[title]
Last year we lost Brooklyn venue 285 Kent. Then early last month we learned that nearby Death By Audio will host its final shows in November. Now, more bad news: Glasslands Gallery will close at the end of this year. It's not only a loss for art and music lovers, for whom the space was a haven, it's also the latest sign that the neighborhood is changing. Is DIY dead? In Williamsburg, perhaps yes.
Operators Rolyn Hu and Brooke Baxter released this message earlier today:
Dearest friends -
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.
When Glasslands opened in 2006 as an experimental community art space, Kent Avenue felt like a forgotten backwater, scattered with old warehouses playing temporary home to non-profit arts collectives, galleries, and DIY shows. During that time, our single block saw a handful of historically ambitious art & music spaces open: Secret Project Robot/Lives With Animals, Paris London West Nile, Pyramids, Death By Audio, 285 Kent… we’re proud to have grown up in this place and time.
It was an awesome blur: there were shows with MGMT, TV On The Radio, Bon Iver, Yeasayer, Disclosure, Alt-J, there were Soul Clap dance competitions, there were aerialists, comedians, theater groups, fashion shows, raves.
Most importantly, the staff, artists, and party people that have been a part of Glasslands for the past 8 years made the venue a special creative home for music, and a joy to run. It’s impossible to fully communicate how grateful we are for all your love and support.
We’ve got a few months left, and we intend for them to be our best ever. Please come by and help us celebrate our final season.
Goodbye for now, but not forever.
Love,
Glasslands
Though the announcement is a bummer, we have couple months left to enjoy the Brooklyn institution—the venue has gigs and events booked right up until it shuts its doors and we'll be be on the lookout for more shows to be scheduled as that date gets nearer. In honor of Glassland's legacy of great music and community, here are some killer performances:
Deer Tick
The Antlers
Waxahatchee