Longtime Boston Venue Great Scott Is Closing

BOSTON, MA — One of Boston's oldest and most revered live music venues is closing. The owners of Great Scott, 1222 Commonwealth Ave., made the announcement on Twitter on Friday.

The landlord and the owners of the club, located in Allston at Commonwealth and Harvard avenues, hit an impasse over the lease. Great Scott has been closed since the coronavirus crisis ramped up in the Boston area.

Great Scott opened in 1976 as a bar with a performance space. The venue hosted bands and performers from a variety of genres over the last 44 years, plus stand up comedy, and the long-running LGBTQ dance party Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

In a message posted on Facebook Friday, General Manager Tim Philbin asked fans to remember the venue as a welcoming home for local artists.

"There is a sign that still hangs in the venue from the establishment that Great Scott replaced," he wrote. "The name of which was Brandy’s. That sign reads ‘Where Incredible Friendships Begin'. I'm glad we never took it down because it explains Great Scott better than I ever could.

"Take care of yourselves and each other."

Fans of the venue have started an online petition to ask the landlord, Oak Hill Properties, to keep Great Scott alive.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that Great Scott closed because its lease was not renewed. According to the property owner, the club was paying rent on a month-to-month basis, and an agreement on a long-term lease was rejected by Great Scott before the coronavirus-induced shutdown.