A hip underground nightclub in Tribeca. Mudd Club operated 1978–1983 and became a nexus for the late '70s downtown art/punk scene. Known for its eclectic crowd (artists, musicians, models) and cutting-edge music (post-punk, No Wave, etc.), the Mudd Club offered an edgier alternative to the uptown Studio 54 scene.
Helped spawn the No Wave art/music movement – bands like DNA, The Contortions, Talking Heads, Blondie, Klaus Nomi, Lydia Lunch frequented or performed there. Combined art gallery sensibilities with punk attitude. Where Jean-Michel Basquiat DJ'd, where Deborah Harry might be dancing. Name-checked by Talking Heads ("Life During Wartime"). Had multiple floors – art exhibits upstairs, performance space downstairs. Famous "door policy" favoring the creative and weird. Its closing marked the end of NYC's first wave of punk/artist clubs.