Theater for the New City ready to take to the streets, starting with 10th Street today

Theater for the New City's Street Theater Company starts its 2023 five-borough tour today with "Life on the Third Rail, or A Subway Delay to the Future." 

Crystal Field, Theater for the New City's artistic director, wrote and directed this musical that "tells a story in which a violent hurricane floods the subways, sending a heroic subway crew into a new world." 

This production will tour parks, playgrounds and closed-off streets throughout the five boroughs through Sept. 17. 

You can catch the free show today (Aug. 5) at 2 p.m. on 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue ... adjacent to Theater for the New City's home at 155 First Ave. 

Other EV dates:

• Aug. 19, 2 p.m. at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery

• Sept. 17, 2 p.m. in Tompkins Square Park 

Find more dates around the city and learn more about the musical at this link.

The 35th annual Tompkins Square Park Riot reunion shows are happening this weekend

The free concerts commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Tompkins Square Police Riot of Aug. 6, 1988, are happening this weekend. 

Tomorrow's show will also serve as a tribute to Al Landess (aka Al Hammerbrain), a longtime local resident and veteran of the NYC hardcore scene who died in February 2022 of cancer.

Bands are set to play Saturday and Sunday from 2-6 p.m.

Saturday's opening shots

For the second time this week, Con Ed had the graffiti power washed from its substation on Avenue A between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. 

After the early Monday scrubbing, the tags returned in less than a day...

The chaotic scene at Union Square this afternoon

Photos by Steven 

This was a well-covered story this afternoon... reports of "riots" in and around Union Square after promises of an unsanctioned PlayStation 5 video game consoles giveaway via Twitch streamer Kai Cenat turned chaotic.

 

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There are varying reports about the number of people arrested (including Cenat, who reportedly was taken away for his own safety). We'll update you when more reliable information becomes available.

Meanwhile, from 3 p.m. on, it seemed like everyone in the neighborhood was looking skyward at the six (at one point) helicopters on the scene...

Updated: 

Cenat was issued a desk appearance, per the Post ... who also reported that "65 others were taken into custody throughout the three-hour melee, 30 of whom were juveniles." 

The 21-year-old Bronx resident was charged with riot, inciting to riot and unlawful assembly, Gothamist reported.

NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey "said believes the event wouldn’t have flown out of hand if it had been organized through the proper municipal channels, allowing the NYPD the time to set up barriers and deploy an appropriate police presence."

Wet Hot American 'Stunner'

 

Every-Friday-at-5™ faves Osees (Thee Oh Sees!) have a new record, Intercepted Message, out this Aug. 18.

From that record, "Stunner."

See them live (no, really!) this coming Sept. 22-23 at the Warsaw. 

The Summer Streets days of summer are upon us

The annual Summer Streets celebration returns on the first three Saturdays of the month (August!).

Starting tomorrow (Saturday!), nearly seven miles of NYC roadways are closed to vehicles for people to run, walk, bike, complain that this makes double parking nearly impossible, etc. 

As in previous years, this car-free zone includes Lafayette, Astor Place and Fourth Avenue from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can find more details about Summer Streets at this link, including the sponsors and free exercise classes on Astor Place.

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) 

From crabs to wings on 1st Avenue?

Photos by Steven

Opening soon signs are posted on the plywood outside 225 First Ave. for Buffalo Wild Wings here between 13th Street and 14th Street...

Given this era of fake coming soon signage, we contacted BWW's corporate office to verify the arrival. (We will update if they respond.) BWW has other locations in and around the metropolitan area, so it wouldn't be a shocker if they decided to open one here.

And they may have some good consumer data. If this is legit, this makes for the fourth wings joint on First Avenue between St. Mark's Place and 14th Street (Dan and John's, Atomic Wings, Koko Wings) ... not to mention Wingstop around the corner on 14th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue.

This retail space was most recently, for a year, Crab Du Jour. 

Like a breath of fresh Urban Air on 1st Avenue

Photo by Steven

The former Beer & Smoke Shop at 149 First Ave. at Ninth Street has been undergoing a transformation in the last week... and the new signage arrived yesterday for Urban Air Convenience (or maybe UrbanAir Convenience).

Given the sign's smoke motif... and the smoke emanating from the disembodied lips, this is likely a smoke shop ... and not, say, a convenience store selling Air Jordans or fresh urban air for those wildfire days.

The storefront was previously the Hague Convenience Store for several years... (and before, something useful like a tailor's shop). 

Thursday's parting shot

Photo by Steven 

A future East Village trivia question: What was the last ad on the south-facing wall at 37 First Ave. before it was demolished? 

Answer: Little Simz for Vans.