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February 14, 2008
StreetLevel: Puppets Jazz Bar Reopening Soon
We've been kind of worried about Puppets Jazz Bar, which had to move out of its old North Slope digs in June and was supposed to start the show in its new location between 11th and 12th streets awhile back. The venue has yet to open for business, though, and we got even more concerned when we noticed the for-sale sign above Puppets' new home. No need to worry, though: The building sale won't affect Puppets, which has a 10-year lease, and one of the co-owners says that construction has simply proven more challenging than expected and they'll probably open within the next six weeks or so. GMAP
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Comments
too bad they couldn't have used the time to come up with a not-lame name for the bar.
Posted by: guest at February 14, 2008 2:38 PM
Too bad they don't do puppet shows instead of jazz.
Posted by: Rehab at February 14, 2008 3:04 PM
Any bar called "Puppets" is inherently at least somewhat gay.
Posted by: Rehab at February 14, 2008 3:21 PM
Hey, I liked the old place and I will be glad to have them in my neck of the woods. I was worried, too, for all the same reasons. I haven't seen any activity as of late, so I am not sure how far along towards completion the space is, but it is slightly wider than the old space.
Rehab, there's always Puppetworks on 6th Ave & 4th Street, if you need a marionette fix.
Posted by: slopefarm at February 14, 2008 3:22 PM
"jack johson, ingrid michaelson, luke temple, sufjan stevens, chris garneau, etc."
Who, who, who, who, who, etc?
I must be out of touch.
Posted by: guest at February 14, 2008 3:54 PM
I've seen some incredible shows at the old place including one with Arturo O'Farrill on piano, (son of the more famous Chico but an accomplished musician in his own right and who regularly plays with Wynton Marsalis), a bass player who has his own CDs and has performed with Pharoh Sanders, and a phenomenal trumpet player. There were something like 6 people in the house. The problem is no one appreciates jazz anymore. These were seriously accomplished musicians and the owner, who is also the drummer, is reduced to standing outside and imploring people to come in.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at February 14, 2008 3:57 PM
By the way, I wonder what kind of lease Puppet's got if the building is for sale. How much can they possibly afford in rent? I bet Puppet's agreed to a month to month lease so the building can be sold and the new owners would be allowed to end their lease immediately.
Posted by: Brooklynnative at February 14, 2008 4:04 PM
Puppet's is doing way too much reno to have agreed to a month to month.
Posted by: slopefarm at February 14, 2008 4:14 PM
"The problem is no one appreciates jazz anymore."
I don't think these guys would have a problem drawing an audience if they were playing the Blue Note or Iridium or Birdland as opposed to "Puppets Jazz Bar."
Posted by: guest at February 14, 2008 4:15 PM
4:15,
Oh, man, the fate of jazz is a subject for some whole other website. You could probably get a 100-post war going on some jazz website on whether it is the musicians or the audience that keeps jazz on the fringe. I am not trying to start that here, but here's my two cents.
Yes, it would be great if every top notch jazz musician could get a gig at the Blue Note and gain access to the money and recognition. Of course local neighborhood clubs are not on the tourist or expense account circuit, and require devoted fans of the music to turn out. There are so many good jazz musicians who are worth hearing live who have just not made it into some record company's marketing scheme, and the audience, while broader than it has been, is still too small to support everyone. I wish it were otherwise and I hope the South Slope has enough jazz nuts like me to keep Puppets afloat, because the music is worth hearing even when the players aren't famous.
So give Mr. Puppet (or whomever the owners are) some credit for investing in the music with his heart, money, time and sweat, and I hope he makes it. Lord knows, it isn't the most profitable thing he could do with the storefront.
Posted by: slopefarm at February 14, 2008 4:31 PM
I don't think the owner has any intention of making it profitable. I used to pass by it on my way home from work and I see the musicians playing to no one sometimes or just waiting for someone to walk in the door. I think the owner, who is the drummer, just loves playing live and this is an expensive hobby for him. (All very noble, but I also saw him once being very mean to a female bartender and making her carry up heavy cases of beer from the cellar while he just stood there and watched. He seemed to be a real Asshat.)
Posted by: Brooklynnative at February 14, 2008 4:37 PM
looks like comments are getting axed. odd.
Posted by: guest at February 14, 2008 5:34 PM
yeah, a few of the "gay bar" comments got put back in the closet.
Posted by: guest at February 14, 2008 6:34 PM
Thanks, Slopefarm. I do love me some puppets. But I also love Sufjan Stevens-- a lot. So if this place books him, I'm probably gonna end up there. Thanks for the heads-up.
Posted by: Rehab at February 14, 2008 10:01 PM
Brooklynnative,
I think you've got it exactly right about the place. It's kind of a jazz club version of a vanity press. But there's good music there, whether the owner or someone else is keeping time, and, at the low cover he charges, it's easy to drop in and out and catch some good music.
Posted by: slopefarm at February 15, 2008 11:04 AM
good! i hope puppets is the gayest of gay bars! park slope needs another one...and with live jazz, it'll keep the non-cultured, close minded "str8's" away...figured i'd drop down to the level of ignorance that's being thrown around. idiots.
Posted by: guest at April 24, 2008 9:27 AM
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