One of the most eclectic large-scale music venues in the state is slated to close at the end of this year. Press coverage has been spotty, but a New Haven Register story says that the new owners envision the site as a brick oven pizzeria. The sound equipment is being removed, so there goes a six-year legacy of top indie acts, cult faves and even a few big mainstream names.
If I’m not mistaken, the long-running “Beatles A to Z” acoustic duo series began at that club. Daniel Street also fostered several local band scenes and movements, including some progressive and openly experimental ones which many other clubs would not have encouraged. Programming changed over the years from largely cover bands to predominantly original acts.
Losing any club is a loss, even for those (like me) who never visited it and only read or heard about it. Fifteen years ago there were a lot of music venues, and a general sense that Connecticut was a welcoming state for touring bands who were only just getting their names out there. Now, those clubs have dwindled to a precious few, and Daniel Street was the biggest of them.
The shuttering of Daniel Street will mean that a lot of important bands may not find a decent place to play in Connecticut. Hopefully it won’t keep such bands from bypassing the state entirely. Local promoters and clubowners have their work cut out for them if they want to keep the music scene vibrant in the state.