Bowery Ballroom Explained

Bowery Ballroom
Address:6 Delancey Street
Location:New York, NY 10002
Coordinates:40.7204°N -73.9934°W
Type:Nightclub Live Music Venue
Genre:Live Music Venue, Nightclub
Built:1929
Opened:1998
Publictransit:New York City Subway

at Bowery
New York City Bus:

Renovated:1997
Owner:Michael Swier, Michael Winsch, Brian Swier
Seating Type:Standing-room only
Seating Capacity:575
Website:boweryballroom.com
Architect:Brian Swier

The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in Manhattan's Bowery neighborhood.

The venue has enjoyed a fabled reputation among musicians as well as audiences.[1] In 2013, industry insiders polled by Rolling Stone magazine named it the best club in America, describing it as "both intimate and grand, with consistently great sound and sightlines, and touches of old-school class."[2] Consequence of Sound named it the second-best music venue in the United States.[3]

It has a capacity of 575 people.[4] [5] [6]

History

The Bowery Ballroom was founded in 1998 by Michael Swier, Michael Winsch, and Brian Swier, who still own and operate the business. The club was the team's second music venue after The Mercury Lounge.

The building at 6 Delancey Street was built to be a high-end shoe store and haberdashery just before the devastating Wall Street Crash of 1929. It stood vacant until the end of World War II, when it housed a series of shops. Over time the neighborhood declined.[7] In 1998 the building was fully renovated to become The Bowery Ballroom.[8]

Cofounder Michael Swier told the Village Voice and LA Weekly that he and his partners' goals have always been about quality of sound, as well as giving the best experience to both artists and the audience.[9]

Architect and cofounder Brian Swier designed the venue and directed renovations of the historic building with an eye to optimal acoustics for live music. Today the club is one of the rare remaining independent music venues, and continues to be regarded as one of the best for music purists. Gothamist and Thrillist have named it one of New York City's best music venues.[10] [11]

“From the beginning, opening the Mercury Lounge, it was all about the stage and the music — for the band, for the people coming to see the bands,” Michael Swier told LA Weekly. “Whether it's the sound system, the acoustic treatment, the way the band sounds to themselves onstage, the sightlines — it was all about that. That reputation of building really good clubs and treating both bands and patrons with the respect they deserve and putting the focus on that kind of grew out of those things."[12]

A detailed scholarly account of the venue and its place in the wider music and cultural history of New York City was published in 2020.[13]

Notable acts

Patti Smith performed New Year's Eve at the Bowery Ballroom for fourteen consecutive years.[14] [15]

The venue has hosted numerous acts of note, including R.E.M.,[16] Coldplay,[17] Quicksand, Kanye West, Lou Reed, Joan Jett, Radiohead, Tony Bennett, The Roots, Lana Del Rey, Måneskin,[18] The Black Keys, Red Hot Chili Peppers,[19] The White Stripes, Metallica,[20] Robert Plant,[21] Arcade Fire, The Killers, Idina Menzel,[22] Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, The Dandy Warhols, The Strokes, Broken Social Scene, They Might Be Giants, Lucky Chops,[23] Yo La Tengo,[24] Twenty One Pilots,[25] and Frank Ocean.[26]

