Rockin' in The Relic Theater

The next chapter for Studio Anatomy in the Con Foster building

Yes, it may have been a long (and sometimes bumpy) ride. But if you ask Brian Chamberlain, it was worth the wait.

After several months of hoping for approval from Traverse City officials, Chamberlain’s Studio Anatomy is primed to open a new music and event venue dubbed The Relic Theater in the Con Foster building along Grandview Parkway. The historic structure most recently housed Bijou By the Bay, a movie theater run by the Traverse City Film Festival that closed more than two years ago.

There’s a very short list of places in town that possess the visibility, charm, and location of Con Foster, and Chamberlain can’t wait to bring the space back to life.

“We’re coming from this underground basement hidden in some building to this iconic, historic building with all of this exposure on the main parkway,” Chamberlain says. “It’s an honor to be taking over this space, and I’m so confident that it’s going to be an amazing venue.”

Arcade Beginnings

Chamberlain started Studio Anatomy in a small space above the Camera Shop before moving to the basement of the Arcade Building in 2012. He settled there in the former home of a music shop called Good News Music Center, but Chamberlain—nudged on by those in the community hungry for another venue—envisioned more.

Simply put, he wanted a space to jam. And a space for others to jam. And a space, most importantly, where everyone could come and see those jams.

“We wanted to do all-ages shows, because at the time, there were only a couple places in town doing those types of events,” Chamberlain said. “There really was a big need for it.”

Studio Anatomy went on to host over 300 shows during its 10-year run in the Arcade. The space really seemed to resonate with people, Chamberlain says.

“It was literally an underground event space,” he says. “As Traverse City was getting wealthier and bougier and everything was growing so fast and changing, people still wanted that underground facility to watch up-and-coming bands.”

The jig was up in 2022, when their landlord kicked them (and everyone else there) out as Cherry Republic planned to buy and use the building. It was a gut punch, even if the landlord did let them know well in advance that the building was on the market and such an outcome might transpire.

“We were planning on staying there forever because we had completely remodeled the whole space; put a lot of money into it,” Chamberlain says. “It had turned into a really awesome space. People loved it.”

After leaving that space, Chamberlain focused on another endeavor, Eugene’s Record Co-op (in the basement of the Coin Slot building) and continued to explore other opportunities.

Then to Now

It was November of 2024 when Michael Moore announced that the Traverse City Film Festival would vacate the Bijou By the Bay, which it had run for several years.

Even before this announcement, the wheels were turning in Chamberlain’s head as the space sat unused (no films had been shown since May of that year). As it is a city-owned space, he called over to the Governmental Center.

“I was reaching out and was like, ‘Hey, what’s going on with the theater? Are they closing? What’s going on?’” he says. “[Deputy City Manager Deb Allen] and I were in touch for a couple of years almost, kind of going back and forth.”

Eventually Allen let Chamberlain know that the city planned to issue a request for proposals for a new tenant for the space, which it did in January of 2026. But things did not go smoothly.

After a very tight turnaround time on the RFP, confusion around the extensive RFP requirements and communication issues led to both Studio Anatomy and the lone competing proposal—a sauna/wellness center from Paper Birch Properties—initially being rejected in March. What’s worse, they weren’t even notified, only finding out when a public city meeting packet was posted.

But in May, commissioners revisited the proposals and voted to have staff enter contract negotiations with Studio Anatomy, believing it to be the best use for the space. In early July, commissioners voted to ink a five-year agreement with Studio Anatomy.

“It was a rollercoaster, because we thought we didn’t have it, and then maybe, and then no, and then oops, we screwed up, [and then yes],” Chamberlain says. “We had ups and downs, but in the past month or so, the city is really excited about our proposal.”

A Bright Future

Chamberlain and his partner Matt Stafford (who has extensive experience in visual displays tied to sound and music) are hoping to open sometime in the fall. According to their contract with the city, the group must provide a minimum of one ticketed and one free public event per week.

But before then, they want to improve the space a bit, planning to invest at least $60,000 in various improvements, including removing existing seating and making lighting, sound, and other upgrades. They also plan to obtain a liquor license.

The lease starts at $20,000 per year and grows to $40,000 by the end of the five-year agreement. Chamberlain and Stafford say they already are involved in a lot of the live music happening in town and have no concerns about the venue being profitable. The demand is there and ready to be tapped into, they say.

“The lease agreement is reasonable enough that we can make this happen without a bunch of trepidation,” Stafford says.

The bottom line? The pair is beyond excited to get in and get moving.

“It’s going to be an amazing venue, an amazing space, and I’m confident we’re going to do a really good job and the venue is going to have a really big impact,” Chamberlain says. “I think this is the perfect building and the perfect scenario, and what we’re doing fits perfectly. The community is going to love it.”

For its own part, the city is also pumped. City Manager Benjamin Marentette says he expects the partnership will be a “beautiful thing” that creates great experiences for visitors and locals alike, particularly young people.

“For years, I’ve spoken in our area high schools and asked students how Traverse City could be more for them. And I’ve heard time and time again that they want to have access to the arts and performances; something exciting to do and to focus on that engages their creative brains,” he says. “And on top of that, this is the perfect example of using a publicly owned asset to deliver really exciting experiences to all sorts of members of our community.”

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