Desolation row: Construction delay on Lansdowne leaves bands and fans in the lurch
By Michael Marotta Monday, January 21, 2008
When Lansdowne Street?s biggest and busiest clubs, Avalon and Axis, shut their doors for a major renovation last September, owner Patrick Lyons said the construction would be finished in ?world-record time.? He said a new Lansdowne Music Hall would be finished in early spring - right around the time the
Red Soxplay their opening-day game.
Forget it. Not going to happen. Construction of the planned 2,500-capacity concert venue hasn?t begun, leaving the once-vibrant Lansdowne Street nightclub row desolate and music bookers without a 1,000-1,500 capacity venue for touring acts.
Saturday night, UK post-punk band the Editors played to a sea of empty seats at the 2,800-seat Orpheum, an inappropriately large theater. A week earlier, tickets to see red-hot French dance duo Justice, who are playing Madison Square Garden in New York, immediately sold out at the too-small 650-capacity Paradise.
Both acts would have benefited from a mid-sized general admission venue, a void that was supposed to be temporarily remedied by utilizing the Roxy in Boston?s Theater District. But the Roxy is in an ongoing battle with city authorities over capacity limits and currently is limited to audiences of 775 rather than its 1,300-person potential.
Now comes word that the much-hyped replacement for Avalon and Axis won?t be ready until ?mid-to-late fall,? according to Lyons spokesman Alan Eisner. The $14 million facility with a retractable stage appears to be nearly a half-year behind schedule, leaving touring bands and their fans in the lurch.
?(Lyons) doesn?t want to talk much about (the construction),? said Eisner.
?It?s a complicated process with a lot of moving parts, lots of different contractors and pieces. He?s trying to get all his ducks in a row.?
The delay has sparked rumors that Lyons is seeking a partnership with a group such as the House of Blues to oversee the operation of the new Lansdowne club, and that he may be looking to walk away from the music business to focus on his growing restaurant empire. Lyons is already in the process of selling the Paradise Rock Club, a longtime Lyons Group holding, to local bar owner Joe Dunne and concert giant Live Nation.
?The Paradise is on his mind, and he wants to unload that altogether and have it off his plate,? Eisner said. ?That?s in the process, but it?s not a done deal. It hasn?t been transferred yet.?
Sources confirm that the inside of both Avalon and Axis have been gutted, with all furniture and fixtures already sold at auction. When construction will begin in the vacant spaces remains unknown.
?Obviously he?d like to get it done as soon as possible,? Eisner said. ?He wants it done right.?
That leaves Lansdowne Street unnaturally quiet, even with Jillian?s and Tequila Rain and the Lyons-owned Bill?s Bar, Jake Ivory?s Piano Bar and La Verdad Taqueria Mexicana carrying on.
La Verdad manager Brian Roche believes that not having big touring acts to draw crowds to Lansdowne Street for almost a year won?t affect his business, which is based primarily on feeding hungry Red Sox fans. But construction during the baseball season could push customers to the Yawkey Way side of Fenway?s perimeter.
?The only problem I see is if there?s a construction zone (on Lansdowne),? he said Roche. ?That would be a pain in the a--.?
