12/13/2022
Dear musical family,
Bedrock LA is closing forever. Here is the unfortunate reason why:
In October 2021 we were notified of a significant building structure issue by our landlord. A truss had split just below a perpetually never-properly-repaired air conditioner which had been leaking on and off for over a decade. We immediately stopped business and evacuated the building according to the landlord’s instructions with the promise from them that the building would be repaired within 6 months.
After successfully surviving the pandemic, we chose to continue to employ our staff under the assumption that we would reopen in the timeframe we were told.
Through that winter, we noticed that no work was being done and we got our own estimate for repair. It turned out that it could take only 6 weeks of construction & cost ~$104k; the equivalent to only ~2 months of rent that the landlord normally received. However, in the Spring of 2022 the landlord decided not to make the repair at all but instead insisted that we leave forever.
With lawyers, we fought back however it became clear that the law and process would not be in our favor. Sadly, in this stressful, expensive attempt we had no other choice but to give up.
To say the least, we are devastated; we had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting to keep our business alive and with that 2,500+ musicians per week simultaneously lost their creative home.
You may ask “Why don’t you just open another Bedrock?” We would love to however in LA rent is nearly 6x our previous rent plus it would cost a fortune for us to rebuild rooms. We also tried to buy the building several times over the years. We also offered them more rent… and it appears that they simply wanted us out.
Everything about this is completely f**ked.
We hoped for a better end to but as far as we understand, there isn’t much we can do about the situation. Instead we look to the future. Can you help us with a few things?
1. We are selling our gear in an “Estate Sale” on Saturday, December 17th from Noon to 6pm. To avoid credit card fees, cash is appreciated.
2. We never really made merch but it would be nice to see our legacy live on, at least in t-shirt form. Go to the “Merch” link on our website http://Bedrock.LA
3. If you have any photos, videos, stories or just want to document your mere existence at Bedrock.LA, go to the “I Was Here” menu item on our website to let us know about it Bedrock.LA. Of course, any social posts are appreciated too. Tag: .
4. Let this serve as a lesson. We hope that an insightful journalist(s) can provide perspective on our demise as a teachable moment. Real estate developers consistently market arts culture to sell and rent properties in neighborhoods like Echo Park, only to simultaneously extinguish these very communities in favor of their bottom line.
5. Support other local and independent music services: ABC Rehearsal Studios, Black Diamond Studios, Eastside Rehearsal, Gold-Diggers, Kingsize Soundlabs, Lemontree Studios, Mikey's Hookup, Portia Street Studios - Echo Park, LA, CA Recording Studio, Tiny Room
We are incredibly proud of our staff and the work that came out of our building; equally from "Weird Al" Yankovic #1, Grammy award winning record to the yet-to-be-known band of 18-year-olds who grew up with Bedrock.LA’s existence for the majority of their lives.
Thank you for enriching our lives. Everyday at Bedrock.LA was an absolute joy. We love you.
Forever Rehearse, Record and Relax
