Music Hall of Williamsburg: Ready to Rock in a Week?

New York's newest live music venue, the Music Hall of Williamsburg, is in the final throes of construction, with opening night one week from tonight. The newly gut-renovated theater at 66 North 6th Street in Williamsburg - formerly the 400-cap indie-rock standby Northsix - is just seven days out from its debut show, a sold-out performance by punk rock's venerable poet Patti Smith on September 4th. And we're no construction manager, but from the looks of the interior and exterior, it might take a minor miracle (and gallons of Red Bull) to get the club ready in time.

The 550-person performance space, which we hereby dub the MOW (rhymes with cow...silent H and all...), is being developed by upstart NYC promoter Bowery Presents. In the past couple of years, Bowery has challenged industry giants Live Nation and A.E.G., opening several small and midsize clubs, booking acts in others including Madison Square Garden, and in the process have grabbed an impressive chunk of the city's A-list and breaking artist shows. Bowery, whose principal partners are Michael Swier, John Moore and Jim Glancy, also owns the Bowery Ballroom, and Mercury Lounge, and books shows for Webster Hall. The Times ran a pretty fascinating piece esplaining it all back in June.

The MOW's fall schedule is an impressive lineup of acts more mainstream than the typical underground and garage-band fare that filled Northsix's bill. Announced shows include Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Apples in Stereo, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Voxtrot, Rasputina, and the Drive-By Truckers. MOW's opening comes as neighboring art space Galapagos plans to end its 12-year run, moving to DUMBO in 2008.

Related:

New Rock Concert Hall Coming to Williamsburg [brooklyneagle.com]

A Small Strategy for Selling Concerts [NY Times]