House of Vans, one of Brooklyn's most beloved concert venues, is closing its doors on August 24 for a final show with Interpol.
Since 2010, House of Vans has served as an iconic concert venue and skate park inside the 25,000 square feet warehouse on Franklin Street. Over the past eight years, they have successfully brought all sorts of audiences together for some of the most memorable NYC shows in history. We reminisced on 10 of the most unforgettable House of Vans shows over the years.
PHOTO VIA HOUSE OF VANS
6/7/17
Beach Fossils encompass the perfect skater boy sound, and even though they're NYC-based, they definitely give off Venice Beach vibes through from their dreamy guitar riffs and soft vocals. They celebrated the release of their latest album, Somersault in June 2017 among a crowd of admiring spectators at House of Vans. Along with two impressive openers, including Chance the Rapper collaborator Saba and Pro Era member collaboration, Nyck @ Knight, it was for sure a night to remember.
PHOTO VIA JONATHAN MEHRING
7/20/18
One of House of Vans' most unforgettable shows was this past July featuring the legendary Blondie, '90s favorite Liz Phair, and a must-remember opener, SASAMI. The night truly transported the audience to a grunge rock venue, with nostalgia bursting at the seams and the fully packed audience bursting out of the venue. It's not everyday legends come together for an intimate show like this one, and House of Vans made it happen.
photo via Laura Kirsch
7/12/16
Back in July of 2016, Dinosaur Jr and Screaming Females surprised Brooklyn with a last-minute free show at House of Vans. That evening, Dinosaur Jr. also filmed a new music video at the venue, which 200 of the audience members got to be a part of. This out-of-nowhere show reflected the spontaneity of what makes New York so great: constantly full of surprises, and ephemeral moments of joy within the ever-changing music scene.
Photo by Geoff Leung
2/3/14
Nothing says a show was a success like a full capacity one, especially with people being turned away all night long. This was exactly the case at Future Islands and Operators' tour opener show at House of Vans back in 2014. Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring's charismatic, dancing, powerhouse aesthetic was the ultimate crowdpleaser of the evening. It was impossible to tell whether his energy was powering up the crowd, or if the singalong, enthused crowd was fueling him.
PHOTO VIA DONYC.COM
6/27/13
Some of the most memorable House of Vans shows were its seasonal openers, including the 2013 kick-off event. With an incredibly versatile lineup that accumulated a wide-variety crowd, it was the perfect warm up to a hot summer season. First up was Hop Along, kicking things off on a calm yet captivating precedent for the evening. Second up was Title Fight, who had the wildest crowd of the night, moshpits and all. Finally, Fucked Up closed out the evening, with one of the most memorable sets at House of Vans to date: the lead singer spent almost the entire set of the show amongst the crowd.
photo via Bryan Derballa
8/24/15
Another noteworthy contribution that House of Vans provided the music venue scene of New York City was its exposure of break-out artists alongside established ones. With their free-with-RSVP entry policy, fans lining up hours prior to doors for their favorite artists gave openers the opportunity to present themselves to a large audience filled with their potentially next biggest fans. The 2015 show featuring Ghostface Killah, fellow Wu-Tang member, GZA, and barely-known at the time opener, Joey Bada$$ exemplifies the high profile exposure the venue brought to its space.
PHOTO VIA RYAN KOBANE
8/13/15
Back in 2015, Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas was ready to roll out a fall tour with his new side project, The Voidz, but had to cancel a vast majority of shows due to budgetary issues. Luckily for New Yorkers, the one Voidz show that didn't end up canceled was their free House of Vans show with fan-favorite opener Cherry Glazerr. Whether it was the Voidz making up for their canceled shows, or the fact that Casablancas was happy to be playing back in his hometown, the band's powerhouse energy and ruggedly cool aesthetic did not disappoint the first come first served audience of spectators.
PHOTO VIA LAURA KIRSCH
3/16/16
Vans celebrated its impressive 50 year anniversary in 2016 and threw an even more impressive party for themselves at House of Vans. They truly couldn't have made a better choice but to have Nas help celebrate the special evening, playing his classic hits as the filled-up crowd eagerly chanted along to. Plus, with impressive opener Yeasayer, an after-party DJ set by Questlove, and birthday cake and pizza courtesy of Roberta's, it was truly a neighborhood party that was what can only be described as being "off the wall".
PHOTO VIA Saidy Lopez/Aesthetic Magazine
10/8/2015
By this point in 2015, House of Vans made a name for the impressive free shows they've continuously put on the for the music-loving community. Their typically free beverages, carnival-themed backyard with loads of interactive activities was enough entertainment in itself. But the iconic NYC band Television and their two openers put on the real show; it was a memorable evening of Television's sets, only playing four of their songs in over a four-hour time period. People left completely floored by what they witnessed that evening and looking to come back for more.
PHOTO VIA WILL OLIVER
7/7/2016
If there ever was a show to have checked out at House of Vans that truly captured its essence and the crowd's passion for live music, it was the Quicksand/Converge show. With lines going down for several blocks, the venue hitting capacity early, and a floor that was completely cleared out for a giant mosh pit, it exemplified what it means to share a passion for live music that we often overlook while attending shows at other venues. The intimate component at House of Vans forced audiences to recognize the music community they have become emersed in. Whether intentional or not, it was shows like this one that made people realize they were a part of something special.
Photo By Mark Valentino
Want to see photos from the final House of Vans show EVER (which doubled as Interpol's Marauder album release show)? Where Gang Gang Dance and Honduras blew the roof off of the place before the massive talent that is Interpol absolutely shut. shit. down. to close out the venue's final free show for good? Sure you do. I mean, Dana Pacifico captured the essence of it all almost effortlessly.
Photo by Dana Pacifico
Looking for your next concert to attend? We got you covered: check out our latest Top Picks recommendations of all sorts of events and concerts happening around the city.
Written by: Julia Gomberg
Instagram: @Juliageez
Twitter: @Juliageez
