As two of Boston’s favorite haunts on Lansdowne Street were set to host their final call last night, it seemed only appropriate Boston’s favorite sons, the Dropkicks Murphys, were there to usher in the end of an era.
“This is the perfect band to close down Avalon,” said 20-year-old fan Joe Dicenso. “They became famous here. I think they’ll come back. They love their fans and they love Massachusetts.”
To the chagrin of club goers and music buffs, Avalon and Axis, trademarks of the Lansdowne Street nightlife scene, will both close for months before experiencing a rebirth as a 35,000 square-foot music hall, announced owner Patrick Lyons last May.
“I love the place the way it is,” Dicenso said. “It’s absolutely amazing to see anyone here. I love this venue because it’s a complete floor . . . It’s more social.”
The Dropkick Murphys has achieved a local following, and Avalon has been a big part of its success, he said. With Avalon and Axis closing their doors, bands will have to turn to other New England venues of comparable size, like the Paladium in Worcester or Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence.
Officials say the change is necessary to attract a broader array of artists, some of whom often skip Boston while touring in favor of cities with higher-capacity venues.
“This is our way of updating our current product,” Lyons Group Management Vice President Mindy d’Arbeloff said. “It will be a 2,500 square-foot capacity music hall with a mobile stage that will allow us to have small and large capacity shows.”
The new theater-style venue will transition to selling tickets priced according to seat location, as opposed to the past when all ticket shows at Avalon have traditionally been general admission, d’Arbeloff said. With this also comes the end of dancing, mosh pits and crowd surfing — interactions with fellow audience members that some say are necessary to truly enjoy a concert.
The transition may prove difficult for fans who enjoy the open space provided by Avalon and Axis, and say the new venue will undoubtedly change the face of Boston nightlife and the dynamic of Lansdowne Street.
“There is something to be said for small clubs,” said Boston University graduate student James Baldwin. “It only takes a few people for the place to feel like it is crowded and happening — you can’t hide from the communal energy.”
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