The Knitting Factory has been a fixture on the New York music scene for over 20 years. The venue began booking bands in its original Houston Street location in 1987, giving vital space to bands on the margins of jazz, rock, and hip-hop. In ‘94 the club hosted a memorable DJ set From Richard D. James (a.k.a. Aphex Twin), who stuck a sheet of sandpaper on the turntables and shattered eardrums as he “played” it.

But the venue, which is now located in TriBeCa, is set to turn its back on Manhattan. Rising rents and an uncertain future for the current location have meant that owner Jared Hoffman has had to look for Brooklyn for inspiration. The Knitting Factory is set to open in Williamsburg, at 361 Metropolitan Avenue, some time in the next four to nine months.

Hoffman remains optimistic about the move, and told the New York Times: “In very exciting ways it would be a return to the old Knitting Factory. We want to do something smaller and more radical and more revolutionary again.” The Knitting Factory, which also has a location in Los Angeles, is set to open at two other locations, in Boise, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington, in the near future. [New York Times]