Bootleg Theater To Close After 20 Years

LOS ANGELES, CA — The Bootleg Theater announced they will close their doors for good, ending a 20 year run of independent live music in the heart of Filipino Town. The venue announced this week that they would not reopen after coronavirus, despite having one of their most successful years in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

The independent venue managed to stay afloat through coronavirus-mandated closures, through a combination of PPP loans, grants, and a GoFundMe campaigns. However, in a statement, the theater said a dispute with one of the three partners led to the forced sale.

"Before the pandemic hit, we had reached an impasse of irreconcilable differences with the partner we originally purchased the property with in 1999, despite out earnest efforts to purchase our partner's share of the real estate," owners of the theater said. "The crush of a COVID closure made the situation even more untenable for us. After resisting numerous outside offers to sell out the Bootleg to conglomerates such as Live Nation, we managed to keep the little-engine-that could chugging along. It is a gut punch to us that our ultimate demise was an inside job."

Attempting to soften the blow, the Bootleg reminded fans they will continue to produce digital shows, along with events at other venues. The venue also gave a cosign for the location's future owners, saying they plan to continue to use the site for music and performances rather than changing it's purpose.

"The silver lining is that we are passing the torch to two Angelenos who have the dream and vision of a new version of a performance space at what will be affectionately known as the old Bootleg space," owners said. "They came in at the last minunte, sparing the venue from being used as retail or torn down for more unaffordable housing."

The Bootleg said residents can expect to hear from the new owners about the venue's next steps in the future.

Read below for some of the reactions on social media after news of the closure broke.

There are little words to say how we feel right now about the recent closure of @bootlegtheater. We’ve lost a home and a gathering place for our community. There was truly no place like it. It will be missed. But we will move forward.
— Sid The Cat (@sidthecat) June 21, 2021

this is such a bummer. @BOOTLEGtheater was an incredible partner in our fundraiser for @KtownforAll and we were so excited to do more movement stuff there now that we’re reopening :( :( :( https://t.co/qAGtYfuFNU
— josh androsky (@ShutUpAndrosky) June 21, 2021

Seeing all of the photos I've shot at the @BOOTLEGtheater popping up in my feed makes the news of it closing hurt even more. My first years of wrestling photography were spent in this venue. pic.twitter.com/K62oI9KNAQ
— Justin Cotterell (@justin_cesi) June 21, 2021