Week in Grieview

Posts this past week included (with a photo outside Webster Hall on 11th Street by Sean Piccoli... RIP Tina Turner)... 

• Report of a fatal stabbing on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C (Sunday) 

• Inside the new home of The Joyce, which aims to be a hub for the performing arts in the East Village (Tuesday) 

• The Wild Son will not be reopening (Monday) 

• A grassroots movement to access the main lawn in Tompkins Square Park (Tuesday) 

• On 10th Street, infused bake shop Sweetooth closed for now after raid (Monday) 

• I saw Andy Warhol at the Brant Foundation (Thursday) 

• Waga is closing on St. Mark's Place (Wednesday) 

• Sadly, Mister M — aka papier-mâché man — meets the end (Saturday) 

• Soft openings: Spicy Moon on the Bowery (Thursday) 

• A Make-A-Wish moment on Avenue A (Friday) 

• Power aid: Transformer work wraps up at the Con Ed substation (Monday)

• Is this the skinniest smoke shop in NYC? (Wednesday) 

• Report of a fire in an abandoned curbside dining structure on St. Mark's Place (Monday)

• "An Empire in Decline" at Village Works (Thursday) 

• On 10th and A, Deer Gallery debuts with some "Crispy Critters" (Thursday)

• Just another *******Pizza place (Wednesday) 

• To Eat Sushi on 10th Street (Thursday) 

• This East Village outpost of Blank Street coffee will be a barista training lab (Tuesday)

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[Updated] Bee careful around 7th Street and 1st Avenue!

 

Word coming in from Seventh Street at First Avenue: a nearby rooftop beehive apparently broke ... and there's a bit of a swarm here now on this NE corner... thanks to Drew for the clip!

Updated: Mackenna Caughron shared this clip...

 

Updated 5/29:

Thanks to Mariana Matarazzo for sharing the clip of the extraction ...

 

[Updated] Report of a fatal stabbing on 10th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C

Updated 5/29 

Police say the suspect, 28-year-old Quan Alford, is facing manslaughter and weapon possession charges, the Daily News reports. 

Victim Michael Gilligbauer worked at Bike Fix NYC on Sixth Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue and was on his way to his girlfriend's place when the fight on 10th Street broke out, per the News.

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A knife fight last night near 381 E. 10th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C left one man dead and another man in custody, according to published reports.

The two men reportedly didn't know each other, with the fight starting a little after 10 p.m. following "an accidental bump," per the Daily News. 

News outlets listed the victim as Michael Gillegbower, 31, who lived nearby in the Jacob Riis Houses. The unnamed 28-year-old suspect suffered a stab wound to his back. 

Charges are pending against the suspect, police officials said. 

• Sources: amNewYork ... The Village Sun ... The Daily News ... CBS 2 ... ABC 7 ... New York Post...

Screengrab via FreedomNews TV

Sunday's opening shots

As a reminder... the 36th edition of the Loisaida Festival takes place today from noon to 5 p.m. on Avenue C from Fifth Street to 14th Street... workers/volunteers are busy setting up right now.

Find the day's schedule here. 

There's also a parade that kicks off at 11:20 a.m. ...

We can also confirm the presence of turkey drumsticks this year...

Saturday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

A moment on 10th Street today during the 28th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts at Theater for the New City ... day 3 is tomorrow (Sunday!)...

Sadly, Mister M — aka papier-mâché man — meets the end

Mister M — ask papier-mâché man — had a good run in the neighborhood, departing his longtime residence on 11th Street under slightly mysterious circumstances for a short road trip this past week. 

Sadly, as the top photo shows, Mister M's time in papier-mâché form has apparently come to an end in the construction pits of First Avenue and Seventh Street. (Thank you Georgia McGovern for sharing the photo.)

He was a creation of the late East Village-based multimedia artist Hanne Lauridsen, aka Hanne H7L. 

About the annual Loisaida Festival, taking place tomorrow

The 36th edition of the Loisaida Festival takes place tomorrow (Sunday!) from noon to 5 p.m. on Avenue C, from Fifth Street to 14th Street. 

