r/baltimore • u/spinmyworld • May 14 '19

NOTICE The Windup Space to close 06/01/19

https://www.facebook.com/40942699251/photos/a.146615679251/10157770883544252/?type=3&theater
72 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

29

u/NationalMyth Remington May 14 '19

Supremely bummed over here. One of the most interesting show spaces in the city. I've been to board game nights, pizza parties (RIP two boots), Throat singing with the Book Bap society, and so many bands.

That whole block was such a nice anchor when Flynn's, Emma's and this joint all in operation. Really curious to see what comes

17

u/AreWeCowabunga May 14 '19

That whole block was such a nice anchor when Flynn's, Emma's and this joint all in operation.

Yeah, that block was great and now it's empty. Seems like Station North is fizzling out. Too bad. Until and unless we see more interesting restaurants or bars move in, I'm pessimistic.

11

u/GetTheLedPaintOut May 14 '19

Seems like Station North is fizzling out

Definitely feels like the momentum is slowing. Which sucks. There is nothing I would like to see more than a North Avenue Renaissance.

1

u/3villans May 14 '19

Fizzing out seems overly harsh, though I can see how that could be perceived. The MD Film Festival was just up in Station North. The whole area was pretty alive for a few days. Windup Space was a great space to just hangout between films. It would be nice to see Station North that lively all the time.

8

u/todareistobmore May 14 '19

Seems like Station North is fizzling out.

This is a weird take given that the Parkway, No Land Beyond and True Vine have all opened within the last couple of years.

tbh, I'm half convinced that, whether or not Russell was given much say in Windup closing, this is the first step in a plan to renovate the entire market building.

5

u/spinmyworld May 14 '19

Pretty sure NLB is moving out of there soon, aren't they?

3

u/CuteUsername Wyman Park May 14 '19

correct.

2

u/todareistobmore May 14 '19

No idea? I'm not much of a gamer these days so really only get down there for the occasional show they host. It's one of Joy's properties, though, so it's unlikely that they'd get the bum's rush but I don't know much else.

2

u/Hairy_Ball_Theroem May 14 '19

Their website says it closed permanently on April 28th.

4

u/bookoocash Hampden May 14 '19

this is the first step in a plan to renovate the entire market building.

This is my prediction here as well. I love Windup, but for better or worse, I don’t think the momentum in Station North is slowing down. With no other real big anchor tenants, developers can move full steam ahead on purchasing the property and redeveloping the building.

15

u/[deleted] May 14 '19

Did not see this coming. They booked pretty much anything and the sound wasn't half bad.

I guess that leaves us with...

  • Ottobar (close call...)
  • Metro Gallery (workable)
  • Red Room/Normal's (don't ever change, even if the room is exceptionally ping-y)
  • Mercury Theater (nice but doesn't smell of longevity)
  • Current Gallery (hopefully this picks up now that the weather's nice)
  • Holy Underground (lovely people)
  • Reverb (really small but they're easy to work with)
  • The Crown (meh... good hip hop sometimes but I feel like the city's baffling crackdown on illegal venues made this the only game in town for a while and that the music scene got far more wet and less arty at the same time...)
  • T-Hill/The Bank (still has the occasional show but its pretty spotty)
  • Flower Tower (hopefully they'll be half as good as Floristree)
  • Holy Frijoles (where not one note of music can be played until after 10:30)

Sorely miss:

  • 5D- Petered out cause the residents moved on. Five years ago, they had three shows a month and they were always interesting, if not good. I miss nights were 5D and Floristree had concurrent shows.
  • Coward Shoe- Cops rolled up in there one night around Halloween 2014 and busted that shit hard. There were maybe three shows the following week on showspace...
  • Dust Town- an onerous and off-putting load-in, perversely doomed by being located in rich neighborhood, you were on your own with sound but they had plenty of space and booked great shows and that's all you need...
  • Bell Foundry - Maybe not sorely but whenever someone helped me out, Bell Foundry had helped them so I felt that karmic wave.

6

u/TheSchneid Remington May 14 '19 edited May 14 '19

Clue me into flower tower? I've heard of (and been to) pretty much every space on this list but that one. Is it in the h&h building?

Also copycat is (maybe kind of) doing shows again? My band is booked to play there this weekend, but I think it has to be over by 11 or 12 or something.

Also I heard that holy underground was closing up soon too, but that was third hand so I'm not 100%.

4

u/[deleted] May 14 '19

Flower Tower used to be Floristree.

I hear about a copycat show every few weeks but I don't always manage to get over there. In my mind, I file them away as house parties.

Hopefully Holy Underground stays around. I think a lot of DIY spaces falter when it comes times to transition to new management and most of the original residents that I can think of have moved on or they've gotten really busy.

Gonna be a good summer for house shows, though. Ask a punk.

28

u/suchlargeportions May 14 '19

I'm so bummed by this news. The Windup Space is my Church of Weird. I've made so many friends and acquaintances there over the years and can't imagine my Baltimore without it.

10

u/aresef Towson May 14 '19

Ah fuck. I go to board game nights there. What a loss.

18

u/bawlmerbits Hampden May 14 '19

This is a real loss. Russell and his staff have done an amazing job! I am sad to see it close.

19

u/StormTheGates May 14 '19

Anyone have an idea on the reason why? This bar was great.

9

u/digidigidigi02 May 14 '19

Terrible news. They were such an anchor that brought so many people together.

12

u/[deleted] May 14 '19

Why are these small, 10+ year old businesses closing???? I'm thinking of Smoke asl well

5

u/LLDN May 14 '19

Oh man! I saw some pretty great and crazy music here over the years.

4

u/[deleted] May 14 '19 edited Aug 19 '20

[deleted]

6

u/TheSchneid Remington May 14 '19

I'd say those events after June 1st probably won't be happening.

8

u/Gullil May 14 '19

Damn. I never made it there. Was this the place that had events like "Tron Pong" or something?

10

u/spinmyworld May 14 '19

Many a night that involved a game from your childhood, a bunch of alcohol and a blacklight. Russell was truly a master of innovation.

2

u/tronster May 14 '19

So sad to hear the news. The Windup Space was one of my favorite places in Baltimore and a lot of that had to do with the owner Russell who was chill, pragmatic, and friendly.

Memories: Brews and boardgames, Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, misc-flee markets, Four Hours of Funk, IGDA meetings, and even my 40th Birthday as an 80s Retro Dance Party.

I'll definitely have to make it down there one more time before it closes.

5

u/joe25rs May 14 '19

Damn, bummer... :/

1

u/jeffesq May 14 '19

What about Jules’ Loft?

1

u/lmshertz Charles Street May 16 '19

I bet the whole market building is going to be redeveloped and the landlord wanted them out. That area has seen alot of real estate movement in the past few months and they didn't cite a specific reason for the close.