Outerland, the Island’s main music venue, will close Jan. 1 and not reopen again until spring.
Outerland owner Barry Rosenthal came before the Edgartown selectmen on Monday to request a change in his liquor license from year-round to seasonal, one month after he had been granted permission to shift from seasonal to year-round. He said his reasons are strictly financial. “It has been bleeding money since September,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
Less than three years after they bought the Vineyard’s premier music venue, the owners of the Outerland nightclub have been forced by mounting debts to put it back on the market.
In a letter that went to creditors late last week, Barry Rosenthal, who is manager and co-owner of Outerland, said the club will close for good Nov. 30.
In his letter, Mr. Rosenthal asked for patience from the creditors.
Outerland, the 29-year-old Vineyard nightclub that got a new lease on life less than three years ago, is up for sale, its books awash in red ink despite an outward appearance of success with a varied live entertainment scene.
“We gave it a great, great try,” said club owner Barry Rosenthal on Tuesday. Mr. Rosenthal bought the nightclub, formerly named the Hot Tin Roof, in January 2006, with his brother Dr. Arthur Rosenthal.
A group of Vermont nightclub owners aim to open for business on the property formerly housing the Outerland nightclub this summer.
Partners in Ya Dude LLC, who operate Nectar’s nightclub in Burlington, Vt., want to sublet the property from Bar LLC. the company owned by Barry and Mona Rosenthal, who operated Outerland for three years until last fall.
First they need the approval of the Martha’s Vineyard airport commission, which owns the property, and also the Edgartown selectmen, who issue the liquor license for the club.
Nectar’s has begun booking musical shows for the coming summer on the Vineyard, and club owners confirmed this week that they are negotiating to lease and eventually buy the building at the airport that formerly housed the Hot Tin Roof and Outerland.
