Brooklyn's Water From Your Eyes have a new LP, It's a Beautiful Place, out on Aug. 22 via Matador Records.
Ahead of that, they've been releasing several tracks, including (above) "Life Signs."
You can see them live on Oct. 10 at Bowery Ballroom.
Friday, July 18, 2025
The East Village Rite Aid really wants you to know it is closing
Wednesday is the pharmacy's last day... and the rest of the store shuts down on Aug. 24...
Not sure how the store will remain open for another five weeks — there's very little left on the shelves.
Shelving and fixtures are also for sale.
As previously reported, Rite Aid filed for bankruptcy (again) in May, citing years of financial struggles and a rapidly changing retail pharmacy market.
The shelves at the First Avenue Rite Aid have been mostly barren for over a year, although this store managed to survive the previous company turmoil.
Bands we like: Dead Tooth
Photos on July 13 by Stacie Joy
This past Sunday, Dead Tooth was part of an afternoon of free music via Show Brain in Tompkins Square Park.
Usually a five-piece, the Queens-based Dead Tooth played as a power trio, led by lead vocalist-guitarist Zach James...
... including special guest Ozzie, founder of Show Brain (on the left), joining the band on drums this day...
Meanwhile, Dead Tooth's debut record is out today on Trash Casual.
As our friends at Magnet noted: "Dead Tooth has essentially fashioned its own subgenre: 'rodeo core,' a sound that borrows from post-punk, goth, hardcore and (in an oddly peripheral sense) country music." (They also once opened for GWAR.)
Here are portraits of other bands from the day, starting with Jasno...
SORRYNOTSORRY...
... and Pinc Louds...
And to Tilt — sorry that we missed you!
The long short history of the Smurfs in the East Village
In a cinematic event that shook the East Village to its whimsical core, the spring of 2010 saw the Smurfs take Manhattan with our very own streets transformed into a blue-hued Hollywood backlot for the first movie. Or something.
And that led to a whole series of jokey EVG posts about Smurfs running rampant in the neighborhood during that time.
A flashback to our 2010 PhotoShop skillz...
About the New York State Zine Fair at La Plaza Cultural
Happening from noon to 5 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday!) at La Plaza Cultural, on the SW corner of Avenue C and Ninth Street.
Read more about the 8-Ball Community here.
Thursday, July 17, 2025
Thursday's parting shot
HBD to the new East Village Radio
Photo last year by Stacie Joy
And it has been a welcome return with its eclectic programming. (Check out the schedule here.)
There's a one-year anniversary event on July 23 (after 7 p.m.) at the Commodore II, 14 Avenue C at Second Street.
Complaint filed with NY AG over firing of Sixth Street Community Center executive director
Photos yesterday by Stacie Joy
Supporters gathered outside the Sixth Street Community Center on Wednesday to announce they've filed a formal complaint with the New York State Attorney General, demanding the reinstatement of ousted Executive Director Howard Brandstein and the removal of the Center's current board of directors.
The event, organized by the Friends of Sixth Street Community Center, comes amid allegations of governance failures, financial mismanagement, and retaliatory practices at the Center, which they say threaten to upend nearly 50 years of community-driven work on the Lower East Side.
The text of the AG complaint states: "Without immediate intervention, the Center's financial stability, physical assets, and community trust will be irreparably harmed."
In April, the Center's four-member board abruptly fired Brandstein (seen below), who had led the organization for 35 years. The move followed a complaint Brandstein filed with the State Division of Human Rights in January, accusing the board of harassment and intimidation.
Since then, supporters allege, the board has dismantled critical anti-displacement efforts, including sabotaging a $100,000 planning grant to create low-income housing through a Community Land Trust.
Brandstein, a co-founder of the Center, stated that he was abruptly dismissed without severance pay or notice on the morning of April 8.
According to him, the termination letter alleged financial impropriety and misconduct — claims he categorically denies.
"This board is out to destroy me, plain and simple," he wrote in a public statement, citing not only his dismissal but also the loss of access to personal items, digital files, and ongoing project work, including a community land trust partnership to develop affordable housing.
The volunteer board has declined to discuss specific employment matters, citing legal limitations.
In a public statement in April, the board announced that it had made a "very difficult decision" to transition leadership "in the best interest of the center and its mission," adding that it is committed to maintaining SSCC's programs and its role in the neighborhood.
"We remain focused on strengthening our programs, engaging with the community, and keeping the Center accessible in all ways," the board wrote, acknowledging the disruption caused by protests and urging respect for the safety of youth program participants and staff.
Both sides agree that tensions had been escalating for over a year.
Founded in 1978, the Sixth Street Community Center, between Avenue B and Avenue C, has been an invaluable resource in the neighborhood, offering youth programs, organic food through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative, and free meals and produce during the pandemic. It has also played a role in advocating for community land trusts and affordable housing.
The Center, meanwhile, continues its programming, including enrollment for the Sixth Street Youth Program for the 2025-26 academic year.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Fish & Sushi ghost signage on 1st Avenue
Photos by Stacie Joy
During ongoing storefront renovations at 61 First Ave. on Tuesday, workers uncovered ghost signage here on the SW corner of Fourth Street (H/T Nikki!)
Here was Fish & Sushi...
Does anyone recall this business?
A worker stated that the signage panels were in poor condition and were ultimately discarded in the dumpster.
Meanwhile, a deli-market is in the works for the space...
