Behind the first book featuring the work of artist Steve Keene

Steve Keene, the prolific Greenpoint-based painter whose work on album covers for Pavement and the Silver Jews is likely well-known to indie-rock enthusiasts, is the subject of a new coffee-table book now in the Kickstarter phase.

East Village resident Daniel Efram,  a longtime Keene collaborator, is producing the art book.

"In my nearly three decades of working on various projects with Steve Keene, my home and many of my favorite SK moments came at 1990s indie rock shows at Brownies or the Lakeside Lounge in the East Village," Efram said in an email. 

Eric Ambel, the former owner of the Lakeside Lounge (RIP April 2012) on Avenue B, recalled how Keene helped give the bar-music venue its identity.

"I was in the process of opening ... with partner Jim Marshall (aka WFMU DJ The Hound). We had a name, the Lakeside Lounge, but we didn't have a concept for the decor," Ambel said. "I suggested we get Steve Keene to do a bunch of paintings for us that had a sort of 'lodge/lake vibe' to them. Steve was way into the idea, and after checking out the colors we had used in the bar, he created an amazing set of images for us. During our 16 years in business at the Lakeside, he would make three completely new sets of art for the bar."

According to Efram, "The Steve Keene Art Book: Live from Subliminal Projects LA, CA" is the first art book attempting to tell the story of Keene's career by showcasing the complete work from his 2016 show at Shepard Fairey's Subliminal Projects gallery. 

You can find more info on the Kickstarter page.

Photo by Daniel Efram

Blackbird opens tonight at 9

Construction delays KO'd Blackbird's opening last Thursday evening... However, the bar taking over the former Lakeside Lounge space on Avenue B at East 10th Street will now open tonight at 9, per the EVG inbox (and the sign outside the bar) ... Blackbird is owned and operated by Lakeside principal Laura McCarthy, as BoweryBoogie first reported.

[Image from last week by Bobby Williams]

Breaking: Blackbird's opening postponed

[Photo from Tuesday by Bobby Williams]

Earlier, we mentioned that Blackbird would be opening tonight in the former Lakeside Lounge space on Avenue B ... From the EV Grieve inbox...

"HEY EVERYONE — URGENT UPDATE: BLACKBIRD WILL NOT BE OPEN THIS WEEKEND AFTER ALL. WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME CONSTRUCTION-RELATED ISSUES AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO OPEN UNTIL NEXT WEEK. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE LAST-MINUTE NEWS. BUT IF YOU WANT TO GO OUT TONIGHT, PLEASE GO AND SUPPORT OUR FRIENDS ON AVENUE B: MANITOBA'S, REVISION, AND BOXCAR LOUNGE!"

Editor's note: And Mona's ... and Vazac's ... and B-Side ... and Blarney Cove... and Otto's ...

[Updated] Blackbird opens tonight at former Lakeside Lounge; 'for people who don’t want to be part of the woo-woo scene'

[Photo from Tuesday by Bobby Williams]

We've been curious about what would be taking over the Lakeside Lounge space on Avenue B... BoweryBoogie got the scoop late last week — the place will be called Blackbird, "owned and operated by Lakeside principal Laura McCarthy and a current 'bartender from Niagara.'"

Per BB's tipster:

Definitely NOT a whiskey bar. And not a dive. Just a bar for people who don’t want to be part of the woo-woo scene and who are too smart to wait in line for an $22 cocktail. [It's] intended to be a beautiful but comfortable bar with a rock & roll vibe.

And they're opening tonight, per a BoweryBoogie follow-up post. BB received an invite, which reads in part:

Please join us for riveting deejays, nightly open bar from 9-10 p.m, and simply the most charming people you will ever see in one room together ever again.

Late yesterday afternoon, we saw workers racing to get the place together...

Previously.

UPDATED:
The opening has been postponed... no opening date just yet...

Looking at the former Lakeside Lounge

While we wait to find out more information about all the applicants on this month's CB3/SLA meeting (Monday at 6:30 p.m.), including ...

• Lakeside Lounge (La Ritt Inc), 162-164 Ave B (op)

...we did notice that workers have finally taken down the sign and painted the former Lakeside Lounge on Avenue B near East 10th Street ... the popular music venue closed in April after 15 years...

In reporting on the closure, New York Music Daily wrote that the Lakeside "will be replaced by a gentrifier whiskey joint, no doubt with $19 artisanal cocktails and hedge fund nebbishes trying to pick up on sorostitutes when their boyfriends are puking in the bathroom – or out of it."

That just seemed to be just an angry reaction to the Lakeside's closure... there's nothing official, but we did hear that someone involved with Niagara would be taking over the space... Meanwhile, if you have any tips, please let us know via the EV Grieve email ...

Lakeside's photobooth has a new home

The Lakeside Lounge closed after last Monday night... Meanwhile, Trixie, the owner of the venue's vintage photobooth, was looking for a new home for the machine... and she has found one...

The booth arrived at HiFi on Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street on Friday... And here's how it's looking inside HiFi...

We like point No. 3. And No. 4. Have a drink.

[HiFi photos by Shawn Chittle]

The Lakeside Lounge closes after tonight

As you probably know, the Lakeside Lounge closes up after tonight on Avenue B near East 10th Street. (A few people on Twitter seemed surprised by this news this past weekend.) The first report of the closure came a few weeks ago via a post at New York Music Daily.

And thanks to WNYC for including a "blow-torch" quote from me in a post on the Lakeside closing. (Quote: "I don't want an $18 cocktail made with a blow-torch.")

[Photo by Maggie Owens]

Here's the flyer for the last show at the Lakeside Lounge

As New York Music Daily first reported, the Lakeside Lounge is closing after 16 years on April 30. There isn't going to be any gala farewell parties at the live music venue on Avenue B at East 10th Street, New York Music Daily noted. The bands already on the schedule will be playing... and here's the flyer for the Lakeside's very last live show...

Until then then, you have another week to stop by ... Also, the Times has a piece on the Lakeside here today. Co-founder Eric Ambel, whose band is playing the last night, told the Times: "The economics of the new East Village caught up with us."

h/t Shawn Chittle

Weekend recap: Lakeside Lounge is closing after April 30

On Saturday, we posted a report from New York Music Daily that the Lakeside Lounge on Avenue B at East 10th Street is closing at the end of the month.

Trixie, who owns the vintage photo booth in the bar (and ran Live Shop Die on East 13th and later Avenue A), left this comment on our post:

I own the photobooth at Lakeside Lounge and am saddened as any of you by the news of its closing. I'm going to try and find a place for it right here in the East Village though so that everyone can continue to enjoy it. I've lived on e 12th Street since 1978 and I'd really like to keep the booth in the neighborhood. In the meantime though, come on down, the bar is open until the end of the month and the photobooth is ready and waiting to take your picture!

Anyone?

Report: The Lakeside Lounge closes at the end of the month

That's the word via a report at New York Music Daily, who note that the Lakeside, which opened in 1997 on Avenue B near 10th Street, "will be replaced by a gentrifier whiskey joint, no doubt with $19 artisanal cocktails and hedge fund nebbishes trying to pick up on sorostitutes when their boyfriends are puking in the bathroom – or out of it."

Read the rest of the post here about the bands who played at the Lakeside.

This and Banjo Jim's now within the past eight months. Ouch.

Here's the rest of the Lakeside's calendar for the month. Go say goodbye.

Ink Lake shares some Lakeside memories here.