Central SAPC in Santa Monica to close in June?
Kevin Bronson on
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The Central Social Aid & Pleasure Club, a beacon for live music west of the 405, will be closing in June, and the new ownership of the Santa Monica nightspot is expected to remodel the room and make it a lounge, multiple sources say.
At the location of the former 14 Below, the Central SAPC made its mark in the rock, hip-hop and electronic worlds, hosting Tuesday night indie residencies and welcoming artists such as Skrillex, ?uestlove, Javelin, Penguin Prison and myriad others to its cozy room and offering shows precious few Westside L.A. venues could match. The reasons for its closure are not about the quality of the bookings, sources say, but problems inherent to running a live music venue at that location.
The Central will still be going great guns throughout May, with a strong shows on tap from Keenhouse, Quantic, Solwave, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Martin Starr & Common Rotation and the New Division, whose May 31 show is the last currently listed on the venue’s calendar. And Rainbow Jackson is scheduled to do the Tuesday night residency in May.
I have never made it over there. It is not for a lack of decent shows, it is maybe because I seem to be biased towards seeing shows on the Eastside.
As a neighbor to this venue, I would love to know what the ‘inherit problems’ are? Is it the fact that Santa Monica is filled with tools? Is it the fact that many refuse to travel west of the 405 for a weeknight show? While I didn’t enjoy most of the artists this place booked (I prefer my music to be heavy), it is a shame that they are going under.