I was talking with a friend recently about some great shows we had seen here in the past twenty years, and it was remarkable how many of them took place at clubs that simply no longer exist -- either due to encroaching gentrification or one mad mayor or another's fascist tendencies. So, anyway, in very loose order here comes...
Alex in NYC's Top Eleven Favorite Since-Closed Live Music Venues/Clubs
(11) The Limelight - (47 West 20th Street) - The notorious converted church on Sixth Avenue between 20th and 21st streets may be more renowned for Peter Gatien's Disco 2000 parties and the murderous hijinx of self-proclaimed "Party Monster," Michael Alig, but the venue also played host to a number of live acts in its troubled day. I remember seeing bands like New Model Army, Vent 414, Foetus, the Lords of Acid, Front 242, Cop Shoot Cop, Shrinkwrapped-era Gang of Four and -- wait for it -- Killing Joke play in its once-hallowed apse. The place indeed reeked of sleaze, but it was also pretty damn cool. For a little while, at least.
(10) The Palladium - (126 East 14th Street) - It started out as a concert hall (the front cover of London Calling by the Clash was shot there). I saw Devo play there on their Oh No! It's Devo tour there in 1982 and Judas Priest there a year later. Shortly after that, they ripped the seats out and transformed the place into a then-state-of-the-art nightclub (as immortalized in "Bright Lights Big City"). However, when not playing host to coke-crazed club kids dancing to bad house music (the club's interior was used for the abortive program, "Club MTV"), the Palladium still hosted live music. I remember seeing Public Image Ltd. there on the tour for Album. In later years, I saw Fishbone, the Dead Milkmen, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, 2 Live Crew and Digital Underground there. The last show I caught there was The Unsane and Cop Shoot Cop opening for Foetus (see poster). Sometime after that, not only did the Palladium close (ringing the death knell on the era of big clubs), but they tore the whole damn thing down to build a NYU dormitory. 
(9) Woody's - (somewhere on E.4th Street, just west of 2nd Avenue) So short-lived that it's not even listed in Muprh's NY Bar Graveyard, much less easily Googlable, Woody's was a rock club owned by Rolling Stone guitarist, Ron Wood. As such, the interior was decorated with the large shnozed string-bender's illustrations of various celebs. It felt a bit out of place in the East Village, but I saw a few up and coming bands there like the Blood Oranges, Eleventh Dream Day and grunge also-rans, The Fluid. My friend, the excellently named Brent Butterworth, and I actually made our way into a photograph on the front page of the New York Times' Arts section of the crowd at that Fluid show....and we weren't we even huge fans of the band. It wasn't a crucial place, but I missed it when they closed it down.
(8) Sin-e (124 St.Mark's Place) - Made somewhat famous by the live Jeff Buckley e.p., the tiny little hole-in-the-wall with a hearty Irish vibe used to be a very cool place for intimate, live performances. The most memorable for me was a robust performance by Gavin Friday. I also interviewed John S. Hall of King Missile here once, and he spent the entirety of the interview complaining about his cold and the fact that his record company was screwing him. Boo hoo. One stood a very great chance of seeing various luminaries simply hanging out here. I once spotted Iggy Pop (who used to live across the park) and Sinead O'Connor here (though not together). The bar closed due to some unfortunate circumstances, but relocated to a much bigger space on Attorney Street.
(7) Coney Island High - (15 St. Mark's Place) - I believe it was the first place owned by ex-Heart Attack/DGeneration singer, Jesse Malin (prior to opening Niagra and the Black'n'White bars). It started off in this incarnation as the locale of GREEN DOOR NYC a weekly party that played cool Punk Rock and danceable Metal for patrons keen on after hours, pharmaceutically-assisted overstimulation. Once it morphed into Coney Island High, it became the Punk Rock venue of the mid-to-late `90's. I saw a number of bands here, notably the L.E.S. Stiches, DGeneration, the Pleasure Fuckers, the Candy Snatchers, the Dickies, the Pristeeens, the Damned, a cool invite-only gig by Firewater and a coupleof the Joey Ramone birthday shows. They closed the place down due to "quality of life" complaints. The tore the place down to build a condominium.
(6) The Grand - (76 East 13th Street) - To my knowledge, first it was the Cat Club, specializing in Heavy Metal circa the dawn of Grunge. Then it became the more versatile Grand. Then it gets confusing. From The Grand, it became System. After System it became the Key Club. After the Key Club, it became Spa. After Spa, it became Plaid. In any case, it hasn't been anything worth going to since it was the Grand. As the Grand, it was a nice little venue wherein I was fortunate enough to see bands like the Primitives, Redd Kross, Ethyl Meatplow, Motherhead Bug, Big Country, Cop Shoot Cop and Killing Joke (the latter when it was still called The Cat Club). But, as with seemingly every other great rock club in this city, they changed into a dance club. As Plaid, I believe they still had the odd live performance (it was the spot where Courtney Love supposedly brained a heckler with a mic stand a couple of years back). I believe it has since closed its doors and is currently inactive now.
