Foundry Concert Club Moving to Old Brooklyn in 2025

Next year, the Foundry will move from its Lakewood location. Credit: Jeff Niesel

The Foundry Concert Club has been a popular Westside concert venue (under a few different owners and by a few different names) for years and even played host to several Scene music-related events back in the day.

Starting in February, the club will begin operating at a new location in Old Brooklyn.

“After many years at our Detroit Avenue location in Lakewood, our landlords have made the decision not to renew our lease,” reads a post on the club’s Facebook page. “This news came as a surprise to us as the Foundry has been a staple in the neighborhood for many years. The past two years have presented us with numerous challenges, including severe flooding in the basement, a constantly leaking roof, and capacity issues imposed by the city.”

“It was an opportunity that presented itself,” says owner Rae Gentry when asked about the move. “I talked to my friend Tom [Shaffner] at Never Say Dive. He opened up his bar in Old Brooklyn not too long ago, and he hooked me up with the Old Brooklyn Development Center. I told them about my needs. They showed me this building, and it was perfect. It was a bar. It’s the old Mr. E’s Inn.”

Gentry hopes the new location at 4256 Pearl Rd. will “retain the classic Foundry vibe” with its “similar layout.” It offers a large yard and attached garage space that’ll provide a covered event space and outdoor seating.

“Down the road, we will do some work on the yard,” she says. “We’ll have to build it out some pavement, and I would like to have food trucks out there. In total, the place is a little bigger than the current Foundry. There are more options in terms of activities. We had a noise ordinance at the current location until 5 p.m., and there were other things not in our favor. The landlords here are very excited about having a venue, and it’s nice to be working with a group of people who are really excited and don’t treat us as a nuisance. The positive and supportive responses from the general public have been really overwhelming.”

Rae says she hopes to expand the club’s approach to booking too.

“[The Foundry] has been labeled a metal venue, but I hope to have other acts play too,” she says, adding that she’ll continue to co-book the Mercury Lounge in Lakewood with the owners of the Winchester Music Tavern.

The Foundry will continue to operate at its current location through the end of January. It’ll close for a two-week period to move. The club has launched a Go Fund Me to help cover those expenses.

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