Tag Archives: greenpoint

Greenpoint’s Brooklyn Bazaar To Close In November Of 2019

The scuttlebutt about the venue known as Brooklyn Bazaar being up for sale had been going on for a couple of months already and while some of the performers I knew in our region felt it would be business as usual until the lease expired whenever that was set to go…the news began to circulate just a short time ago about the venues closure next month. Take a look at the Official Statement that has been posted on some of the reporting outlets.

brooklyn bazaar logo

Presenting The Full Statement On The Matter From Brooklyn Bazaar:

“After 3 years and thousands of shows, events, fundraisers, benefits, podcasts, weddings and everything in between, Brooklyn Bazaar’s stay at Polonaise Terrace is coming to an end. We are extremely bummed to announce that Brooklyn Bazaar will be closing its 150 Greenpoint Ave location at the completion of our current lease, which expires on November 30, 2019. We have tried endlessly to negotiate a new lease extension and term but the landlord has been ridiculously unreasonable, with their final offer only being a month to month extension – which makes programming (from tours to weddings) and operation essentially impossible”.

STATEMENT
So NYC real estate once again gets to kick us to the curb. Joy. “I guess this is what you get when you keep convincing yourself that signing short term leases are a good idea. We were naive enough to actually (foolishly) think that this time would be different, this time the landlords would be reasonable, this time they’d work with us…but nope, surprise! I know I’ve said this before but this city (particularly the private real estate sector) really, really makes it tough for independent venues and businesses to survive, let alone succeed. OK, sure NYC lost it’s soul years ago and I get that, but being a native New York kid, it’s extra frustrating to see your city eat it’s own over and over and over again. I mean this is literally like fucking Groundhog Day for us. But it is what it is.”
-Belvy Klein & Aaron Broudo, Co Owners, Brooklyn Bazaar LLC
Continue reading Greenpoint’s Brooklyn Bazaar To Close In November Of 2019

One More Down; Brooklyn’s “Bar Matchless” Has Closed (2003-2018)

A few nights ago I heard some chatter about the final days of the Bar Matchless being on the horizon and I am sad to to share the news that this intimate pub and live music space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn has ceased operation as of January 9th – it’s last hurrah. Below the logo I’ve shared the owners statement.

Dear Friends and Family, We’re devastated to announce that tonight will be our last night at Bar Matchless. Please come by and celebrate the good times one last time. We could also use some help breaking down the bar tomorrow and Wednesday so if you’re around and can pitch in we’d love to have you. Thanks to all of you for 15 great years. #partysover #greenpointforever #barmatchless

PiercingMetal Thoughts: Just a few days ago, I had shared the news about the closure of the American Beauty club which was also known as Slake to some folks out there. If you missed that post just click HERE to see it. These venues join a rapidly growing list of music venues both large and small that no longer exist and let’s go over a few reminders. Over the past few years NYC has was watched Roseland Ballroom, Sullivan Hall, Hiro Ballroom, Fontana’s, Boss Tweed’s, The Cake Shop, The Living Room, Kenny’s Castaways, The Knitting Factory (well, that moved to Brooklyn and became one club as opposed to three), Club Europa and Webster Hall’s The Studio and Marlin Room. It’s been widely reported that the large space of Webster will return eventually but the smaller rooms are pretty much finished. There are a couple that I cannot even remember the name of but yeah they are gone too. As a fan of the live music scene as a scribe and photographer, I am saddened by the increasing lack of launching spaces for bands that are looking to make a difference. Many of these shuttered spaces (Matchless especially) allowed for smaller scale bands to get a solid set in for their fans. They’d be curated by an independent promoter in most cases who was hosting a show to build both their branding and the scene. For the most part this worked out fine but now both bands and promotion sorts need to really hunt for their spaces. I realize not all of the clubs listed were Metal ones but I’d seen Hard Rock and Progressive stuff at most of them over the years.

Historically speaking, I only ever made it to Matchless once but since it was in my late Grandmother’s neighborhood, I began my visit with a walk around the once familiar territory and making sure to have a little dinner at a place that she used to go to. I really enjoyed the vibe of the place from that night and swore I would go back but it wouldn’t come to pass based on time and schedule demands. Such is life. If you were a fan of the shows or supported the place for other events please chime in down below. It’s always nice to hear what people have to say on stuff like this. Goodbye Matchless, thanks for serving the music scene while you could. We wish your owners and staff the best of luck going forward.

Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matchless/