Legendary Hoboken Venue Maxwell’s To Close
By Team JamBase Jun 3, 2013 • 3:30 pm PDT
35 YEARS OF ROCK SHOWS IN HOBOKEN
The city of Hoboken, New Jersey has changed in nearly every way since Steve Fallon opened Maxwell’s at 1039 Washington Street 35 years ago. What was once a working class neighborhood has turned into a haven for young families complete with expensive rents. The changes to Hoboken have finally caught up to the legendary rock venue, as Maxwell’s will close at the end of July.
Current co-owner and booking agent Todd Abramson revealed the stunning news to the Star-Ledger this afternoon. While you may think this was an issue of a landlord pricing out a rock club, that doesn’t seem to be the case. “We were offered a renewal with rates that weren’t necessarily onerous, but after much thought, given the changing nature of Hoboken and the difficulties of trying to run a business in this town, we decided it was time,” Abramson told the Star-Ledger.
Over the past 35 years Maxwell’s has hosted a who’s who of rock acts including R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Neutral Milk Hotel, Soundgarden, David Byrne, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Replacements, Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. It has also played host to hometown alt-rock act Yo La Tengo’s annual Hanukkah runs. Furthermore, parts of Bruce Springsteen “Glory Days” video were filmed at Maxwell’s.
The club aims to go out with a bang as Abramson plans to invite “old friends” and will finish Maxwell’s run the way it started – with a performance by the band “a,” a group that includes members of the Bongos and Glenn Morrow.
Today’s news about the loss of Maxwell’s comes on top of last week’s revelation that the future of Montclair, NJ’s Wellmont Theatre is in doubt. The two rooms are just 15 miles from each other and both offered much-needed options for Northern Jersey music fans who didn’t want to trek into New York City.
Watch the video for “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen:
