OPEN BARS (2)
The Bitter End
🇺🇸New York, United States
The oldest continuously operating rock and roll club in New York City, having opened its doors in 1961. Founded by Fred Weintraub, the club began as a coffeehouse during the height of the Greenwich Village folk boom. A pivotal moment in its history involves Weintraub personally chipping away the crumbling plaster of the interior to reveal the red brick wall underneath—this wall became the venue's visual signature, the iconic backdrop for thousands of performances and album covers over six decades.
Bowery Ballroom
🇺🇸New York, United States
While lacking the decades-spanning history of the Fillmore or CBGB, the Bowery Ballroom represents the perfection of the modern rock club. Opened as a music venue in 1998 by the team behind the Mercury Lounge, the venue set a new benchmark for mid-sized concert halls. The building dates to 1929, constructed just prior to the Wall Street Crash. The renovation in the late 1990s preserved the Art Deco grandeur and 24-foot ceilings while engineering the space specifically for amplified music.
CLOSED BARS (2)
Fillmore East
🇺🇸New York, United States
If CBGB was the gutter from which punk emerged, the Fillmore East was the cathedral where rock ascended to high art. Opened by promoter Bill Graham on March 8, 1968, at 105 Second Avenue in the East Village, the venue was the East Coast companion to Graham's San Francisco operations. The venue, formerly the Commodore Theater (a 1920s Yiddish theater), retained its ornate architecture, providing a dramatic proscenium setting for performances. Graham revolutionized the concert industry here, treating rock musicians as serious artists and introducing the famous "triple bill" format.
The Bottom Line
🇺🇸New York, United States
A celebrated showcase club in Greenwich Village on the NYU campus. The Bottom Line became known for its high-quality sound and for hosting legendary performances, especially by singer-songwriters and rock acts on the rise. Seating ~400, it had a cabaret-style table setup.