East Fifth Street transformed into Bedford Avenue another era

Dave on 7th checks back in on the filming this afternoon of "Greetings From Tim Buckley" on East Fifth Street, where Sophie's is subbing for 1960s-era Night Owl Cafe

Night Owl Cafe lives again at Sophie's — but just for today

Crews are on East Fifth Street today to film scenes for "Greetings from Tim Buckley." ("Gossip Girl" star Penn Badgley is Jeff Buckley in this film.)

The Jeff Buckley-Tim Buckley biopic is using Sophie's as a backdrop (both inside and outside the bar). Dave on 7th was on the scene this morning...

Sophie's is subbing for the Greenwich Village 1960s mainstay Night Owl Cafe, where Tim Buckley played his first NYC gig in 1966 (and the Lovin' Spoonful came to fame). Read more about the club here. This address on West Third Street has been home to Bleecker Bob's since 1983.

...and a new rival for the Pee Phone?

'Greetings From Tim Buckley' filming in the East Village

[Photo on Fifth Street and Avenue A via a very special tipster]

Expect to see crews for the new Jeff Buckley-Tim Buckley biopic filming around the East Village in the coming weeks. We've heard that they've been scouting some familiar locations.

Now! A quick synopsis of the film:

Greetings from Tim Buckley follows the true story of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley’s eminent 1991 performance at his father’s tribute concert in St. Ann’s Church. Through a romance with a young woman working at the concert, he learns to embrace all of his feelings toward the father who abandoned him — longing, anger, forgiveness, and love. Culminating a cathartic performance of his father’s most famous songs, Jeff’s debut stuns the audience and launches his career as one of the greatest young musicians of his time.

And, well, Penn Badgley of "Gossip Girl" fame — and no stranger to the East Village! — is playing Jeff.

Anyway, doesn't seem like that long ago that Jeff Buckley was playing at Sin-é at 122 St. Mark's Place in the early 1990s.

[Jeff Buckley circa 1993 via]

The St. Mark's version of Sin-é closed in 1996. Jeff Buckley drowned in Memphis in 1997.

Updated: Our friends at This Ain't the Summer of Love note in the comments that Anthrax bassist Frank Bello will portray Richard Hell in the movie.