Per the invite: 

Enjoy the unity and resolve of the Lower East Side in featuring our diverse immigrant communities marking in its history, Latino culture, music, cuisine, and art of our ever-growing communities. 

Find the day's schedule of live bands and performances here. 

And check out the highlight reel from last year's festival...

 

Saturday's opening shot

A little premature but cue up the Alice Cooper. Fourth Street between A and B.

Friday's parting Fleet Week shot

Thanks to EVG reader Jason T. Sheehy for this Fleet Week moment from this evening at McSorley's on Seventh Street...

Ant music

 

Local quartet Earth Dad — featuring two lifelong East Village residents — is back with a new track (and video!). This is "Drillbit."

And you can catch the band live tomorrow (Saturday) night at Heaven Can Wait, 169 Avenue A between 10th Street and 11th Street. Ticket info here. 

Headline H/T

About the free show Saturday (tomorrow!) in Tompkins Square Park

The New York Hardcore Chronicles presents a slate of bands tomorrow (Saturday, May 27) in Tompkins Square Park. 

On the bill from 2-6: Scott Helland (Guitarmy of One), Winterwolf, Butterbrain, Rebelmatic and Leeway.

A Make-A-Wish moment on Avenue A

Rey Rosa (aka The Drif) created this mural this week outside 50 Avenue A between Third Street and Fourth Street.

It's a piece for Make-A-Wish Metro New York... Rosa is a Make-A-Wish alumnus. 

As ABC 7 reports, Rosa, a Bronx native, was born with HIV and spent years in foster care. He was recipient of a "life-changing" Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World at age 7. 

"What kid doesn't want to go to Disney World," he told the station. "It let me know there was more out in the world than the small space I was occupying." 

This space on Avenue A is curated by the Lisa Project, the 501c3 public art charity that Rosa founded with his husband Wayne. 

You can watch the ABC report here. 

EVG reader Newman shared this in-progress photo from earlier in the week...

The 28th annual Lower East Side Festival of the Arts is this weekend at Theater for the New City

There is A LOT going on this Memorial Day weekend — today through Sunday — at Theater for the New City, which is hosting its 28th Lower East Side Festival of the Arts. 

Briefly: 

It is a non-stop performance fest — over the three days, over 200 artists, collectives, poets, puppeteers, filmmakers, dancers, and everything in between are scheduled to perform in and around TNC's theaters. This year's event will address the struggle to combat climate change: "The Heat is On."

Find the full list of activities here. 

Theater for the New City is at 155 First Ave. at 10th Street.

Zines and things: 'Bad Soil' this weekend at the First Street Garden

This weekend, the First Street Garden hosts "Bad Soil," "a 3-day outdoor show of small works, found objects and stickers." 

In addition, the garden's zine library will be open, with free copies of the latest release by 2x2 Periodical available. 

"Bad Soil" features works by 2x2 Periodical, Adam Milner, Alexa Punnamkuzhyil, Ana Ratner, Anthony Malone, Cesar van Pinsett, Christina Martinelli, Craig Jun Li, Craig Mathis, Danielo Garcia, Ekaterina Leiva, Gloria Glitzer, Kel Karpinski, Kristina Schmidt, Patrick Carlin Mohundro, Polina Tereshina, SiSi Chen and Vince Park (who created the above flyer). 

Hours: 

Friday, 3-6 p.m. 

Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. 

The First Street Garden, founded in 1983 (happy No. 40!), is between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

Thursday's parting shot

As seen on Second Street and Avenue C. EVG reader Patty Rat shares this photo, asking: "Maybe Citi Bike is rolling out a new/old model for their 10-year anniversary?"

On 10th and A, Deer Gallery debuts with some 'Crispy Critters'

EVG photo from early 2023 

On Tuesday, we gave you a look inside The Joyce Theater's new arts venue on the NW corner of Avenue A and 10th Street. 

