DIIV @ Kidrockers, Brooklyn Bowl (more by Jessica Amaya)

Impresario Peter Shapiro -- owner of Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg and the former boss of Wetlands in Tribeca -- has picked a quiet pocket in the industrial neighborhood of Gowanus for a new "child-friendly" venture.
The 40-year-old father of two is turning an empty warehouse at 280 Bond St. into The Rock and Roll Playhouse, housing classes for the day-care crowd, a bar and a live-music theater...

...The Playhouse, slated to open this winter, will teach tots about music during the days in classes such as "Beatles for Babies," and "Drawing Rock and Roll," according to the project's website. - [NY Daily News]

TGI Fridays, you give bars a bad name, a bad name...

"State authorities this morning raided 29 bars and restaurants across New Jersey on suspicion that they have been re-filling empty bottles of their most expensive liquors with cheaper alcohol.

Dubbed "Operation Swill," the year-long investigation found the establishments fooled customers so they could charge higher prices and bolster their profits, according to a statement released by the state Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control." [NJ.COM]

Continue reading "Cops raid TGI Fridays, Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday & other NJ bars for selling cheap alcohol as 'top shelf'"

As Todd P continues to turn Market Hotel into a new and fully legal Brooklyn venue, a sale is happening to clean out some of the old stuff. Details, live music included, below...

Continue reading "Market Hotel tag sale this Saturday"

There's another new megaclub coming to Williamsburg:

Verboten (German for "forbidden") -- a popular dance party company that throws techno and house DJ events around the city -- is applying for a liquor license for its soon-to-open nightclub on North 11th Street that will hold more than 700 people, company representative Jen Schiffer said at a public meeting this week.

"It attracts a discerning crowd of music fans, Europeans, hipsters, freaks, party girls and industry types," the company's website explains of its "techno programming."

Schiffer said the new venue would include two rooms -- one that could accommodate 411 people and another that could hold 321 guests. The venue has applied to remain open until 4 a.m. on weeknights and 6 a.m. on weekends. - [DNA Info]

TBA interior (via)

Not to neglect the South Side, another club, called TBA, opened about six weeks ago at 395 Wythe Ave (at S. 6th St.). It's a little more mini than mega. Says NY Mag:

Run by a gaggle of nightlife veterans from Blkmarket Membership, Porch, and Deep, the democratic space (there's no door policy) has a pumping sound system, stiff tequila drinks (try the Habla Habanero, made with Espolon Reposado and mango purée; $10), and room for up to 150 bodies. Still, it's the rarefied techno, electronica, and house programming-- a lineup that includes heavies like Stimming, Pig&Dan, and Butane.

Back in November we reported that NJ music venue Starland Ballroom, who had to cancel a lot of shows due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, was going to stay closed until at least Spring 2013. Spring is here and though they're being vague, the club just posted a video along with the message: "Thanks for all of your well-wishes, good vibes and hopes for recovery. It's finally time to talk about the future of the Starland Ballroom." The video doesn't offer much information but ends with "June 4, 2013." A commenter immediately asked the natural first question which is, "does this mean the announcement will be on June 4 or shows will start then?" Starland answered, "We'll just have to wait and see." Ok, we're waiting.

Check out a videos of Motorhead and Wu Tang Clan at Starland, below...

Continue reading "Starland Ballroom getting ready to reopen"

At the end of November we reported that Sunny's Bar in Red Hook was still closed and raising money to repait itself from Hurricane Sandy. Five months later and not too much has changed, from a high level at least...

Dear Friends,

An awful lot has happened since you heard from me last. We are finally able to forge ahead with the big fix in the basement! It has been surveyed, drawn, and is currently with the engineer. He came here early April with the contractor. The work is estimated to take one month, and we are optimistically hoping to have it done by the end of June.

To pay for the repair, we are launching a month long fundraising campaign. To kick it off, we're throwing a big old Sunny's party at the Bell-House, May 1st! Buy your tickets here, SunnysMaydayParty or at the door. Please copy and invite your friends! Can't wait to see you all.

