Tuesday's parting shot

The Village Alliance BID celebrated the unveiling of a new public artwork by Juliana Woods, a first-year student at The Cooper Union, during an event earlier today on Astor Place. 

You can find background here.

Photo courtesy of Village Alliance (Ryan Muir).

Bands we like: Pop Music Fever Dream (PMFD)

Photos by Stacie Joy 

We’ve seen Pop Music Fever Dream (PMFD) several times, including last August as part of a Show Brain bill in Tompkins Square Park. 

And each time, we weren't sure what we might be in for. This held true again on April 25 at Night Club 101 on Avenue A, where PMFD opened the night as part of the record release show for Um, Jennifer? 

PMFD — vocalist-guitarist Tim Seeberger, guitarist Nicole Harwayne, bassist Carmen Castillo and drummer Violette Grim — took the stage in full clownface, a tribute to horrorcore rap duo Insane Clown Posse and Juggalo culture. The night was intended as an homage, complete with the spirit — if not the presence — of Faygo, the soda closely associated with ICP performances. 

When asked about the missing Faygo, the band explained they couldn't find any but assured that "the Faygo was there in spirit."

The sold-out crowd was then swept into PMFD's unrelenting punk fury and no-wave dissonance.

PMFD's last show until July is Saturday night at The Broadway as part of a 10-year-anniversary show for Radio Free Brooklyn. Find ticket info here. 

We'll leave you with the band's most recent video, "Elegy for a Memory."

 

Step by step: Dance Parade returns this Saturday

More than 10,000 dancers are expected to participate in the 19th Annual Dance Parade and Festival on Saturday. 

The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at West 17th Street and Sixth Avenue. Grand Marshals Danny Tenaglia, Mercedes Ellington, Funmilayo Chesney, and David Parsons will be recognized for their contributions to dance. 

The parade, featuring 150 dance groups representing a range of styles, starts at noon ... and makes its way across Eighth Street to Astor Place, where there's a grandstand at St. Mark's Place. The festivities end at Tompkins Square Park ... when the DanceFest is on tap from 3-7 p.m. 

Via the EVG inbox: 

At the conclusion of the parade in Tompkins Square Park, the public can enjoy a festival featuring performances on two stages, a teaching stage, site-specific works, and a dedicated dance party area with DJs spinning an eclectic mix of genres. 

Five dedicated dance studios will offer free dance classes from some of New York's most esteemed instructors. The festival is designed to be an immersive and participatory celebration of dance.

Expect some street closures for all this on Saturday, including Astor Place between Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue, St Mark's Place between 3rd Avenue /Astor Place and Avenue A, and Avenue A between St. Mark's Place and 10th Street. 

Relive last year's event in photos here.

The retail spaces for rent in the Untitled building on Avenue A

For-lease signs went up last week in four of the five vacant retail spaces at 58-72 Avenue A, the block-long building that sold in the fall of 2022 between Fourth Street and Fifth Street.

The newish owners named the building Untitled.

The listings are on LoopNet for the spaces that range from 368 square feet to 1,105. 

Three storefronts were operated by Angel Ramirez — Angels on A, Angels Boutique and Café Social 68/Viva! Café. He cited rising rents and real estate taxes as the primary reasons for the closures.

Another space was the longtime home of Ink, which closed here in July 2023 after 30-plus years in business. Owner Ben "Benny" Dahud had been in a legal tussle (some of this was his own fault, he admitted) with the private equity firm that bought the building in the fall of 2022 for $64 million. 

In the end, Benny decided to retire and close the newsstand. 

We're curious about what might be joining the other tenants — Mast Books, March Gallery and the liquor store.

The second photo by Stacie Joy

Day-long CBGB Festival in Brooklyn this September to feature Iggy Pop, Jack White

Today, the CBGB brand announced the CBGB Festival, set for Sept. 27 at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn. Presented with The Bowery Presents, the one-day festival will feature 21 bands, including headliners Iggy Pop and Jack White. 

