Teardown of Iconic Houston Concert Venue Begins — It’s Curtains for Fitzgerald’s

The divey Heights concert venue Fitzgerald’s was pure gold. It was the legendary, ramshackle site of thousands of concerts, everyone from Joe Ely to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Insane Clown Posse. But it comes as no surprise that nothing gold can stay.

The planned teardown of the iconic 42-year old live music haven has begun. Chain-link fences have gone up, walls have come down.

Fitzgerald’s  scrolling neon sign — which was a relatively new addition, with diehard fans sorely missing the old marquee mainstay — has been taken down.

Fitzgerald’s officially closed its doors after New Year’s Eve. It celebrated the holiday the way it always did — with the annual electric performance from Skyrocket, who lit up the venue for more than 35 years, serving as the swan song.

Owner Sarah Fitzgerald has taken the check from EasyPark, a Chicago-based real estate group, and moved out to Seguin for a peaceful retirement. She adored Fitzgerald’s, but was long over pulsing music well into 4 am.

The owner figured they would raze the epic building after EasyPark came to test for asbestos. Word is the original plan called for a high-rise on the site. EasyPark is also the company behind Railway Heights, an eating, shopping and drinking destination on Washington Avenue.

“In our business, it’s hard because we’re always on the front lines of getting a band started,” Sarah Fitzgerald told PaperCity back in December when we detailed Fitzgerald’s shuttering. “We’re the first one to give them a chance. We’re kind of like an investment banker — but when they finally pay off, they’re too big to play our room.

“It’s kind of a labor of love.”

Now, the labor is done and the music is gone. The historic neighborhood is continuing to grow and evolve. Let’s just hope it doesn’t shake off too much more of its past.