Girl in a Coma perform at the Rah! Rah! Room’s grand opening party. Credit: Jaime Monzon

Since its 2016 opening, the Bang Bang Bar — a funky San Pedro Avenue dive nestled between a hot dog stand, a tire shop and a gun store — has emerged as one of the hippest hangouts just north of downtown.

Late last year, owners Phanie Diaz and Jamie Hoppe launched a separate spot across the street designed to raise the profile of artists creating music in San Antonio.

With an indoor capacity of 300 and an outdoor stage with space for 1000, the Rah! Rah! Room rivals venues such as Paper Tiger and The Rock Box. What Diaz hopes will set it apart from those well-established spaces, is that it’s geared toward expanding the homegrown scene rather than focusing on touring acts.

“I don’t think there’s many venues this size created toward supporting local bands,” said Diaz, a born-and-raised San Antonian who drums for rock bands Girl in a Coma and Fea. “Paper Tiger’s more geared toward nationals, and then they’ll bring on a local to open for that national. The same goes for Rock Box.”

To lay Rah! Rah! Room’s locally focused foundation, Diaz started by reaching out to local promoters and bands looking to perform in a larger, better-equipped room.

“It’s so new a lot of people haven’t been seen it or gotten a feel for the stage,” she said. “We’re trying to get the word out that there’s another option in town to play.”

Diaz’s first step in that direction was the creation of Loud & Local, a Thursday concert series bringing together like-minded bands. For example, on Feb. 20, the night will feature the raucous punk sounds of The Dispicables, Bat Allison and The Panix. The following week will bring together indie acts Twin Camrys, Brisbane and Blackfoot Daisy.

In addition to the Thursday night series, the Rah! Rah! Room is putting together special bills such an evening of female-fronted local bands on Friday, Feb. 21. A Saturday, March 8, show celebrating San Antonio ska pioneers Spies Like Us’ 30th anniversary is nearly sold out.

‘Made for the bands’

Diaz, who’s been active as a musician since the early 2000s, said booking has become the latest facet of that long-running career.

“I know there’s a lot of bands out there, and I want them to have a place to go,” she said.

Rah! Rah! Room hosted its soft opening last December with a live performance from the recently reunited Girl In A Coma.

Shortly thereafter, the venue shut down to reassess the space and give specific attention to its atmosphere and audio capabilities. The ownership reached out to established live music techs to optimize the room for bands and fans alike.

“Rah! Rah! has a whole lighting system and a projector,” Diaz said. “It’s made for the bands.”

During earlier lives, the San Pedro Avenue location was home to nightclubs including Jack Rabbits, The Rec Room and most recently Cielo. Throughout those incarnations, Diaz and Hoppe continued to size up the property for a future venture of their own.

“We always had our eye on that location,” Diaz said. “It was a nightclub kind of vibe going on, and we always thought it be cool to have something there.”

Although Diaz has embraced her new offstage role in the music biz, she added that the work has been eye-opening, she added.

“I’m learning that a lot of bands don’t know how to self-promote,” she said. “Push people, invite people, create fliers. It’s almost like a give and take. I’m learning who’s doing what in the scene, and I feel like I’m teaching: this is how you promote your band.”

Diverse booking policy

Though Diaz is steeped in punk and alternative rock, the venue is branching out to the many genres that define the Alamo City music scene.

“I’m working with someone who’s trying to bring in a cumbia night, and I am open to jazz bands that want to come in. Really, I’m open to every genre — metal, punk, indie, whatever, as long as you’re excited about your night,” she said. “If somebody comes to me and I’m booking you as the headliner for the night, I want you to help me curate the show.”

Working directly with artists bridges the interests of the musicians and the venue, she added. And, ultimately, that will be reflected in the clientele who determine Rah! Rah!’s impact on the scene.

“Tell me who you like to play with,” Diaz said. “I’ve been on bills where they’ve put us with bands that make no sense. Sometimes it can fun, but sometimes it can be disastrous.”

Bands set the door price at Rah! Rah! Room, and they take home the lion’s share the cover that’s collected — something not always common among larger venues.

“I want to encourage you to promote your night, because you’re the one doing the work,” Diaz said.

Although it may seem counterintuitive to have two bars on the same block, Rah! Rah! Room wasn’t designed to compete with Diaz’s Hoppe’s flagship bar, but rather to complement it. The hope is that when a Rah! Rah! Room show is over, patrons will head to Bang Bang to extend their evening.

“If you want to stay out, you can go right across the street,” Diaz said.

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This article appears in Feb 19-25, 2025.