Pyramid Club (New York City)

Last updated

Pyramid Club
Pyramid Cocktail Lounge
Pyramid-club1.jpg
Entrance to the club in 2009
Pyramid Club (New York City)
Address101 Avenue A
Location New York City
Coordinates 40°43′33″N73°59′02″W / 40.72578°N 73.983873°W / 40.72578; -73.983873
TypeNightclub
Opened1979 (1979)
Closed2020
Website
thepyramidclub.com

The Pyramid Club was a nightclub in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City. After opening in 1979, the Pyramid helped define the East Village drag queen, gay, post-punk and no wave art and music scenes of the 1980s. [1] The club was located at 101 Avenue A in Manhattan. [2]

Contents

101 Avenue A, built in 1876, location of the Club 101 Avenue A Pyramid Club.jpg
101 Avenue A, built in 1876, location of the Club

History

In the '70s and '80s the club became a hangout for "a new breed of politicized drag performers" like Lypsinka, Lady Bunny, and RuPaul, whose first New York City show was at the Pyramid Club in 1982. [3]

On Labor Day 1985, Pyramid performer Lady Bunny hosted the Wigstock Festival in Tompkins Square Park. [4] Andy Warhol and Debbie Harry dropped in the Pyramid to do a feature on the club for MTV, and Madonna appeared at her first AIDS benefit at the club. Both Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers played their first New York City concerts there [5] [6] and both Live Skull and Sonic Youth played there in 1983 and 1984. [7] They Might Be Giants was considered the house band for some time. [8] From 1992–95, Blacklips Performance Cult, a collective founded by ANOHNI, presented plays at Pyramid every Monday at midnight. Many visual artists, such as Keith Haring [9] Jean-Michel Basquiat, [10] and Jack Smith [11] were frequent patrons of the club. Performance artists John Kelly, [12] Ann Magnuson, Steve Buscemi and Eric Bogosian performed there. [13]

In 2007, it was proposed that 101 Avenue A, the Pyramid Club's building, be landmarked. The proposal, described as the first drag landmark, was not adopted by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). [14] However, in the spring of 2011 the LPC proposed a new historic district in the East Village focused around lower Second Avenue and encompassing 15 blocks and 330 buildings. The original proposal excluded buildings such as the Pyramid Club, but because of efforts made by local community groups, the proposed district was expanded to 101 Avenue A as well as other similar buildings. The LPC designated the club as part of the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District on October 9, 2012. [15]

The club shut during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It unsuccessfully reopened under different management for a short period after, but subsequently closed permanently. The new owners confirmed that it would reopen in the summer of 2023 as Baker Falls, a community-driven rock club. [16] Baker Falls opened in July 2023. [17]

In 2024, a book on the history of the Pyramid Club called "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It was published by Damiani Books.

Notable performers

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">They Might Be Giants</span> American alternative rock band

They Might Be Giants, often abbreviated as TMBG, is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a musical duo, often accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG expanded to include a backing band. The duo's current backing band consists of Marty Beller, Dan Miller and Danny Weinkauf. They have been credited as vital in the creation and growth of the prolific DIY music scene in Brooklyn in the mid-1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady Bunny</span> American drag queen and actor

Lady Bunny, originally known as "Bunny Hickory Dickory Dock", is an American drag queen, nightclub DJ, actor, comedian, and event organizer. She is the founder of the annual Wigstock event, as well as an occasional television and radio personality. She has released disco singles such as "Shame, Shame, Shame!" and "The Pussycat Song", and has hosted two one-woman comedy shows, 'That Ain't No Lady!' and 'Clowns Syndrome'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DNA Lounge</span> Nightclub and pizza restaurant in San Francisco, California

DNA Lounge is an all-ages nightclub and restaurant/cafe in the SoMa district of San Francisco owned by Jamie Zawinski, a former Netscape programmer and open-source software hacker. The club features DJ dancing, live music, burlesque performances, and occasionally conferences, private parties, and film premieres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sex</span> American cabaret singer, performance artist

John McLoughlin, better known by the stage name John Sex, was an American cabaret singer and performance artist in New York City from the late 1970s until his death in late 1990.

3TK4 was a musical group based in the East Village of New York City in the 1980s. They are most notable for featuring David Wojnarowicz, a famous artist, as a member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Club 57 (nightclub)</span> Former nightclub in New York City

Club 57 was a nightclub located at 57 St. Mark's Place in the East Village, New York City during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was originally founded by Stanley Zbigniew Strychacki as well as Dominic Rose. Then enhanced by nightclub performer Ann Magnuson, Susan Hannaford, and poet Tom Scully. It was a hangout and venue for performance and visual artists and musicians, including The Cramps, Madonna, Keith Haring, Cyndi Lauper, Charles Busch, Klaus Nomi, The B-52s, RuPaul, Futura 2000, Tron von Hollywood, Kenny Scharf, Frank Holliday, John Sex, Wendy Wild, The Fall, April Palmieri, Peter Kwaloff, Robert Carrithers, The Fleshtones, The Fuzztones, Joey Arias, Lypsinka, Michael Musto, Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Fab Five Freddy, Jacek Tylicki, and to a lesser extent, Jean-Michel Basquiat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Webster Hall</span> Nightclub in Manhattan, New York

Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located at 125 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, near Astor Place, in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City. It is one of New York City's most historically significant theater and event halls, having hosted social events of all types since the club's construction in 1886 as a "hall for hire". Its current incarnation was opened in 1992 by the Ballinger brothers, with a capacity of 1,400, providing its traditional role as well as for corporate events, and for a recording studio. A scholarly account of Webster Hall and its place in the wider history of rock music in Lower Manhattan was published in 2020.

