— Photos by Bobbie Toner

This past Sunday, March 13, marked the end of the epic near 50-year run as Somerville’s and one of the Greater Boston area’s premier nightspots and entertainment venues.

Last year, the owners of Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant and Music Club announced that they were calling it quits, much to the shock and dismay of their many loyal customers, and the final day of operations of the club served as a cause for celebration to end all celebrations.

After a brief farewell opening of its doors on Sunday morning, those very doors were locked for good as the owners, staff, patrons and musicians cut a joyously noisy swath down Holland St. towards Davis Square’s Statue Park.

The Second Line Brass Band provided the groove as the procession made its way to the point of destination, with hundreds of fans in tow. Many waved commemorative scarves that were handed out to the lucky few.

Chief proprietor of Johnny D’s, Carla DeLellis, tearfully thanked the crowd, enthusing through a megaphone, “Thank you so much for being a part of Johnny D’s. What is abundantly clear to me is that Johnny D’s is bigger than me and my family and the walls that it is housed in. Thank you so much, from me and on behalf of my family and staff, and I call this Johnny D’s Nation!”

— By Jim Clark