By Jennifer Maerz
There’s only one place you can see great bands like Arcade Fire, The Flaming Lips, TV on the Radio, Fleet Foxes, and Beach House under a cluster of Big Sur redwoods with only a few hundred other people. That spot would be the Henry Miller Library, the historic wooden cabin bookstore and adjacent grassy lawn that’s been host to writing workshops, film festivals, and some the most magical concerts I’ve ever seen. And if you agree in the powers of this space, now’s the time to help make sure this intimate lawn can remain a music venue.
The Henry Miller Library has drawn people from all over the world to experience an unparalleled concert setting. The fog drops down between the trees. Cell reception drops out completely. Strings of glass bulbs light the space between the redwoods. Musicians and fans share the same cozy plot of land, or browse through the same Beat books and posters in the Library store. The uniqueness of the space and the energy of the crowds it attracts caused fans of the place to freak out when we heard the Library temporarily closed its doors on November 15. Executive Director Magnus Toren wrote in a letter to Library supporters that the place went dark for three weeks in order to comply with Monterey County officials, who wanted the venue to obtain operating permits. The Monterey County Weekly reported last week that in 33 years of business, the former home of Emil White (Henry Miller’s old buddy), never had a “valid permit allowing public uses.” The Monterey Herald further detailed the issues facing the non-profit arts space, including upgrades in bathroom facilities, parking, and water (Toren wrote in a recent email to Library fans that they’ve made “major improvements in recent years to address concerns around water and septic issues.”) The Monterey County Planning Commission granted the Library the permit to reopen as a bookstore on December 10, but the venue hasn’t received the additional permitting to host events. That decision is expected to come down in January.
“The plan is to get the official permit for 10 events a year,” Britt Govea, who has been responsible for bringing amazing music to Big Sur under his FolkYeah umbrella for the past nine years, told me. “We want to go totally legit.” Govea, who is a board member of the Library, explained that between now and mid-January, the Library is in dire need of letters of support from people who know how transformative the space is for experiencing not only live music, but the town of Big Sur itself. He adds that it isn’t just about the Library but also the fact that people make a big deal of experiencing the space as a whole. They don’t have their cell phones out the whole time. They explore nearby beaches and hikes and cabins and campsites. And of course, “The performances are bar none,” he adds.
Having shows at the Henry Miller Library has put the historical cabin on the map more than traditional publicity ever could, and performances there merge the cultures of music, literature, and Big Sur. “People come to hang out, buy books, and tell stories about what they’ve experienced at the Library,” Govea says. “The shows have been a real beacon” for Big Sur.
Govea says there are plans in the works to make the show-going experience even smoother in the future, including experimenting with running shuttles from Carmel to the Library to help with some of the parking issues. But for now the biggest concern is showing Monterey County officials how vital the Library has become to people around the world. If you’re a fan of the venue sticking around for shows, email Monterey County Planning Managing Specialist Luke Connolly (ConnollyLT@co.monterey.ca.us) and the Henry Miller Library’s Magnus Toren (magnus@henrymiller.org) your letters of support by early January. The non-profit can always use financial donations as well. We have a very special thing going down in Big Sur, and it’s up to all of us who understand that to help keep it going.
Photo of the Flaming Lips at Henry Miller Library courtesy of Terry Way Photography/Follow Terry at Terry Way Facebook and Terry Way Instagram; bottom photo from Wikimedia Commons
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