Brooklyn Steel

The crane that stayed on the roof

On the roof of Brooklyn Steel still hangs the gantry crane from when the building was a steel manufacturing plant. It is not a decorative remnant: it is a remote-controlled crane that repositions the flown arrays and a 22.7-ton steel and concrete stage to adjust the club for each concert. Between July 2016 and March 2017, The Bowery Presents converted the warehouse and reused much of that steel. The venue, of about 1,860 square meters in East Williamsburg, was left with a main floor, an elevated platform at the back, a balcony, three bars, an elevated VIP area, and about forty restrooms. Before opening, its managers explained that the mobile stage allowed for working with 1,800, 1,500, or 1,200 people. The usual standing concert capacity is 1,800.

Five dates to open the warehouse

On April 6, 2017, it was inaugurated by LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy's dance-punk group, with the first of five sold-out concerts: April 6, 7, 8, 10, and 11. By June 22 of that year, the band was already the first artist to total ten concerts at the club. The relationship continued: seven and ten-night residencies; twenty dates from November 23 to December 21, 2021, of which the last three were suspended on December 19 due to the omicron wave in New York; another twenty between November 18 and December 17, 2022, with priority for those who had requested a refund; and four of the twelve nights of the 2023 Tri Boro Tour, spread between Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. A house disco ball is named Murphy, a nod to the musician who has filled the warehouse the most times.

Correcting what failed at Terminal 5

The internal team at The Bowery Presents designed the sound using the Manhattan club Terminal 5, which they also operate, as a model, and See Factor supplied the equipment. They also sought a floor plan with better sightlines: a balcony that opens toward the stage and less of a boxy feel. The house system is L-Acoustics, with K2 arrays, KARA frontfill, KS28 and K1-SB subwoofers in cardioid, ARCS WiFo delays, and X15 HiQ monitors. At the control desk is a DiGiCo SD10 and, for monitors, an SD9. Toward the street, the bass is contained with a green roof and the sealing of the windows that faced the residential buildings, to comply with New York's noise code. In December 2018, Rolling Stone included Brooklyn Steel among the ten best live music venues in the United States.

The lineup dictates the day

The club opens when there is a concert. Doors change according to the concert, and the age of admission—16, 18, 21, or all ages—is published in each announcement. Large-format rock and indie as well as electronic music pass through the same brick: among the names published just after the opening were Goldfrapp and Tycho, along with PJ Harvey, the Pixies, or The Jesus and Mary Chain. It continues to be operated by The Bowery Presents, with tickets on AXS and the warehouse also available for private events through AEG. Inside, a lobby, coat check, merchandise stand, and an elevator with black and yellow construction stripes await. Outside, Frost Street preserves the factory's gesture: exposed brick, a red lower stripe, and the name painted on the wall.