The Music Hall Of Williamsburg is an important Brooklyn music venue that's been open for decades, and it's been a staple for any New York music fans this century, but its days are numbered. The venue's lease is up at the end of next year, and the building's owners have decided not to renew it. That means the venue has one year and change left before it ceases to exist.
Billboard reports that the Bowery Presents, the live-music promotion company that owns the venue but not the building, made the announcement yesterday. In a joint statement, Bowery Presents co-owners Jim Glancy and John Moore said, "After nearly two decades, the Bowery Presents has been notified by the owners of 66 North 6th Street that our lease for Music Hall Of Williamsburg will not be renewed, and our time in the building will come to an end at the conclusion of 2026. We will continue to produce shows at Music Hall throughout next year, making each moment count for rising talent and returning stars, ensuring the legacy of this venue and its impact on both the neighborhood and music overall is secured in history."
The Music Hall Of Williamsburg opened under a different name, Northsix, in 2001. It was right in the middle of Williamsburg, the neighborhood at the center of that moment's hipster universe, and it was just a few blocks from the Bedford Avenue subway stop. The room immediately became hugely important to New York's up-and-coming generation of cool-kid bands. In 2002, I took a long bus trip from Syracuse to see the Faint play Northsix, and it was one of the best shows of my life. Richard Linklater filmed the opening scene of School Of Rock and Northsix, and Elliott Smith played his last New York shows there.
The Bowery Presents acquired Northsix, rebranding it as the Music Hall Of Williamsburg in 2007. Over the years, the MHOW played host to countless great shows, and it's not done quite yet. Right now, the MHOW schedule still has upcoming shows from acts like Ryan Davis, Voxtrot, Xibalba, Hatchie, the Wedding Present, Skullcrusher, Westerman, a Great Big Pile Of Leaves, Whitney, and Spiritual Cramp. Hopefully, it'll get some kind of grand sendoff.
