No, I still haven’t found any official ephemera to confirm the existence of the short-lived Downtown club on Bond Street, but ever since posting that update the other day, I’ve been haunted by something, specifically the picture of the Lunachicks above. I cannot put my finger on it, but I know it’s somewhere I’ve been. I KNOW it’s somewhere in New York City. Let’s review…
Unfortunately, I have no idea who took the picture, nor a specific date. I found it on this website, although no credits or sourcing are cited there either.
The pic most likely dates to as far back as 1990, as bassist Sydney “Squid” Silver is still sporting long locks, which she largely chopped off into a punky bob not too long after the release of their 1990 album, Babysitters on Acid.
I know it must sound strange, but the location looks so familiar. Something about that ancient chain-link fence on the left abutting a short shelf of brick face really rings a bell. There seems to be a gated area behind them, set back from the fairly ripped-up-looking pavement. Overall the architecture is obviously very old New York … I’m assuming it’s either somewhere in the East Village (like maybe around the eastern end of Bleecker Street? St. Marks Church? New York Marble Cemetery? Avenue B?) or quite possibly somewhere around the far western reaches of Chelsea.
I’m projecting on that latter guess, of course, as I can’t think about the Lunachicks without thinking of the first venue I saw them in, that being the Marquee, formerly on West 21st Street. It’s obviously a mega-huge leap, but perhaps this photo was shot that same day in that neighborhood? It’s certainly possible, however much a stretch.
What else can I say? Street-art/graffiti enthusiasts might spot the “COST” tag in between the heads of guitarist Gina Volpe and Squid. The façade behind drummer Becky Wreck in the way back of the gang seems to have two layers, with the lower boasting a shinier, more reflective finish. The street in question seems fairly bright and open, like possibly an avenue or a double-wide strip like East Houston. Guitarist Sindi B. in the center seems to be wearing the same red denim vest (under her leather jacket) that she sports in this live video from the Marquee show, but that doesn’t really mean anything. I’m sure she wore it a lot.
C’mon, fellow rock geeks and location-sleuths … get busy! Where are the Lunachicks posing here?
To jog your memory…
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