch stage that keeps those performing happily close to their fans.
McDonald says they practice music-based “group therapy” at Cellar Stage. It’s a small-scale setting that brings in local talent, plus some big names these days, such as Sponge, Agent Orange, Green Jellÿ, and Anvil.
When nationally touring musicians began asking to play there, McDonald says, “I realized I’ve really got something special here.”
In fact, the Cellar is so popular with musicians and fans that it already has gigs booked well into 2024. McDonald is even expanding its live music schedule to four nights a week.
At this bar known for hosting spontaneous 2 a.m. barbecues and welcoming people from every walk of life, McDonald says, “I wanted to keep that spur-of-the-moment, ‘you never know what you’re going to see at the Alturas’ vibe.”
He explains that it’s welcoming, but in the Cellar, it feels — thrillingly — like you’re somewhere you perhaps shouldn’t be.
Hodgepodge of Misfits
Today, while McDonald himself does everything from the production to the post-show cleaning for the Cellar, he says the venue and bar are happily comprised of a “hodgepodge of misfits,” with music promoters John and Patty Staffieri often adding to the fun mix.
He takes a lot of pride in what they’ve accomplished as a team.
McDonald says there hasn’t been one negative incident since opening Cellar Stage, largely thanks to his Secret-Service-like security team, which keeps it safe and mellow while maintaining a zero-tolerance policy for acting up in the venue.
After facing a pandemic and other pressures upon opening, Cellar Stage at Alturas Bar is now a thriving, low-key, high-energy highlight to Reno’s music scene.
For details about Alturas Bar or Cellar Stage, find Alturas Bar on Facebook.
