Saturday's opening shot

#Summer2024 

P.S. 

Info on what this is here.

Friday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

The first people in line this morning for the Alicia Keys show — One Night Only — at Webster Hall on 11th Street...

Monday's parting shot

From a sold-out Webster Hall on 11th Street, the first night of the co-headlining tour with the Charlatans and Ride... at Brooklyn Steel tomorrow (1/31) if you like.

A special night for Julia Cumming and Sunflower Bean at Webster Hall

Top photo by EVG; the rest by Stacie Joy

The other day, we noted how local band Hello Mary had just played their largest stage to date with a slot opening for Sunflower Bean at Webster Hall on May 12. (Another local band, Frost Children, were also on the bill.)

It was also a special night for Sunflower Bean vocalist-bassist Julia Cumming, seen here backstage before the show...

She was born and raised in a building on 14th Street and Avenue B. (Her parents, Alec Cumming and Cynthia Harden, were in the band Bite The Wax Godhead.)

Cumming was in bands starting at an early age, and as she told the crowd, it was always a dream to headline Webster Hall... 

Sunflower Bean is now on a U.S. tour in support of their third full-length release, Headful of Sugar.

Hello Mary takes the stage at Webster Hall

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

We've enjoyed watching Hello Mary continue to grow as a band... from the almost shows in Tompkins Square Park to playing smaller venues like Bowery Electric, Nublu and Mercury Lounge (opening for Pretty Sick). 

This past Thursday night, the local band opened for Sunflower Bean at Webster Hall, their biggest stage yet. (Hello Mary is playing with Sunflower Bean on a variety of East Coast dates.) 

EVG contributor Stacie Joy was with the band — guitarist Helena Straight, bassist Mikaela Oppenheimer and drummer Stella Wave — at Webster Hall...

After the show, the band members shared their thoughts on playing Webster Hall... 

Mikaela: "This is the largest stage we’ve ever performed for sure, not just in NYC. I think that’s the main thing that made it different from other performances. There was also really good sound and people helping us out a lot, which is a big shift from where we started in the DIY scene [lol]." 

Helena: "We've never played a show like the Webster Hall show. I’d say it was important because it helped us recognize just how much we’ve grown in only three years. It felt so surreal and exciting that I basically blacked out during the entire performance, which is always a good thing in my book." 

Stella: "The show went super well; that’s easily the biggest crowd we’ve played to, which was really exciting. It feels exhilarating to perform in front of that many people, and it makes me excited for what’s next to come."

You can keep tabs on Hello Mary via Instagram.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• An afternoon out with Hello Mary

Wednesday's parting shots

Been a while since we've seen a line to get into Webster Hall... here was the scene earlier this evening on 11th Street ... with the line stretching back to Third Avenue and up to 12th Street ...

PVRIS were headlining tonight (apparently, the stage rail was fixed!). 

Starting on Monday, all indoor venues, including Webster Hall, will require proof of vaccination for entry. 

Top photo by Steven, second pic by Doug

Saturday's opening shot

Pride at Webster Hall on 11th Street. 

And the venue recently announced ticket sales for upcoming shows, the first of which is taking place on Aug. 11. Read the announcement here.

More love from Webster Hall

There's a new message on the marquee at Webster Hall: "New York isn’t New York without you, love." (A St. Vincent lyric.)

This replaces the previous COVID-era message here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...



Meanwhile, concert venues around the city remain shuttered during the pandemic, with no timeline for a return.

More than 100 independent music venues in the city have come together to lobby Congress for help as the COVID-19 crisis. (Webster Hall isn't in this category, as its owned by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents, AEG Presents’ regional partner, who acquired the operating rights and assets to Webster Hall in February 2017.)

As Gothamist recently reported:

The group is called New York Independent Venue Association (NYIVA), and is working in affiliation with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), which formed toward the beginning of the pandemic. They are trying to get politicians to vote for in favor of the Save Our Stages and Restart bills, which were introduced last month in the Senate. Those bills would provide much-needed support and sustain venues during this period when most are completely shut down.

