The Rock Shop stops hosting live music, reinvents itself with pinball & pool

“It’s hard to compete with the Williamsburg music scene,” said co-owner Brendan Niles, who opened the venue back in 2010.

Niles believes that neighborhoods such as Williamsburg attract more live music fans because of the concentration of venues within a small walking distance. “And it was harder to get touring musicians here, too,” he said. – [BKLYNER]

Gowanus’ The Rock Shop opened back in 2010, then booked by Jack “Skippy” McFadden (who had booked Union Hall and The Bell House previously). When Skippy moved to Austin, The Rock Shop began getting less high-profile shows. The Rock Shop stopped having live music altogether over the summer as the owners transformed the downstairs show space, making room for six pinball machines, two pool tables and foosball. (Brownies, Continental and Acheron made similar transformations.) They had their Grand Reopening this past weekend. Has anyone gone to check it out?