Rock and roll in the Big Apple is dead.
It’s been said before, but in the densest county in the U.S. - Manhattan - it’s really true. After months and months of legal wrangling, famed rock club CBGB’s is on its way out (to Las Vegas, if you’re wondering). It’s Bowery cousin, The Continental, is hanging up its snotty past, as home to the Ramones in favor of a rebirth as an admittedly rock-less dive bar. Arlene’s Grocery on the Lower East Side is still kicking, but with skyrocketing rents on the island, who knows how long. The Bitter End is still thriving, but it caters to the folk nostalgia of Greenwich Village. Oh, and Crash Mansion is still standing - I played it last week, natch - but it masquerades as a refined bar that moonlights as a music venue to survive. Even the Lower East Side couldn’t keep its own Allen Ginsberg-fueled Howl! Music Festival alive this year.
Where did everyone go? To the real cultural center of New York City - Brooklyn.
That borough just over the East River has always been second-rate to its high-profile brother. But in the last few years, Brooklyn’s scene has exploded with creativity. Put it this way: if you want to find a real hipster in the flesh, take the L Train to Bedford Avenue to find popular venues North Six, Galapagos, and Luxx - all in the same urban-decay of a neighborhood, Williamsburg. Like SoHo was in the 70s and the Lower East Side in the 80s, Williamsburg is the place to find the finest of live music. When the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came to town, did they play the Bowery Ballroom? No, they opened for Manhattan residents and alt-rock gods Sonic Youth in the McCarren Park Pool.
But it doesn’t stop at signed acts. If you’re a true musician in this town, and you’re reading this Freshout post, you’re interested in the up-and-coming, mindblowing, original, throwback, and fresh. If you’re on the “in” in NYC, you’ve known that illicit noise-rock lover and promoter, Todd Patrick, is the guy to go to for a real show - no bullshit. For a 29-year-old native Texan who’s manifesto is “to make your getting together with each other something different, someway more. Not just music but all about the music; making you dance, making you stay out later. Going for the magic of being right there in what’s happening, with no hype, nothing elitist, everyone invited. Plus giving back and being involved in making creativity happen,” it’s no surprise that he’s been booking shows just north of the “hip” sphere of Williamsburg with a fervor unlike anyone else. Todd P, as he’s known, is so committed to the cause that he gives 100% of the door receipts to the bands.
And he’s just one example.
Musicians in this town know that our Philadelphia brethren rock it openly and honestly, and the creativity flowing from the Illadelph is organic and real. But in the face of corporate skyscrapers, 9/11 tributes, 8 percent sales tax, and enough tourists to make you want to strangle the person next to you with an “I love NY” shirt, it’s hard to find the true identity of New York in 2006. If you come to see a show, take the next train out of Manhattan and find the closest vinyl shop junkie. Ask them what they’re listening to, find it on Todd P’s list, and stay out until the sun comes up. 
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May 28th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
[…] As seen in Freshout Media’s Arts & Culture section. […]