Today, it was announced that the long-time running night club Spaceland located on Silver Lake Blvd, a place that has booked so many bands over the years, is no longer. Mitchell Frank owner of Spaceland production and Jeff Wolfram the venue’s owner are ending their longtime agreement that had started in 1993.
It is the end of an era in Silverlake, since the club, with its large wooden entrance door and its kitschy blue and silver curtain behind the stage had become a neighborhood landmark and a sort of second home for many. The club first booked Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, My Morning Jacket, The Scissor Sisters, The Black keys, The Rapture, The Shins, The Killers among many others, before they were famous and were playing larger venues.
I have personally been to many shows at this place as I live close by, and when I read the news this morning I was a little upset, but only confused.
In reality, the building will survive and will get a new name, the Satellite, as Wolfram said they wanted to do their own booking in-house to offer better packages to bands and be a little more competitive. And I have read they will keep that curtain, so there is not that much change.
And what about the bands who were scheduled for the coming months? The Satellite will honor all the booking commitments, and at the top of this, Spaceland production is saying they will open a new room for live music oriented to dance nights and DJs somewhere else.
So at the end of the story, the public is gaining one more club, Spaceland becomes the Satellite and Spaceland production will have another place… why people were so upset all over the blogosphere?