Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy 

This year's New Colossus Festival is underway at East Village and Lower East Side music venues. It will feature more than 200 bands and various industry panels. 

At Baker Falls, 192 Allen St., between Houston and Stanton, there was an afternoon slate of conversations ranging from independent release and distribution strategies to creating music videos. 

The live music continues through Sunday. Check out the slate here.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Q&A with Steven Matrick, co-founder of the New Colossus Festival, taking place this week at East Village and Lower East Side music venues

Taking a look at the all-new Baker Falls, now in soft-open mode on the Lower East Side

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Baker Falls (pop. 192) is now in soft-open mode in its new home at 192 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton (the former Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2). 

The performance venue debuted on Jan. 13 with its weekly Anti-Hoot open mic night (carrying on a tradition from the late Sidewalk Cafe). 

We stopped by this past Thursday for what owner and East Village resident Nick Bodor (below) called the first proper rock show of Baker Falls 2.0.

Like the previous BF iteration, which had a year-long run anchoring the Knitting Factory at 101 Avenue A, Bodor recreated his "decrepit manor in the woods fever-dream alt-rock concept" with the assistance of Deb Parker, a thrift aficionado who is/was behind creating EV spaces like Beauty Bar, Barmacy, and No-Tell Motel.

There are several nooks and crannies where you can sit and enjoy a beverage like you're at The Great Northern Hotel. Several chandeliers help illuminate the stage area.

On this night, the music was improvised, with bands eschewing their usual set lists for, well, whatever they felt like playing. 

We arrived just after the first act, OpenExit, and walked into the post-post-punk universe of Prints...

Headlining were EVG faves Genre Is Death ...

The set included Ty giving up his guitar and playing drums, which he did with equal velocity (the band is usually accompanied by a drum machine). Clementine Iris of Prints joined later Genre Is Death on lead vocals...

Bodor has promised to showcase "old-school EV/LES performance art" and be "an indie space, a social club for weirdos." 

So far, aside from the Anti-Hoot open mic night, there's a weekly "Avant Clown Variety Show"...

Visit the Baker Falls website for a list of upcoming shows and entertainment. Follow BF on Instagram for updates on other expected developments. 

The full liquor license is on its way, so the menu includes beer, wine, and coffee for now. 

About Night Club 101, taking over the former Baker Falls and Pyramid space on Avenue A

Photo Saturday by Stacie Joy 

On Friday, the news became official about the next tenant for the storied venue at 101 Avenue A.

The owners of Brooklyn performance space Baby's All Right are teaming up with the Knitting Factory to debut Night Club 101 in 2025. The bi-level space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will host live music, DJs, themed dance nights, art shows and "community-building events." 

As we first reported in October, Baker Falls moved on from here after a year in the space. East Village resident Nick Bodor has set up shop at 192 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton — the former Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 — where he's creating his "decrepit-manor in the woods fever-dream alt-rock concept." 

Baker Falls, which featured a bar, cafe, and live performances, anchored the Knitting Factory's latest iteration at the longtime former home of the Pyramid Club. The venue closed in late July for extra soundproofing. 

As we noted in October, a known operator was taking over and rebranding the 101 space, hoping for a legacy name. Reliable sources tell us that the Baby's All Right team (who also ran indie-rock venue Elvis Guesthouse down the block) wanted to use the Pyramid name in the new venture but was rebuffed by the former owners, who are also the landlord of the building. 

So, the team landed on Night Club 101. 

Per the announcement, the space will feature: 

• An Eclectic Music Lineup: A curated blend of live performances and DJ sets spanning genres — indie to jazz, electronic to experimental and beyond. 

• Immersive Events: Art shows, themed dance nights, and multi-disciplinary performances that push creative boundaries. 

• Community Focus: Partnerships with local artists and organizations to ensure the venue remains deeply connected to the East Village's artistic roots. 

• Playful Energy: The name Night Club 101 isn't just a cheeky nod to nightlife culture—it's an invitation for all to join, learn, explore, and participate in defining something ever-changing. 

