Maxwell's in New Jersey is closing

this stinks.

Haven't been there in years but certainly very sorry to see it go. Will be thinking of all those bands I saw there back in the day. Last time was Broadcast, maybe.

"who has the most giant TVs"

well the East Village has been a cultural ghost town for at least ten years, now 'Boken joins it.

Best show I saw there was Fugazi when they were touring for End Hits -- I think I had taken a break from them for a few years and a friend convinced me to go. Pretty sure this was summer 1998. So awesome to see them in such a small room.

Other good ones I remember offhand -- The Ex, Turing Machine, The Decemberists even though I don't really like The Decemberists

i grew up in NJ and somehow only went here once (YLT in 2000, for one of their chanukah shows)

i didn't have a car and worked weekend nights for most of HS is i guess why. anyway this still sucks.

Man I've never even been to NYC, let alone Hoboken to actually visit Maxwell's, but this news depresses the hell out of me nonetheless. It's amazing how many times I've come across sets recorded there or read stories about it or just, whatever, thanks to it being such an institution. Interesting timing for me, I had just gotten sucked down a wormhole reading about Piers Platters last night too.

it's literally over a mile from the PATH -- I'll bet Maxwell's would have crushed it even harder if it had been close to the PATH, although maybe its location was also a hidden strength somehow, being a little bit removed from the bro nightlife.

really sad about this. i've seen dozens of shows there -- commuted in from NYC on the PATH.

My best Maxwells show:

Guided By Voices, sometime in 1995, a few weeks before Alien Lanes came out. They played a 45 minute set, then came back for encores and stayed another 3 hours until Pollard was too drunk to stand.

― kornrulez6969, Monday, June 3, 2013 5:21 PM (1 hour ago)

I think this show exists in at least digital form on the web. I've seen it somewhere and think I have a smattering of tracks from it.

yeah the "all good kids" bootleg

right.

Well, I'll be sure to update you all on what kind of yogurt shop it turns into.

No doubt the same kind as Bleecker Bob's.

August 12, 1990:
http://pitchfork.com/news/45838-listen-to-pavements-second-show-ever-from-1990/

Welp, the sound cloud is down... 'twas a doozy.

Maybe it'll come back in a year or two. Remember in the late 90s they tried to turn it into a microbrewery? That lasted awhile, then they started booking bands again.

right.

Well, I'll be sure to update you all on what kind of yogurt shop it turns into.

― Evan, Monday, June 3, 2013 5:44 PM (21 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

or a TGI Friday's...

this is a shame; there just aren't any other nj venues
that said, if Todd's done todd's done and maybe better for it to die than linger painfully
that ex show stays in my head too

Damn. I saw Link Wray and Quintron there.

i'm coming home in july to see the feelies show on the 6th. anyone else planning to go?

i think i should but pretty sure that i have a show to work

Who did I see here (maaaaan) so many moons ago? Amazing folks, that's who:

AR Kane
"S&E" era Pavement 2 nights
Ride
Lush ( and each and every US shoegaze band that existed seemingly just to open for UK shoegazers and almost blow them outta the water)
Ian McCulloch acoustic - asking someone to get him a vodka then offering up "What do u wanna hear?'
Steve Kilbey acoustic
Ghost w/ Damon+Naomi
JSBX and Boss Hog and how many other
amazing bands in those halcyon days.

Gonna miss Maxwell's.

dirty secret: bus from Port Authority stops right across from the place.

Feelies would be a good last show to see there, I went for the '86 reunion.

Off to see The Bats at Maxwells right now... going to stare at the walls wistfully and wallow in a beer instead of pay attention to the music probably.

No idea if this is legit (BrooklynVegan comments):

I heard about this 2 months ago. I also heard they are closing their doors BUT reopening in downtown Jersey City not hoboken. Spoke to a sound engineer there 2 weeks ago who said the same thing.

Well, I heard about this 3 months again. Talked to the foh manager 4 weeks ago and said the would be reopening at the Exchange Place stop on the Path train.

(like, down the street from wfmu?)

wow! if true.

there had been murmurs about the shutdown for quite sometime
and there's a performance space opening down from FMU, yes. I don't think it's Maxwell's 2 tho. Gonna be very small.

