A ghostly parade for long-lost local music venues

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

A roaming musical parade moved through parts of the East Village and Lower East Side on late Sunday afternoon as part of Radiant Revelry for Make Music New York, a Winter Solstice happening presented by HONK NYC! and Moment NYC. 

The procession, known as Ghost Band Plays Ghost Venues, is an annual project led by musician Stefan Zeniuk that honors former music venues and creative spaces that once shaped New York's cultural landscape. 

This year's route focused on the area around East Houston Street, stopping at locations that were once home to clubs, bars and performance spaces — many of which have since been replaced by new businesses.

I stayed with the parade at a few stops, including Duane Reade (formerly the Gas Station) and Eastpoint (formerly Save the Robots). 

At Eastpoint, the band marched straight in while patrons were watching Sunday night football. The bar staff appeared welcoming, and the musicians played as customers looked on...

At Duane Reade, a security guard watched the procession pass through the store, visibly puzzled but not intervening.

The group continued on toward Rossy's, formerly Slug's Saloon, on Third Street between Avenue B and Avenue C.

According to organizers, the project is meant to "touch the past and sing a song for the town," paying tribute to venues that helped incubate punk, jazz, folk, experimental music, performance art and other scenes across decades. 

This year's list of ghost venues included Lismar Lounge, Princess Pamela's Southern Touch, the Spiral, Tonic, Cake Shop, Luna Lounge, Surf Reality and the Living Room, among others. 

The parade began at Baker Falls on Allen Street, where participants gathered to prepare costumes, props and instruments before stepping off in the late afternoon. Live music and DJ sets followed the procession's return to the venue.