New venue the Bellwether to debut this spring in DTLA

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Michael Swier, left, and Gregg Perloff at the Bellwether (Photo by Josh Withers)

Just short of the Teragram Ballroom’s eighth birthday, there’s a new music venue coming to downtown Los Angeles from its co-founder, Michael Swier.

The Bellwether, boasting a 1,600-capacity main room, is set to open this spring at 333. S. Boylston, a soft toss west of the 110 Freeway. The building was once home to the clubs Vertigo, Glam Slam, Tatou, the Heist and 333 Live.

Swier’s partner in the new room is Another Planet Entertainment, the independent promoter, headed by Gregg Perloff, behind festivals such as Outside Lands and Life Is Beautiful and venues such as Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, Oakland’s Fox Theater, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and San Francisco’s the Independent.

Swier, whose resumé includes New York City’s Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, moved west last decade to open the Teragram in Westlake and in 2017 added the 250-capacity Moroccan Lounge to his ventures.

Like the Teragram, the Bellwether is getting a makeover courtesy of Swier’s architect brother, Brian. In a press release announcing the new venue, the Bellwether is described as having unimpeded sightlines, a 270-degree wrap-around balcony and a custom wooden dance floor. The venue will also boast a private event space and an open-air lounge.

“The Bellwether will be the next step for an artist in our L.A. ecosystem,” Swier says. “Artists can grow from the Moroccan Lounge to the Teragram Ballroom and now to the Bellwether. This is similar to what we built in New York City with the Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom and to APE’s venue infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay Area with the Independent, Fox Theater and Greek Theatre. In partnering with Gregg and Another Planet Entertainment, the largest independent promoter in the country, our visions of long-term artist development are aligned.”

Adds Perloff: “The Bellwether is destined to become a cultural institution in Los Angeles, featuring some of the greatest local and international talent. It’s been many years since I’ve spent time producing shows in L.A., and it took a building with the potential of the Bellwether to excite me enough to return. I’m thrilled to get back into the market, and I can’t think of a better location for what we’re setting to accomplish.”