Glad I saw the Feelies there a few times in recent years...and The Trypes open for YLT at a Hanukah show. Used to always forget how far it was from the Path. Would come out from brooklyn and think "we'll just get off the path and walk down the street". Remember one really really cold night where I felt really bad for forgetting that. Drove the last few times and always managed to find parking. Saw some other random shows over the years, The Lyres, Trans-Am...

There were murmurs about reopening in Jersey City because it was one of the options they were considering- along with closing for good or just staying open. The employees have been wondering which it would be for about 3 months now and they said it was actually a relief to know for sure so they can finally plan for the future.

So no reopening basically.

i would give a lot for a decent club to open in jersey city.

No Hanukah show this year confirmed- straight from Ira last night.

ah, I was hoping for either the Bell House or, uh, Loews Jersey.

man what is going on with that Loews Jersey -- somehow it hasn't been torn down yet, but I look at the calendar and there's like barely anything going on for months at a time. Shame.

I think Jersey City and Hoboken venues face a tough problem -- they can't rely primarily on a PATH train crowd coming from NYC with so many NYC entertainment options to compete with, but at the same time Jersey City and Hoboken aren't the ideal locations to draw people from elsewhere in Jersey since parking is scarce. E.g. with that Loews -- PATH train is pretty much your only option getting there afaik, unless there have been massive new parking decks built or something.

Well, don't forget buses.

I think in Maxwells case for driving it's either garage or you're parking in the PERMIT ONLY or RESIDENTIAL PERMIT ONLY spots that surround the place for at least 3-4 blocks in any direction. If you park in one of those spots you have a 4 hour window then if caught you get booted and or ticketed.

It is indeed almost a mile walk from PATH and feels much longer if you aren't familiar with the town.

Loews is a beautiful theatre but Journal Square is a sketchy and otherwise boring area. The better restaurants and places like Barcade are all closer to the water at the Grove St PATH stop.

listening to this awesome maxwell's dream syndicate gig from 83 http://archive.org/details/ds1983-02-12.flac16

ah, I was hoping for either the Bell House or, uh, Loews Jersey.

― ballin' from Maine to Mexico (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, June 4, 2013 10:21 AM (1 hour ago)

Plenty of time for them to change their mind I presume, but I'd say unlikely as I perceived the proximity of their home to Maxwells is a huge factor in the incentive for doing 8 late shows in a row.

They could, y'know, do one show. Times change.

they should move it to the site of the temple in Jerusalem

Or a temple in Short Hills.

Hmm one show would be nice but it wouldn't have the same magic...

Who's playing tonight? Who's playing tomorrow? What charity will this benefit? Who are the special guests will jump on stage despite the official bill?

Plus the "8 nights of Hanukah" theme is the basis and the multiple charities is the motivation.

dirty secret: bus from Port Authority stops right across from the place.

yup I've done that bus ride. it goes pretty quick.

although one night after we saw New Pornographers at Maxwell's we stayed out drinking after the show and missed the last PATH train home and then that bus failed to come. twice. so we went back to our friends' apartment a couple blocks from Maxwell's and slept there and I went back to work the next day in my same clothes. the end.

"last PATH train"?

There is a night schedule that is less frequent and resumes normal service for morning rush... unless this was when service was still recovering from Sandy?

It is indeed almost a mile walk from PATH and feels much longer if you aren't familiar with the town.

I never minded the walk the two times I went to Maxwell's to see Electric Six.

It's a great space, sad to see it go, but really glad to know I've been there.

xpost nah you're right I guess it wasn't the "last" train but we stayed later than we planned and the next one wasn't for an hour or something

?

Well I know what someone thinks:

Tom Scharpling
15 hrs ·

A message to the pair of clogged toilets who are now running Maxwell's. When you inevitably go belly up, let me know. I will buy you out at one penny on the dollar.

Although based on Hoboken's current demographics, IDK if he's right.

evan: yeah, he's a good dude.

Everybody knows Todd, sheeeit

And his catchphrase as well.

Yes, he's a great guy!

I don't really "know" him inasmuch as it's unlikely he'd remember me, but I've talked to him a few times briefly when we played there.