Please share our link:
(http://igg.me/at/sunnys-red-hook/x/3042670) to our fundraising campaign with your friends and friends of Sunny's Bar. We can all be drinking together in a few short months with everyone's help.

xxx & cheers
from everyone at
Sunny's!

by Bill Pearis

When it opened in 1989, Max Fish was an outpost in a down-and-out neighborhood, but it became a relic in what one former customer called today's "fratified" Lower East Side.

Word of the probable move hit the blogs on Wednesday, though the current bar's death rattle began over two years ago, when the owner, Ulli Rimkus, announced it would close at the end of January 2011, the victim of soaring rent. Hand-wringing and eulogizing quickly ensued, but a last-minute reprieve arrived in the form of an extended lease.

This time, though, the end seems nigh, with Ms. Rimkus confirming in a text message: "We are trying to move to Williamsburg. Nothing certain, except that we have to move." She declined to answer more questions -- or her phone -- and later shooed a reporter out of her bar. - [NY Times]

'We'll Take the Spirit and Everything Else With Us' -Ulli
The Lower East Side institution and cultural icon Max Fish will be moving. We are seeking a 2pm - 4am liquor license for the following address:

132 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211

If you've enjoyed time at The Fish please sign and share this petition. And if you live or know anyone that lives within 500 Feet of either 132 Metropolitan Ave or 99 North 1st St in Brooklyn, please contact me directly at: tmq777@gmail.com.

Thanks for your support.

Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Williamsburg Waterfront aka East River State Park, was a hoppin' but short-lived outdoor Brooklyn venue back in 2011 that was replaced by Williamsburg Park right down the street in 2012, but Williamsburg Waterfront may be making a musical comeback. Mad Decent have double confirmed that their NYC 'Block Party' this year will take place at the "Waterfront" and not the "Park" where they sort of had it last year.

UPDATE: Mad Decent got it wrong. Despite what their announcement said, and what their people double confirmed for me, AEG has just confirmed to us that the Mad Decent Block Party will in fact happen at Williamsburg Park again (and NOT Williamsburg Waterfront).

No word yet on whether this will be a trend of a one-off event in the "Waterfront" space.

Williamsburg Waterfront is also currently home to less musical gatherings like the Brooklyn Flea, Smorgasburg and this past weekend's Hot Sauce Expo.

Williamsburg Park is also still operating as a concert venue, with Shins and New Order shows already announced for summer 2013.

Public Assembly during CMJ 2013 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

According to sources at the venue, Williamsburg venue Public Assembly will close down for the bulk of the summer, as it begins on-site renovation. Reportedly, the front room will close to the public in early May with the back room to follow in mid-July. Both rooms will remain dark until a projected reopening date of September 1. Further details on the closing remain outstanding.

One thing is for certain, the closing will displace a whole lot of shows, include ones for Northside Fest (like a TBA InvisibleOranges one), one night of NYC Popfest 2013, the second edition of Martyrdoom, and loads of others. Details on rescheduling are still forthcoming.

The Specials at SXSW 2013 (more by Greg Cristman)

Second-wave ska titans The Specials, who just wrapped up a string of North American shows (including SXSW), are back in the UK now, but will head back to the US in July for a set of East Coast dates, including the previously discussed NYC date at Pier 26 in Hudson River Parkon July 17 (tickets). 

The band have since added a few more dates on the East Coast, including The Paramount in Huntington, Long Island on July 18 and The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ on July 20. Tickets for those two shows go on venue (Paramount) and LiveNation (Stone Pony) presale at 10AM Thursday (4/11) with the regular on-sale happening on Friday (4/12) at 10 AM.

The Specials also play July 16 at Ives Concert Park in Danbury, Connecticut. Located a mere 70 minutes by train from NYC, it might make a nice alternative for NYC folk who want to see them. It's part of the venue's 2013 season that includes moe., Gov't Mule, Tony Bennett, Everclear, and Brandi Carlile. Tickets go on AmEx presale at noon and the regular on-sale is Friday (4/12) at noon.

There are a few more Specials dates as well which are listed, along with the initial Ives Park 2013 summer line-up, below.

Continue reading "The Specials add East Coast dates (NJ, LI, CT ++ more)"