Thursday, January 26, 2012
Music Remembering Southpaw As it Prepares to Shut Down
Posted by Henry Stewart on Thu, Jan 26, 2012 at 2:59 PM
I barely remember the actual show, how we sounded or what we were paid. These tiny acts of kindness and comfort are all that stand out, so meaningful were they in that unglamorous musician's-life. For all I know, there are places like this now in Williamsburg. (Are there? Tell me.) But this to me was Southpaw's strength—not as a local spot to catch somebody like Patti Smith, but a place for up-and-coming locals to be treated to a taste of respect. Getting booked at Southpaw felt a lot more meaningful than playing the 8:30 show at the Mercury Lounge.
Still, I get that it's closing. I don't think I've been back to Southpaw since I played it. “I’m kind of over Park Slope—it’s not a destination for nightlife anymore,” the owner told the Brooklyn Paper. (A commenter throws it back at him: "You did not know how to hire a booker who knew what he/she was doing. Don't blame anyone but yourself.") It'll be replaced by a tutoring and rock-climbing center called New York City Kids. And that's Park Slope in a nutshell.
Follow Henry Stewart on Twitter @henrycstewart
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