"These entertainment hubs are critical to their local economies and tax bases as employers, tourism destinations, and revenue generators for neighboring businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail," the group said in a statement. "Independent venues exist in every state across the country; they were the first to be closed, they will be the last to open. The economic recovery process will extend past just reopening the front doors, requiring solutions unique to the industry."

Local music venues taking part include Berlin Under A, Bowery Ballroom, Bowery Electric, Drom, Lola, Mercury Lounge, Nublu and Nuyorican Poets Cafe. This link has more about the campaign, and what you can do to help.

Pinks Cantina bringing the tacos to Webster Hall

Pinks Cantina is teaming up with Webster Hall to serve food during concerts and club nights starting on Tuesday.

Pinks Cantina, which started at the Bowery Market in 2018, has an outpost on the Lower East Side at 203 Chrystie St. that serves a variety of tacos and sides. (Find their menu here.)

The taco shop is an extension of Pinks Bar & Grill, which opened in the fall of 2014 on 10th Street near First Avenue.

The revamped Webster Hall, now owned and operated by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents, reopened last April with Jay-Z over on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

The line for Jay-Z this evening

EVG reader Doug shared these photo this evening a little after 7 ... showing the line for the grand reopening of Webster Hall with Jay-Z.

The venue is on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... the line forms back to Third Avenue and north to 12th Street...



... running alongside Westside Market...



As the top photo shows, 11th Street is also closed to through traffic. (Not sure where the line forms for people seeing "Avengers: Endgame" at the Loews Village 7.)

Webster Hall reopens tonight after nearly 18 months of renovations. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and The Bowery Presents bought the landmarked building from the Ballinger family for $35 million in a deal announced in the spring of 2017.

Most of the first shows at the venue in the coming week, including Rosalía, Patti Smith, Sharen Van Etten, TroyBoi and Vampire Weekend, are sold out.

Inflatable union rat makes Webster Hall appearance

The inflatable union rat is out this morning on the corner of Third Avenue and 11th Street... where reps for Local One — the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E) — are handing out flyers about the non-union work happening at Webster Hall, which reopens Friday (not Saturday per their flyers) with Jay-Z.

EVG reader Emily shared these photos...



AEG Presents and Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment are the new operators of Webster Hall.

Did you get your tickets for the Jay-Z show Friday at Webster Hall?

As you probably know, Jay-Z is the main event on Webster Hall's re-opening night on Friday.

AMEX card members had first dibs for tickets on Thursday before the public sale yesterday.

Tickets went quickly, obviously. Starting prices on the Webster Hall site ranged from $250 to $399.



Over at StubHub, the least-expensive resale ticket starts at $810 ($709 at VividSeats!). Tickets top out at $1,499 on StubHub.



The landmarked concert venue closed after an Action Bronson show on Aug. 10, 2017, under the previous ownership.

The new operators are BSE Global and the Bowery Presents. Here's a recap of what they've done these past months, per a news release:

The renovations at Webster Hall aimed to preserve the iconic features of the venue, while modernizing it to meet today’s entertainment standards and enhance the guest experience. The Lounge (formerly The Marlin Room) has been revamped to serve as a bar and meeting spot for ticketholders both before and after shows in the Grand Ballroom.

Design details of The Lounge include elegant gold stenciling on the walls that pays homage to the original historic design, and fluted glass along the bar that mimics the venue’s former windows.

In the Grand Ballroom, the original stage remains, while acoustics were enhanced to create an optimal live event experience. Fans and artists returning to Webster Hall will notice other new features such as central air conditioning, expanded restrooms, additional stairwells for smoother entry and exit, and the venue’s first-ever elevator that will serve guests with disabilities and speed up each show’s load-in and load-out process.

Behind the scenes, an artist compound was built with upgraded amenities to provide direct access to the Ballroom stage, creating a more comfortable and inviting environment for performers and their management. The venue’s basement level, formerly known as The Studio at Webster Hall, will also return, with more details to be announced at a later date.

Lift off: Jay-Z will headline the first show at the all-new Webster Hall

There have been rumors that a big-name act (the National! the Strokes! the Yeah Yeah Yeahs!) would christen the all-new Webster Hall when it reopened this month.

Webster Hall made the big announcement this morning...

