Knitting Factory Opens House in Brooklyn

When the Knitting Factory shut its doors in TriBeCa last summer after 21 years in downtown Manhattan, patrons of the New York independent music scene worried that it had gone the way of other legendary concert halls forced out by rising rent—think CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City. And they were partly right: the Knit, as the venue is affectionately called, is done with Manhattan.

Luckily for rock aficionados, the Knitting Factory is far from gone. In fact, the Knitting Factory now claims concert houses in Boise, Idaho and Spokane, Washington, as well as one in. And on September 9th, New York City ended a long, Knitting Factory-less year when the new Brooklyn location opened in Williamsburg.

The space on Metropolitan Avenue was formerly another concert venue, the Luna Lounge. Unlike the multi-tiered venue on Leonard Street, the Knitting Factory Brooklyn is all on one floor. The previous interior was redesigned to fit a sprawling bar area in front of the music stage, partitioned by an enormous, retractable glass wall. “The glass wall is the best feature,” said Gene Aguilera, the manager of the Brooklyn Knit. “It give us the ability to pipe music in or keep the rooms separate.” Plus it has the advantage of natural light, a rare commodity in a music venue. “At the old Knit, I didn’t see light very often,” noted Aguilera.

To give the spot an especially local flavor, the windows were made from glass salvaged from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The bar is similarly recycled, dating back to the thirties, and features a selection of organic beer. A fold out stage offers a platform for DJs or small bands, allowing the room to be booked for smaller shows or special events. Posters from past Knitting Factory shows wallpaper the hallway into the stage area, which in addition to their aesthetic appeal have an element of practicality: “That way, if someone marks up the wall, we can just put up another poster,” Aguilera smiled.

Aguilera and the Knitting Factory higher-ups are also doing their best to head off the community noise complaints that helped push them out of TriBeCa. “We’ve spoken to the neighbors, and they’re happy to have us here,” said Aguilera. “We hired mostly from the neighborhood. [The response] has been great, so far.”

The Knit wasted no time in breaking in the new stage, inaugurating the venue with a set from local art-rockers Les Savy Fav. Upcoming bills include appearances from New Jersey quintet Titus Andronicus, math rockers Map & Atlases, and veteran all-girl punk group The Raincoats. This weekend, the Knit will host the Brooklyn Fashion Festival, a collection of offbeat local designers showing their wares.

Though the Knit is open for business, a last few finishing touches on the space remain. “We’re tweaking things,” Aguilera said, as an employee rushed past with a roll of patterned wallpaper. “But it’s mostly done.”