NEW YORK, April 17 — The Webster Hall announced on Monday that Jay-Z will headline the reopening of the iconic East Village venue on April 26.
The concert — entitled “B-Sides 2” following his 2015 rarities-focused set — will mark the rapper's first performance at Webster Hall.
“When we were thinking about who would be the right choice to open this legendary venue, we knew it had to be a world-famous New York City icon. No one fits that description better than Jay-Z, who will join an unparalleled list of celebrated performers who have played Webster Hall,” said Brett Yormark, CEO of BSE Global, in a statement.
Webster Hall also announced an eclectic lineup of artists slated to perform throughout its reopening month, including Patti Smith and her band, Broken Social Scene, MGMT, Empire of the Sun and Vampire Weekend.
The concert hall closed its doors for renovations in 2017. At the time, the renovations — overseen by Anschutz Entertainment Group — were expected to last only a year.
Webster Hall has been a NYC staple since 1886, hosting artists such as U2, Madonna, Tina Turner, Metallica, Aerosmith and more. Before it became a famed concert hall, the building was used as a recording studio that captured the sounds of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan and Tony Bennett.
Tickets for Jay-Z's opening concert “B-Sides 2” will go on sale beginning April 19 via Ticketmaster. Webster Hall will offer a limited number of tickets exclusively to American Express Card Members on April 18. — AFP-Relaxnews