You can check out the venue for yourself on Thursday with a Pitchfork Club Night (tickets here).

Night Club 101 is expected to make an early 2025 debut. There's a placeholder Instagram account here. 

The Pyramid closed in October 2022 after 40-plus years in business between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. The club ushered in an era of socially conscious drag performances featuring Lady Bunny, Lypsinka, and RuPaul, among many other trailblazers. As a music venue, the Pyramid hosted Nirvana's first NYC show in 1989. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village 

• At the last night of the Pyramid Club on Avenue A

About a new home for Baker Falls on the Lower East Side

Photo and reporting by Stacie Joy

After a year at 101 Avenue A, Baker Falls is heading south.

East Village resident Nick Bodor has signed a lease to take over 192 Allen St. between Houston and Stanton — the former Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 — where he'll create his "decrepit-manor in the woods fever-dream alt-rock concept."

Bodor received his approval for a liquor license at a recent CB3 SLA committee meeting and expects to have the new license in hand in about three months. He may open a cafe in the interim, but plans are in flux. 

He told us he wants to showcase performance art in the venue, which will have a 150-person capacity, affordable tickets, and a focus on "old-school EV/LES performance art." 

"I'd like to book acts like an absurdist clown or a Victorian shadow-puppet theater" with "two to three acts per night of curated content and experimental programming. An indie space, a social club for weirdos," he said. 

Baker Falls, which featured a bar, cafe and some live performances, anchored the latest iteration of the Knitting Factory at the longtime former home of the Pyramid Club between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

That space is currently closed (as of late July) for extra soundproofing. 

While Bodor will still be involved with the Knitting Factory (he has a percentage), a known operator is taking over and rebranding the space, hoping for a legacy name. We will have more on that story soon.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

Knitting Factory at Baker Falls temporarily closed for more soundproofing

Reporting by Stacie Joy

Yesterday, Knitting Factory Entertainment announced that Baker Falls was temporarily closed for additional soundproofing, effective immediately. 

The bar at Baker Falls will remain open, though without live events in the weeks ahead. 

East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls, once home to the iconic The Pyramid Club. 

"We are so sorry and want to apologize to our artists and their fans as we had to make the very difficult decision to cancel our live performances so we can address some sound-proofing issues and keep doing good work at 101 Avenue A," Bodor told us about the space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.

Baker Falls had its soft opening just about a year ago. 

We've enjoyed seeing live music at the two-level venue, which has a coffee-cafe service during the day and a main-floor bar and the feverdream lounge on the lower level in the evenings. 

"We hope we can make it up to all the amazing performers who lost their shows — with very little notice, and we wish we could have done it another way," Bodor said. "But the light at the end of the tunnel is we hope to get them back on stage with a great room sound at the legendary [space] after the summer."

You can follow the KF Instagram for updates. You can also sign up for the Baker Falls newsletter at its website. We'll be continuing to monitor the situation here as well.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

Friday's parting shot

Tits Dick Ass tonight at the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A... headlining a bill that featured Gargoyle ... Suburban Speed ... and Femcel ...

A night to 'Remember' at Baker Falls with Suzy Clue

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

With the arrival of the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls back in July, we've enjoyed having another venue along Avenue A for live music, especially to see some favorite local acts like cumgirl8, Rebelmatic and Tits Dick Ass. 

On Oct. 25, we had a chance to check out promising newcomer Suzy Clue, headlining her first NYC show. 

The evening was a single-release party for "Remember Me," a slow burn of an alt-rock ballad that Suzy said "explores themes of heartbreak, loss, and the clash of melancholy and guttural rage of being left behind by the one you love." (You can watch the recently released video that she co-directed here.) 

Suzy was born in Albania, and raised in NYC starting at age 8. In recent years, she crafted her musical prowess in London with artists such as Pretty Sick, whose singer-bassist Sabrina Fuentes (aka Sickysab) joined her at Baker Falls... 

She discussed her musical style and expression.