(5) Wetlands Preserve - ( 161 Hudson Streett) - For twelve long years, this club on the corner of Laight and Hudson in Tribeca was an amazing venue for live music in the 1990s. Initially a hotbed of eco-conscious hippiedom (and the spawning ground for many a jam bands like Blues Traveller and the Spin Doctors), Wetlands later boasted a hugely inclusive booking policy, hosting everyone from Agnostic Front through Hot Tuna. Despite its hippy cache, it swiftly became a favorite spot for me, and I was lucky enough to see bands like The Royal Crescent Mob, Fishbone, Mansun, Echobelly, the Damage Manual, Dread Zeppelin, the Machine and Ari Up of the Slits on its low stage. Today, it's an expensive imported furniture emporium.
(4) Brownie's - (169 Avenue A) - The loss of this club was a huge blow to the local indie rock scene, as it was a regular stop for up and coming new underground bands with an accomodating floor and a surprisingly great sound system. Over the years, I was lucky enough to catch bands like Spoon, Firewater (a few times), the Upper Crust, Barkmarket, Blonde Redhead, the Unband, the Geraldine Fibbers, Emma Peel and the excellently named Candygram for Mongo. It also had a nice, unpretentious vibe. But, now it's gone -- replaced by a similarly-incllined yet nowhere-near-as-cool bar (without a stage) called Hi-Fi. There's actually a an official website devoted to archiving the club's greatness. Check it out, do.
(3) The Marquee - (547 West 21st Street) - Named after the landmark London club, the NYC Marquee accordingly featured the latest up and coming British bands in the early 90s, along with a hefty roster of American "alternative" bands. Far flung on the way West Side, the Marquee was a bit of a walk to get to, but it was always well worth the trip. Just prior to being re-christened "The Marquee," I saw a youthful Nine Inch Nails here (when the club was painted like a moonscape in the interior and called Sonic's). After the switch, I saw the House of Love, the Kitchens of Distinction, the Wedding Present, Lush, Ride, Curve, Chapterhouse, 24-7 Spyz, Primus, the Limbomaniacs, the Butthole Surfers, the Rollins Band, Pigface, Birdland, Too Much Joy, Pylon, the Wonder Stuff, Pop Will Eat Itself, Swervedriver, Ned's Atomic Dustbin, the Fatima Mansions, Blur, the Senseless Things and a rare appearance by Julian Cope here. It was also amusingly. across the street from Zone DK, a seedy bondage/s&m bar. Typically, the closed the Marquee down to turn into a Latino dance club called El Flamingo. These days, it's the home of "The Donkey Show," a burlesque disco revue loosely based on Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Yeah, thank god for that.
(2) The Ritz (125 East 11th Street, then 254. West 54th Street) - Formerly the downtown venue, the Ritz was seemingly the epicenter of live music in the 1980s. An expansive, high ceilinged, two-tiered theatre, it was relatively perfect in every way. In its 11th Street incarnation, I saw Fishbone, the Dead Boys, Murphy's Law, the Circle Jerks, Redd Kross, D.O.A., the Toasters, the Ramones, the Mission UK, Urban Blight, Squeeze, the Dictators and a slew of bands I'm forgetting. They closed the 11th Street Ritz at the dawn of the 90's and moved it to the space formerly occupied by disco Mecca, Studio 54. In this space, I was able to see KMFDM, Cop Shoot Cop, FEAR, Skinny Puppy, Danzig, Killing Joke, Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Wonder Stuff, the Mission, the Sisters of Mercy, the Revolting Cocks, Ministry, Kraut, GBH, Bad Brains, Soundgarden, Faith No More, Voi Vod, Big Audio Dynamite, Public Image Ltd., Blind Mellon, GWAR, Motorhead, Public Enemy, Ice-T, Onyx, House of Pain, the Wedding Present, the Buzzcocks, the Dwarves, and a riotously loud performance by Guns'n'Roses (while they filmed the video for "You Could Be Mine"). For some reason, the Ritz vacated this locale as well, and the space became host to various Broadway shows. The Old Ritz became Webster Hall, a disco which occasionaly hosts live music.
