Wellmont Theatre: What's Next After MGMT?

Thursday night’s performance of psychedelic rock band MGMT is the last act currently scheduled at The Wellmont Theatre in Montclair.

But the shows will go on, according to Township Attorney Ira Karasick.

The landlords of the concert venue, The Rosen Group, have severed their relationship with former tenant, The Bowery Presents, and forged a new deal with the much larger concert producer, Live Nation, Karasick said Wednesday.

Live Nation has reached out “just to say, 'hi we’re the new guys in town,'” Karasick said. The concert producer has not provided the township with any details about when to expect new performances at the Seymour Street venue, he said.

Live Nation did not return requests for comments for this article.

Live Nation’s website says the company produces 22,000 performances a year for some 2,300 artists worldwide.

“They represent an awful lot of artists,” Karasick said.

The Bowery Presents has operated under a temporary certificate of occupancy for years. One reason, Karasick said, is netting which has been covering the ceiling since plaster dropped on the audience during a Deadmou5 concert in 2010.

Karasick said the current temporary certificate of occupancy is good until 2014 and there should be no code issues preventing Live Nation from holding performances at the venue.

Rosen Group did not return calls for comment.

The Montclair Council approved renewing the liquor license belonging to the Rosen Group for the Wellmont on Tuesday night. 

The Wellmont Theatre opened in 1922 as a live theater house, and switched to showing motion pictures in 1929. The venue closed in 2006 and re-opened in November 2008 with The Counting Crows as the first act. The venue's current capacity is approximately 2,500.

Who would you like to see appear at The Wellmont Theatre? Tell us in the comments.