Friday, August 3, 2012

Hear no evil



Minor Threat with "I Don't Wanna Hear It" circa 1983.

3 scenes from in and around Tompkins Square Park today




Photos by Bobby Williams.

'Urban Exquis,' a cinematic installation at First Park tonight

[Bobby Williams]

Tonight from 8-9 in First Park, 33 E. First St. near Second Avenue ... via Facebook...

Urban Exquis is inspired both by the cadavre exquis method of poetry, in which a collection of writers blindly contribute isolated words that together compose a poem, and by Gordon Matta-Clark’s 1976 film City Slivers, in which the artist depicts New York City through a collection of masked views that fill only a portion of the film frame. Urban Exquis consists of twenty-four short videos that depict various urban environments.

And a scene from last night's viewing...

[Via Facebook]

Musicians end 7-month University of the Streets boycott

[Matt Lavelle Big Band photo from June 2011 by Dave on 7th]

News release from the EV Grieve inbox... University of the Streets is located at 130 East Seventh St. at Avenue A...

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University of the Streets, the University of the Streets Musicians Committee and the musicians union Local 802 are formally announcing the end of a seven month boycott of University of the Streets, effective immediately.

The announcement follows successful resolution of negotiations between the non-profit jazz venue’s management and members of the University of the Streets Musicians’ Committee, an ad hoc organization representing musicians who had played at University of the Streets and were participating in the boycott, and Local 802, AFM, whose representatives were present in support of the musicians’ committee.

The boycott was called last September, after reports of a musician being injured during an altercation with a UOTS employee circulated widely through social media. The boycott also stemmed from musicians’ concerns over what they considered a “pay to play” policy, in which the venue sometimes required bands to pay out of pocket to cover a guarantee in ticket sales.

In January 2012, the UOTS Musicians Committee contacted Saadia Salahuddeen, director of University of the Streets, with a list of grievances. These were resolved in a meeting on April 12, 2012, attended by members of the UOTS Musicians Committee, representatives of Local 802, Ms. Salahuddeen, and several members of the UOTS board.

As part of the agreement, UOTS will end the ‘pay-to-play’ policy, and will bar the employee involved in the altercation from the venue.

A statement issued by the UOTS Musicians Committee reads:

"We’re extremely pleased that UOTS has addressed the musicians’ concerns, and that both they and we can now get back to presenting and performing creative music in this historic venue. We wish the venue and the musicians who play there every success."

A statement by Local 802 organizer Shane Gasteyer reads:

“These musicians have shown again that collective action really works. Local 802 is happy to be here supporting working musicians in every part of today’s scene.”

Ms. Salahuddeen invites any interested musicians to join an advisory committee of musicians so that UOTS can work more closely with the local jazz and improvisational music community “to ensure more productive and positive relationships with musicians.”

Endorsed by: Marc Ribot, Brandon Ross, Ches Smith, Avram Fefer, Jim Pugliese, and Weasel Walter for the UOTS Musicians Committee, and Saadia Salahuddeen For University of the Streets.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Why people are calling for a boycott of The University of the Streets

And Brooklyn Vegan coverage here.

[Updated] Return of the Summer of Bees!


Earlier today, @k_a_r_p noted "an uncomfortable amount of bees have infiltrated Liquiteria" on Second Avenue at East 11th Street... Well, just a few shown in this photo... but there were some 40 in the place last night... (are they juicing?)

Updated: 5:50 p.m.
@k_a_r_p returned and found a bee-free shop...

Previously.

City has OK'd one-floor addition for Ben Shaoul-owned building on Avenue A and East 12th Street

[Google Maps]

Shortly after posting our item this morning about the impending closure of the Mary Help of Christians property ... a tipster sent us an FYI about more possible changes coming to Avenue A and East 12th Street. (Updated: Sorry, just realized that Jill mentioned this in our July 6 post about Mary Help of Christians.)

According to DOB records, the city has approved a one-story addition to 191 Avenue A (the building with the MRI medical center) and 444 E. 12th St. (the corner space with Poppy's).

The city OK'd the plan for 191 on Jan. 24 ... and last Sept. 26 for 444.

According to the city records, developer Ben Shaoul is listed as the owner of the buildings.

Residents say that Mary Help of Christians and the flea market will close for good on Sept. 1


For the past four or so years, we've been following the saga of the Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church and its inevitable, unfortunate, closure to make way for a new development.

Multiple neighbors/parishioners are now saying that the church, school and adjacent property have been sold to a developer to make way for "condos and luxury apartments."

Nearby residents say all this will be effective Sept. 1 ... so if the residents are correct... this means that you have about four weeks left to enjoy the flea market here along Avenue A between East 11th Street and 12th Street...


