Swedish-American Hall Becoming Noise Pop-Operated "Dinner and a Show" Venue

The takeover and rehab of the historic Cafe du Nord and Swedish-American Hall has been a piecemeal and sometimes confusing process, with the new owners first saying they'd keep Du Nord as a live-music space, then changing their focus to a restaurant with a small stage for "impromptu intimate entertainment acts." Then there was that whole surprise second restaurant, Aatxe, thrown into the mix downstairs at the Swedish-American Hall. Now, another component has been revealed: the Swedish-American Hall will actually be getting more of a musical spin in the remodel, as Noise Pop Industries, the programmers behind the Treasure Island Music Festival, have taken over the gig of programming shows at the venue when it reopens in 2015.

The Swedish-American Hall will now serve as headquarters for the annual Noise Pop Festival (running February 20-March 1), and will host a number of still-TBD acts both national and local throughout both the festival and the year as a whole. Ne Timeas Restaurant Group (Flour + Water, Central Kitchen) will be handling food and catering in the new venue in addition to the Cafe du Nord and Aatxe projects, and The Bon Vivants (Trick Dog) will do the drinks for this section as well. The Swedish-American Hall's historic status means it can't be soundproofed, so shows will be limited to acoustic sets, but with Joanna Newsom, Bob Mould, and Spoon's Britt Daniel among the past performers, the venue should be an enticing one. Ne Timeas has yet to comment on the food and drink offering at the Swedish-American Hall and how it will compare to those of Du Nord and Aatxe, but stay tuned for more on that part as the story develops. In the meantime, you can mark your calendars for the revamped Swedish-American Hall's debut in late February.