The Clubhouse in East Hampton is bringing a variety of big-name entertainment to the East End. Emmy-winning standup comedian and actress Amy Schumer will perform live on July 23, with an after party with MGMT.
Following Schumer’s performance, a portion of all proceeds from the show will be donated to The Retreat, a local East End organization, whose mission is to provide safety, shelter, and support for victims of domestic abuse and to break the cycle of family violence.
The Clubhouse’s mission is to bring quality entertainment, accessible to everyone in the East End community and beyond. It’s owned by the Rubenstein family, adjacent to their longtime business East Hampton Indoor Tennis.
Disco House with Roosevelt will take the stage on July 16. Dark Star Orchestra will be at the venue on August 14. And that’s just the beginning for the organizers of these events. Clubhouse teamed up with NY-based producers Murmrr to present. We spoke with Matt Rubenstein, Matt Classens, and Brian Kelly to learn more.
During the early days of Clubhouse, Rubenstein was booking local acts to showcase, and never planned for it to grow into national headlining acts the way it did.
“Covid hit and I’m like, ‘You know what? If we’re actually going to do this, let me renovate the whole indoor space.’” So they took the time to set up the venue for larger acts, creating one of the only hard ticket concert halls in the Hamptons. In 2020, once restrictions lifted, Jon Bon Jovi hosted a charity concert and in 2021 they hosted Sublime.
After Bon Jovi, Rubenstein thought, “Maybe we have something here?”
“I’ve been in the music industry booking shows for over 10 years now, 300+ concerts,” said Classens, who grew up in East Hampton with Rubenstein. “I came back home during the pandemic, when there were no more shows and everything was shut down.”
Classens met up with Rubenstein who told him they had recently installed a stage. “I was one of the only talent buyers to be hired at that time. Scott and Matt, both seeing the post-pandemic potential of the space, and my background,” he said.
“I had gotten wind from a friend out in Montauk that they had done a Sublime show,” said Brian Kelly of Murmrr, who had worked on programming at Sole East and runs a 700-person venue in Brooklyn, doing shows for nearly a decade. “I met these guys and we hit it off. They just have really good energy and enthusiasm… It was a natural fit.”
The goal of the programming is to provide a variety of talent to fit the venue’s customer base. “The Clubhouse and the tennis club is already such a melting pot of different ages and demographics and backgrounds. And we’re able to do different types of shows and hit different audiences,” said Rubenstein.
Giving back to community is also something that is part of the team’s core values. The Bon Jovi concert was for charity and proceeds from Amy Schumer will benefit The Retreat, which offers domestic violence support on the East End.
“When we did the Bon Jovi event, we donated to Meals on Wheels and Project Most. After, Matt and I sat down and said, ‘Not only does it feel great to give back, I think the people in the community appreciated it,’” said Rubenstein. “The town has been so good to us. My parents grew up there. Whenever we can, whenever the event lends to this possibility, we love to have a charitable aspect.”
“The idea that we have an artist like Amy Schumer that is aligned with what we’re doing and is supportive, and that’s part of her messaging, it made it even more meaningful,” said Kelly. “She kind of got it immediately. And when we pitched her the idea this is what she wanted to do and I think that really adds value in terms of getting the messaging out and trying to raise as much money as possible for the actual cause.”
“As the East End’s only domestic violence organization, The Retreat applauds Miss Schumer’s courage and generosity in support of survivors,” read a statement from The Retreat.
“It’s really been a pleasure and I’m spoiled to have these guys right there with me,” said Rubenstein. “I’m just excited to see the venue come alive.”
Many on the team, including manager Sean Mckenna, echo the sentiment. “It’s a unique property with endless potential, multiple revenue centers, and the ultimate challenge,” he said. “The Rubenstein’s are a great family.”
Visit murmrr.com for tickets to events.
