Inside the Brooklyn Kings Theatre With The Artists Den and The Lumineers

Image courtesy Artists Den

What do you get when you pair iconic, non-traditional, often historic venues with new, up-and-coming artists?: a unique experience that fans couldn’t get in a larger venue. Artists Den is a critically acclaimed show that is, in the words of the founder Mark Lieberman, “A curator of the very best breaking artists.”

As part of the show, talented artists and live performers with original material are paired with intimate, unique settings to suit their individual styles. The result is an intimate, inimitable music experience from some of the industry’s best acts. The three-time Emmy nominated series is currently broadcasted on public television, and is also popular in the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Latin America.

Image courtesy Artists Den

Some of the prominent artists who have been featured on the show include Adele, Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Sara Bareilles, and the Zac Brown Band, who performed in featured venues such as the first art museum in America, the New York Public Library, the World’s Fair, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Adele, for instance, performed for the Artists Den right after the release of her album 21; at that time, she was still relatively unknown to many of those who heard her sing that night.

The fourth episode of their 11th season, which airs this Friday October 28th, features The Lumineers in the historic Kings Theatre in Brooklyn. In this episode, the Denver-based folk rock band returns to their former neighborhood for an 18-song set. The concert will include songs from their Grammy-nominated 2012 debut album, their chart-topping follow-up, Cleopatra, and a new unreleased song.

Image courtesy Artists Den

Designated as one of the five “Loew’s Wonder Theatres,” the Kings Theatre was one of the most magnificent, ornate cinemas in the country. However, the theatre’s popularity declined during the Depression. Its single screen also could not rival the multiplex theaters that were spawning, leading to its closure in 1977 – a dormancy that would last 37 years.

Although restoration talks began in 2006, it wasn’t until 2010 that work on the historic Loew’s Kings Theatre actually began. After a $95 million dollar restoration project, the Kings Theatre opened in January of 2015 as a historic and state-of-the-art live performance center.

“We’ve seen a lot of theatres [but] I don’t think we’ve seen one this grand,” says Wesley Schultz, the co-founder of The Lumineers who lived in Brooklyn for about a year.

Artists Den, currently in its 11th season, will also feature acts in The Broad Street Ballroom in New York City. Episode four of Artists Den featuring The Lumineers in the Kings Theatre will air on October 28th on public television. Click here to see which network provider will broadcast the show in your area.

Image courtesy Artists Den

Image courtesy Artists Den

Next, check out The Top 10 Secrets of the Brooklyn Kings Theatre.