I Visited 5 New York Music Landmarks
1. Cafe Wha
Since 1959, Cafe Wha? has had legendary musicians grace their stage. “Just got here from the West, a gangly 19-year-old told Manny Roth, owner of…Cafe Wha? "Name’s Bob Dylan. I’d like to do a few songs? Can I?”... and he became a regular. Other young and future stars included, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor.
FUN FACT: There is a club in the 2007 jukebox musical ‘Across the Universe’ named Cafe Huh? as a possible homage to the real New York music joint!
More info: https://www.cafewha.com
2. Hotel Chelsea
Referenced in many songs, including ‘Sara’ by Bob Dylan, ‘Third Week in the Chelsea’ by Jefferson Airplane, and of course ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ by Leonard Cohen, the Hotel Chelsea was built between 1883 and 1885. Notable visitors include Mark Twain, Tennessee Williams, Jack Keroauc, Stanley Kubrick, Nico, Patti Smith, Jim Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and more!
FUN FACT: Hotel Chelsea is often associated with the "Warhol superstars", as Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey directed Chelsea Girls (1966), a film about his Factory regulars and their lives at the hotel.
More info: https://hotelchelsea.com/history
3. The Bitter End
Established in 1961, The Bitter End is the oldest rock and roll club in New York City. The classic red brick stage backdrop and intimate vibe make this historic venue as iconic as its many headliners. For over 50 years, audiences have been blown away by legendary artists like Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Neil Diamond, Curtis Mayfield, and thousands more.
More info: https://bitterend.com/history/
4. 4th Street
It is unknown which "4th Street" Bob Dylan refers to in his famous song 'Positively 4th Street', and some fans have speculated it refers to more than one. There’s New York City's 4th Street at the heart of the Manhattan residential district Greenwich Village and there’s 4th Street S.E., one of two main roads that cross through the University of Minnesota. Dylan lived and performed at both…But I’m going to pretend that he was talking about the one in New York!
FUN FACT: The song Positively 4th Street was so inspirational to Joni Mitchell at the dawn of her career: “There came a point when I heard a Dylan song called 'Positively Fourth Street' and I thought 'oh my God, you can write about anything in songs'. It was like a revelation to me.”
5. Bearsville Studios
Bearsville Sound Studio was a recording studio founded by Albert Grossman in 1969. The studio is located two miles west of Woodstock in Bearsville, New York. Grossman’s original idea, inspired by Bob Dylan’s ‘Basement Tapes’, was an in-house studio for his clients. John Storyk, architect of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studio, designed Bearsville as well. Notable artists who recorded there include Todd Rundgren, Orleans, The Band, Phish, Patti Smith Group, Dave Matthews Band, The Pretenders, Meat Loaf and more!
FUN FACT: Bearsville Studios is in the top seven of the most haunted places in music…the property’s barn and farmhouse have had reported sightings by musicians of a ‘lady in black’!
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