Published
Tue, Jan 21, 2014, 17:00
- Following the past weekend's string of farewell events, the Brooklyn venue has ceased operations.
285 Kent held its last parties ever this past weekend.
Over the past few years, the Williamsburg space (started by promoter Todd P and run with booker Ric Leichtung) became a staple of the NYC underground, beloved to indie rockers, noise heads and dance music fans alike. The grimy and quasi-legal warehouse club played host to a number of club nights, including Aurora Halal's Mutual Dreaming, long-running techno party The Bunker, the footwork-dominated Lit City Raves and even shows by bigger promoters like FIXED. The venue earned praised for its unpretentious and welcoming atmosphere—and its anything-goes booking policy—but increased attention and scrutiny from authorities in the rapidly developing Brooklyn neighbourhood made them want to quit while they were ahead.
The closing, first rumoured in December and finally confirmed at the beginning of January, has set off a stream of rhapsodic media profiles and eulogies, everywhere from Pitchfork to The New York Times. The venue ended its year run with a spate of farewell shows, which included a noise night headlined by veterans Wolf Eyes and black metallers Deafheaven, as well as an event featuring Bookworms and Laurel Halo, among others.