Several iterations of Houston Village Farm were here until last fall, when the business closed without notice to patrons.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
A Spellbinding scene on Astor Place: At the 13th annual WitchsFest USA
Photos by Stacie Joy
On Saturday, the 13th annual WitchsFest USA — A Pagan Street Faire — transformed Astor Place into a celebration of magic, community, and ancient traditions.
Hosted by the NYC Wiccan Family Temple, the street faire drew together pagans, witches, druids, and seekers of all paths, inviting attendees to explore folklore.
From ritual gatherings to eclectic vendor stalls, WitchsFest continues to cast its enchanting spell on NYC, reminding us of the joy in celebrating diverse spiritual traditions.
Heat Advisory in NYC
So, cooling centers are open. Find a list of centers and other resources at NYC's Beat the Heat page. (Our previous heatwave post included a map of the Lower Manhattan cooling centers.)
There's also an air quality alert...
DEC and @HealthNYGov have issued an air quality health advisory for ozone today, July 16th, for NYC Metro, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley.
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) July 16, 2025
👉 Latest AQI forecast: https://t.co/RXjWGi9LqM
☎️ Air Quality Hotline: 1-800-535-1345 pic.twitter.com/5mQUj5P3zN
Most Holy Redeemer to halt regular masses this fall amid uncertainty about its future
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Most Holy Redeemer-Church of the Nativity will no longer hold a regular mass schedule starting in September, according to parish and Archdiocese officials.
At a meeting held Monday night at St. Brigid's on Avenue B, Monsignor Kevin J. Nelan of Immaculate Conception on 14th Street and Eileen Mulcahy, the vice chancellor for parish planning of the Archdiocese of New York, addressed continued speculation that Most Holy Redeemer would close outright. They emphasized that while the church isn't officially closing, its operations will undergo significant changes.
Regular weekly masses will end, and in their place, the church will offer only occasional services, such as weddings, funerals, or what was described as "once in a blue moon masses" for long-time parishioners. This fall, masses that were previously held on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (including Spanish services) will take place at nearby St. Brigid's.
Additionally, special programming, such as concerts and the children's choir, is no longer offered.
Leadership cited the shortage of priests as a key reason for the shift. One priest, Father Thomas, is retiring, while visa and immigration issues are affecting others. The three East Village parishes are being merged, they said, and moving services to St. Brigid's will help keep the community together with fewer clergy.
Concerns were also raised about the structural condition of the building itself. There is plaster falling from the ceiling in the church, officials noted, adding that engineers would evaluate whether it remains safe.
Valeria Kondratiev, secretary of Most Holy Redeemer and St. Brigid, attended the meeting and expressed skepticism about the timing of the engineering review.
"People should be watching this, keeping it in the crosshairs. It's very suspicious," she said.
Kondratiev also wondered whether a second opinion on the building's condition might be warranted.
There's a reason for worry. Last summer, for example, the Archdiocese of New York sold the historic Holy Rosary Church in East Harlem to a developer, citing the building's severe disrepair.
Regarding rumors about the adjoining rectory going up for sale, church officials have clarified that the building is owned by the Redemptorists, not the Archdiocese. The church had been renting the space, and whether the Redemptorists plan to sell or at what price remains an open question.
Most Holy Redeemer stopped using the large space for its office in the spring.
Going forward, Most Holy Redeemer will rely on joint masses with priests brought in from elsewhere, except for Father Elder, who teaches at the seminary and returns on weekends.
For now, neighbors and parishioners are left to watch closely, hoping to preserve a church that has anchored the block for more than 170 years.
History of Most Holy Redeemer
Construction of the current church was completed in October 1851.
Some more history:
A major overhaul of the church began in 1912. Many of the renovations are still evident. With a tower that today reaches into the sky far beyond most of the structures of the East Village at 232 feet, it is hard to believe that it once was even taller. The 250-foot tower was reinforced and lowered to its current height and capped with a new copper dome and gold cross.
Founded in 1844 by Redemptorist missionaries, it was initially a small frame building serving the growing German population. The current church, designed in German Baroque style, was completed in 1851 and consecrated in 1852.
Here's a view of the church looking west, dated 1875...
The Archdiocese sold the former Church of the Nativity property on Second Avenue for $40 million in 2020. It was later demolished to make room for a larger development that has yet to begin construction.
H/T Carol from East 5th Street
Previously on EV Grieve:
At the last night of Minca
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Minca closed for good on Monday night after 21 years in service at 536 E. Fifth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B.
As we reported, owner Shigeto Kamada, who's in his 70s, plans to retire.
News of the Tokyo-style ramen parlor shutting down rallied its regulars. There was a line that started at 3 p.m., and the place sold out by 8 p.m.
Locals packed into the tiny ramen shop for one last bowl. Diners even braved the rain, with one couple opting to sit outside under an umbrella since all the seats inside were taken.
The neighborhood came together in small, memorable ways.
One resident, who lives on Avenue A, brought her son for dinner but saw how overwhelmed the staff were. So she grabbed an apron and pitched in.
Kyoko (below left) — a server who has been at Minca for more than 15 years — was in tears and spent much of the evening receiving hugs.
There were countless "cheers to the kitchen" and heartfelt toasts.
One longtime customer shared, "Their broth is the best! Always nourishing, and tasted like it was made with love. In the wintertime, it was a staple. The ramen is nourishing and restorative."
Despite the sadness of the moment, the atmosphere brimmed with gratitude.
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