Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Blackbird is now Dream Baby on Avenue B

Blackbird is the new bar that opened in the former Lakeside Lounge space in August ...

Well — say goodbye to the Blackbird. But just the name!

Maria Devitt, one of the bar's partners, explained that [a restaurant group in Chicago] is giving us a hard time about [the name] and we don't have the money to fight with them."

So. They need a new name. Per Devitt: "We are now named Dream Baby in honor of two of my favorite songs — the Roy Orbison classic and also 'Dream Baby Dream' by Suicide. Nothing else has changed except the pretty new lights in the back bar."

Suicide? Dream Baby Dream? Don't mind if we do...



Previously.

11 comments:

  1. ah blackbird in chicago, dont you have better shit to worry about.

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  2. Gotta say, Blackbird in Chicago is pretty F'n awesome. And definitely had the name first. Let's move on...

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  3. When I heard "Blackbird" I actually immediately thought of the restaurant in Chicago. Pretty snobby to dismissively call it "some restaurant group from the Midwest".

    Though yeah, don't they have better shit to worry about.

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  4. That's just plain annoying!!! Can't they call it Blackbird Lounge or something?

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  5. No disrespect is intended towards the restaurant group--they have a strong trademark and it's theirs and we are adhering to their wishes. They have actually been very decent in their communications with us. By saying it was a restaurant group from the Midwest, we were trying to offer some explanation without divulging who they are (many people are mistakenly thinking that it is the bar from Astoria and it definitely is not). It was a statement (that was actually made in casual correspondance, not a press release) and was intended to relay some information as to the change without getting into specifics. Not meant to be snobby in the least. I'm sorry if that's how my statement came across--Maria

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  6. Or they could just call it Black Bird (two words). Paul McCartney and The Beatles estate should give this midwestern restaurant group a hard time about claiming Blackbird for themselves. Next thing you know Gabe Stulman will be giving people whose name is Joseph, Leonard, Jeffrey, or Joseph Leonard a "hard time". And he'll be suing hipsters wearing fedora to claim the name for himself. Now that's a good idea, hipsters vs. midwesterners, let them iron[ically] each other out.

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  7. Alas, we cannot use the word in any capacity within the industry. Even if I added 7 more words to the business name, it doesn't matter. They have a copyright as well as a trademark and I don't fault them for wanting to protect it. We've moved on and we are very happy with our new name--it is somehow more appropriate for the space and a blessing in disguise. But don't fault the business who stuck up for itself. They have every right to do so and it's our own dumb fault for not running a trademark search on the name. Live and Learn(and drink)! Maria

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  8. Maria, make sure you trademark, register, copyright Dream Baby too, before some midwestern restaurant group opens up a bar/restaurant with that name.

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  9. Yep, all registered this time! That should do the trick for now!

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  10. should've renamed it lakeside.

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  11. I imagine it's the one from Minneapolis. I'm from there, but have lived here for 16 years so it happened after I left. People seem to say good things about it. In any case, a name inspired by Suicide and Roy Orbison is so much more appealing. Don't mind if I do, too!

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