The Legendary Orbit Room in Grand Rapids Has Closed – Maybe Forever
2019 opened with a shock to music lovers and concert fans in West Michigan with news that the legendary Orbit Room in Grand Rapids has closed and may not re-open.
WOOD-TV 8 reporter Marvis Herring shares the news that the Grand Rapids Fire Marshall has posted notices on the door of the venue that the Orbit Room is not to be occupied and does not meet "local fire and/or life safety regulations." You can see the notices on Herring's Twitter feed.
WOOD-TV further reports on their website:
the owner said the club hasn't yet officially closed, but that its future seems grim. The owner said all shows for January have been canceled. A source told 24 Hour News 8 the venue has been liquidating assets.
The club near the intersection of the East Beltline and 28th Street has been known for hosting huge national acts, including concerts, comedy acts and fights, for decades.
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However, in recent years, the venue has also been the scene of shootings and fights. In September 2017, Grand Rapids Police Department responded to two shootings there in seven days.
There has also been growing competition as the Grand Rapids area adds more venue space.
History of the Orbit Room/Club Eastbrook
A search of Setlist.fm shows that the band Clutch has performed the most as the venue with 14 shows chronicled. The first show at the venue, at least in the memory of Setlist.fm users was a (an?) Enuff Z’Nuff concert on May 1, 1990.
Although the history of the venue dates back a few years earlier under its original name, Club Eastbrook. Setlist.fm lists the first show there as a BB King concert in 1988.
Revue West Michigan has a good history of the concert space here.
What memories do you have of the Orbit Room, let us know in the comment section below.