House of Independents in Asbury Park closed for 'foreseeable future'
The House of Independents on Cookman Avenue in Asbury Park has closed for the “foreseeable future,” but owners are exploring options that will keep it an “arts driven venue.”
House of Independents has been closed since flooding from Wesley Lake during a Sept. 29 storm caused half a million dollars of damage, management said.
“Currently, we are seeking funding through insurance and requesting government relief for both the Biergarten and House of Independents,” said the venue in a statement posted Thursday, Nov. 16, on its social media sites. “As those avenues remain bleak, we have opened up conversations with various groups on the potential of them taking over the space.”
The Asbury Festhalle & Biergarten, which also presents live music, has also been closed. A rep from the venue told the USA Today Network New Jersey in early October that they were hoping to re-open in November.
“We have been very proud to bring entertainment to the downtown of Asbury Park and be an integral part of this community,” said the House of Independents management in a statement. “Unfortunately, we have decided to remain closed for the foreseeable future as we work through different options that will hopefully keep the space as an arts driven venue.
"The House of Independents is working on rehoming all shows on its calendar. Ticket holders should keep an eye on their emails for change of location as they are announced.”
Shows are currently booked at the venue through March. Since the flooding, concert and events have been rescheduled to different venues in Asbury Park, as well as Salty's Beach Bar in Lake Como. The Gimme Gimme Disco dance party that was originally scheduled to take place at the House of Independents on Saturday, Nov. 18, has been moved to the city's Stone Pony for the same day, the venue announced Thursday prior to its closing announcement.
More: See the flooding that closed Asbury Festhalle and Biergarten just before Oktoberfest
More: How can Asbury Park, Neptune stop ferocious lake flooding? Options under consideration
Several noted music venues in Asbury Park have shut their doors in the last few years. The Saint on Main Street closed without fanfare in the fall of 2022. The Paramount Theatre and Convention Hall have been dark since August 2021, when the city issued a notice of default to Madison Marquette, the retail developer of the city's boardwalk, over safety concerns and other issues at the Paramount.
“We're a music town and we've lost the Saint, and if we now lose the House of Independents, we're slowly whittling away some of the most important venues that we've had here,” said Pat Schiavino, founder of the Asbury Underground art and music crawl.
Some non-traditional city venues have begun hosting live music events, including the Trinity Church on Asbury Avenue and the R Bar on Main Street.
The House of Independents, owned by Sackman Realty, opened with a concert by Fishbone and Murphy's Law in November 2015. Since then, the spot hosted a broad range of events, from punk rock to hip-hop, and even a Jon Bon Jovi performance. The rocker took the stage during a Gov. Phil Murphy campaign event there in 2017.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at @chrisfhjordan; [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: House of Independents, Asbury Park: Music venue closing