(1) Tramp's - (51 West 21st Street) - Riddle me this, Batman. They close this great music venue on 21st Street due to "quality of life" complaints, only to open it back up as an equally loud Hip Hop lounge. I don't get it, but in any case, Tramp's was a great room (with the odd annoying, vision-blocking column). Saw some great bands here, notably Matthew Sweet, Prong, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Barkmarket, Cop Shoot Cop, the Wedding Present, Gutterball, the Stiff Little Fingers, Nashville Pussy, the Hellacopters and Robyn Hitchcock & the Eyptians. It's closing was a crushing loss for New York City, if anyone asks me.
I only moved to NYC in 1996, but I have fond memories of many of these places too:
- Ween and a Drag City CMJ showcase at Tramps.
- The Lyres and World/Inferno Friendship Society at Brownies.
- Lee "Scratch" Perry at Wetlands.
- The Fall at Coney Island High.
Posted by: o. nate | October 18, 2005 at 11:26 AM
these posting are somewhat off on the facts.
Posted by: the truth | July 03, 2006 at 07:06 PM
Oh really? Which facts would these be then?
Posted by: Alex in NYC | July 04, 2006 at 10:40 AM
Well for starters the former Coney Island High is now a sushi joint I believe, not torn down and turned into a condo...God I loved that club.
Posted by: Eric | October 13, 2008 at 11:38 AM
You're mistaken. The actual building -- the very structure that housed Coney Island High - was demolished. The building that stands there now is completely new.
Posted by: Alex in NYC | October 13, 2008 at 11:46 AM
The Lone Star Cafe (the original, downtown on 5th) should be on this list. Well above...Wetlands and Tramps...I think anyway.....
Posted by: Emory Joseph | October 19, 2009 at 04:39 PM
(Late to comment here since I just came across this page.) Nice list of long gone music clubs. I went to most of these listed here while in my 20's; trip down memory lane. Really enjoyed Sin-e, small, but had a nice vibe since there wasn't much room and you were close to the live music.
Posted by: Jerry | May 09, 2013 at 11:10 AM
. Original Tramps was on 15th St. Just off Irving Place. Should have mentioned that The Palladium was previously The Academy of Music.
Posted by: Drew | July 23, 2013 at 08:05 AM
Nice concise notes on some great NYC clubs.
I used to work in the bar at the Marquee and Woodies (both owned by the same people) and I, being a novice at the time, famously refused to serve Diana Ross's son (his father was part owner at the club). Fun fun fun place to work.
www.andrewduggan.ie
vernacular consequences
http://vernacularconsequences.wordpress.com/
Posted by: Andrew Duggan | October 08, 2014 at 07:13 AM
Great article! :) (I'm just encountering it now in erly '15, when I was searching for individual music venues in the City to look at their coming events calendars/websites individually.) The Limelight, Wetlands, Brownies of the East Village, Tramps, local bands Skeleton Key and Firewater, the original Knitting Factory (on my list). Thanks for writing it. You don't want to feel that your earlier life has just been a figment of your imagination. Especially concerts where they didn't allow you to take pictures aka evidence (which was all concerts back then!), except for stealthily like with a disposable camera (after they started mkg them) in my purse that they wdn't find because they didn't check that carefully or expected a heavy regular device. Disposable, in case they found it and then it could be tossed out or taken by them and you would only lose $13 in that case and wdn't have to waste time putting it back in your car or leaving the show. Photo-taking was not allowed. Lite digital cameras did not exist yet and obviously picture-taking cellphones and social media did not exist yet either. Throwback photos of concert nights were taken at your home before setting out to the concert--glee-filled smiles, expectation and maybe the t-shirt from the last concert of that act. Memory Lane.
Posted by: Elizabeth Chen | January 13, 2015 at 12:36 PM
What about The World? I saw Debbie Harry there back in 1989 or 1990. It was my first show in NYC, having moved from a tiny town on Cape Cod, and it blew my mnd.
Posted by: Amy | March 02, 2015 at 04:49 PM
I was in NYC for a Summer Camp at the 92Y and every weekend my friend Paul Harris and I went to the Cat Club (with a discount coupon from the Village Voice...).
We had the best nights at the Cat Club, it beat all the other clubs in NYC. We also saw Killing Joke play there! What a coincidence!
Do remember a BBQ in Queens, at the home of one of the men from behind the bar. Great, great memories indeed!
Posted by: Rve1707 | May 05, 2015 at 10:42 AM
My band No More Tears ( not the Ozzie tribute band } played at The Ritz on 11th St two times in '84 -'85. We openned for The Beat Farmers and Bonnie Raitte right before she went real big. We were being courted by big time Premier Talent. Our lead guitarist yelled at our rep once after a sound recheck that involved Country Joe and the Fish keyboard player. Don't bite the hand that feeds ya! An so our demise. But not before we played Tramps and CBGB's trying to crawl out from under that rock with new personnel. Ahhh to no avail. But what a time we had. First real groupies too!! Thank You NYC!!!!!
