Brooklyn’s Glasslands Closing: Another Iconic Williamsburg Venue Bites the Dust
A little over a month after Brooklyn venue Death by Audio revealed that it would be closing its doors in November, its neighboring performance space Glasslands has announced its closure as well.
A little over a month after Brooklyn venue Death by Audio revealed that it would be closing its doors in November, its neighboring performance space Glasslands has announced its closure as well.
“Dearest friends,” begins the post on their website. “You’re probably getting used to hearing news like this in Williamsburg, so we’ll cut right to the chase: this New Year’s Eve will be Glasslands’ final night of music.”
Glasslands, which opened in 2006, was an integral part of Brooklyn’s DIY (“do it yourself”) scene, and the last DIY venue standing from the fertile mid ’00s Williamsburg music scene. That scene included 285 Kent, which closed in January; DBA, set to shut down on Nov. 22; and Secret Project Robot, based in Bushwick as of 2011. Recently, there has been a push to legalize DIY venues — which typically operate without the necessary permits and license — such as Market Hotel, which was shuttered in 2011 because of such illegalities.
And yet, former 285 Kent booker Ric Leichtung tells Billboard, “Glasslands’ closing goes to show that even a legal venue doesn’t have a place in Williamsburg. It’s depressing.” (Another source says Glasslands was only semi-legal.)
Shortly after the news of DBA’s closing was posted, music blog Brooklyn Vegan suggested that Vice Media, which over the summer unveiled plans to more than double its workforce and move to a 60,000 square foot warehouse on the corner of S 2nd Street and Kent Avenue for a $6.5 million tax break, may have had a hand in DBA’s demise. Indiescreen, a 750-seat movie theater in that same space, was put up for auction less than a week later.
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Popgun’s Rami Haykal and Jake Rosenthal, who book Glasslands, were unavailable for comment at press time.
“We’ve got a few months left, and we intend for them to be our best ever,” finished the post. “Please come by and help us celebrate our final season. Goodbye for now, but not forever.”
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