
(via Grub Street)
Output, a beacon for house and techno that helped turn a once sleepy stretch of Williamsburg into an international nightlife destination, will close at the end of the year, the club’s owners announced today.
“A confluence of factors contributed to the club’s misfortune,” founders Nicolas Matar, Bo Pittman, and Shawn Schwartz announced on Facebook, without going into specifics. “Rapidly shifting social trends, unfavorable market conditions and weakening financial outlooks coincided with the simultaneous emergence of multiple existential challenges unique to the club’s circumstances.”
While acknowledging that the closing, which will occur after one last New Year’s Eve party, “may seem shocking to many,” the owners said they’ve “seen the writing on the wall for some time,” and rejected the option of “taking great risks on uncertain outcomes just to keep the club open in some diminished capacity.”
When the club opened in 2013, it flew in the face of snobby lounges that focused on bottle service, and harkened back to the big-box clubbing days of Limelight and the Palladium, complete with a tooth-rattling Funktion-One sound system. As New York put it in its Best of New York issue that year, “The point here is to dance, not just see and be seen.” Later, Grub Street declared it the absolute best club in New York.
Even as fancy hotels and their rooftop bars sprouted up around it, Output continued to draw an array of local legends like Danny Tenaglia (spinning Dec. 25) and Francois K (Dec. 26) as well as international stars like John Digweed, who will close out the venue on New Year’s Eve. In the summer, its rooftop bar drew lines down the block.
Output’s single-story building at 74 Wythe Avenue sold for $7.4 million in 2014. At the time, the building’s seller said the club would “continue normal operations as per a long-term lease that is in place.”
EDM fans shared their feelings on Twitter and lamented that the club’s closing comes in the wake of Webster Hall’s shuttering last year.
Output will be replaced by Amazon Prime Venue, a large room that streams a shuffled playlist through a giant Echo.
— the nog factor (@_jlsl) December 11, 2018
Output really became a trash fire at the end there, but really I’m concerned w/ how much more boring the neighborhood is becoming
— salvatore. (@sjgrsf) December 11, 2018
how many clubs are there rn? like 5. so many local ppl DJ’d output and gained fans / got paid. how many ppl are about to lose their jobs? this is not good at all
— gregory dj wawa (@gregorywawa) December 11, 2018
Me finding out output was closing pic.twitter.com/V64k2dhiNT
— Salsa Rosada (@Lackoffreckles) December 11, 2018
where will the output people go? elsewhere? nowadays? house of yes? i don’t know if any of these venues truly want the clientele. at least output served the tourism / bridge and tunnel community relentlessly. that’s where the money is anyway.
— gregory dj wawa (@gregorywawa) December 11, 2018
RIP Output. I grew up a little more inside your walls. I brought family through your doors. I learned to dance for myself, eyes closed, lights flickering against lids, sound beating through body.
My favorite set was Four Tet in 2015. Thank you for it all! @OutputClubBK
— Morgan Jordan (@morgnjordn) December 11, 2018
output was pretty fun but then it got pretty crowded and pretty mainstream which i could see the OG crowd leaving
— kdot (@dancekimmidance) December 11, 2018
Heartbroken over this news, as Output has been my sanctuary. Brooklyn will miss you, @OutputClubBK https://t.co/xNyXJ0Nx6u
— Molly MacFadden (@mollymacfadden) December 11, 2018
output had its flaws but seriously sad to see it go…despite the questionable crowds, their ethos + staff were always on point
🙁
— Jelani Bektemba (@jelanify) December 11, 2018
Damn Output was the SPOT for some house deep into the morning. The taping of the cameras on everyone’s phone was the best part! No Snapchat/social media… it was all about the music and dancing. Definitely going to be missed :/
— Zachariah (@ZachariahBASSan) December 11, 2018
Probably one of the best venues I’ve ever been to. The amount of insane artists and moments I’ve had at this club. Seeing my first #MoombatonMassive to battling Brillz, seeing a full 10 hour set of #Dubfire, seeing #Gesaffelstein and even times when the homies got to play Output. https://t.co/71y13AN4s3
— AlviBee (@_AlviB) December 11, 2018