Another San Francisco venue, The Mezzanine, set to close
According to management at the Mezzanine, their lease is not being renewed:
With heavy hearts, Mezzanine is sad to announce they are being forced to close their doors in October 2019 due to the building owners not renewing their lease.
Founded in 2003, Mezzanine plays host to a wide array of live music events and reoccurring club nights, making it a pillar in San Francisco’s nightlife culture for the last 15 years. Thousands of acts have performed at Mezzanine including Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, Florence and the Machine, Miguel, LCD Soundsystem and De La Soul just to mention a select few.
As a small business with some 35+ employees, Mezzanine’s management and staff have been hit hard by the news of the venue’s impending closure. Mezzanine is one of only a few independently owned, and the largest female owned music venue in SF. Additionally, Mezzanine has an in-house all female talent buying team; a rarity in the music industry which is often entrenched with a “boy’s club mentality”.
When asked about being forced to close, Mezzanine’s owner, Deborah Jackman, expressed her sadness at not being given an opportunity to negotiate a new lease. “I was disappointed that the owners of the building didn’t give me an opportunity to renegotiate a new lease. I was further disappointed that my request for a three month extension, so that we could close out 2019 was rejected. What I find most disturbing is that Mezzanine, like so many other cultural institutions, has fallen victim to corporate greed and commercial development.” Jackman was hoping they could at least close their doors after they rang in the 2020 New Year so that the Mezzanine family and fans could receive closure for this unfortunate situation.
The building owners are working with Colton Commercial & Partners Inc who are looking to replace the venue with commercial office space in hopes to maximize rent at a 600% increase. Their decision marks an all too familiar story for venues in the Bay Area that have been forced to close in recent years due to commercial development.
Alas, the show must go on! Mezzanine’s staff intends to make the most of their time left. This New Years is one of the venue’s most ambitious lines ups to date and will sadly also be their last. Additionally, a (bitter) Sweet 16 celebration is scheduled for April 2019 with numerous high profile shows planned that month. They encourage everyone who’s enjoyed Mezzanine’s events to come celebrate in the space for as long as they can.
All press inquiries please contact:
Chris Sanders, Marketing Director
chris@mezzaninesf.com
415-404-5011
