Strokes and Ex-Arcade Fire/Unicorns side projects help launch new venue's diverse arts programming.
The Independent, on the 501 Studios Soundstage site at 5th and Brushy, to feature an array of music, film, theater, and performing arts programming
(AUSTIN) – The Independent, which first came onto a number of Austinites’ radar screens during this past SXSW Music Festival, is now moving into a schedule of events establishing it as a new, diverse, and vital venue in Austin nightlife. June’s shows includes two C3 Presents concerts: a June 8 show featuring Little Joy, a project started by Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti, and a June 10 concert by Montreal “supergroup” Clues (which includes Brendan Reed, formerly of the Arcade Fire, and Alden Penner, formerly of the Unicorns).
The Independent, located at 5th and Brushy, just one block east of downtown, promises an eclectic range of programming that hasn’t been featured by a single Austin venue since the Electric Lounge – a fixture in Austin nightlife throughout the 1990s – closed its doors in 1999. Mike Henry, Electric Lounge co-owner and booking agent, now serves as Talent Buyer for The Independent.
“I’m really grateful to be able to book a venue that brings music, theater, film, spoken word, and performance together again,” Henry said. “And putting amazing bands like Little Joy and Clues on stage in such an intimate setting is what we’re all about.”
Despite being a new venue to Austin showgoers, film and video professionals in town know the room as the 501 Studios Soundstage. For 25 years, the studio has been utilized for film and video production, which will continue in the space’s new configuration. The re-design of the venue has intentionally allowed for the studio to maintain its utility as a shooting space while adding facilities to serve as a performance venue.
During its evolution in recent months, the venue has hosted for a number of events, including the Bicycle Film Festival, Party for the People featuring DJ Mel (to celebrate President Obama’s Inaugration), the 2009 Austin Poetry Slam Finals, Diagonals Video Release Party, Rubyrico's Peepshow Magnifico, Cabaret D'Ariel, and the Motion Graphics Festival.
Through a partnership with Austin-based NetcastHD, the Independent will be more than just a physical destination for Austin audiences. According to Henry, a number of upcoming Independent shows will be streamed live to the Internet via NetcastHD’s groundbreaking technology, allowing for HD-quality streaming utilizing incredibly low bandwidth.
As Henry noted, “We are in such a wide-open time during the growth of new media. I mean, when the Lounge was open, we didn’t even have a website or an email address. Now, ten years later, pretty cool to do this with 35 feet of pure HD projected behind the bands, and live streaming to the net with less than a ten second delay.”
Henry expects further improvements and expansion as the club ramps up to a full schedule of performances and adds food service by the fall.
Tickets for the Little Joy and Clues shows are available via Front Gate Tickets; the website is www.frontgatetickets.com.
For more information about the Independent, visit www.austinindependent.com. Rates and rental packages for video production are available at www.501stageandscreen.com, or call 512.485.3001.
PRESS CONTACT:
Phil West
Luminaria Media & Public Relations
512.879.6460 (o), 512.769.3838 (m)
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