New Lansdowne St.

[statler]

Club owner has new vision for Lansdowne St.
Proposes sprucing up Fenway area, adding new restaurants

By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | April 21, 2007

Boston club king Patrick Lyons has told the city and his Lansdowne Street neighbors he wants to replace two of Boston's most famous nightclubs with a modern entertainment complex that would include restaurants, sidewalk seating, and a terrace looking toward Fenway Park.

Taking inspiration from Wrigleyville, the friendly entertainment district associated with Chicago's Wrigley Field, Lyons said he wants to turn Avalon and Axis into a cutting-edge facility that would enhance Lansdowne Street and complement the area's main attraction, Fenway Park.

"Our last significant renovation was 12 years ago," said Lyons. "Our dream is changing the climate from all the intensity of nightclubs to more diversity -- restaurants, dining, and dancing."

Lyons said that if city officials and neighbors including the Red Sox approve, he will spend about $14 million to build a 2,500-capacity club with a larger stage, better lighting, more amenities -- such as dressing rooms and showers for the artists -- and a sound system "as good as we've had" or better.

He is proposing to start construction this summer and finish early next year. It is tentatively named "Lansdowne Street Music Hall."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who has been briefed on the Lyons plan, yesterday called it "a good idea."

"He's going to remove that old structure in keeping with what the Red Sox are doing," said Menino. "These buildings are barns. His vision is to make Fenway a pleasing place to go."

Located in a popular but dingy area dominated by the ballpark, the buildings have a long, storied history. One was built as a horse barn over a century ago and used by Boston Globe founder Eben Jordan, who also owned the Jordan Marsh department store. Later used as warehouses, the buildings have been music clubs since the late 1960s, with names including the Boston Tea Party, 15 Lansdowne, Boston Boston, Metro, and Citi.

Artists including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Carly Simon have played there, and more recently Taylor Hicks and Fall Out Boy. Elvis Costello is lined up for May 15.

Lyons commissioned architects Cambridge Seven Associates Inc. to create a modern venue on the site, next to his two other clubs, The Modern and Embassy, which would also undergo renovation.

A new, two-story building would be about 20 feet taller than the current 32-foot-high industrial building, Lyons said -- but shorter than the 90 feet or so that the city zoning allows. A second phase, including function space on the third floor, could come later, he said. He may retain some of the old buildings' structure, especially the historic facades on Lansdowne.

Lyons said he would add a 125-seat "popular-priced" restaurant and a 75-seat room for fine dining. Restaurants would extend the periods that visitors come to the area beyond the current late-night club hours.

"There's virtually never been food on this street," Lyons said. This week he opened La Verdad Taqueria Mexicana, a takeout and sit-down restaurant with tacos, fresh tortillas, and margaritas, at 1 Lansdowne St.

Lyons spoke in his cluttered office above the clubs, stuffed with memorabilia that includes a 1970s J. Geils "Showtime" album poster, a 1995 photo of Lyons with Aerosmith's Steve Tyler, and an advertisement for what he said was Boston's first AIDS benefit, in 1984.

Lyons came to the district in 1977 when Avalon was 15 Lansdowne, and now he owns or co-owns that and several other Boston clubs and restaurants, including Kings bowling lanes and Jasper White's Summer Shack in the Back Bay, and Lucky's Lounge in the Fort Point Channel area.

He has been concentrating recently on opening entertainment complexes in other locations, including Atlantic City and Mohegan Sun, the Connecticut venue that features gambling.

But he is moving now on Lansdowne Street because the Red Sox have made a firm commitment to stay at Fenway Park and the city of Boston has encouraged local property owners to clean up the area. About two years ago the city and landlords put thousands of dollars into widening the sidewalks to 12 feet, planting trees, and installing antique-style streetlights.

"All the owners said, 'Let's change the makeup of the street,' " said Lyons. "These clubs -- they're part of the fabric of the town."

Lyons said the changes are being made in part because live entertainment has become increasingly important at clubs since about 1980 and because 2,500 seats is an optimum number for many groups. His two clubs, Avalon and Axis, hold about 2,100 and 1,100 respectively, but can't currently be combined.

The new club would also be able to accommodate smaller concerts and would have more VIP or "opera box" seating, in addition to standing room.

Thomas C. Palmer Jr. can be reached at tpalmer@globe.com.

Link

 

[ablarc]

A new, two-story building would be about 20 feet taller than the current 32-foot-high industrial building, Lyons said -- but shorter than the 90 feet or so that the city zoning allows...

...he hastened to add!


(Wouldn't want it soaring over the ballpark.)

 

[kz1000ps]

Going for the Bladerunner/Tron aesthetic, eh?

 

[Bobby Digital]

ahaha KZ... yea thats pretty weak. So they are getting rid of one of the clubs and creating a new bigger one/restaurants? sounds good but they shouldnt get rid of the club altogether cuz boston needs these places for shows.

i wonder what "popular priced" food is next to fenway.... so it'll cost JUST my left nut?

 

[jass]

Hm. I got to Avalon/Axis around 6 times a year for various concerts (never been there as a nightclub).

