Music Hall of Williamsburg

History

The venue opened in the spring of 2001 as Northsix, and was one of the first of a wave of music venues to open in Brooklyn. Prior to the opening of Northsix, Manhattan was the primary borough in New York City where indie rock, underground, cutting-edge or avant-garde rock concerts were held. Northsix maintained an eclectic booking schedule and hosted countless notable music/comedy performances.

Northsix was named Best New Rock Club in 2002 by The Village Voice,{{cite news |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2002/award/best-new-rock-club-492372/ |title=Best New Rock Club - 2002: Northsix |work= The Village Voice |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020203521/http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2002/award/best-new-rock-club-492372/ |archive-date=2012-10-20}} as well as Best Rock Club and Best Williamsburg Music Venue in 2002 by a New York Press reader's poll. In 2003, Northsix was the location that was filmed for the opening scene of the 2003 Richard Linklater film School of Rock.

Northsix hosted a three-night run of critically acclaimed Elliott Smith shows in June 2003; these were his last New York performances before his death later that year.

Northsix was shut down by the New York City Fire Department on March 15, 2003, over a controversial booking of the band Leftöver Crack. The fire department cited an expired permit as the reason for the vacate order, but it is widely believed among those in the New York music scene that the action was in retaliation for booking a band that had openly criticized the department. The venue was able to reopen after a month of negotiation with city officials.

After the previous tenant's rent increased, the venue was acquired by the New York-based concert promotion company Bowery Presents in the beginning of 2007. The venue was remodeled, renovated and renamed Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Beginning in the 2010s, Music Hall of Williamsburg hosted several intimate concerts by artists who typically only play in arenas and stadiums. These included Kendrick Lamar in 2016, Harry Styles in 2020, Deftones in 2023 and Coldplay in 2024.

On December 17, 2025, it was announced that Music Hall of Williamsburg will close at its current location at the end of 2026, because the owners of the building elected not to renew the venue's lease.

References

References

1. (18 December 2017). "Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge Join With Live Nation".
2. Sisario, Ben. (August 30, 2007). "Neither Arenas Nor Dives, New Clubs Hope to Succeed With More Style". [[The New York Times]].
3. Mooney, Jake. (November 5, 2006). "Neighborhood Report: Williamsburg; Polishing the Grunge". [[The New York Times]].
4. "Best of Manhattan 2002: Readers' Poll". [[New York Press]].
5. "School of Rock (2003) - Filming & Production".
6. "Elliott Smith Gigography, Tour History & Past Concerts".
7. (September 17, 2008). "The Police and the Punk Band Leftover Crack". [[The Village Voice]].
8. http://freewilliamsburg.com/final-northsix-show-tonight/ {{Dead link. (February 2022)
9. Rathe, Adam. (August 25, 2007). "Brooklyn on the Bowery".
10. Staff, BrooklynVegan. "Kendrick Lamar @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (pics, review & full video)".
11. "Inside Harry Styles' Secret N.Y.C. Show: All the Highlights".
12. Hatfield, Amanda. "Deftones played surprise Brooklyn show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (video, setlist)".
13. Hatfield, Amanda. "Coldplay playing Music Hall of Williamsburg for SiriusXM".
14. Pearis, Bill. "Music Hall of Williamsburg losing its lease in 2026".