The Bell House, a celebrated entertainment venue in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood, has been bought out by Live Nation. The venue has hosted and supported many independent artists throughout the years, having opened in 2008.
Located in an old printing press warehouse, The Bell House has since served the community as an outlet for creatives around the city. Upon its opening, The Bell House was involved in the NYC Comedy scene, drawing the public to the industrialized neighborhood. The venue also racked up its fair share of bands, parties, burlesque, and a variety of other social events.
Because of the opportunities and shameless fun offered to artists and attendees, The Bell House acted as a safe space for people to express themselves. Since 2008, the space has been independently run by the same team responsible for Park Slope’s Union Hall. The two similar, close-by venues, along with other BK establishments gave access to an underground circuit of up-and-coming artists.
Recently, however, The Bell House has experienced a transition as Live Nation quietly purchased it. While the process of it becoming an evident Live Nation venue with mainstream acts is slowly coming into place, the community continues to raise concerns about the future of its beloved sanctuary.
Live Nation, which is in the midst of a federal antitrust suit due to its monopoly over the live entertainment industry, already dominates NYC music venues. Over the years the music industry giant has racked up rooms like the Gramercy Theatre, Irving Plaza, and Brooklyn Paramount.
The new addition of The Bell House has generated a lot of concern and questions from the community. Because the venues immensely support independent artists, people are questioning the risk of Live Nation trading in the smaller artists for bigger names. The possible exclusion of talented yet generally unknown musicians and comics contradicts the venue’s purpose and community. It also risks eliminating the proud diversity and public accessibility the venue has to offer.
The booker and the marketing team do such a great job taking chances on emerging artists and concepts, and giving them the best possible chance to succeed. My big fear is that as it’s engulfed into the bigger Live Nation fold, the venue will lose a little of its cozy Brooklyn familiarity for artists.
Frequent Bell House Performer for The Groove
So far, the lineup has yet to reflect any drastic changes from regular shows. While most people are anticipating mainstream acts, the calendar remains full of smaller, yet still notable acts and bands. They still have classic Bell House-style events such as an ABBA Glitter Disco and a Moulin Rouge Drinking game.
It’s unknown when Live Nation finalized the sale, and therefore, when their booking comes into play. The common fear among the public is how the company will decide to move forward with The Bell House’s trajectory.
To stay updated with events at The Bell House visit thebellhouseny.com.
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