JAY-Z is opening Webster Hall with ‘B-Sides 2’ on Friday, April 26 for Day 1 fans. AMEX Card Members can get tickets on 4/18 at 10am ET before the public onsale on 4/19 at 11am ET. pic.twitter.com/WFU9FNkD7B

— Webster Hall (@WebsterHall) April 15, 2019

Per a Webster Hall press release:

JAY-Z will officially re-open the iconic Webster Hall on Friday, April 26m following the completion of a comprehensive renovation to modernize the historic concert venue. The ‘B-Sides 2’ show is billed for Day 1 fans and will be JAY-Z’s first time playing the legendary venue ...

A limited number of tickets will be made available for purchase to American Express® Card Members beginning Thursday, April 18 at 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. The general public on sale begins Friday, April 19 at 11 a.m. and tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.

As previously reported, Webster Hall is now owned by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents, who's booking the acts at the venue.

Previously on EV Grieve:
More details emerge about the revamped Webster Hall, returning this spring with Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten and Royal Trux

A quick look at Webster Hall a month before it reopens

Webster Hall officially reopens on April 29 with a two-night stint by Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía followed by Patti Smith on May 1-2. All four of these shows are sold out. (And there are the rumors that a band such as the Strokes, the National or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will christen the new space at the end of the month before the official slate of acts.)

Ahead of the debut this month, here's a look at how the landmarked venue is shaping up outside here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue...





As previously reported, Webster Hall is now owned by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents, who's booking the acts at the venue.

And here's a recap from a previously released press announcement:

The renovations at Webster Hall aimed to preserve the iconic features of the venue, while modernizing it to meet today’s entertainment standards and enhance the guest experience. The Lounge (formerly The Marlin Room) has been revamped to serve as a bar and meeting spot for ticketholders both before and after shows in the Grand Ballroom.

Design details of The Lounge include elegant gold stenciling on the walls that pays homage to the original historic design, and fluted glass along the bar that mimics the venue’s former windows.

In the Grand Ballroom, the original stage remains, while acoustics were enhanced to create an optimal live event experience. Fans and artists returning to Webster Hall will notice other new features such as central air conditioning, expanded restrooms, additional stairwells for smoother entry and exit, and the venue’s first-ever elevator that will serve guests with disabilities and speed up each show’s load-in and load-out process.

Behind the scenes, an artist compound was built with upgraded amenities to provide direct access to the Ballroom stage, creating a more comfortable and inviting environment for performers and their management. The venue’s basement level, formerly known as The Studio at Webster Hall, will also return, with more details to be announced at a later date.

The architect of the revived venue is OTJ Architects, the contractor is Shawmut Design and Construction, and acoustic design is by L’Acoustics. Once open, Webster Hall will employ an estimated 70 people across various positions in the venue, between front of house and back of house, on any given event night.

This landmarked building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

And for making it this far in the post, here are bonus photos of the Moxy East Village across the street from Webster Hall...



The 13-floor hotel via Marriott is expected to open at the end of the year.



Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

More details emerge about the revamped Webster Hall, returning this spring with Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten and Royal Trux

[EVG photo from last month]

The operators of the all-new Webster Hall released details yesterday about the revamped venue on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue.

As previously reported, Webster Hall — now owned by BSE Global and The Bowery Presents — returns this spring (about a year earlier than expected).

For starters, Webster Hall announced a slate of performers, starting with Patti Smith and Her Band on May 1. Other upcoming acts include Broken Social Scene, MGMT, Empire of the Sun, Old Dominion, Sharon Van Etten, Built to Spill, Real Estate, Big Thief, TroyBoi and Royal Trux.



You can find more dates at the Webster Hall website. American Express card members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Monday morning and through Thursday. Tickets for the general public go on sale March 1 at noon.

No word yet on the official opening date or performer. (RUMORED headliners include the Yeah Yeah, Yeahs, the Strokes, the National and Lady Gaga. Just one of them — not all four.)

Meanwhile, here's more via the news release from Webster Hall...

The renovations at Webster Hall aimed to preserve the iconic features of the venue, while modernizing it to meet today’s entertainment standards and enhance the guest experience. The Lounge (formerly The Marlin Room) has been revamped to serve as a bar and meeting spot for ticketholders both before and after shows in the Grand Ballroom.

