New Lansdowne St.

Never noticed this thread 'til now. I saw Velvet Revolver at the Avalon in May and thought it was a pretty nice place. We were right up to the side of the stage but even at the back it would have been pretty close. I agree about how seating wouldn't make any sense.
 
Your fairly close in regaeds to the capacity, but don't worry...... We are not putting seats throught the entire project. I'll see what I can do about getting you guys some interior pics.
 
ChitchIII said:
Your fairly close in regaeds to the capacity, but don't worry...... We are not putting seats throught the entire project. I'll see what I can do about getting you guys some interior pics.
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Seats like the Palladium (booth style near the bar at the back) is fine by me. Any other seats, no.

Also, Avalon had a private upper area. Any news on this being expanded and opened up? Palladium also has one, but Ive never seen it used.
 
jass said:
Seats like the Palladium (booth style near the bar at the back) is fine by me. Any other seats, no.

Also, Avalon had a private upper area. Any news on this being expanded and opened up? Palladium also has one, but Ive never seen it used.
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Yes, there will be a priviate upper stadium seating.
 
ChitchIII said:
Yes, there will be a priviate upper stadium seating.
Click to expand...

So the upper floor will have seats, and the bottom will be GA standing?

This I approve of.

I hope they also add small tiers/steps for those who dont want to be in the pit, but want to have a good view.
 
Lyons exits, is it stage left or stage right in this instance?
House of Blues hits Lansdowne

Patrick Lyons sells clubs now under renovation as music chain returns to area

By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | January 29, 2008


Boston entertainment prince Patrick T. Lyons, in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation of his Lansdowne Street clubs, has sold them to the House of Blues chain.
Lyons will concentrate on restaurants and other entertainment spots he has opened in Boston and elsewhere. He had closed the popular music venues Avalon and Axis, adjacent to Fenway Park, to turn them into a bigger, flashier complex called the Music Hall.


And the House of Blues, which started in 1992 in a small house on Winthrop Street in Harvard Square and closed a decade later, will return to its roots in the Boston area - though in a venue some 10 times the size of the original.


"We know a little bit about the DNA of the House of Blues," said Lyons, a cofounder of the first House of Blues club. "They have the ability to book shows and bring in talent. We feel very comfortable with them taking over this asset that's so near and dear to our hearts."


Going with the demographic flow, Lyons, 55, is moving out of the music club and show business, which he entered in Buffalo in the early 1970s. He moved to Boston as manager of 15 Lansdowne St. - later called Avalon - in 1978.


Lyons is selling his company, That's Entertainment Inc., which operates the clubs, to House of Blues Entertainment Inc. No price was disclosed.


House of Blues Entertainment is owned by Live Nation, which was spun out from media giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. in 2005. The company, in partnership with Boston and Dublin restaurant operator Joe Dunne, purchased the Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue from Lyons late last year.


Avalon and Axis closed in October and are scheduled to reopen by the end of the year as an expanded $14 million complex that will include a music venue to accommodate 2,500, a 350-seat lounge and function room, and a 125-seat restaurant.


Work is about to begin on the plan by Cambridge Seven Architects Inc. that Lyons and a partner commissioned, and Lyons will continue to oversee design and construction.
"The only thing that has changed is in place of a sign that says Lansdowne Music Hall, it will say House of Blues," Lyons said yesterday. He will continue to own the real estate and will be landlord under a long-term lease to the House of Blues, which will book and operate the club.


The House of Blues, with a larger capacity than Avalon and Axis (formerly known as Boston-Boston, Metro, Citi, and Spit), is expected to be able to attract bigger-name acts.


Aidan J. Scully, senior vice president of House of Blues development, said, "I'm a Boston boy. We're coming home - I'm very excited about it." Scully, raised in Malden, was general manager of the House of Blues in Cambridge for about 15 years. He also worked in other Boston clubs and knows Lyons.


"He understands the business well enough to put together a multifunctional facility," Scully said of Lyons. "What he envisioned wasn't that far off from what we would want."


Scully also said Boston's new House of Blues, with about 50,000 square feet, limited seating, and VIP boxes, would be unique. "Historically we have created these venues not to be cookie-cutter," he said.


But, he added: "When you walk in you're going to know it's the House of Blues."
The House of Blues has about a dozen locations that use the HOB name, and it operates other entertainment facilities as well. It also operates a nonprofit foundation that teaches public school students about the history of American music.


Lyons said he would focus on his restaurants and other establishments, including Game On with its three locations, including Fenway, Lucky's, also with three locations, and Summer Shack restaurants, with four locations co-owned with Jasper White.
Lyons will also soon open a 250-seat restaurant, as yet unnamed, under the bleachers at Fenway Park.


