Little Street Music Hall to close after lease talks fall through

*The music venue in a prime downtown location at the corner of Oasis Street and Miles Avenue.*

Little Street Music Hall will close after its owners say they failed to reach a lease agreement with the city of Indio, eliminating a key entertainment venue for the East Valley.

Josiah Gonzalez, one of the three brothers who own the venue, announced the closure Monday in an Instagram video, saying negotiations with the city about extending their lease had reached an impasse.

“There were some non-negotiables that we put into what we wanted that we just couldn’t see eye to eye on,” Josiah said.

Though they didn’t give an exact date, the closure is expected to take effect soon. The family-owned business has been working to fulfill shows scheduled through this month, but anything beyond that remains uncertain.

Encore Coffee, which operates inside the music hall, will also remain closed until the owners receive word from the city about their exit strategy from the building at 82-707 Miles Avenue.

The venue’s closure represents a setback for downtown Indio’s revitalization efforts and removes an all-ages entertainment option from the eastern Coachella Valley.

Vincent Gonzalez, Josiah’s brother, said the decision was difficult after about three years of work to create a space that supported the local music community. “It’s definitely with a heavy heart that we’re going to be closing Little Street Music Hall down,” he said in the announcement.

The brothers had signed a three-year lease with monthly rent of about $1,700 that was approved in April 2022. The city purchased the two-story, 5,357-square-foot building using federal bonds in 2008.

In a city known for one of the world’s biggest music festivals, Little Street Music Hall hosted local and touring bands and gave a platform to up and coming and established artists alike as well as comedy and DJ events.

Sam Gonzalez thanked the community for embracing what he called “a real family business.” The brothers encouraged supporters to continue backing local music and said they plan to remain involved in the local music scene through their band, Avenida Music and music education programs.

“Keep supporting local music,” Vincent Gonzalez said. “Keep going to local shows, keep supporting your local bands.”