I've been spending a tremendous amount of time in New York City lately for work. Yet, I have been able to wander around like a good little rocker and check out the sites after hours. I know my way around having lived there for a total of 6 years...and its been fun retracing rock's steps in between my migraines and moodiness.
I'm working in Soho on Mercer Street 3 blocks away from the just opened Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Annex. This large space is supposed to be New York's addition to that big museum in Cleveland where all of the obese bright colored shirt wearing tourists go looking for SOMETHING,ANYTHING to do in Cleveland. Its in a weird section of NY. I guess Jann and Co. wanted it downtown somewhere. And even though Mercer Street is one Street west of Broadway...its pretty quiet..lots of galleries and boutique shopping. I was camped out there a few weeks ago on opening night to see if I could spot anyone worth talking about...not many..Jann Wenner..Bob Gruen(famous rock fotog)..Theodora Richards(Keith's daughter) Les Paul...looking very 90 something, DMC(from run DMC, but who cares....he shouldn't be in the RNRHOF, anyway)...and several odd Addams familiy-ish people who must have been descendants of the Ramones. I thought about buying a ticket but 26.00 to see the original awning from CBGB and Joey's leather jacket but I played at CBGB, I'd seen Joey walking the streets of Manhattan before, so big whup.... 26 greenbacks is too much, but smiles are free.
I also had to stop and take a few great pics of the ominous, beautiful and full of history Chelsea Hotel on 23rd st. I've walked past it a hundred times on my way to get a gallon of paint for some midtown snob that I made a room pretty for....but never realized how beautiful it was, regardless of the millions of strewn needles that made the place famous. It was an oasis in Manhattan for many artists,writers and musicians and a non permanent home for everyone from Arthur C. Clarke to Joni Mitchell to Richard Hell to Dee Dee Ramone to Sid and Nancy. Hello NY, Goodbye, Cleveland........I'm going back to NY on Thursday for more hijinx and maybe more pics..I'll keep you posted.
I've been debating going to the Annex, but I just don't feel like commuting to NY from central Jersey. Maybe if I'm ever in the city for some random reason I'll stop by, but I'm going to have to hear some pretty impressive stuff about it before I actually take the trip over there.
ReplyDeleteJeff...images are easily available on the internets to help you make a decision....it helped me!
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