From 2005 to 2014 Death By Audio was a Brooklyn institution. One where Impose spent many a night documenting the fervent underground scene as it exploded alongside Brooklyn’s western shores. We were not alone. Considering the venue also housed many of the creative individuals who helped keep DBA running, it makes sense that they documented the final days of the now-iconic showspace. Directed by former resident Matt Conboy, and produced by Amanda Schultz and cinematographer Jonathan Yi (with executive producer credits including one Ty Segall), the film Goodnight Brooklyn: The Story of Death By Audio is slated to premiere at SxSW this March.
Featuring plenty of band footage, and interviews with Segall, Conboy, Oliver Ackermann, Edan Wilber, Stephanie Gross, Brian Chippendale, Mark Kleback, Dan Deacon, Brooklyn Vegan’s Bill Pearis, and Michael Azerrad, among others, the film is said to follow them through the challenges of hosting shows under “looming threats of “building department of police raids.”
Founders: Oliver Ackermann, Edan Wilber and Matt Conboy, endure the challenges of hosting hundreds of people a night with looming threats of building department or police raids. Under ironic circumstances, we follow them through the last days as they navigate a billion dollar company moving into their building and the associated threats and intimidation to keep residents in fear of reprisals.
Ironically, those “ironic circumstances” will undoubtedly be on display at SxSW, where said “billion dollar company” will likely be showcasing their own films and branded content down in Austin. But that’s a discussion for another day. For now, let us revel in the memory of one of Brooklyn’s late, great venues.
You can read our living memorial to Death By Audio, featuring testimonials from over 100 people, here.
