After three years at 1011 Avenue B, River Sun is moving on. The San Antonio music venue and cocktail lounge closed the location on October 31, but plans to reopen at a new address — that may or may not be on the river.

River Sun debuted in March 2023, one of several new bars that transformed the industrial edge of River North into a nightlife destination. Despite its name, the psychedelic interior wasn’t exactly sunny. The walls were covered with murky forest murals, and black light gave everything a supernatural glow.

Originally, it was more of a cocktail bar with molecular mixology offerings like Pact of the Forest (using pecan-washed bourbon) and The River Speaks (mixing tequila with clarified lime and jalapeño pearls). Eventually, the owners achieved their full version, transforming into a live music venue.

In an October 31 social media post, River Sun said that over time, the location became less than ideal. When the owners took over the space in 2020, the walls were crumbling, and the floors were rotting through. All of the work was funded and executed by the partners — including Anthony Thomas Martinez, a jazz artist known more for noodling on the saxophone than spackling drywall.

“The truth is this building is historic,” wrote the bar in its (temporary) swan song. “After years of giving it everything we had, we have come to realize that the full vision of River Sun cannot be achieved within these walls.”

River Sun did not share whether it was eyeing the same area for its next incarnation, but assured fans it would update its social media channels along the way.

The post also promised that a new concept would be moving in to the original River Sun location soon. Whether that new bar will keep live music on the docket is unclear, but the Avenue B building has hosted acts for much of its recent history, first as grungy punk club The Ten Eleven, then briefly as New Orleans-style dive Ventura.