Spring really is in full bloom everywhere.... an EVG reader shared this photo from Bleecker and Elizabeth today...
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Sunday's parting shot
Spring really is in full bloom everywhere.... an EVG reader shared this photo from Bleecker and Elizabeth today...
Village East presents 'The Searchers' in 35mm tomorrow (Monday!) night
The monthly Monday night 35mm series continues over at City Cinemas Village East, Second Avenue and 12th Street.
Tomorrow (Monday!) night, the theater is screening John Ford's classic Western "The Searchers" with John Wayne, Vera Miles, Jeffrey Hunter and Natalie Wood.
Upcoming Monday night 35mm films include "Enter the Dragon" in May and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" in June. Details here.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, there's a 40th anniversary screening of "Life of Brian" at 7 p.m.
Week in Grieview
[Avenue A camp out]
Posts on EVG this past week included...
Review documents are now available for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project (Wednesday)
A visit to the Pyramid Club on Avenue A (Friday)
Wax on: Stranded Records debuts on 5th Street (Monday)
Report: Archdiocese of New York announces affordable-housing projects; fate of 2 East Village churches unknown (Tuesday)
In the L-Zone: The Little Tree That Could (Tuesday)
The Starbucks on 2nd Avenue and 9th Street closes on April 15 (Thursday)
Boulder patrol: Granite blocks now surround Astor Place (Friday)
Grant Shaffer's NY See (Monday)
City reportedly winning the rat race; the return of rat-friendly trash cans to Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday)
Workers on the clock at 250 E. Houston St. (Thursday)
The Kati Roll Company says goodbye to the East Village; 2nd Avenue outpost is now closed (Friday)
[Eric Paulin and company in Tompkins yesterday via Michael Rosenthal]
Report: Landmark Theatres now booking films at the Quad on 13th Street (Wednesday)
La Plaza Cultural closed until the summer for fence replacement; RIP Krusty (Monday)
Timna is now closed on St. Mark's Place (Thursday)
"Spiritus Mundi" at the 292 Theatre/Gallery (Thursday)
Reader mailbag: "Ever hear sirens and wonder?" (Thursday)
Wagamama is closing its East Village location (Friday)
New storefront reveal at 300 E. 5th St. (Monday)
Landmarks Preservation Commission hears air-rights transfer proposal for 3 St. Mark's Place (Tuesday)
A look inside the former Sidewalk (Thursday)
Shiina closes on 3rd Avenue (Tuesday)
Audrey Hepburn canvas still needs a home (Sunday)
Beijing Express went quickly (Monday)
... and from the Citizen app this past week...
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The spectacular now
Goggla shares this photo from the New York City Marble Cemetery on Second Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue... the magnolia tree is looking pretty spectacular. As she writes: "Catch it now as I think the flowers will be gone in a couple of days."
Reminders: Spring awakening is today!
As previously noted, Loisaida United Neighborhood Gardens (LUNGS) is hosting its sixth Spring Awakening today in honor of the neighborhood's community gardens.
The day of garden-related activities begins at 11:30 a.m. at El Sol Brilliante on 12th Street between Avenue A and Avenue B. Follow the map...
Per the LUNGS website: "Join us as we are close down Avenue C for FREE Pony rides, music, a pop up community garden, free raffle prizes, a wellness circle, puppet show, Easter egg dyeing and much more."
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Record Store Day 2019
Good morning (or afternoon or evening). Today is Record Store Day 2019 ... here's a look at what some local shops will have happening...
• Limited to One Records
221 E. 10th St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue
• A-1 Record Shop
439 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue
• Academy Records
415 E. 12th St. between Avenue A and First Avenue
• Stranded Records
218 E. Fifth St. between Second Avenue and Cooper Square
• Turntable Labs
84 E. 10th St. between Third Avenue and Fourth Avenue
A bluegrass brunch option
On Saturdays (like today!) this April, live-music venue Coney Island Baby is hosting a Bluegrass Brunch at 169 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street... 2-5 p.m., and no cover charge... food service is via the recently opened Chinese Graffiti next door.
Friday, April 12, 2019
Reign of 'Fire'
Here's some minimal wave from the early-19 release by Boy Harsher... the video is for "Face the Fire."
April 12
Spotted today on Avenue A today between 11th Street and 12th Street... with the April issue of Mojo (featuring "guest editor" Keith Richards) as the means for authentification.
Learn the art of decorating Ukrainian Easter eggs tomorrow (Saturday!)
