95 Bulls are first up tomorrow afternoon for Day 1 of the free Show Brain Festival in Tompkins Square Park.
The above video is for "It Was Rough."
Friday, August 8, 2025
More portraits of bands playing the Show Brain stage in Tompkins Square Park
Photos by Stacie Joy
This summer, we've been taking portraits of some of the bands playing the free Show Brain-sponsored shows in Tompkins Square Park (here, here, and here).
Going back to July 26 for this show... featuring Avishag Cohen Rodrigues ...
... and Two Man Giant Squid...
... and one of the most cinematic bands we've seen in the park — P.H.0. ...
Thanks to Show Brain's Ozzie (on the right) for organizing so many free, all-ages shows... including the Show Brain Festival this weekend.
Friday's opening shot
Thursday, August 7, 2025
A tree grows on 1st Avenue
Report: 1 of the young hawks from Tompkins Square Park has died
Photo from June by Steven
Goggla has the sad confirmation of a rumor that circulated toward the end of July: One of the red-tailed hawk fledglings has died.
The young hawk was found dead on a fire escape along Avenue C on July 27.
Per Goggla:
It's not known exactly what happened, but the situation looked a lot like one we saw in 2022 when a fledgling had to be rescued from a fire escape after displaying obvious signs of illness. In that case, the theory was it had been weakened by rodenticide poisoning and died just a few hours after being rescued.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has the deceased hawk, and hopefully, they can determine the cause of death.
In more positive news, the other two 2025 offspring of Amelia and Charlie remain active in the park this week, Goggla reports (even nabbing their own meals!).
This marked Amelia's eighth season raising chicks in Tompkins.
See some free live music this weekend in Tompkins Square Park at the Show Brain Festival
Here's how the show is shaping up now (more bands are being added to the bill for Sunday):
Saturday
• 95 Bulls
Sunday
You can follow Show Brain on Instagram for band updates and set times.
Openings: Stashed Goods on Houston
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Stashed Goods recently debuted at 305 E. Houston St.
The shop, between Clinton and Attorney, specializes in new and used luxury goods and streetwear, with a buy/sell/trade counter and authenticator. They have a buy-outright policy for cash or store credit, no consignment.
East Village resident Angel Ramirez, who previously ran Angels on A, teamed up with (below) Tashi Fu and Donny Walter for the business...
Ramirez's sister, Nicole Cosme, is the store manager...
On a recent visit, the shop had a well-stocked selection of sneakers...
... and streetwear brands...
Hours: Monday-Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. You can follow the shop on Instagram here.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
At the National Night Out Against Crime event on 5th Street
Photos by Stacie Joy
Dozens of local residents turned out yesterday for the annual National Night Out Against Crime event that took place at 70 locations citywide... including outside the 9th Precinct on Fifth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
(Apologies for NOT telling you in advance. We wanted less competition for the free hamburgers and jumbo franks.)
Guests included McGruff the Crime Dog — the original true crime influencer...
... and Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, who handed out several neighborhood commendations (congrats to EVG regular Carol from East 5th Street on receiving one!).
The community-building event included plenty of activities and games (with prizes) for kids, such as the bouncy dragon-horse race that we were too tall to enter.
...and the aforementioned grill spread...
Games and food aside, it was an easy way to meet local officers and learn about available programs for residents...
Noted
Historic 9 Bleecker St. has a new owner
According to public records, the historic building has a new owner — listed only as 9 Noho New York LLC with an Albany, N.Y. address.
No. 9 arrived on the sales market last December with a $6.6 million ask. (The recorded sale price earlier this summer was $5.7 million.)
This past November, after 10 years at No. 9, Overthrow closed its boxing gym on the ground floor. As ownership wrote on Instagram: "Unfortunately, we took on immense debt during and post-Covid, which kept the doors open, but we can no longer afford our current lease, and the building has been listed for sale by the owner, making staying open unsustainable."
This one-time home (41 years) of the Yippies, named and created by Abbie Hoffman and Paul Krassner, ended in January 2014 after a protracted legal battle. (Read this archived story in the Times for all the legal wrangling and history.)
Overthrow was named after one of the countercultural newspapers that the Yippies published here.
New owner, old address — the future of 9 Bleecker St. is TBD. The sales listing for No. 9 stated that it "is primed for transformation into a single-family residence, multi-family with retail, or retained as a prime commercial investment."
Here's hoping whoever moves in has at least some appreciation for the history that has passed through those doors.
Openings: The Re:Shop on 12th Street
This is the newest outpost for the family-owned business that "offers a unique combination of vintage, trade, and upcycled fashion while also promoting sustainability and increasing awareness of the effects of global waste."
The Re:Shop takes over the space from SLCT Stock NYC, whose owner decided to move on after four years here.
Need a hand keeping tabs on all the local thrift shops? Check out the East Village Vintage Clothing Map via the East Village Cintage Collective here.
