After 11 years of offering an array of live music from its cramped basement space, Cake Shop — called "Manhattan’s Last Great Rock Club" by Spin — closed after one last show on New Year's Eve.
The two-level cafe/music venue at 152 Ludlow St. between Stanton and Rivington had its share of well-documented financial struggles through the years. In an email to supporters last week, owners Nick and Andy Bodor wrote that "location and sustainability in our current and long running model have been an issue for more than a long time ... we are failing to keep up with the bills, we have been for years."
The current Ludlow Street space has been emptied out as the Bodors plan to open a new venture in the space. Meanwhile, there's hope that the Cake Shop might be resurrected in some form in Brooklyn.
The Cake Shop hosted a string of sold-out farewell shows leading up to New Year's Eve. Brooklyn-based photographer Walter Wlodarczyk shared photos from the penultimate night (Dec. 30)...
[Future Punx]
[Cassie Ramone]
[Cause Co-Motion!]
[Andy Bodor with Cause Co-Motion!]
[178 Product]
OH c'mon why's it always gotta be Brooklyn!
ReplyDeleteManhattan's still the center where we congregate in many ways :-)
Remaining small (to me 300 capacity or less) live music venues which are standing room only and have rock music in Manhattan (no jazz, other non-rock, or sitdown venues):
ReplyDeletePianos, Arlene Grocery, The Delancey Bar, and Mercury Lounge on the Lower East Side; Bowery Electric in the East Village; The Studio At Webster Hall in Union Square
Anywhere else?
Respectfully: perhaps you should get out more ... & remember that Manhattan stretches all the way to Harlem & beyond. & why the no jazz policy? There are places that offer wide variety, sometimes jazz, sometimes rock - etc. you dig?
Delete8:06pm back. Excuse me 10:56pm? Re-read my post or better yet read before you type, Stupid, as I asked what other 300 capacity or smaller standing room only rock venues are there besides the six I listed in and around the East Village since you know, this is a blog called "E.V. Grieve" with E.V. being the initials for "East Village." Yeah, I know there are these types of venues elsewhere in Manhattan hence my asking "Anywhere else?"
ReplyDeleteThe no-jazz policy because I want to know about other rock venues, nothing against jazz - you dig? What venue like the one I'm asking for more of has jazz AND rock - enlighten me. Remember, 300 capacity or under and standing room only not sit down places like 100% of jazz venues.
I get out plenty unlike you who gets out so much he/she can't list venues (I asked for more of) like I did.
8:06pm/7:39am back again. Cake Shop and Elvis Guesthouse were rock venues so I was keeping the theme of rock venues and the six venues I listed might very well be the last 300 capacity or less standing room only live rock music venues in Manhattan, so hopefully people will tip me off to other ones not lecture me on how I'm not listing jazz venues in "Harlem and beyond". I would've listed Niagara Bar, Otto's Shrunken Head, Parkside Lounge, and Pyramid but they seem to be more party/DJ places which have live music here and there/now and then and it isn't their primary focus, but I guess I could (should) add them to the list since they do have some live music. If anything it seems like the epicenter of small live rock venues is the East Village/Lower East Side/surrounding area like it always has been.
ReplyDeleteBerlin on 2nd and A is a secretly good place for seeing rock shows. Good for the quality of bands they book but not good for the layout of the space.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/search?q=berlinnyc%20cutdekProd&src=typd