Tomorrow afternoon from 1-5, the Ukrainian Youth Association is hosting a class on learning the art of decorating pysanky – Ukrainian Easter eggs. Dyes, beeswax and a stylus are used to decorate the eggs with traditional Ukrainian designs. You can take what you make home with you.
The class is at the Ukrainian National Home, second floor, 140 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street. All the details are on the above flyer.
A visit to the Pyramid Club on Avenue A
[Angel working the front door]
Interview and photos by Stacie Joy
Setting up for an evening event at the Pyramid Club, 101 Avenue A between Sixth Street and Seventh Street, is serious business.
The iconic space has two floors, although only the top floor is open at the time I drop by to chat with Maria Narciso, club manager. She’s getting the DJ, sound and lighting techs squared away while providing the door person tickets, and briefing security on the night’s plans.
I ask about her history with the nearly 40-year-old Pyramid, the current state of affairs in nightlife and what she sees for the future of the space, which served as a defining club of the East Village scene in the 1980s. (Find more comprehensive history here and here. As Tricia Romano wrote in 2014: "[The Pyramid] served as a safe haven for freaks, geeks, weirdos, queers, and dreamers to come together and create. Sometimes it was bad; sometimes it was beautiful. But it was never boring.")
[Maria Narciso]
Were you a Pyramid regular before working here? What drew you to the Pyramid Club?
I wish I could say I was a Pyramid regular before working there. Actually, I was born in Manhattan but raised in Texas, and always dreamed of one day returning. I kept up with NYC and, because of my love of 1980s music, I kept in touch with happenings at the club.
Once I returned, I found the Pyramid Club Facebook page and started following it. My connection with the Pyramid is actually a love connection. I met the general manager Quirino Perez (resident DJ TM.8), we went on a date, and then I went to the club. I fell in love! I started to hang out there, as his girlfriend, then I saw a need for a hands-on person to assist him, and I was hired. [Congratulations to Maria and Quirino are in order — they are now engaged and hope to be married at the club.]
[Quirino Perez with Narciso]
You’ve described working here as a labor of love. Why is it important to you to keep the spirit of the Pyramid alive?
I’ve enjoyed many clubs in many cities and countries, but I never encountered something magical like the Pyramid: The foundation set by the original promoters, the community the drag queens and punk rockers created, the values, the inclusiveness — I found it all so intriguing.
I think it’s amazing that our community consists of young, old, gay, straight, rich, goths, and everything in between, yet everyone respects themselves and those around them. We are a community, a family, and that is priceless. When we say, “Come as You Are” we really mean it.
There are many regular evenings here throughout the month, including No Return Post Punk Society, Defcon NYC Industrial and the Rapture Dark Thursday 80s Dance Party. What is consistently the biggest draw for the Pyramid?
In a city with many options, we are blessed to have a regular following who come every weekend, regardless of the event. Each event/promoter has their own following and everyone is able to blend in and enjoy both levels, even when the music genres are different. It's not surprising to see goths dancing at one of our Madonnathons or our Class of 1986 “Pretty in Pink” Prom, and see neon-covered young people dancing to post-punk or industrial music.
It’s an amazing environment where everyone can actually dance like no one is looking/judging, and I believe it’s what has kept us successful. Besides the community factor, consistency is what works for us. Our patrons know what to expect, cover is always the same, drink prices are low compared to other venues in the area, music is always 1980s with a little 1970s and 1990s, everyone is treated equally, and our staff is very friendly.
[Nette Moreno, coat check and bartender]
[Vicky and Russell]
[DJ Mike Stalagmike]
While the Pyramid is well-known name to longtime residents, do you see it resonating with a newer generation?
Believe it or not, there are many longtime residents, some living just blocks away, who are surprised to find out we’re still open! Many find us online, or walking down Avenue A, and share stories of their experiences back in the 1980s. A lot of the newer generation express interest in the nostalgia of the 80s.
The music reminds them of growing up listening to what mom and dad played on the car radio. It’s amazing to see groups of 20-somethings, dancing along with patrons that have been coming over for two or three decades, or entire families coming over to dance! Sometimes we find ourselves educating them on particular artists, songs or genres. For example, someone asked about a picture of a lady on our walls, and it was Boy George.
What’s next for the Pyramid Club? Are you hopeful for a 50th anniversary?
If the owners don’t decide to sell, and we are blessed with good health, then we’ll do this until we can’t anymore. It saddens me to see news about businesses shutting down, and their patrons reminiscing. We’re living in very uncertain times; the neighborhood is in constant change. A 50th anniversary would be EPIC!
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The Pyramid Club is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. and is available for private events at other times.
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