R.I.P. Spaceland; Hello, Satellite
ABOVE: El Guincho photographed; notorious photo-unfriendly zone. Capture by Sung July 2010
Summer, 2000: One of the first shows I saw in Los Angeles was the Beachwood Sparks at Spaceland. Over the years I saw many wonderful shows at that venue. And time and again, after the blog started, we’d send photographers to shows there – always with the same results. Impossible room for photographs. I love that joint, everything about it. Shed a tear. We got this announcement today:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2010SPACELAND HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
After 17 years of calling 1717 Silverlake Blvd home, Spaceland Productions the indie promoters who’ve booked some of the earliest shows for Beck, Weezer, Elliott Smith, White Stripes, Silversun Pickups, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and others – will be leaving the Silverlake venue which has become synonymous with the club night. The venue will now operate under the moniker of The Satellite and will have in house booking. Spaceland will have shows in the room through March, 2011 including a Melvins residency, the Los Angeles debuts of UK acts Vaccines and Yuck, and a dual Monday night residency in January with The Fling and Bell Brigade.
“It just reached a point where it was time for us to move on,” says Mitchell Frank who started Spaceland as a weekly club night in 1993. “We’ve had some incredible musical moments here, people met, fell in love, started life-long friendships, but it’s just time for a change.”
Like the innovative music that Frank first booked, along with previous booker Jennifer Tefft and current bookers Liz Garo and Shannon Cornett, the prize has always been on what’s next. Frank, along with business partner Jeff Ellermeyer will open a new room for live music with a strong leaning towards dance nights and djs.
In the past years, Spaceland has branched out to booking street festivals, co-producing events with radio stations and curating regular series for the Getty Center and the Natural History Museum. And in addition to Club Spaceland, Frank opened two rooms in Echo Park, the 300 capacity Echo in 2001 and the 700 capacity Echoplex in 2007 – both being part of the revitalization of that neighborhood.
“Last year Avi Buffalo did a Tuesday night residency playing to maybe 60 people some nights,” says Frank, “Now, a little over a year later they’re headlining the Echoplex. It’s great to watch bands develop and have them be loyal to us and play our rooms as they grow.” As Spaceland leaves the building, the underlying philosophy remains the same: to support and nurture up and coming local talent and to always find what’s next.
For press inquiries contact: charra@spaceland.tv for booking contact: liz@spaceland.tv
FUN FACT
He’d been shooting for our site for months before I finally met the one and only Sung at this Veils Show, Spaceland, summer 2007 (Words by Victor; photos by Jenn in that link. Jenn, Victor – you remember that show?)
Feel free to throw your fondest memories of Spaceland into the comments below. Spaceland Is Dead! Long Live Spaceland!
MEGAPUSS: Devendra & Aziz circa 2008
ABOVE: Spaceland Booze circa 2004