The lineup playing on three stages includes artists from multiple eras, such as Sex Pistols, Johnny Marr, Lunachicks, Marky Ramone, The Damned, and Melvins. Bands associated with the original CBGB hardcore scene — Gorilla Biscuits, Murphy's Law, and Cro-Mags — will also perform, along with newer acts like The Linda Lindas, Lambrini Girls, Destroy Boys, Angel Du$t, Scowl, Pinkshift, Teen Mortgage, YHWH Nailgun, Soul Glo, and Lip Critic. 

Presale registration is open now at CBGBFEST.COM. Presale begins Thursday at 10 a.m.; general ticket sales start Friday at 10 a.m. 

General admission tickets start at $149. There is a "Young Punks" ticket option ($73) for concertgoers under 24 years old. Those tickets will be available in person only on Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. at the Bowery Presents box office at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. 6th St.

This is not the CBGB brand's first foray into festival territory. You may recall the CBGB Music & Film Festival from 2012-2014. 

CBGB closed at 315 Bowery in October 2006.

Friends and 'Neighbors'

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

Two East Village artists, hmac and Peter Arkle, joined forces for a quick show at 616 E. Ninth St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

"Neighbors" opened with a Thursday evening reception, followed by a Friday afternoon viewing — offering a chance to explore the contrasting styles of these friends and neighbors. (They live on the top floor of the same East Village building, which Peter moved into when hmac was 1, he noted.)

For Arkle, this was also a way to create something different from the illustrations he's known for in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal and New York. (He also drew the neighborhood map at the Avenue A Trader Joe's.)

A zine released for the show includes a Q&A with hmac and Arkle. (Arkle's spouse, Amy Goldwasser, conducted the interview.)

An excerpt: 

How does the neighborhood inform your work? 

hmac: I love how accessible everything is in the radius that we have. I was from Montana, which was very quiet and a one high school town. But it's neighborly and community-based in a similar way that I get in the East Village. I can go to get spraypaint in 15 minutes. I can go to the park. I can ride my bike around. It gives a playground to me, like I'm rerooting my roots. 

Peter: If I were sitting at my desk trying to make up characters, I'd be struggling. But I love being able to walk everywhere, the density of this place, and you cannot walk a block without seeing interesting people doing interesting things. 

And the building?

hmac: Working on the roof adds much more breathing room to explore what I soak up out there. Then I'm able to paint but also look down from our building and see people fighting with 2x4s. I need ventilation. I sprawl. And it's the one place I can leave things to dry. 

Peter: The roof's an extreme place. Say you're just a beginner at spraypainting; there's a lot of paint that's not even going on the canvas. It's just sort of around. 

hmac: The wind picks up your paint and throws it. Then it dries in the air and flings onto your work. 

Peter: There's something about the roof that makes you be more big. The elements are in there. You can look at that painting and know forever you were in this crazy place when you made it.

We look forward to more from these two...

Owners of Penny and Claud looking at 12th Street space for possible new project

Updated: A spokesperson said the restaurateurs "are just exploring the 139 E. 12th St. space, and a lease has not yet been signed."

As we've noted elsewhere, an application doesn't guarantee a concept will move forward — as we saw in December 2023 with the Paulie Gee's outpost that never materialized at 107 First Ave., now home to Adda Indian Canteen (among other examples).

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Joshua Pinsky and Chase Sinzer, partners in the acclaimed 10th Street restaurants Claud and Penny, have plans for a new wine bar called Cache, two blocks north of their current establishments. 

The two have applied for a tavern wine license for 139 E. 12th St. at Third Avenue, a small space with four tables for 14 diners and a bar with four seats. 

There's an equally small French-inspired menu, as seen on the application on the Community Board 3 website ...

Given the method of operation, the applicants will not appear before CB3's SLA committee when it meets on May 19. 

