Irving Plaza r.i.p.

I guess I was paying attention to other stuff in April of this year, but the Irving Plaza music venue has undergone a name change. It's now the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. Apparently the ownership group has a grand plan to rechristen a number of venues all over the country as "Fillmores", for cohesive brand messaging. While I am sure they believe it's the right thing to do, this irritates the hell out of me! Repainting the interior? Hanging curtains? The shuttering of the Wetlands in 2001 made Irving Plaza the de facto hub for jambands in NYC. I'm so sad to hear it's gone corporate!