On one hand, I like the current arangement because it offers a small (and smaller!) venue for concerts, so different bands might prefer different rooms.

By enlarging it, theyll be removing some of the fun that comes with being so close to the band....but itll also be slightly easier to buy tickets.

As long as this renovation doesnt involve closing the entire place for a few months....I guess it's for the best

 

[statler]

Lansdowne Street clubs to become concert hall
City backs bid, which owner sees as part of larger vision for area

By Keith Reed, Globe Staff | June 1, 2007

Nightclub owner Patrick Lyons won city approval yesterday to build a $14 million , 2,500-seat concert hall on Lansdowne Street across from Fenway Park.

The board of the Boston Redevelopment Authority unanimously endorsed Lyons's proposal to combine his two existing Lansdowne Street clubs, Avalon and Axis, into one posh entertainment complex. Lyons said the larger scale of the new venue is necessary for Boston to attract top-tier music acts in an era where live performances are more important than ever for artists.

"There's been a change in the music business because of digital music and the fall of CDs, where the only way artists make money today is touring. The 2,500-seat or 3,000-seat venue is the sweet spot for those tours," Lyons said, adding that Boston currently doesn't have such a facility. "This will keep us ahead of the curve," he said.

Lyons also revealed more of his ambitions to transform Lansdowne Street from a drab party strip into a swanky, illuminated entertainment and dining district anchored by his new club and five restaurants that he controls. Two of those restaurants, Game On and La Verdad Taqueria , are already in operation, and Lyons plans to renovate two of his other clubs on the street -- Modern and Embassy -- into eateries.

He also has designs on another restaurant, which he said should open before the start of baseball season next year. He declined to disclose the location or concept behind that restaurant.

"We've made a significant investment in the transformation of Lansdowne Street into a restaurant row," he said.

That area of the city may be further transformed by other significant developments on the books. Developer John Rosenthal, for example, has proposed building a 1.3-million-square-foot complex, with two residential towers, on Massachusetts Turnpike Authority property a few hundreds yards west of Lyons's Lansdowne Street holdings.

Lyons said his music hall project should be completed within a year. Currently, Avalon and Axis can hold 2,100 and 1,100 people respectively.

Under the new plan, the clubs would renovated into one 35,000- square-foot facility, to be called Lansdowne Street Music Hall.

It would have a stage that could be moved to accommodate the props and sets of various bands and new dressing rooms for performers.

Renderings of the proposed hall show several boxy additions somewhat taller than the existing low-level structures, but with the facades of the existing buildings preserved.

During the meeting yesterday, BRA board member Christopher J. Supple questioned whether Lyons was certain the existing facades could be saved, and was told by architect Gary C. Johnson, a principal of the firm Cambridge Seven, that the company would make every effort to do so.

Lyons's plan also has the support of Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who released a statement lauding the development.

"The addition of this new music venue will enliven the ever-popular entertainment district, and the much needed restaurant space will give people more options when they attend a concert or Red Sox games," Menino said.

Keith Reed can be reached at reed@globe.com.

Link

I'm not a club kid so this won't really affect me, but generally speaking, isn't a bunch of smaller clubs preferable to one gigantic club?

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I saw The Decemberists a few years back at Avalon (or Axis) and it was really intimate. I saw them again at a much larger place last November and had I not been in the front row I would have defiantly lost that intimacy. I personally prefer smaller places but I know that the market demands larger ones.

 

[JoeGallows]

I saw The Decemberists a few years back at Avalon (or Axis) and it was really intimate. I saw them again at a much larger place last November and had I not been in the front row I would have defiantly lost that intimacy. I personally prefer smaller places but I know that the market demands larger ones.

I was at both those shows too. I've loved every show I've seen at the Avalon thanks to it's smallish size and great sound (never been to Axis). The audience interaction The Decemberists always managed at the Avalon was great (sending members of the band into the audience loudly banging drums and the guitarist's failed stage dive a few years back) thanks to the smallish venue.

The three shows I've seen now at the Orpheum (which is the larger venue you speak of) were much worse, unless, as you say, one were in front as I was for one such show. The sound at the Orpheum sucks at best and the staff just anger me (except that that ~60 year old hippie guy, he just makes me laugh).

The Orpheum currently has about 2700-2800 seats, so this new Hall will be in about the same league. It would sounds like that it will be a seated venue now as the article constantly mentions seats. Seats at a rock concert just don't work in my mind. For the Pops, sure, but not a rock concert.

While I'm all for the improvement of this area, I would love to see a smaller, non-seated venue continue to exist. What kind of similar sized venues still exist in the Boston area with a capacity of about 1200-2100 persons? It seems like many are slowly disappearing.

 

[jass]

Seats? SEATS!?!!

Dear God no, that means all the rock concerts will be at the Worcester Palladium. Ive been to Avalon 6 times and Axis once for concerts and theyre perfect. This is BS.

 

[Benhamin]

Seats? SEATS!?!!

Dear God no, that means all the rock concerts will be at the Worcester Palladium.

Bring it on, this is good news for me! lol.

 

[singbat]

Seats? SEATS!?!!

