Ainsworth, Loz Feliz, Sweet Afton, and Yerba Buena Perry

Compiled by Gamal Hennessy

The New York Nights Club Report for August 28, 2009

Opening
Ainsworth

(Urban Daddy)
A super sized high end sports bar pub arrives in Chelsea with a lot of adjectives…

Loz Feliz
(Urban Daddy)
When a tequila bar meets a speakeasy, you get Loz Feliz…

Sweet Afton

Astoria gets its own high end speakeasy…

Yerba Buena Perry

(Thrillist)
Another variation on the Latin cocktail lounge lands in the West Village…

Have fun.

Gamal

Beatrice, Le Royale New Bars for Fall and the NY Primaries

The New York Nights Club Report for August 20, 2009

Compiled by Gamal Hennessy

Closed
Le Royale
(Club Planet)
The revival of Luke and Leroy appears to have fallen on hard times.

Coming Soon
New Venues for Fall 2009
(Metromix)
Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens will play host to 14 new venues scheduled to open soon…

Community Boards
Beatrice
(New York Times)
An in depth story of how a few residents can shut down a successful venue.

Politics
The NPC Announces Its Endorsements for 2009
(Good Night Mr. Lewis)
Take the chance to put pro-nightlife representatives in office…

Have fun.
G

Great Jones Hotel, Knitting Factory and Attacks on the Nightlife Industry

The New York Nights Club Report for August 14, 2009
Compiled by Gamal Hennesy

Coming Soon

Great Jones Hotel

(New York Magazine)
The new NoHo hotel will have three separate venues, including one with a retractable roof.

Community Boards
Avenue A
(New York Magazine)
Local residents are organizing another meeting about “the overabundance of bars”

Events
RHI Nightlife Safety Seminar

The national nightlife association is planning a series of nightlife safety seminars across the East Coast.

Law
The 500 Foot Rule
(The Villager)
Squadron and his anti nightlife lobby override a judicial ruling on liquor licenses

Moved

The Knitting Factory

(The Examiner)
The live music venue has relocated from TriBeCa to Williamsburg

Have fun
Gamal

Berry Park, Bia Garden and Bongo

Compiled by Gamal Hennessy

The New York Nights Club Report for August 6, 2009

Opening

Berry Park
(Urban Daddy)
Now that we finally have hot summer days, Brooklyn obviously needs a new beer garden.

Bia Garden

(Thrillist)
Another new beer garden for anyone who doesn’t want to go to Williamsburg…

Bongo

(Thrillist)
Go for the oysters and cocktails after you’ve strolled on the Highline.

Opinion

Drinking on the Job

(The New York Times)
Read professional opinions concerning drinking as part of your professional life.

Hot Girls as an Economic Indicator
(New York Magazine)
Where do all the cute bottle hostesses go when the demand for bottle service dwindles?

Have fun.
Gamal

Reni Lane: The Evolution of Pop

By Gamal Hennessy

On the eve of her first album release, up and coming artist Reni Lane discusses Tastemakers, wardrobe malfunctions and the King of Pop.

Vital Information
Website: http://www.renilane.com/
Hometown: Corvallis, Oregon

Latest Project: "Ready" scheduled for an early 2010 release

Next New York Performance:

August 21st at Le Poisson Rouge

NYN: I got a chance to catch your show over at Citrine. Do you always walk through the crowd and jump on furniture when you sing?

RL: (laughter) I’ve always been kind of a tom boy. Climbing on things is second nature to me. Once I started performing it seemed like a fun way to connect with the crowd and give them a fun time. Now I climb on furniture instead of trees.

NYN: Have you ever taken a bad spill or had a wardrobe malfunction during an on stage climb?

RL: (laughter) I’ve never had a wardrobe malfunction. I wear underwear when I perform so I should be safe. I haven’t fallen yet and I don’t really worry about it. If I fall, it’s just another fun experience for the crowd, as long as I don’t kill myself.

NYN: You get to perform all over the East Coast. How is a New York crowd different from a Philly or DC crowd?

RL: When I play for crowds in Philly or DC, it feels like I’m playing for regular, down to earth grass roots fans. When I play in New York I feel like I’m playing for the media, the PR companies and the tastemakers. It sometimes feels strange performing for people who have fabulous jobs and fabulous lives that I can’t even aspire to, but I love it. New York is the best city in the world to perform because of the energy here. Besides, if you don’t reach the tastemakers, it’s that much harder to reach the grass roots fans.

NYN: You have connections to both a small independent label and a major music company. In an era of digital distribution, major record stores closing down and the flood of competition, how do you plan to succeed?

RL: There are definitely benefits to being attached to a label, but I always try to remember that there are things that a label can do for you and things that it can’t. A label can make sure you get in front of the right people, but you still have to perform in a way that connects to the audience. A label can get you access to the best studio and producers, but it can’t give you something to say. I know the only way I’m going to succeed is to make songs that appeal to people, perform them as well as I can and establish a connection with the audience that lasts.

NYN: You’re about to drop a pop album during a time when a major pop star has died. What kind of impact did he have on you when you were growing up?

When I was growing up in Oregon, the only music I had access to was classical music, Disney music, Duran Duran and Michael Jackson. His albums helped define what music was to me. When I moved to the East Coast, and started high school, his music was one of the few things that the different cliques could agree on. Kids like me who were different drew inspiration from his ability to use music to be accepted in spite of his differences. He was definitely one of my inspirations to start song writing.

NYN: And what kind of impact do you think his legacy will have on you? What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind when your career is over?

I think that MJ defined what a pop icon is. He was also a symbol for our obsession over the personal lives of celebrities and the media fascination with train wrecks. Hopefully his death will show the harmful effects that that type of relentless scrutiny can have on a person and on the people he comes in contact with. I’m hoping that there will be a swing back to focusing on the music instead of the imagery and the spectacle. If I can be a part of that change I think that’s the best legacy that I can ask for.

Have fun
Gamal