Assembly was a mixed-use live music and theater venue at 1000 K Street in downtown Sacramento, opened in 2013 by the Paragary Restaurant Group in the former Cosmopolitan Cabaret space.[1] During its short run it showcased local, regional and national touring talent — including ZZ Ward, OK Go and Black Lips[2] — and hosted a number of local-band release shows and recurring nights before its operators vacated the space at the end of 2014.[1][3]
At a glance
- Address: 1000 K Street, downtown Sacramento (former Cosmopolitan Cabaret space).[1]
- Opened: grand opening party scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2013.[1]
- Size: ~9,000 square feet, with a large stage, open main-level floor, full bar and tiered seating.[1]
- Capacity: 500 general admission, 240 seated.[1]
- Founded by the Paragary Restaurant Group.[1]
- Closed: the venue's then-operators (the Ace of Spades team) vacated the space at the end of November 2014.[3]
History and founding
Assembly opened in 2013 as the Paragary Restaurant Group's expansion into the theater and live music business, taking over the former Cosmopolitan Cabaret space at 1000 K Street.[1] Submerge framed the roughly 500-capacity room as filling a gap between smaller local clubs such as Harlow's (around 400 capacity) and the larger Ace of Spades (around 900 capacity).[1] Randy Paragary, in a press release, emphasized the venue's intended variety of programming, including live bands, improv comedy and celebrity DJs.[1]
The grand opening party was scheduled for Friday, March 22, 2013, with free admission and live music from local cover band Pop Fiction.[1]
Operations and booking
At launch, Paragary brought in nightlife figures Trevor Shults and Bob Simpson to operate and market the venue, and Scott Brill-Lehn of SBL Entertainment to book talent.[1] The space was also made available to outside promoters and event organizers based on availability.[1]
By late 2014, the venue was being run by Eric Rushing and Bret Bair — the owners of Ace of Spades — who had taken over operations.[2] According to the Sacramento News & Review, the lease was held by the Paragary Restaurant Group, not by Rushing and Bair, which meant they could not build equity in the space. Bair was quoted directly: "We just weren't making money. We weren't building equity because we don't own it."[2] The pair announced they would vacate the Assembly space at the end of November 2014; Callista Wengler, marketing director for Paragary Restaurant Group, served as the spokesperson for the lease-holder and stated that the owners were not ready to comment on the venue's future.[2] After departing, Rushing and Bair explored acquiring Witch Room (formerly Bows & Arrows) as a smaller venue to complement their Ace of Spades location, though according to the News & Review nothing had been decided at the time of reporting.[2] No announced successor for the K Street location was reported.[3] The venue was referenced over time under several names, including "Assembly Music Hall."[4]
Programming and recurring nights
Assembly hosted a mix of one-off touring shows, local release shows and recurring events:
- B Street Live! — an ongoing monthly sketch comedy act presented by B Street Theatre, running Wednesday through Sunday from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m. so the venue could host live music later in the evening.[1]
- Flow: A Night of Jazz, Soul and Hip-Hop — a monthly event held every second Thursday, hosted by Jay Siren and Andru Defeye, with Element Brass Band as the resident house band and rotating guest MCs (New Orleans jazz meets underground hip-hop).[5]
- Rock for Tots — an annual local-rock toy drive benefiting the Sacramento Salvation Army; its eighth edition (Rock for Tots 8) was held at Assembly on Dec. 20, 2013.[6]
Notable shows
- N'dambi, brought in by promoter Conscious Vibes, April 19, 2013.[1]
- James Cavern EP release party, March 29, 2013; K Flay, March 30, 2013; Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, April 2, 2013.[1]
- Number Station EP release show, June 1, 2013, with March Into Paris, Saint Solitaire and Goodbye Black Sky.[7]
- Olly Murs and Bonnie McKee, Sept. 27, 2013 — reviewed by Submerge as a largely backing-track "exhibition" set.[8]
- Black Lips with The Coathangers, March 25, 2014 — a high-energy punk show; the review praised Assembly as a good room for larger touring bands while criticizing a center floor divider and the early bar shutdown.[4]
- OK Go, July 15, 2014 — the opening show of the band's 2014 tour.[9] The floor was bisected with a barricade creating separate 21+ and under-21 sections.[9] DJ Myles Hendrik opened with a set lasting upwards of 90 minutes.[9]
- Zeroclient debut full-length release show for Omnia, Oct. 10, 2014, with Once An Empire, Misamore, Madison Ave and Blood Party.[10]
- Iconoclast Robot EP release show for BrightLights/DarkDepths, Nov. 26, 2014, with James Cavern and the Council, DLRN and Good Samaritans — noted as likely one of the venue's last shows before the operators left.[3]