Mick Rose | | editor@claremont-courier.com
The slow but sure death of live original music in the Claremont area, which suffered two major body blows this week, has made me wonder if the art form will disappear entirely from 91711. .
First, and inevitably, The Press, which closed in March 2020, is now on the market for a whopping $2.5 million.
The second gut punch was even worse. Last Name Brewing will have its final live performance on Saturday, March 25th in a spacious room adjacent to the Upland Brewery.
Press was already considered dead by most local musicians and music fans. But last name? Ever since booker, producer, sound engineer, podcast guru and all-around music octopus Solid Ray Woods took over his LNB nearly two years ago, the venue has had better sound, lighting and acting. , was on an increasingly upward trajectory. Just last month, a stunning tribute to George Harrison brought an impressive array of noteworthy young and not-so-young musicians and songwriters, who were by all accounts an artistic and sonic success.
The Press, which closed in March 2020, sold for $2.5 million.Courier photo/Peter Weinberger
But word from above is that art and commerce simply couldn’t be tied together by surnames. and LNB’s income from merchandise sales did not exceed that. Something had to be given, and unfortunately for us fans, it was music.
For those keeping scores, The Press, Last Name Brewing, The Hip Kitty, and Black Watch Pub have all disappeared into the live music graveyard over the last few years. (Black Watch is still in business, of course, and in fact recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.th It’s our anniversary but live music is off the menu as of 2018. )
Add to that the March 3rd death of David Lindley, and the carnage is only demoralizing from the perspective of both musicians and music fans.
A few venues remain, including Walter’s (occasionally), Back Abbey and Union on Yale, primarily booking acoustic singles, duos and trios. But these are almost exclusively captured by cover acts.
Thankfully, the Folk Music Center keeps an interesting reserve of mostly regional and national acoustic acts.
The Hi Brow in Pomona occasionally books original electronic music, but it’s not an ideal gig without a stage, sound or lights. In other words, the band has to bring it all in, and that’s a big demand for a small reward.
Hosted by the City of Claremont, Friday Nights Live features a handful of original acts throughout the spring and late summer, mostly cover bands that pay less.
Bigger venues like Pomona’s Fox and Glass House are sporadic, but we’re talking touring acts and hefty cover charges at these spots. Both are great and I appreciate their presence (everyone from Neil Young to Lucinda Williams has met me there over the years), but neither is a booking option for most local songwriters.
Until March 2020, The Press was loved by many locals, myself included, as well as songwriters and performers. Opened in 1997, the bustling, bustling bar/restaurant/venue primarily hosted local acts, but occasionally also hosted regional and national musicians. That fate hung in the air for a moment. I have been checking in regularly with owner Steve Rudisel since the beginning of the pandemic and he hoped to reopen as Covid restrictions eased in 2021. However, in early 2022, He stopped returning my text his messages.
No wonder The Press is gone. But it still hurts. The end result is particularly disappointing given its brutal timing, coinciding with the announcement of the demise of Last Name Brewing’s live music juggernaut.
Last Name Impresario Woods was even more disappointed than I was when we spoke late last week. I was. At one point there was talk of turning the large room into a legitimate venue for touring activities at LNB, but his latest upgrade seems to bring that prospect closer to reality. But now all that sweat and mental energy seems wasted, and Woods is contemplating his next move. There are, but I am very lucky to have him in any of them.
Our songwriters are left with few local places to work on a regular basis. There are other breweries in the area that offer live music, such as Laverne’s Old Stump, but they only book covers and tribute his acts.
how did we get here There was a time in Claremont and the surrounding area where live original music was cooking up every weekend. I could play Friday at Green Door (RIP many years ago!), Saturday at Black Watch and Sunday afternoon at Hi Brow. I also had reservations at Claremont College. With the emergence of DJ culture, the rise of his tribute acts, and the general dislike among older live music fans for anything other than songs they liked in high school, the songwriter was gradually driven towards the door. I came.
I have long wondered why Claremont continues to market its good intentions as an arts-focused community. Yes, the visual arts still have a strong following. Fancy people pay $$$ for dinner and easy listening music with lots of fundraising. Claremont College continues to offer almost free concerts of all kinds of great classical symphony orchestras and bands. But for those of us long-suffering rock, country, punk, and musicians who are rock, country, punk, and pop songwriters and musicians, it’s a slim pikin.
I’ve written about this before, and I’ve received backlash from defenders of the city’s support for the arts, but the overall vibe is bad for the songwriters and musicians around me. We cannot deny that.
It could all end with Last Name Brewing abandoning its live music ship and The Press selling the last legal live rock music spot in town. It’s sad to
My hope is that something new will spring up and fill the vacuum.Anyone have $2.5 million ready?
