Webster Hall Closing for Renovations – A Brief History of One of the City’s Last Iconic Venues

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, takes a look back at Webster Hall’s impact on the NYC music scene

 

Webster Hall. Taken April 23, 2017 by Elise Yablon

News broke Monday that the legendary Webster Hall venue and nightclub would be closing its doors in August for renovations. The venue was recently purchased by AEG and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, who have decided to demolish and renovate the space, which would have it closed for an “undisclosed period of time.”

There are two reasons people are freaking out over Webster Hall’s closing. One is this “undisclosed period of time” language. The venue has been around for more than 100 years and to see it shut its doors for any period of time seems like blasphemy. The other reason, and the one being discussed in this article, is that by shutting down and demolishing the venue, another piece of New York’s history will be gone as well, regardless of whether a new venue is placed there or not.

Webster Hall was first built in 1886 and was originally used as a forum, holding meetings by anarchist groups, labor unions and other left-leaning political factions. The space took on more of an entertainment tone in the 1920s when it first started holding masquerade balls and eventually became a speakeasy during prohibition. In the 1950s, Webster Hall got into live music, first becoming a hot spot for Latin and folk music, then opening up as a recording studio for RCA where numerous Broadway cast recordings, as well as tracks from Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and many more, were put on tape. It wasn’t until the 1980s that live music really took a hold of the space, changing its name to The Ritz and becoming one of the city’s biggest rock venues. A who’s who of artists played early shows there, including Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Beastie Boys, U2, Iggy Pop, Frank Zappa and many, many more. Even after its sale and renovation by the Ballinger Brothers (who held on to the space until with was sold to AEG last year) in 1989, the venue continued its legacy of popular club nights and legendary live shows. Since changing its name back to Webster Hall in 1992, the likes of Green Day, Metallica, Buzzcocks, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, John Mayer and more have graced the venue’s stages.

As it stands today, Webster Hall was and is a staple of New York’s music and party scenes. With three stages of various capacities, the venue has given bands both established and up-and-coming a place to get their music heard. Late-night revelers have had one of the longest-running, wildest and weirdest parties to look forward to every weekend. When Webster Hall closes down next month, it will be going out on the top of its game as one of the best clubs and venues in the city.

The venue’s legendary status was recognized in 2007 when the building was declared a landmark by the state’s Landmarks Preservation Commission.

Many people consider Webster Hall to be one of (if not THE) last remnants of the city’s historic music scene. Venues like Max’s Kansas City, The Fillmore East and the Palladium all closed down decades ago. CBGB, which closed in 2006, is now a John Varvatos clothing store. The places that housed the city’s rich music scene of the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s have been disappearing little by little over the years. Whether that’s due to gentrification or money issues, these changes can be a shock to the system, a sign that an era has come to a close.

Webster Hall’s final show will take place on August 9 with Marateck, Grid and Kraus in the Studio. Club goers say their goodbyes four days earlier with the final Gotham nightclub show happening in the Grand Ballroom on August 5. A full listing of the venue’s remaining shows can be found on the Webster Hall website. While it’s too late to do anything about the Webster Hall’s impending close, there is still an effort being made to maintain its legacy. A number of the venue’s stagehands are trying to raise money for a documentary to be made about its final month. Fans of the venue can help fund the project through Kickstarter.

Although Webster Hall has gone through many changes over the last century, its legacy as one of New York City’s most important venues lives on. The venue has been home to historic political rallies, recording sessions, decades of late night parties and countless legendary performances. Ultimately, a new venue will open with new ownership and more great memories to be had. But when Webster Hall shuts its doors on August 9, even though a new chapter for the venue will be starting, it will be the end of an era for New York’s music and club scenes.

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