Los Angeles Music Scene: Bootleg Theater Closes Down

The Los Angeles indie music scene got hit with a harsh gut punch on Monday when an unexpected announcement arrive from the Bootleg Theater.

On their Twitter feed, they wrote:

This was unexpected as Sid the Cat (their music booker) was posting on their Instagram feed about upcoming shows at the Bootleg Theater. Based on the above, it looks like the Bootleg Theater would have been able to survive the COVID-19 shutdown. The key issue was "irreconcilable differences with the partner we originally purchased the property with in 1999."

Let me just speculate. Loopnet states that the total assessment (I'm thinking this will be updated shortly so if one clicks on that Loopnet link, the assessment might be different) of the property is $943,675. We know the property was on sale back in January for a list price of $5.25 million. Hmm, is it possible the "irreconcilable differences" had to do with the other partner wanting to cash out on this significant appreciation in value? Either the other partner put up the majority of the investment or the agreement was written in a way to state that if one wanted out the property needed to be put up for sale and so this unknown partner was forcing a sale. Once again, this whole paragraph is just speculation. 

Sid the Cat wrote on Instagram:

There are little words to say how we feel right now about the recent closure of @bootlegtheater. We’ve lost a home and a gathering place for our community. There was truly no place like it. It will be missed. But we will move forward.

We thank all the artists and patrons who’ve made Bootleg Theater a communal and safe space for art. And a special thank you to all the supporters - especially in the past year with #CoverTheBootleg and the GoFundMe donations for Bootleg staff.

While we mourn the loss of the Bootleg Theater, it will live on in lore and legend for Sid The Cat. From the formative shows by Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief, the illustrious gathering of songwriters for the Swamp Soiree, the 3 phenomenal years of Gxrlschool Festival and all the way up to early 2020 with the celestial Moses Sumney residency. We will cherish the memories and music that were made and celebrated in the space.

We look forward to the future and all of the exciting things to come as we continue to promote artists and create memorable concert experiences for music fans and friends. Thanks for your support and see you soon.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

(Please check back for updates on venue changes for current shows. New show locations to be announced soon)

Buzzbands got this quote from the spokesperson for the new owners:

“Our intention is to continue operating the former Bootleg as a multidisciplinary performing arts venue, with an initial emphasis on music, cinema and literature. We’ll be operating a bit more like an arts cooperative than a concert hall, and hosting some long-standing L.A. concert series and arts non-profits who, like many, found themselves on precarious footing during the pandemic.”

Speculation again. Sid the Cat appears to be moving on from the location, which indicates that the new owners have a different vision -- why would you want to cut ties with a booker that was packing the venue? The spokesperson for the new owners said that "we'll be operating a bit more like an arts cooperative than a concert hall . . . " This seems to indicate that they're moving away from the Bootleg Theater model. Then they follow that with "and hosting some long-standing L.A. concert series." That sounds like maybe any music will be dedicated to classical music or other artistic types of music -- another indication that they're moving away from the Bootleg Theater model.

As the asking price for the property was $5.25 million, I am going to speculate again that the new owners are wealthy and are taking on this project as a gift to the Los Angeles art community. Over-all, this sounds like a loss for the LA indie music scene, but a huge gain for the LA indie art scene.

Here's my list of venues that have shut down since the start of the pandemic:

Blue Whale (jazz focused)

Bootleg Theater

The Factory

The Hi Hat*

The House of Machines

Moon Room

Saint Rocke

The Satellite

Sun Space

* The Hi Hat is now being called The Goldfish, but I'm not sure that the venue will be as fully dedicated to music as The Hi Hat was. It is also going to have indoor dining for the Sticky Rice restaurant so I'm not sure that diners are going to want some rock band blasting their amps. 

  

Though the Bootleg Theater closing is a dispute between partners, it really does make me wonder about the current holding power of some of the remaining independent music venues such as Hotel Café, Moroccan Lounge and Zebulon. Are there potential land minds there that no one is aware of and have nothing to do with the pandemic (other than the stresses of being in a partnership during a pandemic) -- that is partners just deciding they want to explore new options?

And here's a link to an LA Times talk with Sid the Cat's Kyle Wilkerson.