Maxwell’s closing in Hoboken, New Jersey has stunned the local community, as the popular club is calling it quits in July after 35 years of service. The local hot spot opened in 1978 and has since featured bands such as Nirvana and Yo La Tengo .
Maxwell’s has been a top-notch dining and music experience for guests that come from all over the East Coast and throughout the United States. The consistently packed house has served as the “hangout spot” in Hudson County, but it will now close it’s doors in July.
According to the New Jersey Star-Ledger , Maxwell’s lease ends in July and the club’s owner, Todd Abramson, has decided to shut down due to “the changing nature of Hoboken and the difficulties of trying to run a business in this town.”
Abramson’s decision comes after he was offered a renewal, which he says came with rates that “weren’t necessarily onerous.”
As you can see, he isn’t getting the boot from his landlord, but he will shut down the club in July anyways with a “going-out” performance by the “ a ,” who were the first act to ever play at the popular club. Maxwell’s closing will put a damper on the local rock scene, but not before it goes out with a bang.
“The explosion of Maxwell’s was something that was so organic,” Richard Barone of the Bongos told the Star-Ledger . “It happened so fast, it was like spontaneous combustion. It’s what pop stars aspire to, and in this case, Maxwell’s was itself a pop star.”
Barone’s band also plans on playing during the club’s final night on July 31st and he will surely take the stage. Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer also commented on the famous club’s closing and made it known that she did everything she could to keep Abramson’s place open.
“When I first heard that Maxwell’s might close, I made it a priority to do everything we could to help them stay open,” she told the Star-Ledger . “While I’m saddened to see it go, I understand that things change, and Todd and his team did everything they could to make it work.”
Do you believe the music scene in New Jersey is about to take a hit as Maxwell’s closing is just around the corner?
[Image via © Luigi Novi / Wikimedia Commons ]
