G-Son Studios Launches Kickstarter to Reopen as Music Venuve & Community Arts Space

A defining piece of Los Angeles music and cultural history is being brought back to life. G-Son Studios, the former rehearsal space, recording studio, and headquarters of the Beastie Boys, is launching a public fundraising initiative via Kickstarter to restore and reopen the iconic space as a community arts center and live music venue.

Tucked away in Atwater Village, G-Son Studios was, from the outside, an unassuming ballroom. Inside, it became one of the most mythic creative environments in Los Angeles, part studio, part clubhouse, part skate spot, part basketball court, and part experimental playground. It was within these walls that the Beastie Boys created some of their most influential work, including Check Your Head, Ill Communication, and Hello Nasty, along with era-defining visuals like “Pass the Mic.”

G-Son Studios inside

The space also drew a wide orbit of artists and collaborators, including Beck, Biz Markie, Run-DMC, Redd Kross, and Luscious Jackson, cementing its place as a quiet but powerful force in shaping the sound and culture of a generation.

After the Beastie Boys era, the building continued its life as a creative incubator, housing tenants such as Diplo, Han Cholo Jewelry, X-Large Clothing, and Mad Decent Records. Over time, however, the property fell into disrepair and faced the imminent threat of being gutted entirely.

That trajectory shifted when Los Angeles resident and Beastie Boys fan Adam Englander, alongside his partner Alex Cherin, stepped in, literally as demolition crews were preparing to dismantle the space. Since taking over, they have been carefully restoring G-Son Studios, removing a collapsing stage, repairing core infrastructure, restoring lighting, and uncovering original artwork that had been hidden for years beneath layers of neglect.

G-Son Studios lounge

Said Englander:

“This isn’t just about saving a building. It’s about preserving a piece of LA’s creative DNA and giving it new life as a space for artists, community, and culture to come together again.”

The vision for G-Son Studios is to reopen as a living, breathing cultural venue, hosting live music, film screenings, DJ sets, gallery exhibitions, rehearsals, workshops, and community programming. The goal is to maintain the raw, collaborative, anything-goes spirit that made the space legendary, while making it accessible to a new generation of creators.

The Kickstarter campaign was intentionally launched to coincide with the anniversary of Check Your Head’s 1992 release, marking a full-circle moment for the space where that album was born. Supporters of the campaign will have the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of this historic site while gaining access to exclusive content, behind-the-scenes restoration updates, and unique experiences tied to the reopening of G-Son Studios.

As Los Angeles continues to lose many of the independent creative spaces that once defined its cultural landscape, the revival of G-Son Studios stands as both a preservation effort and a forward-looking investment in the city’s artistic future.