2 Cooper Square is bubbling at the corner of 4th Street and Bowery and the walls around the foundation are in place - including the beams that appear to be holding up the north end of the pit.
Originally conceived by Atlantic Development according to the Villager from a couple of years ago and currently offered through Mogull Realty, this suh-weet looking building is just in time for the downturn in the NYC housing market.
Hey, how about Kim Mogull of Mogull Realty? The Sarah Palin of Real Estate? We see the similarity. Somebody get Tina Fey on this deal, stat!
The big question is… what will happen first: 2 Cooper Square will have its first tenant OR The Cooper Square Hotel will have its first real guest? (Oh surrrrrrre The CSH is going to open on December 11. Uh huh.)
No time like the present for an exclusive EVP poll:
If you want to open a restaurant, try the East Village of NYC or so says the data compiled by Zubin Jelveh of Portfolio.com. You’re more likely to get a media review - especially by Frank Bruni of the New York Times - by locating it here. Just not necessarily a good one. (See Kurve review.)
Portfolio.com’s Jeveh used data from the restaurant directory, Menupages, and was able to discover still more insights on the East Village’s leadership position.
The East Village “leads the league” in restaurants - period!
For CB3 committee chair, Alexandar Militano, and her State Liquor Authority & Department of Consumer Affairs Licensing committee, which includes former Board Chair, David McWater, this graph can’t be a surprise. Nor can it surprise District Manager, Susan Stetzer. But how about this?
We recently sent our East Village Podcasts research team into the field for a similar analysis of the East Village… into the “hookah zone,” as we like to call it.
The bar charts tell the story. The East Village is dominant in NYC when it comes to hookah bars.
Incredibly, the East Village dominates in hookah bars per square mile worldwide, too.
How about London beating Berlin? Good job, EVP research team.
East Village Podcasts visited the seat of New York City government to see if the excitement from this past summer’s public hearing by the New York City Planning Commission could be outdone. If cursory appearances were to be believed, the communities involved in the proposed rezoned area - and those who weren’t but wanted to be (Chinatown) - had less of a presence than before.
During the morning hearing, Councilmembers Rosie Mendez and Alan Gerson, who have their own Wikipedia entries, took a prominent role in guiding the proceedings. A council staff member suggested that the plan could come up for a vote with the City Council next week.
Outside council chambers, we were able to catch up with two people from opposing sides of the plan.
First, Daniel Squadron, the newly-elected State Senator of the 25th District, voiced his approval of the proposed rezoning effort. The literally fast-talking State Senate-elect has a future as an auctioneer should he leave politics. Squadron, in voicing his support, also indicated the need to include those who felt they were left out of the rezoning process in the first go-round.
Stanley Mark, an attorney from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, expressed dissent for the plan and said that among the plan’s shortcomings was the affordable housing component which many of Chinatown’s residents could still not afford.
To hear Squadron and Mark’s views, click the video below:
Our teens are choking the East Village of New York City - or so says Style.com’s Matthew Schneier. Dang teens, dang ‘em!
In raving about natty rad CryWolf streetwear that retails for an economic slump f-u price of $287, Schneier shneers, “It’s nice to know you can get the East Village look without actually having to navigate the teen-choked East Village.”
Polite chest bump, Matthew. Meet you at John Varvatos for some serious head scarf discussions. No teens there and I promise to show you Joey Ramone’s puke stain, K?
Learn more about Teatro Circulo and its productions:
A long-time resident of New York City, Oliveras and his passion for Spanish classical theater helped found the Company 15 years ago. As part of the City’s classification of the FAB block on 4th Street between Second and Third Avenues as a Cultural District a few years ago, Teatro Circulo was able to buy the building in which it resides for $1 in 2005. New renovations are set to begin in January of 2009.
Oliveras said that the East Village theater’s goal is to become a leading cultural institution in the City serving the latino community. He adds that expanding the theater’s programming as well as training classes for actors and neighborhood children, alike, will be an important focus in the years to come.
Like many of the theaters on the block, Teatro Circulo at 64 East 4th Street is a frenzy of artistic exploration these days offering a range of shows - from classical to contemporary. ACE award winner, “La Celestina” by Fernando de Rojas, is the Theater’s current, classical production whose themes of avarice and seduction may resonate today considering Wall Street’s recent crumbling and general economic woes according to Oliveras.
