Rough Trade NYC’s brand-spanking-new Brooklyn retail and venue space is temporarily putting all its live performance “on hold” to “allow additional sound remediation,” according to a release put out by the store. The retail portion will remain open.
While the release says it is consulting with “local residents and authorities,” the decision to halt its shows was self-made and not by order of city officials. The store’s tweets (below), however, make it clear the decision stemmed from the venue’s noise levels bothering its neighbors.
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No word was given on when the 250-person performance space, operated in conjunction with Bowery Presents, will be re-opened.
The release reads as follows:
“Following consultation with local residents and local authorities, Rough Trade and The Bowery Presents have decided it would best to put ‘on hold’ all live performance events at the Rough Trade NYC store, until further notice. This decision has been made to allow additional sound remediation work to be carried out, during which time scheduled RTNYC live events, where possible, will be transferred to the other local venues. RTNYC ticket holders are urged to follow @RoughTradeNYC and @BoweryPresents for the latest details, in addition to all details being published on www.roughtradenyc.com Tonight’s Tourist show will move to Baby’s All Right at 146 Broadway, Bklyn NY 11211. Doors are at 8pm and all tickets will be honored. Rough Trade NYC will continue to operate as a destination retail store, open from 9am to 11pm (7 days a week), selling the very best new music.”
We are working quickly to fix an issue we’ve run into with our venue’s noise level and how it effects the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the..
— Rough Trade NYC (@RoughTradeNYC) December 5, 2013
..following in-stores are canceled: The Stepkids, Lucius, Au Revoir Simone. Childish Gambino is ON at 6 pm this Sunday, 12/8. Nick Lowe..
— Rough Trade NYC (@RoughTradeNYC) December 5, 2013
In the past week-and-a-half since Rough Trade NYC opened, the performance venue has featured shows by such acts as Television, Sky Ferreira, Phosphorescent, Jaguar Ma, John Grant, We Are Scientists and others. Last night’s show, which was to feature Ida Maria, was moved to the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Upcoming shows at the store include Andrew Bird, Pretty Lights, DIIV and Nick Lowe.
Bowery Presents also operates the Mercury Lounge, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Bowery Ballroom, Terminal Five; and promotes shows at Webster Hall and Madison Square Garden.
- Rough Trade Will Open Flagship U.S. Store Nov. 25 in New York (Exclusive)
- Backbeat Gallery: Rough Trade’s Indie-Tastic Brooklyn Store Opening Party w/ Martin Mills, Tommy Silverman, Daniel & Sean Glass, Daptone’s Cathy Bauer, Way More
- Return of the Mega-Store: London’s Rough Trade Opens Music Retail ‘Place of Worship’ in Brooklyn
The bi-level 15,000 square foot multi-purpose space opened on Nov. 25 and, in addition to music retail, includes a café run by Five Leaves, an art space which currently features an installation by Childish Gambino, a tech area sponsored by the Guardian and a music instrument shop.
The store took some four-years to complete and faced many challenges opening in the rapidly developing–some would say over-developed–Williamsburg neighborhood including a difficult licensing process and having its originally-planned space fall-through The current home, on North 9th Street, was a former HBO prop warehouse and is located in a once-heavily industrial area.
The Rough Trade NYC opening party on Nov. 24 brought out many of the independent music community’s top execs, including the heads of Beggars Group, Glassnote, Tommy Boy, E1, Rough Trade Records and others. All seemed encouraged by the new retail space model, which could provide a template for music retail which for over a decade has faced diminishing sales.
At that event New York State Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol presented the store’s Stephen Godfroy and Pete Donne with a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” plaque, but perhaps no one had asked the neighbors to join the welcoming committee.