Crushed by Big Blue

I got the news yesterday that the much-loved Tonic is closing its doors for the last time because there’s no room for it anymore in Bernard Tschumi’s Lower East Side. I know many in New York City will miss the club as a homegrown, relaxing venue run by true supporters of great music. It filled a critical niche when the Knitting Factory abandoned its role as the home of the Downtown music scene, and built its daring schedule with the help of musicians who were invited to curate its programming. I will carry with me memories of many challenging and moving performances by artists like Sir Richard Bishop, John Fahey, Carsten Nicolai, Thomas Fehlmann, Akron/Family, Arto Lindsay/John Zorn/Anton Fier, Masada, Fennesz, Derek Bailey, Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio, Voice Crack, Ikue Mori, Jim O'Rourke/Pita, and Slavic Soul Party, among many others I am surely forgetting. Tonic’s closing doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise; they’ve been struggling for years. It is a depressing turn of events, though, to see something so optimistic, innovative, and culturally important be driven from a city whose fame relies in no small part on its being a bellwether of edgy cultural trends. Apparently the future is luxury condos for all. Hurrah.