Promoter Aims to Restart Rock Concerts Uptown

The United Palace interior (photograph from the venue's website)

The United Palace exterior (photograph from the venue's website)

While most venues have been cancelling concerts rather than booking them, a new concert promotion company is making arrangements to bring live concerts to one of Manhattan’s largest and most decorated theaters.

Anthony Makes, until recently the president of Live Nation New York, left his former employer in July 2020 to form his own independent concert promotions company, Brooklyn Made. According to online publication Pollstar, Makes' fledgling company will launch its concert promotions at the United Palace, a 3,300-capacity church and former movie theater in Washington Heights. The company this week signed a contract to produce concerts year-round there but has not yet announced any concert dates.

The United Palace will be the new company's maiden New York City venue. Outside the city, the company previously contracted to promote concerts at the 1,800-capacity Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY, and the 15,000-capacity CMAC/Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center in Canandaigua, NY. Brooklyn Made also intends to promote concerts at Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Beacon Theatre, the Apollo, the Town Hall, the Hammerstein Ballroom and many other large venues.

Bryan Ferry at the United Palace on August 9, 2019 (photograph by Everynight Charley Crespo)

The United Palace, located on Broadway between 174th and 175th Streets, opened in 1930 as the neighborhood's first movie house. With elaborate architecture and ornate interior, it was one of Loew’s five “Wonder Theaters” in New York City. The theater also presented live vaudeville. In 1969, Loew's sold the theater to the United Christian Evangelistic Association, headed by the television evangelist Rev. Frederick J. Eikerenkoetter II, better known as Reverend Ike. In recent years, the landmarked theater has been both a spiritual center and a non-profit cultural and performing arts center.

Outside promoters periodically book the venue for concerts. Since 2007, the Union Palace has hosted live performances by Bob Dylan, the Allman Brothers Band, Adele, Neil Young, the Smashing Pumpkins, Beck, Mumford & Sons, Bad Bunny, Aventura, Arcade Fire, Sigur Rós, Jackson Browne, Vampire Weekend, Sam Smith, Ms. Lauryn Hill, CNCO, Eddie Vedder, Sonic Youth, Bloc Party, Björk, Iggy Pop, Iggy Azalea, Modest Mouse, the Black Crowes, Bryan Ferry, Lenny Kravitz, Kraftwerk, Foster the People, Foals, Lorde, Gloria Trevi, and Trey Anastasio's Ghosts of the Forest, among other headliners. The Magnetic Fields was the last rock concert there in February 2020, shortly before the pandemic shut all entertainment venues.

Looking ahead, outside promoters have booked concerts by several Latin music acts. Tickets are on sale for concerts by Camila on April 24, El Torito and Jorge Celedon on June 11, Fonseca and Andres Cepeda on August 22, and Dyango on October 16, among others. The current COVID restrictions would have to be relaxed for any of these concerts to happen, however.

Sam Smith at the United Palace on September 14, 2014 (photograph by Everynight Charley Crespo)