Last night my homie Jeannel took me downtown to do a walkthrough of the legendary Knitting Factory, the potential venue for iLL-Literacy’s NYC show in November!

Founded in 1987, Knitting Factory immediately became a staple in the New York music scene, especially for jazz and experimental music.  Artists who have rocked its stages in the past include Sonic Youth, Beck, the GZA, and Big Daddy Kane.

The venue houses three stages–the lounge (capacity 100), the taproom (200), and the main stage (400).  We’re gunning for the main stage.  Our last NY show was in February at the Bowery Poetry Club, and we managed to pull 200 with just two weeks promotion…my hope is that with some more preparation and some Cali charm, we can pack this house in the fall.

I first learned about KF back in ‘04 when a pre-Get Lifted John Legend dropped a live album recorded there.  Four years later he’s touring arenas and I see him in Brooklyn rocking a crowd of 10,000.  *Ahem* I’m just following footsteps…

With the struggling economy and rocketing rent prices, the Tribeca building, which houses the Knitting Factory, is at risk of being sold when the lease ends in 2009.  There are talks of moving KF to Brooklyn, but nothing’s been finalized yet.  In the meantime, here’s hoping that we get to play at this landmark venue before it vanishes into history!