Within the ever changing landscape of New York City, 20 years is a serious milestone worth celebrating. This month, iconic Lower East Side music venue, Arlene’s Grocery (95 Stanton Street), turns twenty years old and is celebrating with a throwback lineup through Saturday.
Anniversary events include the return of Arlene’s famed Open Mic night and downtown rocker Tommy London’s legendary rock show, along with performances by New York artists Grace Weber and Tall Juan.
Friday and Saturday evening are the highlights of the celebratory week, with Tall Juan, Sharkweek, LuxDeluxe, and Manfred Kidd performing Friday, November 20th, and Jennah Bell, Joel Daniels and Grace Weber performing Saturday, November 21st.
Since turning the former bodega into a music venue, Arlene’s has managed to maintain its reputation as a haven for emerging artists. The venue is known for its diverse calendar of shows, and for booking bands like The Strokes before anyone had heard of them. They’ve played a major role in the success of Jeff Buckley, Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, The Bravery, Lana Del Rey and more.
Owners Dermot Burke and Tony Caffrey, and booking team Julia Darling and Lindsey Gardner, share a genuine passion for music that has enabled Arlene’s to outlast the many challenges presented by the neighborhood. The team continues to take risks on unknown musicians and keeps prices reasonable at $10 or less per show.
More recently, they’ve also been hosting group art shows in their lounge which are curated by local artist Joseph Meloy.
