Webster Hall reopens tonight after renovations

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After closing for renovations in August of 2017, Webster Hall is finally set to reopen tonight (4/26) with a new look, and a “b-side set” from Jay-Z to christen the space. We shared a rundown of some of the venue’s new features back in February, and now Billboard has an inside look at Webster ahead of its reopening:

Another notable change is the elimination of the Marlin Room at Webster Hall as a performance space, which sometimes clashed with the overall atmosphere. “There’d be an ’80s dance party downstairs and someone like [the tender singer-songwriter] Ray LaMontagne upstairs,” says Moore of the switch.

Now, the newly singular focus is on the venue’s Grand Ballroom. Aesthetically similar to the Webster of the past, it’s been outfitted with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting rig. “We wanted to stay true to the sound that people know and love here, but also add some enhancements to make the experience that much better,” says Sheldon, who brought a bevy of expert acousticians in to meet the challenge, working with Arup and Sonic Designs. “We wanted to make sure this is the best-sounding room in the city.” The team also worked with BML-Blackbird on lighting enhancements, which still utilize some of the original rig.

Elsewhere inside, the team used their own experiences at Webster to fix previous fallbacks: a bar was shifted from center to stage right to prevent crowd bottlenecks and improve sightlines on the Grand Ballroom’s balcony; an elevator was installed to make each floor handicap accessible; and existing bathrooms were modernized with additional facilities.

You can read more here.

Coming up at Webster include sold-out shows with Rosalia, Sharon Van Etten, Patti Smith, Vampire Weekend, and MGMT. There are also plenty of upcoming shows there that tickets are on sale for, including Royal Trux (you can also enter to win a pair of tickets), Broken Social Scene, Real Estate, Yeasayer, Joyce Manor & Saves the Day, Built to Spill, Big Thief, and more.

AEG Presents (who acquired Bowery Presents a few years ago) and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (who oversee operations at Barclays Center) are the new owners of Webster Hall, and Bowery Presents is doing the booking.