Pinsky and Sinzer opened Penny, a raw bar and seafood counter, in March 2024, a flight of steps above Claud at 90 E. 10th St., which opened in September 2023 between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue. 

The last tenant here on 12th Street, Tacombi, closed for renovations last September and never reopened.

This hasn't been the easiest spot to make work for any length of time. Other recent casualties include iSouvlaki and Greekito. The Wayside lasted six years. 

Kijitora, a Williamsburg-based coffee shop, is opening an outpost on 14th Street

Kijitora, a cat-themed coffee shop with two Brooklyn locations, is opening a space at 534 E. 14th St. between Avenue A and Avenue B. (Thanks to Russell for the photo!) 

Aside from a coffee service, the cafe offers a slate of Japanese-inspired drinks, pastries and food, including a grilled cheese with housemade shokupan. 

You can read more about owner Ayaha Otsuka in this Greenpointers post from last summer. 

Kijitora takes over from Amara Coffee, which closed last month after less than a year in business.

Matcha House next for the former ChikaLicious space on 10th Street

Signage for Matcha House has arrived at 203 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. (Thanks to Rob Gall for the photo!) 

Per the new brand's website: 

Matcha House is built on the idea that excellence should be the standard. Every detail — from the moment our tea plants sprout from their seeds, to our tearista's craft of your drink — is thoughtfully studied and curated to produce the highest quality and taste. 

We hope you leave our House feeling energized and connected, yet calm and grounded. 

You can follow their Instagram account for opening updates. 

Chika and Don Tillman closed their dessert bar here, ChikaLicious, last summer after 21 years in business. They now operate by appointment only on Astor Place.

Nosh Up (officially) closes down on St. Mark's Place

A for-rent sign has arrived at 24 St. Mark's Place between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, marking the official end of Nosh Up.

The gate, currently used as a message board for travelers, has been down at the market for the past two months. A closure was expected.

Nosh Up, which sold fresh-made sandwiches, grilled paninis, salads, quesadillas, etc., just opened in October.

Not sure why they didn't even make it to six months.

The business took over for Jewels, the body jewelry and piercing parlor. The address has a lot of recent history—Ben & Jerry's! Pinkberry! No. 24 was also the Ice Cream Connection in the early 1970s before the owners of Dojo opened the Japanese restaurant here in 1974 (RIP 2007).

Thanks to EVG reader Brandon for the photo!

Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo by Stacie Joy yesterday on Avenue B from the LUNGS Spring Awakening)... 

• More details emerge on Corner Bistro's proposed East Village location (Monday) 

• On 4th Street, Wash Rite Laundromat cleaned out by rent increase, patrons say (Monday) 

• Rite Aid is closing its remaining New York stores, including on 1st Avenue in the East Village (Wednesday) 

• Stripped to the studs: former church on 4th Street sees full gutting (Tuesday) 

• Closing night highlights at the Lower East Side Film Festival: 'The Big Johnson' makes NYC debut (and takes the top prize) (Thursday) 

• Ki Smith Gallery revisits hip-hop’s 'Golden' era through rare photographs (Wednesday)

• Community Board 3 to discuss new entrance to Tompkins Square Park on 10th Street (Thursday)

• Almost a full reveal at the all-new Barrier Free Living building on 2nd Street (Tuesday)

• The hit Hulu series 'Rafael's Interiors' (nudge, nudge) is filming in the East Village (Tuesday)

• Checking in on the Key Food checkout situation (Saturday) 

• When someone dumps an industrial-size fridge on Avenue C (Tuesday) 

• Reader mailbag: Uncovering the location of this Keith Haring snapshot (Sunday)

• Signage alerts: Yumsen Eats on 1st Avenue (Monday) 

On Thursday morning around 10, a fire was reported in an apartment on the third floor at 440 E. 13th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue. Edmund John Dunn shared these photos showing a significant FDNY presence...

