What is going on in NYC? Roseland Ballroom in NYC closes. (New York: sale, apartment)

[mesa1974]

sorry if posted already.

I had no idea it was closing for good. Last night was Lady Gaga's final show. Wow this reminds me when the Roxy closed. Roseland is going to be replaced by an apartment building. Seriously???


By Jake Jarvis

The historic Roseland Ballroom in New York City is finally closing its doors after 95 years of serving the local music scene.
Founded in 1917 in Philadelphia, Roseland ultimately found its home in NYC in 1919. The move was to avoid blue laws active at the time that prevented the sale of alcohol on Sunday.
Louis Brecker, thefounder and operator of Roseland, took a simple carriage factory on Broadway and 51st Street and turned it into a world-renowned music venue.
Roseland remained at that address for 37 years, but the building was demolished and moved to West 52nd Street in 1956. Becker continued to manage Roseland until 1977 when his daughter, Nancy Brecker Leeds, took over after his passing.
The modern Roseland we all know and love really came about in 1981 when Brecker Leeds sold it to Albert Ginsberg. It was during this era the nightclub scene breathed a new life into the 3,200-person capacity club.
In the early days, the likes of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald found their home here. In most recent years, the venue has been used for a wide host of events, not just for musicians.
Hillary Clinton celebrated her 53rd birthday at Roseland. The venue was rented out for gay circuit parties, charity events and of course, the best and brightest of today’s pop stars.
Roseland was also the home of many controversies. Madonna, known for her outrageous concerts and tours, invited fans for a one-time-only, non-ticketed concert at Roseland. Fans were reportedly in line for days outside of the venue. They were enraged to know they wasted so much time for a show that only lasted 30 minutes.
For many, Roseland is the heart and lifeblood of the NYC music scene.
“It’s going to be a sad day, that’s for sure,” said Lisa Pinney-Keusch, Roseland’s special events director from 1995-2004 to the Columbia Spectator. “The venue is one of the last of a dying breed. It’s too bad. It’s just an incredible place with so much history.”
But have no fear, music lovers. Roseland is going out with style. Lady Gaga was invited in October to be the closing act for a residency of seven performances.
Lady Gaga, just having released her third official single “G.U.Y.” from “ARTPOP,” definitely made a smart move in accepting the invitation to perform. Tickets for her Roseland show are $326.15, according to Forbes. Lorde, who just recently performed at Roseland, had an average ticket price of $222.59.
For many little monsters, Lady Gaga’s Roseland residency is a chance to hopefully get a sneak peek at the singer’s upcoming tour, “Lady Gaga’s artRave: The ARTPOP Ball.”
The tour, kicking off May 4 in Sunrise, Fla., is sure to be a good time. Unfortunately, some celebrity bloggers have been trying to declare Lady Gaga as being on the decline on her career – and for many diehard fans, this is a real fear.
“Seeing her perform, all those fears are laid to rest,” said Jordan Runtagh in a review of her performance for VH1.com. “The energy that radiates out of her has not diminished in the least.”
On Monday, we say goodbye to Roseland Ballroom. The love of music from the audience and a musician come together to make a sacred space. Though this space is coming to an end, the memories and relationships built upon this foundation will never be lost.
And there is hope. As of now, there are no definite plans for what the location will be used for – possibly a Roseland Ballroom 2.0? We’ll see.