"I feel like it's a mixture of softness and aggression. Visually, I just want to be a hot girl," she said with a smile. "It factors into my performance because I feel that it's unexpected when it comes to the kind of music I make. I like being out there, campy, sexy, and performative as opposed to staring at my shoes and being all serious."

Suzy and her band unleashed a brief, high-octane performance to a grateful crowd.

"I think the show went great. I was really happy to see all my friends in New York come to support me and singing along to the songs," she said. "I love performing in the East Village because it makes me feel like I'm a part of a community — I like being surrounded by other great artists in the area."

As for other artists, joining her on the bill this night: Taraneh (below) ... Comet... and a DJ set via Sickysab...

Baker Falls (the former Pyramid Club) is at 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. Find the upcoming slate of bands here.

For more live music on Avenue A:

• Berlin, 25 Avenue A

• Drom, 85 Avenue A

• Heaven Can Wait, 169 Avenue A

• Niagara (hosts the occasional live show), 112 Avenue A

Taking a 'Deep Dive' at Baker Falls

Starting tomorrow (Monday evening), Baker Falls is presenting its first art exhibition at 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

The evening (from 6-8) at the one-time home of the Pyramid Club includes a reading by local playwright-performance artist Edgar Oliver. 

Here's more about the opening via the EVG inbox...

"Deep Dive" is a site-specific constructed environment of sculptural objects and process paintings by Alex Wolkowicz. This is the first time Baker Falls has invited an artist to create an installation. The Pyramid Club has been iconic in New York City nightlife since its opening in 1979 and at the forefront of the downtown performance, drag, punk, gay and rock scene. 

"Deep Dive" honors the opening of Baker Falls and commemorates the Pyramid Club as a cultural touchstone for artists, performers, outsiders and drag queens. While under construction, Wolkowicz treated the space as an archaeological excavation site by collecting textures of the architectural details of the interior space using wet pouring techniques and graphite frottage rubbings. 

The "Deep Dive" exhibition is in conjunction with the production of a new play, "Rip Tide" at Axis Theater, by legendary downtown artist Edgar Oliver, about his formative years at The Pyramid Club. Oliver will perform original works at the opening reception ... 

The event also marks the official opening of the Baker Falls cafe in the downstairs "Fever Dream room."

"Deep Dive" will run until Jan. 9. You can RSVP for a free ticket here.

Baker Falls shapes up

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

If you walked by 101 Avenue A this week, then you may have seen local artist Antony Zito at work outside the recently opened Baker Falls ... adding hand-painted lettering on the façade and front windows...

The venue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street had its soft opening on July 13. When fully operational, the two-level space will feature an all-day cafe, bar, room for community events, and a stage for live music under the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls moniker.

Zito also added the old-school KF logo at the entryway to the ground-floor music space... 

As we've noted (see links below), East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls.

Meanwhile, live music via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls started on July 20 in the main room with Sunflower Bean.

We bought tickets for our first show here last Friday night for a concert featuring headliners cumgirl8, who were back in NYC after an extensive tour in recent months, including several nights opening for Le Tigre.

We hadn't seen cumgirl8 — Veronica Vilim (guitar), Lida Fox (bass), Chase Noelle (drums) and Avishag Rodrigues (guitar) — since late 2021 at the now-closed Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.

The hypnotic neon punk band continues to impress ... playing an exuberant set featuring songs from their forthcoming (Aug. 18!) 4AD EP titled phantasea pharm...

From our vantage in the back of the looked-full performance space, cumgirl8 received an enthusiastic Friday night welcome, complete with a mini mosh-pit.

While the venue is still working out the kinks in these opening weeks, we'll certainly be going back. You can check out the Baker Falls website for upcoming events.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A (July 10)

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

Details about some upcoming shows via the Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on Avenue A

Baker Falls had its soft opening last week at 101 Avenue A ... first with a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City" as well as Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant. 

