Venice's Live Music Club WitZend Closes

During the Venice Music Crawl in September 2013, the WitZend stage became a somber tribute to founder Jeb Milne who passed away just days before the event.

For reasons few can explain, live music just can't catch a rhythm on the Westside, and the sad saga continues this week with the announcement that WitZend will close Saturday night.

Final acts can be found on the calendar here, but as news spreads about the sudden shutter, musicians who have graced the WitZend stage over the past few years have been popping in this week for impromptu performances. 

Before most others, WitZend founder Jeb Milne believed in the potential of Lincoln Blvd. as a vibrant, walkable community hub in the heart of east and west Venice, and he pioneered its revitalization. It started in 2006 when he moved his company Wit Animation into the classic brick building that once housed the 4H Club bar and restaurant, a popular haunt for musicians in the '60s including The Doors. In 2011, Milne brought the building back to its roots and opened WitZend with live entertainment most nights of the week along with a full service bar and restaurant.

Just days after Milne's sudden passing in September 2013, Lincoln Blvd. indeed transformed into a walk street for the Venice Music Crawl hosting dozens of live acts in makeshift music venues from Floyd's Barbershop on Sunset Ave. all the way down to the RG Club near Washington Blvd. In the center of it all was WitZend, which sadly served as an impromptu memorial for the man who played a crucial role in making it all possible. 

As of now, no specifics have been given about the reasons for closing or what will take its place, though according to WitZend, it's not going to be another music venue.

WitZend // 1717 Lincoln Blvd., Venice 90291