The second floor of the corner building at Glendale Boulevard and Larga Avenue was built for the neighborhood. According to G-Son Studios' own history, it began as the Atwater Community Center ballroom: a dance floor upstairs with storefronts below. For most of the past 35 years, though, the room was famous and mostly closed to the public. Musicians knew it as the place where the Beastie Boys rebuilt their sound, and most neighbors walking past on Glendale Boulevard never got upstairs.

That is changing. G-Son already takes bookings and hosts concerts, art shows, rehearsals and dance classes. In September 2026 the building got a new owner, and G-Son now has a longer lease and a plan to reopen in early 2027 as a restored live venue, recording studio and community space. After a long stretch as a clubhouse, the ballroom above the boulevard is being rebuilt to go back to its original job as a public room.

A Dance Hall Above a Plumbing Supply Store

SPIN's history of the space describes how Adam Yauch, Michael Diamond and Adam Horovitz found "a forgotten dancehall" on the top floor of the storefront in 1990. The business downstairs was a plumbing supply company called Gilson's. Two letters had fallen off its sign, and what was left gave the band the name G-Son.

According to The Eastsider, the band set up there because engineer Mario Caldato Jr. suggested they stop paying hourly studio rates. They turned the ballroom into a clubhouse with a basketball court and a skate ramp. They recorded Check Your Head in the room between 1991 and 1992 and later worked on material for Ill Communication and Hello Nasty there.

The guest list grew quickly. SPIN names Beck, Biz Markie, Run-D.M.C., Luscious Jackson and Ben Lee among the artists who recorded there, and Redd Kross cut about five songs in the room between 1991 and 1992. The room was also headquarters for the band's Grand Royal label and Grand Royal magazine, and later for Mike D's X-Large clothing brand. LAist adds that Beck recorded tracks for Odelay there.

By 2000 the Beastie Boys had left the studio and gone back to New York. SPIN reports that the DJ and producer Diplo and his Mad Decent label took over the space next. After that, a series of businesses came and went, and the room's musical history faded.

What Turned Up Behind the Drywall

The current operators are Adam Englander and Alex Cherin, the co-owners of the reopened G-Son. While working on the space, they found that much of the 1990s room was still there. SPIN reports they uncovered a large mural, painted mostly by actress Ione Skye, preserved behind a layer of drywall. An old upright piano left by Beastie Boys keyboardist Money Mark is still in the room, and the walls still carry signatures from Biz Markie, Jam Master Jay and the band.

They have already put music back in the room. SPIN reports private performances by Jim James of My Morning Jacket, producer and drummer Butch Vig, and singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. Englander told SPIN that he wants a much broader schedule than concerts:

"I joke that my ideal day here would be a ballet class in the morning, a yoga class in the afternoon, a punk band at night. I really want this to be a space that people can really go use, but also a space of just holding a neighborhood council meeting."

That describes a community ballroom, which is what the room was before Gilson's sign lost its letters. G-Son's website says the room already hosts that kind of mix: concerts, art shows, rehearsals, dance classes and creative gatherings in a studio of more than 1,600 square feet. The early-2027 reopening is meant to make the room fit for that work full time. The Beastie Boys are not directly involved in the revival. SPIN reports that Englander has spoken with Ad-Rock a few times about the space.

The Sale That Secured the Room

Plans like these depend on the building, and this fall the building changed hands. The Real Deal and The Eastsider both reported that Engine Real Estate bought the corner property in September 2026 for $10 million. The new owner lists it as a 14,476-square-foot retail building at 3220 Glendale Boulevard, built in 1927. A new owner could have changed the tenant mix. Instead, The Eastsider reported that G-Son came away with an extended lease.

Supporters had already paid for much of the restoration before the sale. G-Son's Kickstarter campaign launched in late May with a $25,000 goal and closed July 1, 2026. It had 202 backers who pledged $33,234. The campaign lists the work planned for the restoration: accessibility upgrades, sound insulation, licensing, floor refinishing and professional booking, with a new stage and sound system as stretch goals. SPIN reports that a liquor license is in the works and that the operators are planning for about 150 people in the main room, subject to the fire marshal's approval.

A Pasadena Listening Room Wants the Same Floor

A second music business also wants to move into the room. Healing Force of the Universe is a record store and performance space near Pasadena City College, run by owner Austin Manuel. LAist reported on October 19 that Manuel and his team are raising money to move into G-Son. The name comes from Albert Ayler's 1970 album Music Is the Healing Force of the Universe. LAist describes its shows as built around careful listening on a hi-fi sound system, with a mix that includes spiritual jazz, electronic sets and singer-songwriters.

Manuel told LAist that the Glendale Boulevard space would triple Healing Force's concert capacity, add a bar and put it closer to other Northeast L.A. venues. He described the Pasadena location as "a dead corner" without much foot traffic. Atwater's walkable commercial strip on Glendale Boulevard is the opposite of that. He also said he designed his room so that "a Southern church lady could come in here and feel welcome," and that he wanted it to feel "kind of suburban." That approach fits Englander's plan for ballet classes and council meetings.

As of early November, the Healing Force GoFundMe showed $18,942 raised toward a $25,000 goal from 217 donors. Its Pasadena calendar ended with a Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday, October 31, 2026. The Healing Force website calls G-Son an opportunity for a more permanent home.

The Rest of the Corner

The ballroom is only part of the building. The same sale brings changes at street level, and most of them also add reasons to stop at this corner. Here is the corner as reported this fall:

Maison Atwater is the biggest change downstairs. The Real Deal reports that the team behind Pasadena brunch spot OH LA LA signed a 10-year lease on more than 3,000 square feet. The brasserie takes over the corner space at 3224 Glendale Boulevard where Blu Jam served breakfast and lunch. According to The Eastsider, the cafe said the building had been sold and it chose not to sign a new lease. A rendering from the new owners, published with The Eastsider's report, shows how the corner will look once Maison Atwater opens.

A brasserie is an evening business, and G-Son's plan depends on night programming. If both open as planned, someone could have dinner downstairs and walk up to a set in the room where Check Your Head was recorded. A morning class upstairs could likewise lead to coffee at the corner. During the clubhouse years, the most public thing on the corner was the Gilson's sign that gave the studio its name.

How the Corner's Calendar Lines Up

Two steps are already done, and two are still ahead:

1. September 2026: Engine Real Estate buys the building and G-Son's lease is extended.
2. October 31, 2026: Healing Force's last scheduled event in Pasadena.
3. Early 2027: G-Son's targeted reopening as a restored venue, studio and community space.
4. Spring 2027: Maison Atwater's expected opening at the Glendale and Larga corner.

G-Son's website and the Healing Force GoFundMe are the most direct ways to follow the upstairs plans. The Eastsider's Atwater Village coverage has reported each step at street level so far.

For years I've watched buildings along Glendale Boulevard change hands, and this sale is one of the few that brings back a room the neighborhood once used together. If you have memories of the old Gilson's storefront or the G-Son years, I'd love to hear them. If you own a character home near the boulevard and are wondering how changes on this corner fit into your own plans, Addora Beall is glad to talk it through over coffee. Schedule a Personalized Consultation whenever the time is right.