L.A. Indie Promoters Sid the Cat Finally Get a Home of Their Own in Historic South Pasadena Schoolhouse

These have not been an easy few years for either Los Angeles-based indie promoters Sid the Cat or the San Gabriel Valley where they’re about to launch their new 500-seat club – the aptly named Sid the Cat Auditorium – built on the historic site of the former South Pasadena Elementary School, which has been decommissioned since 1979. The first school on the property went up in 1885, then was reconstructed in 1928, and when the current remodeling began two years ago, Sid the Cat principals Kyle Wilkerson, Brandon Gonzalez and Sean Newman – all residents of the area – discovered panels created by noted WPA muralist Lucile Lloyd, which will adorn the school auditorium-turned-music venue, with its first shows scheduled before the end of the year.

The first announced dates include Peel Dream Magazine and Goon on December 4, and Emile Mosseri and Friends Third Annual Holiday Benefit Extravaganza on December 6. Shows for the new year include the Antlers (Jan. 29), Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore (Feb. 14), Sessa with William Alexander (March 30) and Westerman with Otto Benson (April 3). 

After the nearby Altadena fires and a Covid-inspired lockdown which slowed them down for two years, the partners are excited to bring the first new music venue of its size to the South Pasadena area in 40 years. The three are using their own money, earned through a decade of promoting concerts on the local circuit, pushing it to the center of the table on a gamble based on a belief in themselves. They’ve supplemented that with a GoFundMe campaign which has raised more than $30k, as well as selling VIP memberships, personal sponsorships and even naming rights for the bar stools.

“This is what we’ve always wanted,” said Wilkerson, the talent booker in the group, a Texas native who moved to L.A. 16 years ago. “We’re fortunate to have this space. We feel it will draw people from all over and create some wonder and excitement for the bands, too. There isn’t a venue in the world that looks like this.”

“We love the city of Los Angeles and we’re putting our own money towards investing in this local community of artists and musicians,” added Gonzalez who grew up in nearby El Sereno. “Giving back is important to us. This spot just checked all the boxes.”

The proscenium stage in what was once the school auditorium measures 35 feet across and 21 feet deep, with a detached bar, an outdoor patio, a truck loading ramp that connects directly to the rear of the stage, as well as a washer and dryer in the green room. The venue is located just steps from the Metro A-Line train station, with parking for 150 cars, in the middle of a burgeoning artist and musician community that’s not far from where Phoebe Bridgers, an early Sid the Cat booking, grew up. Engineer Dave Rat’s Rat Sound will oversee the installation of an L-Acoustics system making it competitive with larger venues, while ticketing with be handled by Dice, a noted leader in anti-scalping technology. The promoters plan to keep the club open six nights a week for an all-ages audience, with both emerging talent and established acts looking for intimate undersells on their wish list.

“It was super-important for us to make this an all-ages venue,” said Sean Newman, who manages the box office and ticketing while overseeing the company’s social media outreach. “The high school is just a couple of blocks away.  We wanted those kids to be able to come and enjoy live music in their neighborhood.”

“We’re just hoping and trusting that the local community will have our backs,” said Brandon. “It’s always been more about people than profits for us. We can’t do this without the musicians and fans. We’ve put in more than a decade of work to earn that support. We’re still DIY, but to be able to do it the way we want in our own space – from the sound and lighting to the floors – has always been our dream.”

The three looked at more than 150 spaces in the L.A. area, from churches and mortuaries to old bars, theatres and restaurants, kicking the tire at such venues as the Lodge Room in Highland Park and the former Bootleg Theater (now 2220 Arts + Archives). With South Pasadena seeking to turn the elementary school into a downtown cultural and arts community along with a destination for dining and nightlife, the space proved to be the perfect home for Sid the Cat, whose co-tenants will include Villa’s Tacos, District Brewing Company and the Boy and the Bear coffee shop, all slated to open next year.

The L.A.-based concert promoters continue to wear a DIY ethic on their sleeves, having booked shows at more than 70 area venues, from the Highland Park Ebell, Permanent Records, Zebulon and Pappy & Harriet’s to a recent pop-up show in the Frogtown section of L.A. along the river with Wet Leg. Among the acts Sid the Cat Presents have promoted locally over the years before breaking big are Bright Eyes, boygenius, Big Thief, Mac DeMarco, Ty Segall and Moses Sumney.

“We don’t book anything we don’t believe in,” insisted Wilkerson. “Music is at the forefront of everything we do, but we’ll have comedy, podcasts and screenings, too. As well as local community events.”

Sid the Cat Presents will also continue booking shows at other venues.

“We’ve created an opportunity for artist development within the Sid the Cat ecosystem,” continued Wilkerson. “My favorite part of this job is finding a band or songwriter nobody knows about and investing in them from the very beginning, like we did with Big Thief.  For me, there’s nothing more gratifying than seeing them along that journey.”

“Our motto has always been quality over quantity,” added Brandon. “We’re not just filling dates.  We’re booking acts we’d buy tickets to see.”

Sid the Cat – named after Wilkerson’s pet feline who died at the ripe old age of 15 right before Covid – have finally found a permanent home – one where, for the first time, they get a cut of the bar. They have always declined to take a portion of artist merch sales, and will continue to.

“For the past ten years, we’ve been operating solely on ticket sales, which is insane,” said Brandon. “Economically, this will make it easier for us to run our business, pay everyone a decent wage and put on better shows. After all, this is all we know.”

“The L.A. music community is the best in the whole world,” added Wilkerson. “I’ll fight anyone who tries to say differently. The best music is being made here and we’re in the fabric of that. We’ve dedicated the last 10 years of our lives to spotlighting the local scene. It’s long been our dream to make a long-term commitment to a space as beautiful and historic as this one.”