The Phoenix is also on Monday night's CB3/SLA docket for a liquor-license transfer. The gay bar with a well-stocked jukebox on East 13th Street near Avenue A is in store for some possible changes.
Brenda Breathnach is one of the principals who may take over the space here. Via email, she told me that the bar will still be called The Phoenix and "cater to the local gay and lesbian community."
As for changes, she'd like to host an occasional open mic poetry reading and perhaps a session of traditional Irish music. (She is going to add soundproofing to the space.)
Overall, she described it as "a cafe-style tavern for the community to chat in and hang out to meet new people and make new friends."
Any other changes? "I intend to clean it up a little with nicer bathrooms."
10 comments:
NO! PLEASE!
There's usually a large group of regulars standing outside waiting for this entertainment to stop.
The last band I had the misfortune of hearing couldn't play their instruments and sounded like they were mumbling 4 riot grrrl songs at the same time. The only ones interested were their 5 friends watching. Stay in Williamsburg!
There are plenty of "cafe-style taverns" around, leave the bar alone! Get a decent DJ if you want to liven the place up.
Boo! Phoenix bathrooms are the best dive bathrooms in the city.
And has the best graffiti: "Beyonce Shops at Strawberry."
Tonight's event, "Night of 1000 Brads" was sponsored by Rachel Zoe and, shut the front door, it was a huge success!
1000 guys draped their undeveloped bodies in flannel shirts, khaki shorts and popped on some trendy black specs before shrieking violently through their noses for 2 hours straight.
The winner got driven home by Jennifer Lopez and was given 50 copies of her new CD to give to his friends.
OMG. Love. The. Events.
That's an easy decision: deny, unless they stipulate no Irish music.
Sheesh. Why do people insist on making things so complicated?
Can't guys just get together in a bar and drink anymore? Christ.
Okay. So… We’re Here, We’re Queer, We’re neutered?
Why is a Lesbian Clog Dancing and Poetry Club moving into the Phoenix? Would Henrietta Hudson be so welcoming to a Wednesday Night Big D*ck Contest?
It is bad enough that there is now a whole generation of gay men that are incapable of going out without being accompanied by 6 gals from Jersey and sharing their latest Dress Barn finds, but now there isn’t even the pretense of a Men’s bar? Just about any gay bar now has at least one small gaggle of nasally chirping suburban chix (complete with chicken feather boas and flashing cameras) completely destroying it’s vibe.
I assumed the recent lame ass events were a misguided but harmless attempt to drum up a little extra business during the notoriously slow NYC summer. Little did I know it was part of a new business plan.
I also witnessed the recent lesbian riot grrrl night featuring 4 talentless women droning incoherently (and at four separate beats) to a group of about a dozen equally uninteresting women. Half of them slowly sipping a 3.00 beer – and most likely under-tipping.
Regulars stood outside smoking, making small talk and rolling their eyes while praying for the set to end.
Quite frankly – this “café” event is more suitable for a Borders Books in Tempe, AZ than anywhere in the East Village. It’s lame. Period. (pun intended)
They ruined Sunday night too!
There was an episode of Married With Children where Marcey introduced lesbian poetry to the nudie bar. If I'm not mistaken it went something like
My eggs
My eggs
Above my legs
My eggs
That about sums up this idea.
i hear peoples complaints but i think anything that will keep a long established gay bar in the neighborhood ( it's the last remaining one down at this end!!) is a good thing. no idea what the changes will be but i think it would be a real shame if the phoenix were gone.
Oh, you don’t know what the changes will be? Well then, feel free to READ THE POST YOU ARE RESPONDING TO. It pretty much tells you.
Providing a much UN-needed venue for Irish music clog dance hoedowns and bad poetry readings does NOT qualify as keeping a “long established gay bar in the neighborhood.” Actually, it is the very definition of destroying one.
You are right – it would be a shame if the Phoenix were to close down. This business plan guarantees that it will. Keeping the name doesn’t equal keeping it alive.
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