Design details of The Lounge include elegant gold stenciling on the walls that pays homage to the original historic design, and fluted glass along the bar that mimics the venue’s former windows.

In the Grand Ballroom, the original stage remains, while acoustics were enhanced to create an optimal live event experience. Fans and artists returning to Webster Hall will notice other new features such as central air conditioning, expanded restrooms, additional stairwells for smoother entry and exit, and the venue’s first-ever elevator that will serve guests with disabilities and speed up each show’s load-in and load-out process.

Behind the scenes, an artist compound was built with upgraded amenities to provide direct access to the Ballroom stage, creating a more comfortable and inviting environment for performers and their management. The venue’s basement level, formerly known as The Studio at Webster Hall, will also return, with more details to be announced at a later date.

The architect of the revived venue is OTJ Architects, the contractor is Shawmut Design and Construction, and acoustic design is by L’Acoustics. Once open, Webster Hall will employ an estimated 70 people across various positions in the venue, between front of house and back of house, on any given event night.

The Times got a sneak preview of the venue yesterday, if you'd like to read that here.

This landmarked building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

Plywood arrives at Webster Hall

A new marquee for Webster Hall

A new marquee for Webster Hall

Webster Hall will have a new marquee when it reopens this spring.

So far, this is the only noticeable change to the exterior of the landmarked building on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue ...





The previous Webster Hall marquee became partially dislodged from the front of the building in February 2018...


[Photo in February 2018 by Michael Giacoppi]

Workers blocked off the street and secured the sagging sign with a sidewalk bridge...



The new Webster Hall owners made the surprise spring-return announcement at the beginning of the year. Previous estimates had been for 2020. Still, no word on an official opening-night date or subsequent first act. (One EVG tipster heard the venue will reopen in late April.)

Webster Hall closed in August 2017. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and The Bowery Presents bought the landmarked building from the Ballinger family for $35 million in a deal announced in the spring of 2017. The Bowery Presents will be booking the shows here moving forward.

The new ownership filed permits in December 2017 for interior demolition and structural work to renovate the facility and make it ADA compliant. The city approved those permits in March 2018.

As previously reported, the Washington, D.C.-based Martinez+Johnson Architecture (now part of OTJ Architects) is behind the interior makeover. Per their website, the firm brings "their design sensitivities to cultural arts and institutional projects." Their work includes the restoration of the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn and the Boston Opera House.

The building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

Plywood arrives at Webster Hall

Webster Hall returns this spring

The new ownership of Webster Hall sent out an email yesterday with a bare-bones announcement:

To our closest friends,

Happy New Year, we've missed you! While we've been closed, we have made some venue enhancements and think you will dig them. While updates are still underway, we are pleased to say that Webster Hall will return in Spring 2019.

This announcement took Webster Hall watchers by surprise. Some previous reports suggested that the new concert venue wouldn't be ready until 2020. Billboard reported that there may be a name change here too.

However, it appears that the Webster Hall name will live on ... as seen in a digital rebrand and updated logo posted to Instagram (see below).

As previously reported, Webster Hall closed here on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue in August 2017. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and The Bowery Presents bought the landmarked building from the Ballinger family for $35 million in a deal announced in the spring of 2017.

The new ownership filed permits in December 2017 for interior demolition and structural work to renovate the facility and make it ADA compliant. The city approved those permits in March 2018.

Given the scope of the work, there doesn't seem to be that much activity coming from behind the plywood. (Of course it seems downright sedate compared to the full-tilt action going on at the new 13-story Moxy East Village directly across the street.)

EVG reader Tony took these photos from behind the plywood back in the fall showing some old outside wall demo and new I-beam ...





The Washington, D.C.-based Martinez+Johnson Architecture (now part of OTJ Architects) is behind the interior makeover. Per their website, the firm brings "their design sensitivities to cultural arts and institutional projects." Their work includes the restoration of the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn and the Boston Opera House.

Spectrum Catering and Concessions, which services the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Rough Trade and Brooklyn Steel, among other venues, is responsible for the food and beverage here. They applied for a liquor license via CB3 for the address back in the summer of 2017. According to the PDF of the application online at CB3, the old Marlin Room would serve as an additional bar and waiting area for concertgoers entering the grand ballroom.