Stephen Tashjian is an American multimedia artist. His drag queen character Tabboo! became first known at the Pyramid Club in the East Village underground art scene of New York City in the 1980s. He is also a puppeteer, painter, and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe E. Lewis</span> American singer (1902–1971)

Joe E. Lewis was an American comedian, actor and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sir Henry's</span> Former bar and nightclub in Cork, Ireland

Sir Henry's was a bar and nightclub on South Main Street in Cork, Ireland. It was founded by Jerry Lucey in 1978. The name was derived from Henry O'Shea, a baker and building owner in the South Main Street area of Cork city. The club was known for its house, trance, R&B, hip hop and regular live rock concerts. Gigs held there included a number by The Golden Horde, Toasted Heretic, Sonic Youth with support band Nirvana, Therapy?, The Wedding Present and The Fall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Epperson</span> American drag artist

John Epperson is an American drag artist, actor, pianist, vocalist, and writer who is mainly known for creating his stage character Lypsinka. As Lypsinka, he lip-synchs to meticulously edited, show-length soundtracks culled from snippets of outrageous 20th-century female performances in movies and song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightclub</span> Entertainment venue at nighttime

A nightclub is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a bar and discothèque with a dance floor, laser lighting displays, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who mixes recorded music. Nightclubs tend to be smaller than live music venues like theatres and stadiums, with few or no seats for customers.

<i>Helter Skelter</i> (1949 film) 1949 British film

Helter Skelter is a 1949 British romantic comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Carol Marsh, David Tomlinson and Mervyn Johns. A radio star becomes involved with a wealthy heiress. The title is a common expression to describe a situation of "chaotic and disorderly haste".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XS: The Opera Opus</span> 1980s American no wave avant-garde music and art performance

XS: The Opera Opus was a no wave avant-garde music and art performance created by Rhys Chatham and Joseph Nechvatal in the mid 1980s. Jane Lawrence Smith sang the lead role in the Boston performance and Yves Musard danced the main role. Its theme was the excess of the nuclear weapon buildup of the Ronald Reagan presidency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Village</span> Neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City

The South Village is a largely residential area that is part of the larger Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan, New York City, directly below Washington Square Park. Known for its immigrant heritage and bohemian history, the architecture of the South Village is primarily tenement-style apartment buildings, indicative of the area's history as an enclave for Italian-American immigrants and working-class residents of New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimbo's 365 Club</span> Restaurant in California, United States

Bimbo's 365 Club, also known as Bimbo's 365, is an entertainment club located at 1025 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco. It specializes in live rock and jazz shows. The location is one of San Francisco's oldest nightclub sites, and has operated under two names with a series of owners. The building started as Bal Tabarin in 1931, the same year that the 365 Club started at 365 Market Street. The two locations under separate ownership consolidated in 1951 to one location owned by Agostino "Bimbo" Giuntoli.

Dean Johnson (1961–2007) was an American entertainer. Father was a preacher in Massachusetts. Dean moved to study film at NYU, lived in the dorm and frequented Ninth Circle bar, aged 19. A cross-dressing musician, party promoter, and prominent figure in the nightlife scene of New York City in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, he was known for his towering height, shaved head, giant sunglasses, and penchant for wearing short cocktail dresses that exaggerated the length of his pale, lithe figure. Johnson played a seminal role in the emergence of the Queercore gay rock-and-roll subculture in the East Village.

Susan Jean Silver is an American music manager and businesswoman, best known for managing Seattle rock bands such as Soundgarden, Alice in Chains and Screaming Trees. Silver also owns the company Susan Silver Management, and co-owns the club The Crocodile in Seattle. Silver was named "the most powerful figure in local rock management" by The Seattle Times in 1991.

Lit Lounge was a nightclub in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The two-floor complex housed a concert venue, lounge, dance floor, and Fuse Gallery, an art exhibition space. Lit Lounge was noted as a major venue for New York City's hipster subculture in the mid- to late 2000s, particularly the indie rock and electroclash scene of the era.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Glisan Pizza Lounge</span> Pizzeria in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

East Glisan Pizza Lounge is a pizzeria in Portland, Oregon.

References

  1. Hager, Steve. Art After Midnight: The East Village Scene. St. Matins Press, 1986. p. 150
  2. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p. 18
  3. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.201
  4. Woodruff, Sheryl. "Pushing the Envelope on Avenue A". Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  5. "Nirvana Tour History". LiveNirvana.com. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  6. "Red Hot Chili Peppers Official Site". RHCP. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  7. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.358 & 360
  8. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p.128
  9. Frishberg, Hannah (April 1, 2021). "'Safe haven for freaks': NYC's iconic Pyramid Club closes after 41 years". New York Post. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  10. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p. 75
  11. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p. 97
  12. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p. 17
  13. Brian Butterick, Susan Martin, Kestutis Nakas (eds.) "We Started a Nightclub": The Birth of the Pyramid Cocktail Lounge as Told by Those Who Lived It, Damiani Books, p. 18
  14. Hedlund, Patrick (December 5–11, 2007). "Push to make Pyramid Club city's first 'drag landmark'". The Villager. Vol. 77, no. 27. Archived from the original on July 11, 2010. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  15. "East Village/Lower East Side Historic District Designation Report" (PDF). NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  16. Shapiro, Laurie Gwen (November 22, 2022). "The East Village Is Getting Its First New Rock Club in Decades". Curbed. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  17. "The First Night at Baker Falls". Hell Gate. July 24, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  18. "They Might Be Giants, Again: The Adult Comeback of a Cult Band". Grantland. Retrieved January 6, 2015.