Beginning on November 12, Boundless Theatre Company in collaboration with Teatro CÃrculo, will present a contemporary play by Shelagh Stephenson and directed by Tlaloc Rivas called “Five Kinds of Silence” whose dark plot is described on Teatro Circulo’s website as follows: “After so many years of obsessive control, two daughters shoot their father during an epileptic fit.”
Rivas, who is originally from L.A. said, “It’s great that the hispanic-latino community has theaters around the city to showcase not only Latin American work, but also work that can be easily transcribed.”
Rachel Cox and Jesse Barnes of Oakley Hall were kind enough to chat with East Village Podcasts in the bowels of Mercury Lounge prior to the show. As we learned, Rachel is originally from North Carolina which echoes a common, geographic theme to CMJ: talented musicians from North Carolina (in addition to Rachel, Portastatic, The Bronzed Chorus, The Rosebuds, etc.). Is it the sausage gravy and biscuits?
For your viewing pleasure, the East Village Podcasts interview and the opening song from their show which included Mekon drummer Steve Goulding at Mercury Lounge.
The left and right coasts became one, briefly, on Saturday evening during the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon at Mercury Lounge. Los Angeles-based, The Broken West (MySpace link) from the Merge Records label, performed a 45-minute set for an appreciative, throbbing and bobbing New York City audience.
Later, band members revealed plans for the future which include playing Madison Square Garden and opening a Papa John’s franchise. During these times of fiscal restraint, pizza seems like a safe bet - especially if you can add some MSG.
Below is the East Village Podcasts interview with band members (and fans) of The Broken West and clip from their show at Mercury Lounge:
Ivan Howard (vocals/guitar/ drums/ bass/keyboards/programming) and Kelly Crisp (vocals/keyboard/drums/guitar) are the driving forces of the Merge Records band who released a new album on October 7 (available on iTunes) called, “Life Like.”
Below is a limited edition, East Village Podcasts interview with Ivan, as well as a music clip from the show.
In the clip, our apologies regarding audio from the show - we stood in front of the speaker with the guitar and drums, pretty much. Hence, the vocals are inaudible.
The Rosebuds also have a blog where you can get all the latest buds of news.
Last Saturday night was “Merge Records night,” so to speak, at Mercury Lounge as part of the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon hive in New York City. Among the Merge artists was Mac McCaughan and his band, Portastatic. McCaughan co-founded Merge Records with Laura Ballance in 1989 according to the pajama-wearing editors of Wikipedia.
Starting the show solo, McCaughan’s well-executed, and, at times, doleful melodies humbled the knitters and wheat grass drinkers of the Mercury Lounge mosh pit.
Hear Portastatic’s fine music - a guitar-playing, singing genre as you will learn from the EVP interview - in the following video:
For the latest on Portastatic, McCaughan advises to check the Portastatic blog.
Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack are Wye Oak and we would have liked to have shown you a clip from their Mercury Lounge performance, but our camera’s battery died. (WAH, wa) Fortunately, we resuscitated the camera in time to shoot a post-performance interview with Jenn and Andy. (wa, WAH)
To view, click.. well, you know:
Wye Oak returns to New York City and the Bowery Ballroom on December 5 after their upcoming European tour.
Similar to many musicians, Lick Lick’s day jobs (teachers, primarily, in this case) belie their secret desires to play music all day and night.
Eric Roche, gutarist, and Matt Kelly, vocals and keyboard (Matt’s wife Mo is also lead singer in the group) give the Lick Lick side of the story in the EXCLUSIVE East Village Podcasts interview - after the music clip:
From Northern Ireland came Fighting With Wire (MySpace link) to the stage of New York City’s Bowery Poetry Club on Thursday night.
The last of five Irish bands to perform during the MusicFromIreland showcase, the band rocketed through a 45-minute midnight set which included music influenced by classic late-80’s, early-90s bands like Nirvana, Fugazi and Soundgarden according to lead singer/guitarist, Cahir O’Doherty.