Dear God no, that means all the rock concerts will be at the Worcester Palladium. Ive been to Avalon 6 times and Axis once for concerts and theyre perfect. This is BS.

don't you mean 'gigs'? i'm pretty sure 'rock concerts' involve seats and/or picnic blankets... ;-)

 

[kennedy]

that is really shitty design. this is fenway. not, i dont even know, tokyo? is there like a..sports bar/brick+rafters style nightclub round fenway?

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

I saw The Decemberists a few years back at Avalon (or Axis) and it was really intimate. I saw them again at a much larger place last November and had I not been in the front row I would have defiantly lost that intimacy. I personally prefer smaller places but I know that the market demands larger ones.

I was at both those shows too. I've loved every show I've seen at the Avalon thanks to it's smallish size and great sound (never been to Axis). The audience interaction The Decemberists always managed at the Avalon was great (sending members of the band into the audience loudly banging drums and the guitarist's failed stage dive a few years back) thanks to the smallish venue.

The three shows I've seen now at the Orpheum (which is the larger venue you speak of) were much worse, unless, as you say, one were in front as I was for one such show. The sound at the Orpheum sucks at best and the staff just anger me (except that that ~60 year old hippie guy, he just makes me laugh).

The Orpheum currently has about 2700-2800 seats, so this new Hall will be in about the same league. It would sounds like that it will be a seated venue now as the article constantly mentions seats. Seats at a rock concert just don't work in my mind. For the Pops, sure, but not a rock concert.

While I'm all for the improvement of this area, I would love to see a smaller, non-seated venue continue to exist. What kind of similar sized venues still exist in the Boston area with a capacity of about 1200-2100 persons? It seems like many are slowly disappearing.

Yeah, the Orpheum sucks. I saw Interpol there and I don't remember a thing. Although, it was Interpol.

 

[JoeGallows]

Yeah, the Orpheum sucks. I saw Interpol there and I don't remember a thing. Although, it was Interpol.

Nice, I went to that show too. Not much stage action with them. Basically you get an exact replaying of the songs as heard on the albums. No surprises. The sound was better up on the balcony rather than the orchestra-level-under-the-balcony-overhang, which is where I was for The Decemberists. Third row from the stage with Franz Ferdinand, however, left me without my sense of hearing for almost 8 hours.

I've never been to The Middle East, but that's (really) tiny, right? The Roxy is okay for shows, I could go back there. The Paradise Rock Club isn't bad, the stage is low, so it has a cozy feel, except for that huge column right in the middle of the floor. Are those some of the only smallish venues we have left for smallish tours now?

Also, I don't know if anyone caught it, but in one of the BostonNOWs that came out maybe... Thursday or Friday, there was a small Lansdowne St. rendering.

 

[jass]

Yeah, the Orpheum sucks. I saw Interpol there and I don't remember a thing. Although, it was Interpol.

Nice, I went to that show too. Not much stage action with them. Basically you get an exact replaying of the songs as heard on the albums. No surprises. The sound was better up on the balcony rather than the orchestra-level-under-the-balcony-overhang, which is where I was for The Decemberists. Third row from the stage with Franz Ferdinand, however, left me without my sense of hearing for almost 8 hours.

I've never been to The Middle East, but that's (really) tiny, right? The Roxy is okay for shows, I could go back there. The Paradise Rock Club isn't bad, the stage is low, so it has a cozy feel, except for that huge column right in the middle of the floor. Are those some of the only smallish venues we have left for smallish tours now?

Also, I don't know if anyone caught it, but in one of the BostonNOWs that came out maybe... Thursday or Friday, there was a small Lansdowne St. rendering.

Middle east and paradise are too small for big touring bands that hit Avalon.

Roxy is ok, but the room is too big for the dance floor area. That is, if they fill the place, alot of people will have a bad view.

Club Lido isnt bad for concerts, although like Roxy it has a large lounge area.

Really the Avalon is the only club of its type in the city. Right size, shape, acoustics, location.

 

[callahan]

There's still The Paradise Rock Club up on Comm. Ave. It's not as big as Avalon, but it tends to get similar bands.

I'm wondering about this "movable stage". Maybe that will be a plus?

 

[Ron Newman]

If this new stage is intended to replace the Orpheum for theatre-size shows, what will happen to that venue?

 

[callahan]

Actually, I just reread the article. Lyons is going to build a 2,500 person capacity club. Then I googled Avalon's capacity. Here's what I got:

AVALON Nightclub Boston is a 2,000 plus capacity multi purpose venue and regularly plays host to both the world's top DJ talent as well as the world's most popular touring rock acts.

So, it's not going to be that much bigger. Basically, it sounds like he'll join Axis and Avalon together. That's fine. I've seen many shows at both venues and it would have been nice to have had more room. I think it will still attract the same bands.

 

[ablarc]

If this new stage is intended to replace the Orpheum for theatre-size shows, what will happen to that venue?

Boston's theatre and music scene seems so tenuous...

 

[jass]

Oh crap, it closes Oct 1
Dropkicks to be last show. I suddenly want to pay 30 to go