The Monday Meeting
Cutting through the noise with something to sip on as you start your week
Hello and happy Monday,
I was in New York visiting some friends who recently moved there this weekend. Lo and behold, their new apartment is a mere stone’s throw away from the buzzy Night Club 101, a venue that I simply haven’t stopped hearing about and seeing on my feed.
For those who haven’t heard, 101 is the latest (and last) venue opened by NYC nightlife stalwart Billy Jones, a legend in the city who acted as the curator and founder of Baby’s All Right and partner at Knitting Factory Entertainment. Jones died last month, leaving a hole in the community and big shoes to fill for whoever steps up to the plate next. But standing outside of the latest addition to his legacy, I got thinking about the meaning of club shows in today’s era of doomscrolling and the work Jones and his team did to keep that facet of music as alive and as relevant as ever. If you’re not familiar with him, GQ wrote a touching posthumous profile on his life and work. In so many ways, he had a hand in inventing the 2010s indie ecosystem that still echoes far and wide today.
Most readers of this column will, I’m sure, have at least heard of Baby’s in some way, if not for its cult status then maybe for its name-drop on Lorde’s latest LP, Virgin. In a blink-or-you-might-miss-it moment from the record’s lead single, Lorde opines about dancing “in the blue light / down at Baby’s All Right,” a nod that had most New Yorkers excited. But that wasn’t all. A few months later, Lorde debuted the full record at the dusty Williamsburg joint, a crown jewel kind of moment for a beloved institution.
Understanding the mini-empire Jones built, these mainstream looks feel a bit like watching your favourite tiny band get big. That recognition was deserved. People who have seen a live show in New York know the magic of Baby’s. On more than one occasion, I’ve been in the crowd and chatted to fellow audience members visiting from other cities (and even other countries) who told me they were excited to make the venue itself (and the artist on that night, of course) a stop on their trip to the city. Indie artists have, since the mid-2010s, treated a slot at the venue as something of a milestone or a mecca. Just last month, for example, The Dare had a major residency there. It’s cool and fascinating and fun to me that this club is getting such widespread buzz, both in New York and abroad. It also proves that the live club show is still a major community builder and kingmaker in an age of endless scrolling. But if Baby’s was the scene-definer of the 2010s, “101” is shaping up to be its 2020s counterpart.
Now, it’s not a secret that venues have suffered. Across the UK and US, live venues and clubs have had a hard time keeping their doors open. Some headlines said it was the end of hedonism. Others just said it was bad economics. Success like his and the Knitting Factory team’s is rare. But, knowing the context of the moment and the long road traveled by Jones and his team, I can’t help but feel like “101” might be a powerful buck to that disappointing trend.
Night Club 101 opened in December in Alphabet City, operating out of the space that used to house the Pyramid Club. If you don’t know the Pyramid Club, see this video of RuPaul in her dressing room there before a show. It was a major fixture of the 80s and in many ways responsible for creating the queer nightlife (and just nightlife) scene we know and love today. Its bills so far have been killer. Lineups so far have included Renny Conti, Wishy, Been Stellar, Claud, mary in the junkyard, and more. Most of these acts have gone on to generate (or already were generating) some kind of serious traction in their own right. The club also has excellent DJ offerings. This home-run slate of bookings so far is a sign to me that Night Club 101 will be more than just a new space open for business on random tours. It’s a signal to me that there is a new tastemaker in town, right in the heart of Manhattan. It’s got all the trappings of what a good club should be – sleek but not too serious interiors, bookings that feature the cutting edge of the cutting edge, a place to escape and find likeminded people of all stripes. The importance of the fact that spaces like “101” are still opening cannot be understated, and as fans it’s perhaps even our duty to get out there and support them. After all, great artists and great careers can’t be built on streaming / social platforms alone. I’m not going to single anyone out here, but there’s certainly a wealth of video evidence online of embarrassing moments from stars who made it big with a viral hit but can’t seem to sell tickets to really anyone at all (or keep a tune). Venues like “101” thus act as feeders and breeding grounds for the best of the best to hone their craft, allowing them the time to build up their fanbases and shows while also allowing accessible entry points for audiences and tastemakers to discover them. Keeping the lights on in these places is in all of our best interests – at least if you’re even tangentially interested in good music.
So, if you’re in NYC anytime soon, I hope this is a bit of a call to action to take the time to check out “101.” The hype is real. They also have a great Substack, so you can plan accordingly. Get out there, stay out late, and see a band you’ve never heard of. It’s probably the best thing for music and the best thing for you.
Here’s what else is up this week:
Narduwar sneakers are a thing that exist now, because of course.
Alanis Morissette went to the Céline show and reviewed it for Interview.
The Walrus published a fascinating read on the decline of middle class musicians.
Mk.gee is all over Justin Bieber’s new record. I’m revisiting Joe Coscarelli’s profile of him in celebration.
Runner-up props to the cover he did with Dazed in the fall.
I’m endlessly obsessed with the elevation of artist merch. Oasis have capitalized on this trend flawlessly with their Adidas collab, which Vogue published an interesting analysis of. Perhaps even more exciting is their secondary partnership with Bohemian FC, the startup brand making kits for some of the hottest bands, including Fontaines D.C.
Michael M. Grynbaum wrote the next juicy book on Condé Nast.