As noted, The Joyce has made available a handful of studios at subsidized rates for dance artists. There are also studios open for local dance companies and businesses to hold rehearsals, auditions classes, workshops ... or other gallery-arts uses. 

And one of these studios is now home to Deer Gallery, whose inaugural exhibit debuts this evening (May 25!) from 6-8 with "Steven Hirsch: Crispy Critters." 

The show features nearly 40 paintings and drawings that Hirsch, a longtime  East Village resident, created from 2020-2023. (We got a sneak preview of some of these here.) 

Per the gallery:

In frenzied images that illustrate dreamlike escapades, coupled with memories of waking hours witnessing the violence and antisocial behavior of our times, Steven Hirsch renders his biography and life's experiences in high color and surreal compositions.

The exhibit is up through July 1. After tonight's opening, hours are Saturday 12-5 p.m. and by appointment. 

Find the gallery's website at this link. 

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Steven Hirsch's CoronaLand

I saw Andy Warhol at the Brant Foundation

The career-spanning exhibit of 100-plus works by Andy Warhol has been on display at the Brant Foundation, 421 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and First Avenue, since May 10... and it runs through July 30.

As a reminder about the show:

... the survey spans the entirety of Warhol's illustrious career, from his early drawings and intimate Polaroids to instantly recognizable silkscreens and sculptures. "Thirty Are Better Than One" pulls in large part from the Brant Collections, which includes an expansive and coherent selection of Warhol's work. It is curated by Peter M. Brant, founder of The Brant Foundation and an early patron, collaborator, and close friend of the artist.

Tickets for the show are $20 ... there are discounts for students and folks 65-plus ... and tickets for East Village residents are $15. (Proof of residency includes naming three of Allen Ginsberg's EV apartment addresses.) And just announced: Tickets between 4:30-5:30 on Thursdays are $5. Details here.

Exhibit hours: Wednesday-Friday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a 5:30 p.m. close Saturday and Sunday.  

Meanwhile, here are a few photos from the space the other day (this is simply an FYI and not a review of the show) ...

And be sure to check out the neighborhood view — to the north toward Seventh Street — from the fourth floor... photogenic even in the rain...

At the first show in the space in the spring of 2019, the Brant Foundation featured art by Jean-Michel Basquiat — some 70 works collectively valued at $1 billion. Brant later extended the show by a few weeks.

The Brant Foundation features 7,000 square feet of exhibition space over four floors. Brant bought the building — a former Con Edison substation and Walter de Maria studio — for $27 million in August 2014.

Soft openings: Spicy Moon on the Bowery

Spicy Moon is now in soft-open mode (as of yesterday) at 265 Bowery between Stanton and Houston. (Thanks to all the readers who pointed this out!) 

This is the third (and largest) location for the vegan Szechuan restaurant with outposts in both the East Village (Sixth Street) and West Village. This spot features some sidewalk tables ... interior art by Free Humanity. The outdoor murals are by Praxis.

As previously reported, ownership received approval in February from Community Board 3 for a liquor license for the ambitious new project. The owners plan to use the brewing equipment left behind by the former two tenants — Belse (closed in late 2022) and Paulaner (closed in early 2018). 

We'll add the hours of operation as soon as we track them down. They'll eventually add a breakfast service (no alcohol served for the morning hours), per their CB3 presentation.

'An Empire in Decline' at Village Works

Tonight marks the opening of the inaugural show at the new home of Village Works at 12 St. Mark's Place. 

"An Empire in Decline" features works by Al Diaz and Jilly Ballistic...

The opening is tonight from 6-9 at the gallery, bookstore and artist space between Second Avenue and Third Avenue. 

You can read our previous posts for more background.

To Eat Sushi on 10th Street

Signage has arrived at 241 E. 10th St., just west of First Avenue, for a new establishment called To Eat Sushi. (Thanks to Steven for the photo.)

Presumably patrons will be able to eat sushi here.

After nearly five years of serving a variety of Taiwanese street food, the Braised Shop closed here in late April. In making the announcement, the owners promised a new concept, though they didn't specify where. Maybe this is it.