He is currently partnering with chef Lydia Shire in Scampo, an upscale restaurant to open at the new Liberty Hotel in the former jail on Charles Street. And Lyons operates restaurants in Atlantic City, plus a nightclub and two restaurants at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn.
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http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/01/29/house_of_blues_hits_lansdowne/

I had thought that Lyons and the owners of the Red Sox had done some coordinating on the re-development of Lansdowne St. No mention of Mr. Henry in the article.
 
how will they re-establish the atmosphere of that Harvard Square club in a space ten times its size?
 
I've never been much into the club scene but it seems to me that a HOB's isn't going to attract the same crowd an Axis/Avalon did.
Does HOB do DJ/dancing/hipitty-hop shows that all the young whippersnappers are into now-a-days?
 
Ron Newman said:
how will they re-establish the atmosphere of that Harvard Square club in a space ten times its size?
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From what I understand, the Harvard Sq club was one-of-a-kind and none of the other locations are run in the same way. Most HOB locations are run more like traditional clubs with big acts coming to them, and have a completely different atmosphere. More like your average rock club.
 
statler said:
I've never been much into the club scene but it seems to me that a HOB's isn't going to attract the same crowd an Axis/Avalon did.
Does HOB do DJ/dancing/hipitty-hop shows that all the young whippersnappers are into now-a-days?
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Yes--in fact the HOB's in Orlando (yes, I know) is popular among locals for its industry night and break dancers. It is one of the more popular venues in town for smaller acts, but that HOBs is also smaller than the Lansdowne space. But I agree, this is Boston and the loss of Avalon/Axis will be taken out on the new owners.
 
Excerpted from today's Herald:
The new venue will hold roughly 2,500 music fans in a general admission setting. It will include a mezzanine level with seating, not unlike the balcony of the old Avalon Ballroom. The building will be expanded into the adjacent Modern, Embassy and Rocket Bar spaces, which will be converted into the House of Blues restaurant operation. ?The whole package was put together as one property,? Curry said.


House of Blues was purchased by Live Nation last year, and currently has 10 venues under that name around the country, including one at Disney World. Unlike the pint-sized original Cambridge club, which closed in 2003, House of Blues venues no longer focus on blues and roots music, but present the same wide variety of pop and rock acts formerly presented at Avalon.


The purchase of Avalon and Axis continues Live Nation?s expansion, which includes a recent blockbuster deal to record and promote Madonna, and a tour promotion deal with Disney-rock band the Jonas Brothers.


A major force in summer concerts and amphitheater shows around the United States, Live Nation is looking to increase its revenues in cold weather months by buying small to mid-sized music venues. In the past year, Live Nation has been expanding its operation under the Fillmore name, taking over and renaming venues such as Irving Plaza in New York City and the Jackie Gleason Theatre in Miami.


News of the sale comes after Lyons agreed in December to sell the 650-person Paradise Rock Club on Commonwealth Avenue to a partnership between Live Nation and local pub owner Joe Dunne. Lyons did not immediately return calls seeking comment.


Lyons? remaining properties on Lansdowne Street include Bill?s Bar, Jake Ivory?s Piano Bar, Mexican eatery La Verdad and the Fenway Park [map] sports bar Game On. Only Bill?s presents original live music.
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http://www.bostonherald.com/enterta...iew.bg?articleid=1069704&srvc=home&position=4
 
statler said:
I've never been much into the club scene but it seems to me that a HOB's isn't going to attract the same crowd an Axis/Avalon did.
Does HOB do DJ/dancing/hipitty-hop shows that all the young whippersnappers are into now-a-days?
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They'll definitely have the same rock/pop/metal touring bands Avalon did. I have no idea if theyll operate a nightclub.

Avalon used to have concerts from 5-10pm and then the club would open from 11-2am. Youd see two completely different crowds.

HOB could bring back the nightclub, or simply start the concerts later (8 or 9pm instead of 5 or 6).
 
The Harvard Square club was the original House of Blues, so I'd hope that any new place with that name is able to copy some of its flavor.
 
I've never been much into the club scene but it seems to me that a HOB's isn't going to attract the same crowd an Axis/Avalon did.
Does HOB do DJ/dancing/hipitty-hop shows that all the young whippersnappers are into now-a-days?
Click to expand...

I know some of the HOB in other cities do have the above mentioned type shows. The ones in Orlando, LA, Vegas are so big that they can have different venues within the venue, or operate on a schedule like Avalon did with shows early, and club later. It's prolly easier to do in those cities without the 2:00am curtain call.
 
The sidewalk has been fenced off, so they might start tearing it down soon.
 
We are currently working on the asbestos abatement (just the old 1903 roofing material). Suffolk will be onsite midweek, demo to start March 10th. We need to get into the street first, BWSC broke the Fire Supression valve when they were attempting to turn of the system in the street.

Prior to demo, the existing front facing facade needs to be braced and cut away from the building.
 
With the upcoming opening day in a couple weeks (can't believe it) what is the status so far?
 
Demolition of Axis started on Monday, and is well underway. They are working from the Pike side out towards Lansdowne, with only 1/3 of the building remaining.

They have not started on Avalon just yet.
 
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