Grape Street Pub Closes, Narrowing The Field Even Further For Local Smash Mouth/Collective Soul Soundalikes
It’s been no secret that Manayunk’s Grape Street Pub is the kind of place that we here at Philebrity pretty much live to clown: A haven for the deluded, hopelessly out of fashion, and catering to a kind of white-capped fratboy rock scene that Philly has done well to almost eliminate entirely from the city proper. So we won’t gloat too, too much when we pass along that as of Saturday night, the Grape Street is no more. Via a bulletin sent out from their MySpace account:
The Grape Street was closed permanently this past Saturday February 2nd 2008. The owner and the management made the decision last week. The reasons for the closing were not based on lack of business or profitability but rather a larger tenant coming in and occupying the space the Grape Street currently resides. The building owners met several times with the Grape Street’s owner to discuss this issue. We decided that it would not be in the Grape Street’s best interest to try to match the newer tenant’s rent increase and the owner of the club respectfully declined the offer to match. This was a legal and legitimate business transaction.
Wait, did anyone imply that it wasn’t a “legal and legitimate” business transaction? And if everything was above board, why does your MySpace page list shows booked through the end of March? We’ve been hearing for years now that club, not without major troubles from time to time, was more or less in a permanent state of distress. So it’s not exactly a shock. But don’t count Grape Street out just yet: The club is basically the cockroach of the Philly nightlife world, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it sprouted up again somewhere off Main St. in another nine months. In the meantime, where will bands like The Jealousy Curve and Ike call home? If our spidey sense is right, The Fire, The M Room and The Khyber all seem ripe for the picking right about now…
February 5th, 2008 at 11:42 am
pfff.
February 5th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
“A haven for the deluded, hopelessly out of fashion…” Didn’t Joey Sweeney and the Forevertakers air a tape of their set at the Grape Street Pub?
February 5th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
We don’t think it ever aired, Joel. Plus, it was taped at 10am.
February 6th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Wow guys, way to put down roughly half of our live music venues in one fell swoop. Are shows not legit unless they happen at Silk City?
February 6th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
right on. who needs a club with a real sound system with people who know how to use it, decent bands that actually supported each other and a crowd willing to come out and see original music.
you’re right. it’s better the way it was when nobody cared.
February 6th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Now that the Barbary and Silk have re-opened, Khyber and MRoom performances mean cheese or suck.
February 6th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Oh? The Barbary has live bands now?
February 10th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Say what you want about the grape. They treated the bands great. And get this…THE BANDS got paid acccordingly!!!! Not the venue. That can not be said about most venues in this city. They also didn’t stereotype people, or discriminate because of genre. If the band was tight, they got a slot. Bands were booked regardless of what brand of clothing they were wearing, or if they bought their clothes from a thrift shop. They were an equal opportunity club, OPEN MINDED!!! Its sad that people are happy to see a venue that did so much to support original music, whatever the genre, close down.