There weren't any reports of injuries. Witnesses said the FDNY was on the scene quickly, helping several residents (and at least one dog) safely exit.

We have not heard about the extent of the damage. How No. 440 looked yesterday morning.

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Jeremiah Moss 

A moment during today's five-band Punk in the Park show in Tompkins...

Updated: Checking in on the Key Food checkout situation

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

As noted this past week, Key Food at Avenue A and Fourth Street retired a row of its self-checkout terminals.

In its place: a good old-fashioned staffed register, which will make four for the grocery. 

The move is part of a broader effort by store management to ease congestion and improve the checkout experience. The new models — arranged in a single pass-through lane — aim to speed up transactions and tighten security, potentially reducing the familiar bagging-area standoffs that not even a surprise Mike + the Mechanics track can fix.

Store manager Richie added that the full point-of-sale overhaul should be completed by the end of May.

And the new human-operated register will be up and running "soon."

One question remains: will the CAKES FOR ALL OCCASIONS signage return to the relocated cake station, now with random puddings and parfaits?

Richie wasn't sure. I made a case for its reinstatement. 

Updated 5/11 

The new checkout is now in service...

About tomorrow's Show Brain-sponsored concert in Tompkins Square Park

The season's first free show by Show Brain, which has been bringing live music to city parks the past few years, happens tomorrow (Sunday). 

The lineup (headliner first): 

• Skorts 

• Tea Eater

• Pons 

• Francie Moon 

• Bec Lauder & the Noise 

The show is from 2-6 p.m. 

Today (Saturday) marks the first concert of the season via The Shadow with a five-band Punk in the Park showcase. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Bands we like: Francie Moon 

• Bands we like: Skorts

A celebration of East Village community gardens TODAY

The annual Spring Awakening, postponed from last Saturday, is taking placing today.

Hosted by Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS), the event helps celebrate the neighborhood’s community gardens. There are activities during the afternoon on Avenue B between Seventh Street and Ninth Street from noon to 4 p.m., including pony rides. 

You can visit the LUNGS website for more details on the activities.

Saturday's opening shot

Photo from Tompkins by James Chambers 

Partly sunny and breezy with a high of 75 today, per local weather sources. Tomorrow, Mother's Day, looks to be the same but maybe even nicer. 

What you're 'Feeling'

 

The Brooklyn-based Mei Semones has just released her debut record, Animaru, a dreamy blend of jazz, bossa nova and indie rock. Something we'll be playing all summer. 

The video here is for "Dumb Feeling."

Saturday in Tompkins — Punk in the Park

The live shows are back this 2025 season in Tompkins Square Park with Punk in the Park tomorrow (Saturday afternoon). 

On the bill sponosred by The Shadow: The Undead, Nihilistics, The Coffin Daggers, Jones Crusher and Skitzopolis. 

And there's more live music on Sunday afternoon via Show Brain. More on that in another post. 

 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• New photo book explores the punk heart of Tompkins Square Park

The annual plant and bake sale is this weekend at the 6 & B Garden

The 6th Street and Avenue B Community Garden is hosting its annual plant and bake sale this weekend, with plenty of options for anyone looking to add some green to their home — or just pick up something sweet. 

The sale runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at the garden on the southwest corner of Avenue B and 6th Street. 

Proceeds support the garden's seasonal calendar of free events and programming.

A ceramic and arts sale at the Sirovich Center

This month, the Educational Alliance celebrates "the vibrant creativity and cultural contributions of older New Yorkers during the fourth annual CelebratEArts Festival." 

As part of this, the Sirovich Center is hosting a Cermanics & Art Sale today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Per the invite: "Shop unique ceramics, mosaics, paintings, and jewelry, all handmade by talented community artisans."

The Sirovich Center for Balanced Living is at 331 E. 12th St., between First Avenue and Second Avenue. 

Find more programs associated with the CelebratEArts Festival here.