The artist M.I.A. played a concert at the Knockdown Center last weekend. Facebook photo
Maspeth has had its eye on the Knockdown Center for a long time, even more so since it announced the internationally known pop icon M.I.A. would be performing there this month. The state liquor authority even denied the center’s application for a cabaret liquor license last week to the praise of community leaders and elected officials.
But Friday night’s M.I.A. and A$AP Ferg show came and went without much damage to report. In fact, those who went recalled the 52-19 Flushing Ave. Knockdown Center, which was once home to a glass and door factory, as a safe place that took security seriously.
“We were pretty heavily patted down before going in – more so than I had been at other shows I’ve been to,” said Kevin Burke, who made his first trip to the Knockdown Center that night. “I definitely felt safe.”
Burke said security guards were seen shining their flashlights into the crowd at different points throughout the night to make sure things were under control, but it did not make him feel threatened or intimidated as a concert-goer.
A spokesman for the NYPD said Friday night did not yield any out-of-the-ordinary or jarring activity in regards to the Knockdown Center, and Knockdown Center manager Tyler Myers recalled the big weekend as one of success for his team. Myers had spent the weeks leading up to this weekend walking through the center with members of the 104th Precinct, exchanging concerns and remedies to any potential hazards.
“I have a lot of faith in our security company. We all worked hard to interface with the NYPD and accept any feedback about how we could operate the event,” Myers said. “It all went smoothly. We were pleased with the result and with the performance.”
Myers said he showed his willingness to meet halfway when management cut the overall capacity of the venue down from 5,000 to 3,100 people after members of the community sounded off over the potential crowds.
Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano has been one of the many vocal opponents of the Knockdown Center becoming a potential community hazard, drawing large amounts of young people and leaving the surrounding residents more vulnerable to danger.
When it was time to leave Friday night, Burke said he noticed a police presence near the event, which opponents like Giordano have argued added unnecessary stress onto the already taxed 104th Precinct.
“If anyone that went to the show had any interest in doing drugs or anything, they were keeping it pretty quiet. I’m sure there were a few exceptions to this, but for the majority, people only went to Knockdown to see M.I.A., A$AP Ferg and have a fun night,” Burke said. “Nobody really seemed to want to f*** up the town or even stick around that area afterwards at all.”
It was still a dry event nonetheless, since the state liquor authority denied the Knockdown Center’s application to serve liquor to more than 600 people. Community Board 5 members and elected officials celebrated the decision as a step in the right direction for the betterment of Maspeth natives.
“I would like to thank the state liquor authority for listening to the concerns of my constituents and I had regarding the Knockdown Center and applaud them for supporting this community,” state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said in a statement following the decision. “This is a vital step in preserving residents’ quality of life and maintaining the needed level of neighborhood safety.”
Giordano speculated the state’s denial of the liquor license played a role in the Knockdown’s Friday night event ending without any major mishaps, even despite the more than 2,500 people who made their way through Maspeth that night.
“I remain very concerned with how the venue operates these kinds of events,” he said. “But from what I know, there was no major trouble.”
Another M.I.A. performance was also scheduled for Thursday May 8, but that show was cancelled for what many speculated was a lack of ticket sales. The center has also played host to several other events, including art shows and a weekly flea market.
By Phil Corso