Posted by: mark dacey | July 15, 2015 at 05:57 PM
Great article, brings it all back. I was at that GNR show at the ritz. Love the limelight for Sunday, Rock N Roll church nights. I saw the craziest stuff there. Glad to be part of NYC from 1990-2005
Posted by: KD Kling | July 19, 2015 at 12:02 AM
LOL, the craziest stuff at the Limelight for sure. It's ironic and sad, I remember hearing those back in the day stories about The Fillmore and Felt Forum days when I was a kid too young to be there, but experienced the 90's Era of famous clubs that no longer exist. Wow I feel old..haha
Posted by: James | October 31, 2015 at 03:54 AM
Oh man!! Memories! Saw Slash with Carol King and Les Paul at Tramps.
Posted by: Caitlin | January 06, 2016 at 12:48 AM
Roxy had live music sometimes - that was a great venue!
Posted by: Susan | March 09, 2016 at 06:46 PM
Prince 1998 after concert at Tramps was epic! Played until almost dawn. Will never forget.
Posted by: Anthony | April 21, 2016 at 10:05 PM
johansen+tramps=great memories for me plus the first time i went there i saw lightnin' hopkins near the end
Posted by: lee shafer | June 11, 2016 at 03:54 PM
What about one of the best venues...Irving Plaza..?
And how can you include the like of Limelight, and not Danceteria..?
Their line-ups can't even be - shouldn't even be - compared. (And yeah, I was was very much there.)
Posted by: Irving Plaza | July 29, 2016 at 10:41 PM
Bully for you. I was there, too. But, in my experience, Danceteria was (a) comparatively short-lived and (b) less about being live venue so much as simply being an amazing club. Believe me, I adored Danceteria, but oh ..(c) it's my list. Start your own.
Posted by: Alex in NYC | August 01, 2016 at 01:13 AM
I saw Iggy Pop and Guns n Roses just a few months apart at the Continental in 1992!!! That dude Trigger was hands on and strict but maybe that's why he's lasted so long!
Posted by: Steve | March 15, 2017 at 10:40 PM
Randomly finding this, probably years too late! Best CMJ showcase ever late 90s Built to Spill, Modest mouse, 764-Hero. Also saw Low there with magnetic Fields.
Played Brownie's a couple times and the new Sin-e where the booker was a coked out photographer who took amazing pictures I still use.
Posted by: JL | September 20, 2019 at 12:54 PM
Oh !!! nothing about The Bottom Line in Greewich Village ?
Posted by: Remy | September 10, 2020 at 02:09 AM
Hi Remy... Yeah, I liked the Bottom Line, too, but just not as much. I wrote about it in more depth here:
https://vassifer.blogs.com/alexinnyc/2014/02/back-to-the-bottom-line.html
Cheers,
-Alex
Posted by: Alex in NYC | September 10, 2020 at 09:56 AM
Tribeca Rock Club was so dank but I always had a blast!
Posted by: Fred Baxter | November 16, 2020 at 10:29 PM
Wow. I had totally forgotten about The Bottom Line. Saw Sam Phillips on her Martinis & Bikinis tour there, along with a couple other great acts. Found your page looking for The Grand, as I thought it was the club where I had seen Big Country, and lo and behold, you mentioned them. I saw a couple hundred shows in NYC in the 90s and that was seriously one of the best. Also loved Tramps and I agree 100% that Brownie's had the best sound system hands down. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Posted by: Aaron C | January 27, 2021 at 12:28 AM
Alot of these places were really cool. My band Short Happy Life played at Coney Island High in 1999/2000. One of the best NYC shows we had. Fun times.
Posted by: Tara | June 15, 2021 at 09:30 AM
Coming way late to the party but Tramps was a really eclectic club then. I saw both Bootsy Collins and Stiff Little Fingers play there within the same couple of weeks in like 1995. I used to live about halfway between Coney Island High and Brownies and saw the Fall at Coney Island in 1998 (this isn't because I'm cool, it's because I'm lazy and the Fall is an easy show most of the time, which is why I've seen them about fifteen times). I wanted to go to the show a few days later at Brownies where they famously crashed but never ended up going. Greatly regret missing that, but, hey, it's on YouTube now.
Posted by: Michael Cleaves | June 29, 2021 at 05:48 PM
I waited an hour and a half for Otis Rush, the great Chicago blues guitarist to show up.He did, and played for 1 hour! July 11, 1992
And that aforementioned column was some pain in the ass to negotiate...Lol
Posted by: Ken Maass | September 17, 2021 at 04:23 PM