STABILITY: A rendering of the repurposed Stable Hall in San Antonio, a 1,000-capacity concert space located in the city’s historic Pearl district, and a former horse stable. (Courtesy venue)
1,000-CAPACITY CONCERT VENUE OPENING IN JANUARY
San Antonio’s landmark Stable building will begin its next chapter in early 2024 as a 1,000-capacity concert venue.
Staff revealed the preliminary lineup on Oct. 25 for Stable Hall, located in the city’s historic Pearl district.
Opening months will see Black Pumas, Portugal. The Man and Saint Motel hit the stage.
“To me, the Stable Hall project is meaningful for two reasons,” said Brandt Wood, who pitched the idea to Pearl’s staff in September 2020.”
He’s the executive producer, operator and lead on the project.
“First, the opportunity to partner with Pearl in breathing musical life into this 130-year-old legendary building — in a hospitality ecosystem that has transformed San Antonio — is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a music producer,” Wood said. “Second, our team feels an incredible responsibility to serve as humble stewards of this monumental venue, bringing a culturally relevant destination to life that enriches the experience of the artist, patron and staff at the highest level.”
Constructed in the late 19th century to house Pearl brewery’s draft horses, Stable Hall will feature a reclaimed Texas dance hall pine floor, fixed seat mezzanine, hayloft balconies, six full-service bars, Austrian lift stage drapes and a sizable jewel-box stage.
Wood called Stable Hall a “very special building” that deserved care.
“We had a great team who understands about respecting an old building, its bones and its character,” he said. “Resurrecting it as a state-of-the-art music venue requires some fancy footwork, but we’re up to the task. I’m excited about people seeing it in January.”
Talent buyer Kristyn Ciani, co-founder of Soap Creek Entertainment and formerly with C3 Presents in Austin, heads up booking. Jay Sweet, buyer of Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival and producer of the Newport Folk Festival, serves in an advisory role to the Stable Hall talent office.
A HORSE (STABLE) OF A DIFFERENT COLOR: A rendering of Stable Hall’s interior, which includes a reclaimed Texas dancehall pine floor. (Courtesy Venue).
Dallas-based WoodHouse is the concept developer, operator and partner behind the repurposing of Stable Hall. The project is led by principal Wood and managing partner Erick Schlather.
The duo’s previous projects include Dallas’ Trees (900 capacity), Gypsy Tea Room (1,600 capacity), Rhythm Room (300 capacity) and Dallas restaurants like The Green Room and Jeroboam.
Wood is also a co-founder of Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee, which is planning its 10th anniversary.
The Stable Hall reincarnation was led by San Antonio and Austin-based architects Clayton Korte and Austin-based interior design firm Joel Mozersky Design, with design and development management by Oxbow Development Group. Ticketing will be powered by Tixr, a privately held primary ticketing and event commerce marketplace. Project cost was not disclosed.
“I feel so fortunate to be the humble stewards of this place,” Wood said. “Who builds a horse stable so decadently? The horses were very, very well taken care of. Back then, without them, the beer wouldn’t have been distributed. They built a monument to these horses. For the next 20 years, before vehicles started carting the keg around, the horses were the locomotion of the brewery. They were absolute important employees. I think that’s a cool part of the story.”
For Wood, the Stable project was right up his alley, as it represents his love of music.
“I grew up in New Orleans,” he said. “New Orleans infuses its native sons and daughters with a love of music. Very fortunately, I’ve been able to do this my whole life. I’ve had venues for my whole adult career.
“This is definitely the pinnacle project, in terms of where it is and who I’m partnered with. San Antonio’s music history is deep and rich. We love to serve music lovers, bring the community together and support artists. They need support. They need a venue to call home. We just want to be a healthy part of that.”
The lineup:
Brooklyn Michelle and Wes Denzel, Jan. 18
The Record Company, Jan. 19
Mariachi Damas de Jalisco and Mariachi Las Coronelas, Jan. 22
Buttercup and Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country, Jan. 25
Los Texmaniacs feat. Flaco Jiménez and Augie Meyers, Jan. 27
Portugal. The Man, Feb. 9
Xavier Omär and Mélat, Feb. 10
Black Pumas, Feb. 16 and Feb. 17
The Band of Heathens, March 1
Jon Wolfe, March 2
Monkeys on a String: A Tribute to Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, March 30
Saint Motel, April 26
Get The Led Out, May 15
Sarah Jarosz, May 25