Starting tonight, the performance space — Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls — will ramp up with the first of many concerts to come... Sunflower Bean (below) headlines a bill with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

Steve Gunn (and friends!) performs on Friday...  and there's an all-ages matinee on Sunday featuring a handful of bands, including EVG favorite Jade Tourniquet (photo below by Stacie Joy)...

Other upcoming shows include cumgirl8 on July 28...

There are several bands — local, national and international — a week on the calendar now. Check it out here.

These select shows at Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls are curated by Knitting Factory Talent Buyer Carson Ehlert with support from Senior Talent Buyer James Irvine. The duo is reprising their roles from Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg, which closed last August.

As previously reported, East Village resident Nick Bodor, whose past and current establishments have included the Library bar, alt.coffee and the Cake Shop music venue, serves as the managing partner and creative director of Baker Falls.

In the weeks ahead, you can expect a coffee shop, all-day cafe, bar and community events at the two-level space between Sixth Street and Seventh Street. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022) 

• Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A (July 10)  

Sunflower Bean and cumgirl8 photos courtesy of Knitting Factory at Baker Falls

Baker Falls set to debut this week on Avenue A

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy

A new era in East Village day- and nightlife gets underway this week with the soft opening of Baker Falls at 101 Avenue A.

As previously reported, the venue between Sixth Street and Seventh Street will feature an all-day cafe with coffee service and non-alcoholic drinks, as well as a bar and performance space with live music, DJs and readings. 

This performance space is also home to what will be called Knitting Factory New York at Baker Falls. (The Knitting Factory Brooklyn in Williamsburg closed last August.) The first gig under the Knitting Factory brand is July 20, featuring Sunflower Bean with GIFT and Slow Fiction. 

East Village resident Nick Bodor, who has owned and operated several local businesses in the past 25-plus years, including the Library and alt.coffee, is behind Baker Falls, scheduled to debut with a soft opening on Thursday evening. (Details on the first few gigs are below.)

Leading up to the opening, Bodor provided EVG's Stacie Joy with a work-in-progress sneak preview of the former Pyramid Club, which closed last October after a decades-long run. 

On the main floor, beyond the original bar, you'll find the stage area — now painted black and with upgraded audio-visual production and soundproofing — for the live music, DJ sets, and readings. The lower level will feature seating for coffee and drinks in a setting that Bodor has called a "fever-dream" or manor house in terms of décor with vintage lamps and other odds-n-ends. 

Helping him realize this vision downstairs is Deb Parker (seen below with Bodor), a thrift aficionado who is/was behind EV spaces like Beauty Bar, Barmacy and No-Tell Motel...

The inaugural event here Thursday evening, which Bodor said is inspired by the very first flyer for the Pyramid Club stating: "DOWNTOWN FOR DOWNTOWN," is a release party for Jesse Rifkin's book "This Must Be the Place: Music, Community and Vanished Spaces in New York City."

The evening features special guest DJ Dany Johnson of Club 57, Pyramid, Mudd Club and Wah Wah Hut fame. Cover is $5. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The rest of the soft opening weekend includes what Bodor describes as "Nick's fuzzed out, drone-y, noodle-y, psych-rock guitar freak-out... just setting up a bunch of guitar amps and starting a reverb-ed out guitar strum and then have other invited guitar players come in and out as they see fit to play leads and make shit up in real-time as the night goes on... could be 20 minutes or could be 8 hours...who knows, we are just jamming out on a Spacemen 3 vibe."

Saturday features Lach and Friends Anti-Folk/Anti-Hoot, a nod to the now-closed Sidewalk Bar and Restaurant across the street... and Sunday will see stand-up comedy featuring Erik Bergstrom and friends.

You can find the Baker Falls calendar with info on these and more shows here.

Opening hours for coffee service is 10 a.m. Visit the Baker Falls website for more details on programming. And if you're on Instagram.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Generation next: Baker Falls will bring together a cafe, bar and the Knitting Factory at the former Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Nov. 28, 2022)

• The next iteration of the Knitting Factory coming to the East Village (Aug. 24, 2022)