Ace of Spades / Goldfield / Holy Diver Venue Group

Overview

Bret Bair and Eric Rushing have been the most prolific venue operators in Sacramento's modern live-music era, building a portfolio that at its peak included Ace of Spades, Goldfield Trading Post, Holy Diver, The Cabin, 8-Track, B-Side, and eventually the historic Old Ironsides ^[1][2]. Rushing began promoting concerts in Northern California in the late 1980s and spent a decade booking shows at The Boardwalk in Orangevale before partnering with Bair to open Ace of Spades on R Street in February 2011 ^[3][4]. The pair sold Ace of Spades to Live Nation Entertainment in 2016 but continued expanding independently, becoming central figures in Sacramento's mid-2010s venue boom ^[5].

History

The Boardwalk era and Artery Foundation (1990s-2010)

Rushing promoted shows at The Boardwalk from roughly 2001 to 2011 ^[3]. In 2004 he founded The Artery Foundation, a full-service artist management company whose early roster included The Devil Wears Prada, A Day to Remember, and Alesana ^[6]. In 2010 he launched Artery Recordings, an imprint with Razor & Tie that moved over 600,000 records in six years ^[6]. Bair, a UC Davis graduate (class of 1995), had been promoting concerts and managing rock bands in the region since the mid-1990s ^[2].

Ace of Spades (2011-2016)

Ace of Spades opened in February 2011 at 1417 R Street in Sacramento's R Street corridor, with Rob Zombie and Papa Roach headlining its debut week ^[4][7]. The 1,000-capacity all-ages room filled a gap between small club stages and the arena circuit, quickly becoming the city's primary mid-size concert venue ^[7]. Co-owners included Bob Simpson, Rick and Earl Lobley, and building owner Randy Paragary ^[5]. Live Nation acquired the venue in February 2016; the Ace of Spades name was retained, and Rushing briefly became a Live Nation employee before moving on ^[5][3].

Goldfield Trading Post (2014-present)

Goldfield Trading Post opened August 1, 2014, at the corner of 17th and J streets in the former Hamburger Patties building [8]. Billed as a country-and-rock bar with a live-music stage, it became a key midtown draw for Americana, indie, and touring acts [8]. A second, larger Goldfield opened in Roseville in 2021, and Bair and Rushing purchased that building outright in 2024 ^[1]. The original midtown location hosted its final show in November 2025, with the owners citing financial pressures and a desire to focus on Roseville ^[1][9].

Holy Diver (2017-2022)

Holy Diver opened in 2017 at 1517 21st Street in the former Starlite Lounge space, serving as midtown's primary all-ages hard-rock and metal room [10][11]. It closed permanently in early 2022, a casualty of pandemic-era revenue loss [11].

Other bars and Old Ironsides acquisition

Bret and Karen Bair also opened The Cabin (mountain-lodge-themed bar on 21st Street, 2019), 8-Track (1980s-themed bar at 21st and P, former Press Club space), and B-Side ^[2][12][13]. In 2024 the pair acquired Old Ironsides, the 1934-vintage dive bar and music venue at 1901 10th Street, from the Kanelos family, making them stewards of one of Sacramento's oldest continuously operating bars [14].

Key people

• Eric Rushing — co-founder of Ace of Spades, Goldfield, Holy Diver; founder of Artery Foundation and Gold Standard Sounds studio ^[3][6]
• Bret Bair — co-founder of Ace of Spades, Goldfield, Holy Diver; co-owner (with wife Karen) of The Cabin, 8-Track, B-Side, Old Ironsides ^[2][12]
• Karen Bair — co-owner of multiple Bair-family venues including The Cabin and 8-Track ^[2]
• Randy Paragary — building owner and original Ace of Spades investor ^[5]
• Bob Simpson, Rick Lobley, Earl Lobley — original Ace of Spades co-owners ^[5]

Why it matters for Sacramento music

The Bair-Rushing partnership reshaped Sacramento's live-music infrastructure. Ace of Spades gave the city its first purpose-built mid-capacity concert hall in a generation, catalyzing the R Street corridor's revival. Holy Diver provided an all-ages heavy-music room that filled the void left by The Boardwalk's decline. Goldfield brought Americana and country-rock into the midtown bar scene. And the Old Ironsides acquisition kept one of Sacramento's most historically significant music venues under ownership with deep roots in the local scene rather than a national conglomerate. Together, these venues have hosted thousands of touring and local acts, cementing Sacramento's reputation as a viable stop on West Coast touring circuits.

Sources

1. Goldfield's Announces It Will Close Its Midtown Music Venue - Folsom Times
2. Submerge Magazine - Bret Bair tag archive
3. SN&R - Eric Rushing reflects on his decades in music (May 2016)
4. Ace of Spades - Sacramento365 venue listing
5. Live Nation Acquires Ace Of Spades - Comstock's Magazine
6. The Artery Foundation - Wikipedia
7. Ace of Spades - Ticketmaster venue guide
8. Submerge - Goldfield Trading Post set to open Aug. 1, 2014
9. Goldfield Trading Post to close midtown location - Abridged
10. Submerge - Holy Diver to take over Starlite Lounge
11. ABC10 - Sacramento's Holy Diver closes permanently
12. Sactown Magazine - 8-Track
13. Submerge - The Cabin Sacramento
14. Old Ironsides to Change Hands - WhatNow Sacramento