We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support after we recently announced our plan to close our shop in Pasadena later this fall. We love what we do, and believe a space like ours should exist. After hearing from so many of you, we feel you believe that too. We are here to ask for your help to keep the story going into the next (and more sustainable) chapter of HFOTU.
What began as a record store became one of our cities’ most intimate and beloved homes for live music, learning, and community. Now we have an opportunity to give that community a permanent home. Here’s the plan:
Healing Force of the Universe moves its sanctuary for music from Pasadena to the historic G-Son Studios in the vibrant heart of Atwater Village, and the world rejoices.
Along with the move comes Healing Force’s warm hospitality, excellent sound, and deep attention to the feeling of a room to create meaningful nights that feel human, immersive, and resonant.
G-Son - home to the Beastie Boys’ legendary creative headquarters in the 1990s - once again becomes a clubhouse to listen, discover, learn, collect, dance, and feel human again.
And together we build a cultural institution for Los Angeles and the world.
Our Pasadena home gave us an incredible beginning, but we've reached its limits. The room is too small for many of the artists we'd like to present, the business model isn't sustainable long-term, and we've simply outgrown the space.
G-Son gives us room to grow: a licensed bar that supports the business, nearly double the concert capacity while remaining intimate, a larger classroom, a proper green room for artists, a recording studio, more rental opportunities, and a walkable neighborhood where the record store can become part of everyday life.
What is G-Son Studios: G-Son Studios is a historic creative compound upstairs on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village best known as the Beastie Boys’ recording studio, rehearsal space, clubhouse, and headquarters during the 1990s. Originally, the building was the Atwater Community Center - a ballroom and gathering place for the neighborhood in the early 1900s. In 1991, the Beastie Boys transformed it into G-Son Studios after the high cost of making Paul’s Boutique convinced them they needed a permanent creative home. They converted the ballroom into a space where they could rehearse, record, experiment, skateboard, play basketball, and collaborate without the pressure of commercial studio time.
Today, we have the opportunity to continue that legacy by transforming G-Son into a new home for independent music and culture.
With your help, we'd like to build a music clubhouse at G-Son Studios: a record store that transforms throughout the day. The space will welcome morning wellness classes, daytime record shopping, after-school programs and happy hour, evening concerts, and late-night dance parties.
In this partnership, HFOTU will bring its operational ability to host and curate great artists in front of new and familiar audiences in a beautiful, welcoming environment to celebrate Music’s present. G-Son will provide an incredible facility with a licensed bar in a prime retail and nightlife neighborhood and the legacy of its iconic Music history. And together, we will discover Music’s future.
We do need to raise some money! We will be launching a crowdfunding campaign this week; stay tuned - AND we are looking for mission-aligned investors to launch this endeavor. Please click a button above and reach out if someone - or anything - comes to mind.
If it doesn’t come through, we are extremely proud and grateful for all of the experiences we’ve shared, and look forward to our last season with you here in Pasadena. It’s gonna be a greatest hits for the next few months.
Whether you invest, volunteer, introduce us to someone, come to shows, manifest, work magic, pray, or simply tell a friend, every act of support helps Music work. Thanks for giving us the courage to dream.
WE LOVE YOU.
Peace and love,
Austin & Healing Force of the Universe team
