After 18 months of renovations, historic music venue Webster Hall will reopen its doors this spring to usher in a new age of music fans to the East Village.
An official opening date and headlining act will be "announced soon," but Webster Hall’s 2019 lineup includes Patti Smith and Her Band (in the Grand Ballroom on May 1), Sharon Van Etten, Broken Social Scene and Real Estate.
Yet while popular night Girls & Boys is set to return in September, some music lovers have noticed the lack of announcements regarding other club nights, specifically more genre-niche events like the techno Arkham nights or EDM-heavy Bassment Saturdays.
“Webster Hall had several amazing, distinct and unforgettable club nights, which don’t seem to be a part of the comeback,” said Evan Lewis, 20, a Westchester County native, who has been in attendance since 2015. “For years, Webster Hall catered to electronic music and its many different styles, giving that scene a home in Manhattan … it’s the same address, but the experience won’t be the same.”
The revamped 40,000-square-foot music hall at 125 E. 11th St., which closed for renovations in August 2017 after being acquired by BSE and AEG Presents, features enhanced acoustics, central air conditioning and larger restrooms, as well as additional exits and an elevator system to serve attendees with disabilities. The former Marlin Room has been redubbed The Lounge — now a bar and waiting area for concertgoers before and after Grand Ballroom shows. The venue’s basement performance area, The Studio at Webster Hall, also returns, with details to come, according to a Thursday release.
“Our collective goal was to ensure the history and legacy of this iconic theater while preserving its charm and character and creating an unequaled New York City concert experience for fans and performers,” Jay Marciano, CEO of AEG Presents, said in a release. He told Billboard in an interview published in January that roughly $10 million will be spent on the project.
The Webster stage has been traversed by acts such as LCD Soundsystem, The National and John Mayer, with more than 1,000 shows in its last decade of operation. Since its original opening as a performance venue in 1886, the space has served as a speakeasy, a nightclub and a political rally space.
For more information on up-to-date programming, visit websterhall.com.
Webster Hall’s current artist lineup includes:
- May 1 – Patti Smith and Her Band
- May 3 – TroyBoi
- May 4 – Sharon Van Etten
- May 7 – FKJ
- May 10 – Lawrence
- May 15 – Royal Trux
- May 16/17 – Broken Social Scene
- May 19 – Old Dominion
- May 20 – Chromeo with a Live Band
- May 21 – Johnnyswim
- May 22-24 – MGMT
- May 28 – The Japanese House
- May 29 – Aaron Tveit
- June 6/7 – Empire of the Sun
- June 14 – Real Estate
- June 15 – City of the Sun
- July 26 – Emo Nite LA
- Sept. 13 – HVOB
- Sept. 21 – Tinariwen
- Sept. 27 – Pinegrove
- Sept. 30/Oct. 1 – Built to Spill
- Oct. 5 – Mt. Joy
- Oct. 9 – Chris Robinson Brotherhood
- Oct. 10/11 – Big Thief
- Nov. 2 – Mumiy Troll
