After more than 30 years in Mill Valley, Sweetwater, the rock club that became a Marin County cultural institution, had been told to close by the end of the month. Sweetwater owners Thom and Becky Steere have been given a 30-day notice by their landlord to vacate the landmark Throckmorton Avenue nightspot, where greats like Jerry Garcia, Carlos Santana, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt and other rock stars have performed over the past three decades.
The building will undergo major improvements, requiring rent increases that the Steeres cannot afford.
Mill Valley Mayor Chris Raker, who was surprised to hear of the closure, called the news upsetting.
“I'm extremely distressed to hear it. It's a major loss to the community. While I welcome the improvements to the building, I wish some accommodation could have been made to allow Sweetwater to stay."
In an emotional morning meeting , the Steeres gave their dozen employees the news. “There were lots of tears," an upset Becky Steere said, her voice cracking. “We're a family. This is our life. We're all devoted to Sweetwater. We're feeling deep sadness and sorrow right now. It's heartbreaking."
The Steeres say they've been looking for a new home for Sweetwater, but it will be impossible to re-create its living-room-like ambience, to replace its barnwood walls decorated with memorabilia and photos of musicians who have played there.
“How do you move an institution?" Becky Steere asked. “You can't carry away the memories of all the musicians who have performed here, the magic that's been on that stage. If you move an institution like Sweetwater, you lose the soul of the place."
The Steeres, who saved the club when they took it over from previous owner Jeanie Patterson in 1998, clashed with their landlord in 2004 over rent increases and other issues.
They threatened to leave during those negotiations, but managed to work out a month-to-month lease. But they've were then told to be out by Sept. 1, at the latest.
“We've had this scene before, but this time it's real," Becky Steere said. “Unless some miracle happens, this is the end."
The Sweetwater building at 153 Throckmorton Ave. is owned by the Aversa family, longtime proprietors of adjacent La Ginestra restaurant.
The Aversas are planning “major repairs" that will require the building to be vacant “for an unknown but extended period," according to a statement signed by the Steeres and by Fabio Aversa for his family.
“Once these repairs are completed, the intent is to re-rent the space, but the increase in rent to offset the improvements will make it impossible for Sweetwater to reoccupy the space," the statement said. “It also makes little sense for Sweetwater to move and then move again, perhaps months later."
The Aversas say they plan to tear back interior walls to make sure the building meets seismic safety standards and to improve the plumbing and electrical systems.
“While there have been ups and downs in the relationship between the club and the building owner, both of us are proud of our long-term relationship and regret that it is coming to an end," the joint statement said.
Fabio Aversa did not immediately return calls for comment.
John Goddard, whose Village Music record store closes in September due to issues including escalating rents after some 40 years in Mill Valley, blasted the Aversas.
“Anyone who has eaten at La Ginestra in the past 10 years has given tacit validation to everything the Aversas have put the current and former owners of Sweetwater through," he said. “They ought to be ashamed of themselves."
The Steeres recently took over operation of the Larkspur Caf Theater, which they had hoped to run in addition to Sweetwater.
“It will never become Sweetwater," Becky Steere said. “Sweetwater is Sweetwater, a place where big-name musicians come and play, not for the money, but because of the history of this great room.
“Everyone loved the place."
Live music fans have been freaked out about losing Sweetwater, the beloved Mill Valley nightclub that closed last year when it lost its lease. The way it looks now, their prayers for a new Sweetwater have been answered and then some. In fact, Marin may end up with two Sweetwaters instead of one. Here's the scoop:
The original Sweetwater Saloon that everyone knew and loved for 37 years is expected to reopen in a new location in downtown Mill Valley this spring.
In July, a couple of months before they had to close the club, Sweetwater owners Becky and Thom Steere took over the Larkspur Cafe Theater, which they have just renamed Sweetwater Station.
The new name immediately rekindles speculation that the Larkspur venue at 500 Magnolia Ave. replaces the old Mill Valley Sweetwater. The Steeres insist that isn't the case, reiterating that they plan on reopening in Mill Valley as soon as they can.
“I don't want people to think, 'Oh, yeah, they're moving Sweetwater to Larkspur,'" Becky told me when the name change became official this week. “I want to make it clear that Sweetwater Mill Valley is opening soon. These are two separate entities."
The Steeres decided to have Sweetwater in the name because they wanted patrons to know that it's being run by the same people who ran the Mill Valley club.
“I wanted to have it connected to Sweetwater because it is a music club, not a theater," Becky explained. “Everyone said, 'So why don't you call it Sweetwater something?'"
Sweetwater Station was inspired by the fact that the bar portion of the building, a historic landmark built in 1870, was once the stationmaster's house for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad.
“He raised something like 10 kids in it," Becky said. “Right behind us is the old stucco hut where passengers used to wait for the train."
In addition to connecting the Mill Valley Sweetwater with its sister venue in Larkspur, the new name also eliminates a lot of confusion with other places in town, and it's a lot less clunky than the old one.
“We were constantly getting confused with the Lark Theater and the Lark Creek Inn and everything else," Becky said. “And did you ever try to answer the phone and say 'Larkspur Cafe Theater' when you're in a hurry?"
Mill Valley's Sweetwater Saloon is slated to move into 32 Miller Ave., the former Greenwood home furnishings and gift store, which is just around the corner from the original club on Throckmorton Avenue. The landlord is renovating the building, so the Steeres are uncertain about a move-in date, although they're hoping to reopen sometime this spring.
Unlike the Mill Valley Sweetwater, which is a bar and nightclub, Sweetwater Station is an all-ages venue that offers a dinner menu, serves just wine and beer, books quieter, more acoustic music and caters to an earlier crowd.
The Steeres picked the new name from some 75 suggestions from musicians, customers and everyone else who wanted to weigh in on the subject.
“Everybody said they liked Sweetwater Station," Becky said. “It's easy. Sweetwater Station just fit."
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