Anaheim’s all-ages club Chain Reaction announced that it would be officially closing its doors after being unable to host live music for the last seven months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a post on the venue’s official Facebook and Instagram pages Friday morning, Chain Reaction decided to close indefinitely. Noting that the venue hadn’t received any financial help and had no clear path to safe reopening, the post said the club had paid to get out of the current lease.
However, just as promoters were letting bands know of the dire situation and starting to dismantle its stage, Orange County rock band Stick To Your Guns rallied fellow bands Terror, Knocked Loose, Counterparts, Rotting Out and Year of the Knife to come up with ideas to save the club.
“Without The Chain Reaction, this band wouldn’t exist,” Stick To Your Guns posted via its Instagram on Friday. “We don’t know if we’re gonna be able to do it, but we will be damned if we don’t try. From Orange County to the people who have flown from across the world to see a show there, you know the importance of this place. Let’s do what we gotta do to give Chain a chance.”
The band partnered with Costa Mesa-based hockey-inspired apparel company Violent Gentlemen and Anaheim’s Blackcraft Cult clothing company to create specialty T-shirts that fans can purchase to help keep the venue from going under for good.
“But there’s still hope,” Chain Reaction’s post added.
Fans and supporters can stop by the venue at 1652 W. Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim on Saturday, Oct. 24 from 12-6 p.m. to purchase the specialty T-shirts, which are going for $29.99. Shirts can also be purchased via the venue website at allages.com. Promoters posted that more information and opportunities to help the venue would be shared soon.
Chain Reaction opened in 1996 and served as a place for artists to play to all-age audiences between San Diego and Los Angeles. It was popular, even though it only held 250 patrons and didn’t sell alcohol until recently. It has hosted countless small-time bands that have gone on to mainstream success, including acts like Huntington Beach-based rock outfit Avenged Sevenfold, country singer Cassadee Pope’s pop punk band Hey Monday, Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s. It was also known for surprise performances from huge acts on its small stage like At The Drive-In, Death Cab for Cutie and more.
“These four walls only exist because of the kids, this community, the people who literally brought Chain Reaction to life and continue to keep it thriving,” Chain Reaction’s post continued. “There may or may not be a day that we get to open up soon, but what we do know is there is hope because of the selfless act of our community of artists and bands.”
