Marissa Nadler played the last live concert in Sound Fix Lounge on Saturday — or did she?
Owner James Bradley vowed to keep putting on shows, despite losing his liquor license last month.
“It is my fervent hope and desire to continue the tradition of live music in Williamsburg,” said Bradley, who plans to have an event on Record Store Day on April 18, and to host weekly performances.
Sound Fix Lounge, on North 11th Street, just west of Bedford Avenue, had its license expire at the end of February following noise complaints under the former owner.
But Bradley hasn’t given up on shows entirely, though he admitted that coaxing patrons to live music would be difficult without alcohol.
“The two seem to go hand-in-hand,” he said.
And comedy needs booze, too, so Sound Fix will discontinue its comedy nights, which have been a regular feature for the past year.
“You can’t listen to bad jokes without alcohol,” said Bradley.
The end of live music is not just a loss for concert-goers. Live performances boosted album sales in Bradley’s adjacent (and old-school) record store.
“We do better on days when we have big shows,” said Bradley. “Our business here is fine. We have no intention of going anywhere.”
That said, he added that his lease is up in a year.
Bradley credited “hardcore music fans,” who seek out vinyl and religiously attend live performances, for his store’s success.
Although the Sound Fix Lounge operated as a café before the record store opened in April, 2004, it wasn’t until it hosted the likes of the Mountain Goats, Kimya Dawson and Beirut that it became a center for independent music.
After Nadler’s performance, locals expressed disappointment over the closure, but were open to a liquor-less performance space.
“The shows were always free. It’s a great service,” said Tim Keane of South Williamsburg, holding a PBR. He added that he would still come to shows, beer or no beer — “if I like the band enough,” he said.