The building has been around since 1886. It re-opened as Webster Hall in October 1992 after the Ballinger family purchased and renovated the space that was known as The Ritz during the 1980s.

And now the new-look logo...

View this post on Instagram

see ya in 2019! 🎉

A post shared by Webster Hall (@websterhall) on Dec 31, 2018 at 1:05pm PST

Previously on EV Grieve:
When Webster Hall reopens, there might be a Moxy Hotel across the street

First sign of upcoming renovations at the former Webster Hall

Permits filed to renovate Webster Hall

The Webster Hall marquee looks to be in danger of falling

The Webster Hall marquee

Plywood arrives at Webster Hall

Webster Hall alum withdraw application for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

The Webster Hall alum have withdrawn their application for 50 Avenue B/238 E. Fourth St.

They were to appear before CB3's SLA committee tonight for a new liquor license for a venture that featured a pizzeria and live music. Applicants included Stephen Ballinger, the head bartender and bar manager at the now-closed Webster Hall from 2014-2017, and Adam Ballinger, who served as the venue's marketing manager.

According to a tipster: "They withdrew completely and are not interested in that space at all."

That space previously housed Lovecraft, which was inspired by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. That bar-restaurant closed in early 2018 after three-and-a-half years in business. The other piece of this parcel, the slice joint Johnny Favorite's, shuttered in August 2017 after debuting in April 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lovecraft has not been open lately on Avenue B

Webster Hall alum proposing new venture for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

Webster Hall alum proposing new venture for former Lovecraft space on Avenue B

Updated 8/20: The applicants said that they are no longer considering this space.

Applicants who are family members of the previous Webster Hall ownership will appear before CB3's SLA committee this month for a new liquor license for 50 Avenue B and 238 E. Fourth St.

The addresses include the former Lovecraft, the two-level bar-restaurant between Third Street and Fourth Street, and the Johnny Favorite's pizzeria around the corner on Fourth Street. (The two spaces are connected.)



According to the questionnaire for the public posted to the CB3 website (PDF here), the still-unnamed establishment will serve "American fare in Avenue B space and pizza on Fourth Street, both American and pizza in the basement." The applicants are seeking a sidewalk cafe for the Avenue B side as well.

The paperwork also notes that "there will regularly be live music performances." (The type of live music isn't specified. The questionnaire includes a noise- and traffic-mitigation plan.)

The proposed hours are 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. on weekdays; with a 10 a.m. opening time on weekends.

Applicants include Stephen Ballinger, whose résumé posted with the questionnaire lists him as the head bartender and bar manager at Webster Hall from 2014-2017, and Adam Ballinger, who was most recently the marketing manager at Webster Hall.

The Ballinger family (brothers Lon, Steve and Doug Ballinger) owned Webster Hall from 1992 to last summer, taking over the venue on 11th Street between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue in 1989 when the Ritz was ending its time here.

In the spring of 2017, they reportedly sold the now-landmarked building to Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment and AEG Presents for $35 million. (Steve Ballinger is also listed as one of the applicants in the Avenue B venture along with his sons Stephen and Adam.)

The August CB3-SLA meeting is Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Perseverance House Community Room, 535 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.

Lovecraft, which was inspired by horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, closed in early 2018 after three-and-a-half years in business. Johnny Favorite's shuttered in August 2017 after debuting in April 2015.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Lovecraft has not been open lately on Avenue B

Plywood arrives at Webster Hall

OK, so it's not much... but the plywood arrived this past week at the eastern entrance of the former Webster Hall on 11th Street.

As previously reported, the new owners of the landmarked building, Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, along with AEG-backed The Bowery Presents, filed permits in December for interior demolition and structural work to renovate the facility and make it ADA compliant. The city approved those permits last month.

There hadn't been much, if any, sign of activity here between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue... except for the placement of the approved work permits...



... and that whole marquee-almost-falling-down thing.

Some reports suggest that the new concert venue won't be ready until 2020. Billboard reported that there may be a name change here too.

Webster Hall closed last Aug. 10. Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment and The Bowery Presents bought the building from the Ballinger family for $35 million last spring.