Joe's Pub (Public Theater) is a nightclub in Lower Manhattan that hosts live performances regularly. The venue is located at 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan, New York. It is a for-profit division of the Public Theater. Its name comes from legendary New York patron of the arts Joseph Papp, who established the Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park, the Public Theater's best-known tradition.
The venue first opened its doors in October 1998. Soon after it opened, a reviewer for The New York Times wrote "You enter through the side door of the Joseph Papp Public Theater. Farther south on Lafayette Street, revolving doors admit patrons to the Public's various theatrical spaces, but here, on the outskirts, an iron-fenced portal offers entree to the theater's new nightclub."[1] He continued "But Joe's Pub is a much less lofty enterprise, carved as it is from ground-floor back-office space at the theater. The $2.35 million club is the result, in part, of a construction and renovation grant to the Public from city capital funds that includes refurbishment of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. There were some doubters when the club opened in October who wondered whether the Public Theater could make a theater-night life alliance work. Six months later, according to George C. Wolfe, the producer of the Public, Joe's Pub "is actually doing better than I thought it would.""[2] He also wrote "The club's programming is idiosyncratic: from ethnic music ensembles to spoken-word artists to the most promising young musical-theater composers and performers on the contemporary scene, the changing roster has generated an after-hours theatricality all its own."[3]
It is known as one of New York City’s live showcase venues, catering to an eclectic mix of musical genres.[1] This defining feature of Joe's Pub—its extraordinary variety—was the vision of principal booking agent Bill Bragin, an aficionado of music in all forms and a world-music DJ in his own right. Mr. Bragin established relationships with artists that have made Joe's Pub a home-base for local, domestic, and international acts. In 2007, Bill Bragin left Joe's Pub to join the team at Lincoln Center. Shanta Thake, Mr. Bragin's experienced assistant of many years, was unanimously given the head-booker position by the board of the Public Theater.[2] [3]
The venue is equipped with theater-quality lighting and sound. During its formative years, the sound was engineered by Kurt Wolf, former punk-rock guitarist for Pussy Galore. The club established a reputation as having extraordinary sound during this time. When Wolf moved on to other projects, John Shriver, a technician who has worked with the likes of John Legend and the Notorious B.I.G., began captaining the audio engineering. The sound quality at Joe's Pub remains at the top of the "best in NYC" short list among critical reviewers.[4]
Joe's Pub also serves as a bar and restaurant during performance hours (William Tilden, Executive Chef) and has earned a reputation as being a top romantic spot in New york City. [5]
The decor of Joe's Pub is the work of interior designer Serge Becker, the man behind many New York City hostspots, including La Esquina on Delancey Street. Patrons often marvel at an accordion encased along the east wall of the Pub: Mr. Becker intended the design of the interior to be modeled after the accordion, from the striped, bee-pollen bar, to the strip lighting, to the exposed sound-proofing. Along the south wall, photographs of Mr. Papp and famous colleagues are on display. One photo features a young Kevin Spacey, mustachioed in fur coat. Legend has it that Mr. Spacey was an operations manager for Mr. Papp at the Public Theater, and that Mr. Papp fired him because Mr. Spacey was too talented to waste his time working in the Public.[6]
The venue is noted for having hosted thousands of artists, including the U.S. debut of Amy Winehouse in 2007, and has been called "the only truly multicultural venue in New York . . . a hip musical clearinghouse."[7]
Notable performers
References
- ^ Ben Sisario (16 July 2008). "Ten Years For Joe's Pub". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9406E4D9173FF935A25754C0A96E9C8B63.
- ^ "Best Downtown Classical-Music Venue". New York Magazine. 3 March 2008. http://nymag.com/bestofny/fun/2008/dtclassical/.
- ^ Adam Hetrik (27 February 2008). "Thake Named Director of Joe's Pub". The Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115411.html.
- ^ "Top Ten Music Venues in NYC". 12 April 2008. http://myitthings.com/emjay/Post/entertainment/It_Music/Top_ten_music_venues_in_NYC/944122008220121423.htm.
- ^ "Best Bar to Get Romantic and Play Grown-up". The Village Voice. http://www.villagevoice.com/bestof/2004/award/best-bar-to-get-romantic-and-play-grown-up-493552/.
- ^ Andrew Jacobs (25 October 1998). "Will Everybody Go to Joe's?". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E4D71E3DF936A15753C1A96E958260.
- ^ Stephen Holden (24 October 2008). "Saviors of the American Songbook". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/26/arts/music/26hold.html?ref=arts.
External links
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