..which has been open during the week since late July...


While there isn't any official confirmation just yet, rumors of development here have been swirling since 2008, when The Real Deal reported that two-thirds of the playground space along Avenue A had been sold in an all-cash deal for $10.4 million. That deal never materialized.

There is still a Spanish-language mass at the church every Sunday morning at 11:30.

The church opened in 1917.

For further reading:
The Church Ladies (The New York Times)

Is this the warm, fuzzy feeling that you were expecting at 313 Bowery?


We've been wondering what would go into the retail space at 313 Bowery since the Riff pop-up shop closed in May... Now we know, thanks to a scoop over at the Observer: Patagonia. The outdoor clothing and gear store is moving into the two levels of combined 8,100-square-feet of space that once housed the CBGB Record Canteen and, later, the 313 Gallery.

And the quote of the day goes to the leasing executive who said this to the Observer:

“Patagonia loves historic space. 313 was just the perfect location. In the basement there are still the bathrooms from CBGB’s time that are scrawled with all the writing from club-goers over the years.”

[Corbis]

BoweryBoogie has more on this here.

Gas station switcheroo shocker on Second Avenue: Gulf now a BP; bagels still served

Last night, we went for our usual morning bagel at the Gulf station on Second Avenue and East First Street and...


Whoa! BP!



Inside, while trying to overcharge me $1 for a fucking bottle of water, the attendant told me that the station made the switch on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, bagels are still on the menu...


But can we ever eat a BP bagel?

[The good old days of Gulf bagels]

Report: Police arrest suspect wanted in string of LES muggings

The NYPD made an arrest last night in connection with a string of robberies dating back to May 5.

Per CBS New York, "Dion Whitehead, 38, of 484 East Houston St., was hit with four counts of robbery pertaining to the alleged mugging of at least 16 people since May, spanning from Houston Street to East 23rd Street, police said."

And the Daily News had this graphic...

Hey, look at 51 Astor Place

[Bobby Williams... yesterday]

Beams! Structure! Starting to go up in a hurry...

And soon...



Eventually, the building will house 15,000 turbolasers, 700 tractor beam projectors, 1 Superlaser with 725,000 support crew and gunners, plus 265,000 troopers.

Today in photos of a dead rat on the L train platform


At 14th Street via Dave on 7th...


So early, so many bad headline possibilities!

The commute was killing him.
What a rat race.
"I like Grizzy Bear's earlier stuff."

Oh, you can do better.

The expanded Benny's is now open


Benny's has taken over the space next door here on Avenue at East Sixth Street... where they used to run their to-go business ... Anyway, the extension is open... looks like more seating... Anyone been inside since they expanded?

It's for you


A payphone on the west side of Avenue C between East 10th Street and 11th Street. Blood or ketchup? You decide.

Headline and photo by Andrew Adam Newman on Ave C

Stars and stripes


Spotted by EVG reader Robert Miner on the St. Brigid's plywood ...

And perhaps a companion piece to yesterday's post on Avenue B.

A Gathering of the Tribes starts its annual Charlie Parker Festival tonight

[Click on image to enlarge]

Check out the website for more details.

Meanwhile, the East Village portion of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival is Sunday, Aug. 26. More details to follow...

Desperately Seeking 'Real People'


Spotted on Second Avenue near East 14th Street. If you call, could you please find out what the free gifts are?

Thanks!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

New Order live in the East Village from 1981

So New Order is embarking on their first North American tour since 2005 ... Oct. 18 at Roseland Ballroom. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning at 10.

Which is an excuse to post this video of "Ceremony" live at the Ukrainian National Home on Second Avenue (between Ninth and St. Mark's) from Nov. 19 1981.



Our buddy Karate Boogaloo has a lot more about this show, including a review of it by Tim Sommer, a correspondent for the UK magazine Sounds:

"Standing around the Ukranian National Home on Manhattan's lower Second Avenue puts me in a sour mood. This is a prestigious gig in an odd venue, and the audience, like the hall, is truly pretentious in it's self-conscious unpretentiousness. The place is full of the cream of New York's pseudo-Continentals, the transparent and ridiculous '80's would-be bohemians with their long dark coats, scarves and faces. Unfortunately, very much the crowd you would expect for New Order. The evening's whole mood has been strongly anti-rock, so it's refreshing and pleasantly surprising when New Order's set begins brightly, with real strength and power."

Heh. Pseudo-Continentals!

See the rest of the post, including a video of the entire show, over at Stupefaction.

Aspiring sinkhole starts sinking on Avenue C


Spotted at East 10th Street. Please call 311 once it reaches the East Village Tavern's sidewalk seating.

Today outside 100 Avenue A


Photo by Bobby Williams.

Previously.