tonicondos

Tonic (NYC music venue) is closing

With just four nights left before Sin-e shuts its doors for good, fellow Lower East Side music club Tonic confirms that it will be closing as well – and in just over two weeks.

Tonic, NYC (CRED)
Tonic

Sad, but not surprising. Almost once before. New tower of condos next door (see above). Those points pretty much up sum up the situation. Mike Wolf from Time Out has the news:

Ah, fuck. That’s about the only thing that can be said to the news that Tonic, one of the city’s most popular small clubs—to musicians and fans alike—will be closing next month, with the last night of music being lucky Friday the 13th. The well-liked owners, Melissa Caruso Scott and John Scott, have yet to issue an official press release describing their reasons for closing, but one can only assume that the enormous, appalling tower of condos that got thrown up literally next door is part of it. (It all brings to mind DeNiro in Brazil, gliding in on a wire after striking a blow against the powers that be, smiling and assuring us that “We’re all in it together.” But I digress—and anyway, I’m not advocating that sort of behavior, am I?)

Expect more announcements related to the closing, but in the meantime here’s some of what is coming up at the club:

Mar 29 – Rosewood Thieves & Kristin Diable (tonight)
Mar 30 – Ro Agents, Beat the Devil, Nervous Cabaret
Apr 04 – Capital M’s 2nd Annual World Premieres Extravaganza
Apr 05 – ICP Orchestra
Apr 06 – ICP Orchestra
Apr 12 – Alex Delivery & Other Passengers

And the Time Out article ends with the future:

“in the meantime, they’ll (Melissa dn John) continue to put on shows at the nearby Abrons Art Center, as they have for months now. And there’s no small amount of good news to report, as well: Melissa very recently gave birth to her and John’s first child, a healthy boy who is graced with the sophisticated and regal name of Addison Wyatt Caruso Scott. I could say something hackneyed about endings and beginnings, but for the sake of us all, nah.”

At least experimental music will live on at John Zorn‘s club the Stone, but who’s next? There’s some awfully large buildings going up next to Mercury Lounge too, and I bet that property is worth a ton – more so than ever now that Whole Foods is finally open.

RIP Tonic (1998-2007)

Post your memories of Tonic in the comments. Here are some of mine (and here and here and here).

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