Iconic Granada Theater Is Latest Independent Music Venue to Close

Yet another one of the most important and beloved venues in the inventory of independent performance spaces is closing its doors. The Granada Theater in Dallas, TX where so many memories have been made is set to become a “wellness center” called Bathhouse next year as long-time owners Mike Schoder and Julia Garton are choosing to move on. The closing also affects the adjacent Sundown at Granada, which was a restaurant, bar, and music venue as well.

“The Granada” as it’s affectionately known has worked as both a stepping stone for local, regional, and national talent maturing into bigger venues, as well as a the dream gig for more independent performers from North Texas. Flexible as either a proper sit-down theater or a standing-room capacity space with a balcony, The Granada is one of those venues both fans and performers seek out for a show.

The venue had also become an anchor for the Lower Greenville neighborhood of Dallas.

“After 34 years on Greenville Avenue, we have made the decision to sell the Granada Theater and Sundown at Grenada, and bring this remarkable chapter of our lives to a close,” Granada said in a statement on Friday (10-23). “For 22 years at Granada and 15 years at Sundown, we’ve poured our hearts into these places, the music, the people, and the thousands of unforgettable nights and memories made within their walls. Walking away isn’t easy. But sometimes knowing when to turn the page is as important as knowing when to start the story.”

Some of the iconic names that have performed at the Granada Theater over the years include Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Adele, Kacey Musgraves, The Black Keys, along with acts like Sierra Ferrell, the Turnpike Troubadours, and Flatland Cavalry. For bands from Dallas such as Leon Bridges, The Old 97’s, The Reverend Horton Heat, Vandoliers, and Joshua Ray Walker, getting to play The Granada symbolized you’d “made it.”

The reason owners Mike Schoder and Julia Garton cite for the closing is an all too common story in live music today.

“The live music industry has changed dramatically,” says Mike Schoder. “Rising costs, shifting audiences, and corporate consolidation have made life increasingly difficult for independent venues. Having lived through the transformation of the record industry with CD World, I’ve learned to recognize when it’s time for a new chapter. But this decision goes deeper than business … At 58, having lost far too many friends in their 40’s and 50’s, in the music business, I’ve started thinking differently about time.”

Schoder goes on to say that he didn’t want to spend the final years of his life working as hard as you must to keep an independent music venue alive. He also says they turned down developers who wanted to convert the property into apartments, and tried to find appropriate buyers to preserve the space as a music venue. But ultimately, the wellness and relaxation company is the one who was willing to take over the space and not tear it down completely.

The Granada Theater was first opened as a proper movie theater in 1946, and remained as such until 1977 when it became a concert venue briefly before being converted back to a movie theater. Since being taken over by the current owners and operating mostly as a concert theater, it has hosted some 3,000 shows. It’s one of those perfect-sized venues that is both comparatively intimate, yet still can facilitate a strong capacity.

Sundown at Granada will officially close on November 1st for everything except for previously-booked private events up to December 31st. The Granada Theater will continue to host events until April 17th when they will officially close their doors. The new wellness center is expected to open in late 2028.

“I just found out my album release show is cancelled,” said singer/songwriter Paige Hill who had her show scheduled at Sundown at Granada for November 14th. “They’re amazing. They’ve always been the best venue. I love playing there so I just want to thank them. East Dallas loses another really good venue. So go support your live music. Go to live shows. Go support artists, not just Top 40, not just cover bands … and artists keep making your stuff.”

A lot of the disappointment at the news is how more of an effort wasn’t made to preserve the space as a music venue. But as the current owners explain, it’s difficult to operate an independent live music venue these days, and they did try to find a buyer who would keep the current business alive. But sometimes it takes the announcement of a sale to stimulate additional interest. When the Coupland Dancehall near Austin announced they would be transferring the space to a rehabilitation facility, new buyers emerged and kept Copeland alive.

It might be wishful thinking to believe the same will happen for The Granada. But one can only hope that the theater front will be preserved, and perhaps in the future, live music or theater entertainment can grace The Granada once again.

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