In media

The Bowery Ballroom is the namesake of Joan Baez's Bowery Songs album, recorded live at the venue on November 6, 2004.[27] It appears in the 2000 film Coyote Ugly as well as the 2008 film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.[28]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kimble. Julian. May 10, 2013. The 50 Best Concert Venues in America1. Bowery Ballroom. Complex. en. September 21, 2019.
  2. Web site: March 28, 2013 . The Best Clubs in America . September 21, 2019 . Rolling Stone . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2016-04-29 . The 100 Greatest American Music Venues . Consequence . 2024-02-03 . en-US.
  4. News: A Small Strategy for Selling Concerts. Sisario. Ben. June 7, 2007. The New York Times. November 21, 2014.
  5. News: Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge Join With Live Nation. Sisario. Ben. December 18, 2017. The New York Times. September 21, 2019. en-US. 0362-4331.
  6. News: Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge Split From Concert Promoter Bowery Presents. Sisario. Ben. August 2, 2017. The New York Times. September 21, 2019. en-US. 0362-4331.
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20070718021919/http://www.boweryballroom.com/history.html "History of the Bowery Ballroom"
  8. Web site: Kemp. Rob. Bowery Ballroom. New York. November 21, 2014.
  9. Web site: Hughes. Hilary. July 8, 2015. Michael Swier’s Musical Manifest Destiny Reaches From the Bowery to Los Angeles. The Village Voice. September 21, 2019.
  10. Web site: The Best Live Music Venues in NYC for Every Type of Show. Bell. Sadie. Garofalo. Alex. March 6, 2019. Thrillist. September 21, 2019.
  11. Web site: Fishbein . Rebecca . December 4, 2013 . The 8 Best Music Venues In NYC . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190921225539/https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/the-8-best-music-venues-in-nyc . September 21, 2019 . September 21, 2019 . Gothamist . en.
  12. Web site: Michael Swier Is the Proud New Yorker Behind L.A.'s Coolest New Music Venue. Hughes. Hilary. July 13, 2015. LA Weekly. en-US. September 21, 2019.
  13. Book: Holt, Fabian . Everyone Loves Live Music . 2020 . University of Chicago Press . 978-0-226-73854-3.
  14. Web site: Patti Smith Ends Bowery Residency. Gold. Daniel M.. January 2, 2012. ArtsBeat. en-US. September 21, 2019.
  15. Web site: Patti Smith Ends New Year's Eve Residencies at Bowery Ballroom. Perpetua. Matthew. January 3, 2012. Rolling Stone. en-US. September 21, 2019.
  16. Web site: R.E.M. Setlist at Bowery Ballroom, New York. setlist.fm. en. September 21, 2019.
  17. Web site: August 13, 2002. Coldplay Sings For Stars In NYC. Billboard. September 21, 2019.
  18. Web site: 2021-10-29. The Måneskins at the Bowery Ballroom in New York (with Little Steven). 2022-02-24. Videomuzic. en-US.
  19. Web site: Red Hot Chili Peppers Live Archive. Red Hot Chili Peppers Live Archive. en. September 21, 2019.
  20. Web site: Events Metallica.com. www.metallica.com. September 21, 2019.
  21. Web site: September 13, 2010. Robert Plant, Patty Griffin & Band (Of Joy) played Bowery Ballroom (pics, video, setlist). BrooklynVegan. en-US. September 21, 2019.
  22. Web site: Rent's Idina Menzel Tours Debut Album With NY & National Dates; Starts Nov. 3. Playbill.com. Playbill. November 19, 2020. November 3, 1998. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20201127025025/https://www.playbill.com/news/article/rents-idina-menzel-tours-debut-album-with-ny-national-dates-starts-nov.-3-78194. November 27, 2020.
  23. Web site: September 20, 2016. Lucky Chops sells out Bowery. NYlive. en-US. September 20, 2016.
  24. Web site: Pearis. Bill. September 3, 2019. Yo La Tengo announce 2019 Hanukkah run at Bowery Ballroom. BrooklynVegan. en-US. September 21, 2019.
  25. Web site: Carter . Emily . 2024-04-26 . twenty one pilots are teasing a special New York show next week . 2024-04-28 . Kerrang!.
  26. News: Caramanica. Jon. November 30, 2011. Music Is Love, and Love Is Music. The New York Times. en-US. October 16, 2021.
  27. Web site: Bowery Songs, Joan Baez, Music CD . Barnes & Noble . November 6, 2004 . August 7, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120323134250/http://music.barnesandnoble.com/Bowery-Songs/Joan-Baez/e/99923571421 . March 23, 2012 . dead .
  28. News: Wortham . Jenna . Review: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist Strikes Sweet Chord . Blog.wired.com . October 2, 2008. August 7, 2010.

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