To view the EVP interview with Cahir - who counts skinny jeans and well-manicured hair as his pet peeves about the current music scene - and a clip from the show, click below:
To our knowledge, Ireland is not known for its snow accumulation. But this quibble hasn’t stopped a West Mead, Irish band from taking the moniker. The Blizzards (MySpace link) - Think of them as the first Irish blizzard.
After chatting with Brezzie, the band’s lead singer, we learned that not only did he get “taken” (our opinion - two glasses of wine and a beer for $150) at NYC’s posh Butter, but also The Blizzards’ new album, Domino Effect, has been presciently titled considering current, worldwide economic conditions. The band looks forward to leveraging the album’s name going forward.
And now, the East Village Podcasts’ The Blizzards interview - with a music clip from their Thursday night show at Bowery Poetry Club on the Bowery:
If there’s a particular, fond memory one of our editorial team has of Limerick, Ireland, is that its french fries - or chips as they call ‘em over there - are delicious.
When Steveamanakick, Giveamanakick’s lead singer and guitarist, came out with gas mask on, audience members knew they were in for something special while Giveamanakeith provided the driving beats during the all-Irish-band evening put on by MusicFromIreland.
For a clip from Giveamanakick’s show and the East Village Podcasts interview, check out the video below:
Dublin, Ireland’s favorite twin sisters (we’re guessing, we admit it), Heathers, made the CMJ journey to take part in last night’s all-Ireland round-up of bands visiting the Music Marathon at Bowery Poetry Club in New York City’s NoHo neighborhood.
The poetic spirits of the Club must have been pleased as Heathers offered the evening’s only acoustic set that moved even the unwashed, ne’er do wells swilling Miller Beer in the back of the house.
As you will see from the interview after the music clip, East Village Podcasts unearthed a Heathers fact that only EVP was not aware of - Heathers… they’re twins!
Forging ahead in spite of a guitar injured by Aer Lingus, Hooray For Humans brought their energetic performance to the NoHo/East Village club on a quintuple bill with four other Irish bands as part of the MusicFromIreland’s, Irish-bands-rock evening.
For a clip from the Hooray for Humans show, and an interview featuring yet another brief, East Village Podcasts survey on NYC food, please view the following video:
A two-man ensemble, The Bronzed Chorus revved the audience with spatial rhythms in the intimate setting and will no doubt return to Greensboro, North Carolina with more fans than before. Judging from their self-professed, seminal influences, everything from Pink Floyd to Smashing Pumpkins, their tunes are likely to appeal to an ever-growing legion of admirers.
Speaking of which - fear not, new found fans - they return in February with a new album fromHello Sir Records according to the music clip with interview that follows:
The CMJ 2008 Music Marathon coverage continues here at East Village Podcasts and this time it’s Child Bite checking in from the Motor City - Detroit, Michigan.
After playing a live set at Bowery Poetry Club last night, we caught up to two of the band members.
To see and hear a clip from Child Bite’s show - and see who’s pissed off (but not really (but really)) about driving the tour bus - , check out the video below:
Last night brought Athens, Georgia-based, Pegasuses-XL to the greater metropolitan East Village area as part of the 2008 CMJ Music Marathon taking place all over the city including Bowery Poetry Club - on Bowery, in case you haven’t heard.
Pegasuses-XL with singer/keyboardist/mathematician, Joel Hatstat, brought their own kind of Jolt cola-infused poetry as they entertained a bobbing and weaving, CMJ crowd. For the EVP interview with Joel and a clip from the show, view the video:
Engine Room Recordings’ The Bloodsugars from Brooklyn and, notably, Marine Park, provided a bouncy set that kept the bar taps flowing. For The Bloodsugars (or MySpace link) music and an interview with Jason, the lead singer and guitarist, click below:
Excelsior Recordings artist and Amsterdam natives, Hospital Bombers (for english readers, try the MySpace link) performed a set that included music from “Footnotes,” their upcoming new album. Music and interview follows:
Finally, Minnesota transplants, and now staunch Brooklynites, Dinosaur Feathers, led off with their clever vocals and a suitcase full of rhythm in only their second performance on the big stage. View a clip of the performance plus, yet another, BONUS interview:
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