GTR Nuts || January 31, 2007
As word spreads about the Gypsy Tea Room's impending demise, we look here and there for information to fill the cracks. Though the Observer's take gives the venue hope past March 31, other folks closer to the mess are less optimistic. We can confirm that "GTR closes in 60 days" is the text message sent by longtime EC friend and former employee Russell Turns to more than a few people last night---though he's not an official spokesman and employee for the venue, his association with the EC is close enough for us to consider reliable. And this long MySpace missive by former Trees manager Scott Beggs reveals more:
The one question mark left is to figure out where the bands booked in Gypsy's relatively long April and May calendar will go, but certainly, booking agency Charles Attal Presents must already be fielding exasperated pleas from rooms like the Granada, Ellum:OnStage and perhaps even Hailey's to snatch up those acts. (Interestingly enough, the GTR MySpace page only lists shows through the end of March. Hmmmm.)
This revelation comes as a relative shock. We thought GTR was holding on thanks to private parties--a huge source of revenue for any music club, and this one hosted more than any other--but the dipping quality of the touring calendar for the past few months was certainly foreboding, if not foreshadowing (notice how the GTR wasn't really getting any weekend shout-outs in our 'Three Days to Rise' feature as of late...that was not an accident).
Then again, we've attended GTR shows in recent months that have been packed to the walls. Our guess is, those successful shows simply weren't frequent enough for the huge pool of debtors on the EC's back. And here's a thought: With bigger-venue competition on the rise in Dallas (HoB, Palladium, Ellum:OnStage), perhaps a few keen debtors thought they'd be better off liquidating now rather than waiting for the venue to be destroyed by bigger, bigger, bigger.
But ours is only guess and conjecture at this point; we invite any GTR associates to either comment on this thread or send an e-mail to bigdlittled@gmail.com so that people can better understand the incredibly complex fall of the Entertainment Collaborative, a company that went from two venues and a few restaurants up to not even running its own Web site. In the coming months, we'll have much more to say about the venue whose perfect size for "medium" concerts will be missed. -SM
So it appears the inevitable is upon us, my (our) beloved Gypsy Tea Room is rumored to be closing its doors 60 days from now. The source of this information was a text sent from a close friend as I went to sleep last night. Could it be a dream? I wish it were.
If this is true, and I expect it is, this is a dark day for Dallas, Dallas music, and Deep Ellum. Gypsy Tea Room has set the bar for live music in Dallas over the past decade and its demise will leave a hole in our hearts, and will forever change the live music landscape in Dallas.
But why? Why is our beloved venue that has seen such strong support from fans, artists, and music industry alike now on its last leg? Is it the "decline" and changing demographics of Deep Ellum, the increase in crime, or maybe the senseless fight that left a man temporarily paralyzed and sent another to prison for 19 years? Is it the opening of House of Blues or the renaming of Gilley's to better accomodate their new calendar? These are all extremely easy and convenient excuses that on the surface may appear to answer the question, but as always, there is more to consider.
I will at some point address what I feel most hurt Gypsy Tea Room, but this is not a day for finger-pointing, but rather a chance to recall the great memories we will share from a great room during a great and exciting time in Dallas music.
I look forward to your comments as we toast a wounded and dying warrior.
SB
The one question mark left is to figure out where the bands booked in Gypsy's relatively long April and May calendar will go, but certainly, booking agency Charles Attal Presents must already be fielding exasperated pleas from rooms like the Granada, Ellum:OnStage and perhaps even Hailey's to snatch up those acts. (Interestingly enough, the GTR MySpace page only lists shows through the end of March. Hmmmm.)
This revelation comes as a relative shock. We thought GTR was holding on thanks to private parties--a huge source of revenue for any music club, and this one hosted more than any other--but the dipping quality of the touring calendar for the past few months was certainly foreboding, if not foreshadowing (notice how the GTR wasn't really getting any weekend shout-outs in our 'Three Days to Rise' feature as of late...that was not an accident).
Then again, we've attended GTR shows in recent months that have been packed to the walls. Our guess is, those successful shows simply weren't frequent enough for the huge pool of debtors on the EC's back. And here's a thought: With bigger-venue competition on the rise in Dallas (HoB, Palladium, Ellum:OnStage), perhaps a few keen debtors thought they'd be better off liquidating now rather than waiting for the venue to be destroyed by bigger, bigger, bigger.
But ours is only guess and conjecture at this point; we invite any GTR associates to either comment on this thread or send an e-mail to bigdlittled@gmail.com so that people can better understand the incredibly complex fall of the Entertainment Collaborative, a company that went from two venues and a few restaurants up to not even running its own Web site. In the coming months, we'll have much more to say about the venue whose perfect size for "medium" concerts will be missed. -SM
1 Comments:
the "tea room" was a lousy sounding cave with over-priced drinks and attitude instead of service. The "ballroom" sounded a little better if you were one of the lucky ones to squeeze to the front during an over-sold show... Oh and their staff hangs out with skinheads. Fair sailing tea room!
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