The Knitting Factory, a beloved Williamsburg stage, announced on Saturday that it is shutting down on August 21, reports Brooklyn Magazine.
The venue operated for decades in Manhattan before moving to Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg in 2009, where it has been for the past 13 years. And in a statement posted to Instagram, the venue’s management wrote “it is time for the Knit to (once again) reinvent itself.”
“Don’t fret, you’ll see us again in the coming months…” the statement ends, without offering much in the way of clarification.
Management did not disclose why the venue is closing down.
Michael Dorf and Louis Spitzer opened the original Knitting Factory in 1987 on Houston Street in Manhattan, as a space for up-and-coming performers who couldn’t fill larger rooms.
Over time the stage became so successful that it spawned a record label and a full-fledged Knitting Factory Entertainment company. New locations followed, including in Los Angeles and Reno; today only the Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington, locations are still operating.
“We could not be more proud of our stay on Metropolitan Ave. We are going to miss the live music and comedy that graced the stage more than we can say,” the venue’s statement reads.