I still live in Hoboken. Sadly, I have no friends literally in town. Demographics are indeed a sportsbarbro/jerseyshore/finance mix.

omg this looks soooooooooooo terrible

http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/26002941/article-Bringing-Maxwell-s-back-to-live--Iconic-music-venue-reopened-and-reimagined-under-new-owners--?instance=hoboken_top_story#

I perk up if other people know Todd because I take it as a slim chance that I've collected your ticket at a Maxwells show or saw you at the record fair (I help him out with his table usually).

Best Deal Ever for Nationally Recognized Turnkey Bar/Restaurant

Ha if Scharpling rallied his fans he could very easily crowdfund the purchase.

Hoboken music club Maxwell's Tavern is closing - again

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/02/maxwells_tavern_hoboken_rock_club_to_close.html

Wow, a legit venue with great booking and affiliations with major musicians couldn’t pay the rent, so it’s shocking that open mic nights couldn’t do it either.

I heard the restaurant side of it was not really cutting it either. They couldn't figure themselves out.

I think I went there once after it changed hands, and the menu seemed to be the same as before. Not that it was ever a particularly distinguished menu. Without the draw of the shows, they definitely needed something to set them apart.

The food was good enough that when we played there I looked forward to the free meal, but it wasn't a place I'd go out of my way to eat at otherwise.

good site to keep an eye on — a lot of live tapes from maxwell's ... the dino jr one smokes. https://www.themckenzietapes.com/tapes/

I always kind of blamed the resurgence of Brooklyn for the demise of Maxwell's. It seemed like a lot of bands on tour would often book two shows in the area: one at a Manhattan venue and the other at Maxwell's. However, once Brooklyn started to become a big thing, the same caliber of bands continued to play one show at a Manhattan venue but their second show instead at a Brooklyn venue, leaving Maxwell's as the proverbial odd man out.

Maxwell's: An Oral History (Believer Magazine)

I only saw one show there: Big Chief.

Had fun.

This is my sole contribution to this thread and Hoboken as a whole.

I only went there a few times. I did the long walk from the PATH once, I think, when I lived in Manhattan. Then I went there a couple more times when I lived in Hoboken (although the walk was still about the same distance). 2 shows I remember seeing were An Albatross and Fiery Furnaces. The seafood place there now is pretty good but pricey. That article makes me wonder how many places like this still exist. I mean scruffy indie rock clubs with a loyal clientele. I guess they were pretty rare even back in the '90s, and they must be even rarer now.

I saw several shows there but I only remember The Ex

I always kind of blamed the resurgence of Brooklyn for the demise of Maxwell's. It seemed like a lot of bands on tour would often book two shows in the area: one at a Manhattan venue and the other at Maxwell's. However, once Brooklyn started to become a big thing, the same caliber of bands continued to play one show at a Manhattan venue but their second show instead at a Brooklyn venue, leaving Maxwell's as the proverbial odd man out.

― Ex Slacker,

Todd Abramson (the owner and booker) actually started booking the Bell House in Gowanus as well at some point.

I went to a ton of shows at Maxwell's age 13-18ish because it was all ages, and I'd often try my luck at getting past the bouncers in Manhattan the following night as well. I think ultimately, I preferred going out there to going downtown, though the wait for the Path train coming back was interminable. It was cozy and clean, less nightlife-oriented than the Bowery Ballroom or w/e.

I ended up performing there a lot later on, and that was also a very pleasant experience, which I found was rare- most spaces I either enjoyed playing, or watching bands, but not both.

I mean sitting in the front lounge with all the rockabilly decor and the christmas lights eating soup before Godspeed or whoever went on... It was just a much more comfortable environment than the Manhattan spaces.

There were records i had only read about at 14 years old that i got to hear for the first time on the Maxwell's jukebox... It was all very, very good.

Todd was indeed booking Bell House soon after Maxwells closed but hasn't for a long while iirc.

He was booking both simultaneously for a time, I am certain of that. But you're right, he hasn't been the booker at Bell House in years.

I believe the story that it was due to parking and changing demographics. Parking in Hoboken for a non-resident is extremely painful and its only gotten worse since Maxwells closed. Also its no longer a cheap place to live for musicians and artists.