Openings: KEBABISHQ on 2nd Avenue
The quick-serve spot comes via Chef Vamshi Adi (above left), who opened Ishq at 202 Avenue A last year (and later a Bib Gourmand recipient) and Gazba at 179 Essex St. just below Houston before that.
Here, he's joined by co-owner Neel Mittal. They're keeping the focus tight: freshly made kebabs (with halal meats and vegan options), a few sides, and some classic Indian drinks like mango lassi and chai.
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, from noon to 10:30 p.m. Delivery will also be available via the usual apps. Find the website here.
This is the latest quick-serve concept for the space (RIP Seasoned Vegan Real Quick, among others) since the Stage, the 35-year-old lunch counter, closed in March 2016 following an ongoing legal/eviction battle with landlord Icon Realty.
Signage alert: Godunk on the Bowery
The quick-serve establishment will serve Thai street food from this space between Great Jones and Bond.
Per the business Instagram account: "Born from a love of bold flavour, big energy, analog soul. More than just a place to eat, it's a vibe."
Community Board 2 approved a liquor license for Godunk this past December.
Since 2013, the storefront housed retail, including Burkleman, which later relocated, and Intermix.
Previously, it was the well-worn deli-grocery Steve's on the Bowery.
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
Tonight's fiery sunset
Aug . 5
Reader-submitted photo from 11th Street between First Aveune and Second Avenue.
RIP Oswald 'Ozzie' Rodriguez Jr.
A passionate artist, playwright, actor, and longtime steward of La MaMa's history, Rodriguez dedicated decades to the East Village's legendary experimental theater on Fourth Street.
Here is more from LaMama:
It is with profound sadness that La MaMa announces the passing of our beloved Archive Director Ozzie Rodriguez (2/20/1944 – 7/24/2025). His love of and dedication to La MaMa, his careful stewardship of the Archive and his abiding friendship will be sorely missed by all of us. We send our love and prayers to his family and all those near and dear to him. We mourn with them the monumental loss of this great man. Our hearts are broken.
He joined La MaMa in the early 1970s as a resident director under founder Ellen Stewart. In 1987, he became director of the La MaMa Archive, where he helped preserve and share the history of the Off-Off-Broadway movement. His dedication ensured that generations to come could access the stories, artifacts, and spirit of La MaMa's groundbreaking work.
A bilingual playwright and actor, Rodriguez also founded two experimental theater companies and mentored countless artists. He is remembered not only for his stewardship of La MaMa's legacy, but also for his warmth, generosity, and belief in the power of community theater.
LaMama is inviting friends and colleagues to leave their remembrances at this link. While plans are still underway for an official memorial celebration, an informal gathering will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 12, at the Community Arts Space, 74A E. Fourth St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue.
For more on the La MaMa Archive, which Rodriguez helped shape into a vital resource, visit this link.
Monday, August 4, 2025
Aug. 4
Unsure if the trash bag atop the tree is a disguise or a hat. (Or, possibly, both.)
Sunday in Tompkins Square Park
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Yesterday marked day 2 of the free shows commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Park police riot of Aug. 6, 1988.
Although there was a good-sized crowd, it wasn't quite the stage-diving free-for-all we saw during parts of Saturday's shows.
The afternoon also served as the Rock Against Racism concert, originally scheduled for May 4 in Washington Square Park but postponed due to rain.
Getting asked to play Tompkins is a huge honor for the band. Half our band grew up going to the free shows in Tompkins — and being asked to come and play feels very full circle. The Tompkins Square punk community is such an important part of the East Village’s history and continuing to have excellent shows that are free and accessible to everyone is crucial — especially right now.
At the opening of Lidl on the Lower East Side
Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy
Lidl opened its long-anticipated Lower East Side location on Friday, drawing lines as early as 6:30 a.m. for the official 8 a.m. opening.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, held at 7:40 a.m., marked the German supermarket chain's continued expansion into Manhattan (there's an outpost in Harlem that opened in 2022 with one planned for Chelsea), bringing its global store count to over 12,000, with more than 185 in the eastern part of the U.S.
The 23,000-square-foot space — formerly a Rite Aid — is located at the corner of Grand and Clinton streets, in a building owned by the affordable housing nonprofit Grand Street Guild. Lidl signed a lease for the property last summer.
Opening day was as busy as you'd expect, with long lines at the entrance, free coffee and donuts for departing shoppers, and a DJ playing music near a union protest with an array of large inflatable rats outside the store.
A union representative said the demonstration — limited to the morning hours — was meant to raise awareness about labor concerns, stating, "We don't want [people] to go without food, but we do want them to think about fair labor practices."
Other offerings include a private-label meat line under the "Butcher's Specialty" brand, with items such as USDA Choice beef, organic and grass-fed options, and antibiotic-free chicken. The seafood section looked solid as well.
The eggs and dairy aisle drew a crowd as well. Eggs start at $3.75 a dozen, while a gallon of milk is $2.97.
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