NEW INDEPENDENT MULTI-GENRE LIVE MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE DESTINATION FOUNDED BY MICHAEL SWIER (THE TERAGRAM BALLROOM, MOROCCAN LOUNGE) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ANOTHER PLANET ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURING A 1600 CAP MUSIC ROOM, LARGE PRIVATE EVENT SPACE, RESTAURANT & BAR, OUTDOOR LOUNGE AND MORE
Photo credit: Josh Withers
New York & Los Angeles impresario Michael Swier in partnership with Another Planet Entertainment (APE)–two leaders in the independent live entertainment space–have come together to launch The Bellwether in Los Angeles. The new multi-genre live music & nightlife destination, centrally located just west of downtown at 333 S. Boylston St., will open this spring.
The Bellwether co-founder Michael Swier is the proprietor of two of Los Angeles’ most respected clubs, the Teragram Ballroom and Moroccan Lounge. A longtime presence in the scene, his credits also include launching NYC venues Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, and founding The Bowery Presents.
Another Planet Entertainment (APE; https://apeconcerts.com/)–spearheaded by Billboard Power 100 executive Gregg Perloff– co-founds The Bellwether as APE’s first Los Angeles venue in its 20 year history.
APE is the largest independent promoter in the U.S., co-producing award-winning music festivals Outside Lands in San Francisco and Life Is Beautiful in Las Vegas, while promoting out of and exclusively operating many prominent venues on the west coast including the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, the Fox Theater in Oakland, Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys, the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and The Independent in San Francisco, Oxbow RiverStage in Downtown Napa and more.
The building features design by Brian Swier, who has years of experience building iconic venues alongside his brother Michael. With unparalleled know-how in venue design, no detail is left unturned. A pinnacle of their achievements, The Bellwether will be the ultimate deluxe modern music experience for artists and fans alike.
The multifaceted Bellwether will feature a main music room (approx. 1,600 capacity) with unimpeded sightlines, a 270 degree wrap-around balcony, and a custom wooden dance floor. In addition, the venue will feature a large private event space, a restaurant & bar, VIP areas, and an open air lounge with panoramic views of the downtown city skyline and neighboring mountains.
The room is outfitted with a state of the art, custom-built d&b sound system, and lighting designed specifically for The Bellwether. For artists, the facilities include accessible load-in, spacious dressing rooms alongside private bathrooms and a production office. The building will also house on-site offices for the venue’s operational staff as well as APE’s artist management arm, Another Planet Management’s Los Angeles office.
“The Bellwether will be the next step for an artist in our LA ecosystem,” says Swier. “Artists can grow from the Moroccan Lounge to the Teragram Ballroom and now to The Bellwether.
This is similar to what we built in New York City with the Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom and to APE’s venue infrastructure in the San Francisco Bay Area with The Independent, Fox Theater and Greek Theatre. In partnering with Gregg and Another Planet Entertainment, the largest independent promoter in the country, our visions of long-term artist development are aligned.”
“The Bellwether is destined to become a cultural institution in Los Angeles, featuring some of the greatest local and international talent,” shares Gregg Perloff. “It’s been many years since I’ve spent time producing shows in LA, and it took a building with the potential of The Bellwether to excite me enough to return. I’m thrilled to get back into the market, and I can’t think of a better location for what we’re setting to accomplish.”
Downtown LA continues to gain in prominence as a major entertainment destination. Just blocks from The Bellwether, patrons can find a variety of cultural institutions and attractions including MOCA, The Broad, Grand Park, the new Frank Gehry-designed Conrad Hotel and much more.
The Bellwether is easily accessible from all parts of Southern California via the 101 and 110 freeways, with ample parking in the area.
Follow The Bellwether