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Open since 2000, Hollywood Boulevard's music venue The Knitting Factory announced yesterday that they will not renew their lease for the site, which ends on October 31st of this year, reports the LA Times music blog Pop & Hiss.
The all-ages venue has had trouble with permits in recent years, which is partly what is prompting company CEO Morgan Margolis to opt to pack up and leave the location altogether. Margolis explains, however, that just because the Hollywood spot is due to close, they aren't leaving L.A.:
“I’ve been looking two years now for the right space. I’m looking all over -- downtown, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Studio City. I’ve looked as far as Alhambra. I don’t want the community to think that the Knitting Factory is done in Los Angeles. I’m looking, and have a couple deals on the table. If one of these goes through, there may be a full-on lateral move and no shutdown. It may just be a week or two changeover. Or it could be a year.”The space where the Knitting Factory is--and the entire area--has undergone major changes in the past decade. 7201 Hollywood Boulevard, where the venue is, used to be home to a music store, a movie theatre, and the Hollywood Entertainment Musuem, but now its got a drug store, a gym, and a Fresh & Easy grocery store. The mini-mall-esque space pre-dates the Hollywood & Highland mall and attractions, which has also seen changes: "Earlier this summer, Virgin closed its last remaining Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles, which was a short walk from the Knitting Factory (a Hard Rock Cafe will move in to the Virgin Megastore space)."
For now, Margolis is cutting his losses, and moving away from the "nightmare" of the Hollywood corridor-area.
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That location was horrendous. No one wants to go to a show in a mall.
Its really a shame the owners have been harrassed out of the place - perhaps an unideal location, the venue itself has been pro-community, and the interior was awesome.
Don't get why the Knitting Factory is being beaten down, while the Roosevelt, with 4am rooftop parties blasting music, the occasional shooting, traffic causing valets, and staff and policies that are not only anti-locals, but even anti-customer, is still thriving.
Wait, there's parties on the rooftop of thew Roosevelt that go to 4am!?!
RIP.
It's kind of a bummer, because they were a decent place with stiff drinks & good sound that opened its doors to small local bands...but there was always something so sterile & soulless about it.
Speaking of Knitting Factory, it might close but the show must go on!
Knitting Factory is an all-ages music venue and Yuto Miyazawa, a 9-year old Japanese child prodigy in music, will be performing in Knitting Factory Hollywood this August 20, 2009.
He has been named "The Youngest Professional Guitarist" by Guinness Book of World Records in August, 2008.
He has appeared at the following venues, Madison Square Garden, the famous B. B. Kings, The Cutting Room, and Rodeo Bar in New York City. Yuto has also had the opportunity to perform at many summer music festivals including Gathering of the Vibes, Bamboozle and Kidzapalooza.
In May 2009, Miyazawa appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he performed Crazy Train with his guitar and vocals.
You can see him here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAB-SS-KCQE&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div
SHOW DETAILS:
Knitting Factory Hollywood Presents...
Yuto Miyazawa
Thursday, Aug 20, 2009 8:15 PM PDT (8:00 PM Doors)
at Knitting Factory
in Hollywood, CA
7021 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 463-0204
WELL THIS IS NO SURPRISE. I CALLED THIS 2 YEARS AGO. IM JUST SURPRISED AT HOW LONG IT TOOK. I HAVE PRODUCED 1500 EVENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, MOST OF WHICH WERE IN CALIFORNIA. THIS WAS BY FAR THE WORST VENUE I HAVE EVER WORKED WITH. THE PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THE GM AND RAN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE WANNABE BARTENDERS, OVERBEARING SECURITY, UNDER QUALIFIED MANAGEMENT AND SOUND DEAF ENGINEERS. YOU WILL NOT BE MISSED AND SHOULD GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS ALL TOGETHER. YOUR NEXT VENUE IF IN LA WONT LAST 2 YEARS AND THAT'S A GUARANTEE. GOOD LUCK AND GOOD RIDDENS.