Folks of a certain age will recall this now-iconic Maxell Tape Commercial (and its print counterpart) which first aired in 1979 and continued to resurface at random intervals for years. Widely known in the pop culture vernacular as the Blown-Away Guy, the ad’s featured-character is rather accurately depicted in this security gate mural by street artist Chris Weller.
The storefront is home to the Marshall Stack Bar, which appears to still be open despite Covid. Good for them.
Visit the mural and the bar at 66 Rivington Street, at the northwest corner of Rivington and Allen Streets. The mural faces Allen Street.
Savasana Station Yoga Studio Security Gate Mural (All Photos By Gail)
When the only outdoor activity that’s still permitted is taking a walk, it’s important to give your walks a purpose. As the Covid Life hit us back in mid-March, I started collecting what you might call ‘mundane’ pictures on my iPhone camera roll during my afternoon jaunts; documenting things I see in the East Village in order to share the stories these photos tell about the people who live in my awesome neighborhood. For as long as this shit lasts, I’ll be publishing a thematic weekly series of photo-blog posts featuring snapshots from my East Village Life, so that we all might feel more connected. This week’s theme is Storefronts. Enjoy!
Clash City Tattoo located at 273 E 10th Street, takes its name from the song “Clash City Rocker” which you can find on the 1977 debut album by, you guessed it, The Clash.
This is the Pyramid Club, a nightclub on Avenue A that’s been open since 1979 — wow! Nirvana once played there before they got to be a big deal, and I interviewed a few rockers inside its walls back in my rock critic days. They still host weekly ’80s New Wave dance parties and shit like that. I believe Pyramid Club will survive the Covid crisis.
The handwritten sign posted out front of Psychic Readings By Honeybee, which is also on Avenue A near 14th Street, indicates that, despite their storefront being closed for business, they are still conducting “Readings Over The Phone.” One wonders why their advance psychic knowledge of the upcoming shutdown did not provided ample time to have a more professional sign prepared.
The UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) Theater’s East Village, NYC location may have closed this past February, but the colorful mural by local hotshot street artist Kenny Scharf lives on across its now permanently-shuttered security gate! See it for yourself on your next Urban Art Safari at 155 East 3rd Street between Avenues A and B.
“Let Go of Who You Were, to Become Who You Are.” — Frank Ape
This fun and inspiring mural can be found on the security gate at East Village Collective, a vintage clothing store located at 545 East 12th Street (Between A and B), East Village, NYC. The mural went up in April of 2018.
I spotted this fabulous Jimi Hendrix mural as I was out for a post-snowstorm stroll through my East Village neighborhood one Saturday afternoon. The mural can be found on the security gate for Mikey Likes It, an ice cream shop located at 199 Avenue A. According to their website, Mikey Likes It is the world’s first Pop Culture-inspired premium ice cream brand! I’ll have to make a point to stop by for a cone during their regular business hours!
An added upside to taking a walk around the neighborhood on a holiday is that a lot of businesses are closed, so you get a chance to check out all of sweet street art on security gates that are rolled up much of the time. While I could not find a tag on this piece, which adorns the security gate for the Lucky Bar on Avenue B, it sure does look like a mohawk-sporting Punk Rocker version of Frank Ape, by the artist Brandon Sines.
Lucky Bar is located at 168 Avenue B, East Village, NYC.
The New Allen (#TheNewAllen) is an on-going public art project where different street artists are commissioned to paint murals on the walls and the storefront gates along Allen Street between Canal and Houston (where Allen turns into First Avenue). This one, done in the very distinctive style of South Carolina-based muralist Patch Whisky (real name Rich Miller) was spotted on the west side of Allen adjacent to number 129. I think this piece is called the Candy Bandit, but I am not sure. Anyway, I love it.
