Lizzy Goodman, author of the ’00s indie rock oral history ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom,’ explains what must-know clubs launched the storied New York scene.
The documentaryMeet Me in the Bathroom , free-base on theoral story of the same nameby Lizzy Goodman about the former ' 90s / former ' 00s indie music scene in New York City , begins with audio frequency of Karen O ofYeah Yeah Yeahsand Julian Casablancas ofThe Strokestalking aboutDirty saltation . Karen O say , " You stumble into this underbelly , this cool , sexy , you know — " " scene , " Casablancas says , fetch up her thought , as they describe Baby find herself in a whole new world on a family holiday . Karen O says it ’s " like a fantasy " as the flick reveals its first clips of the Manhattan sensible horizon and downtown clubs — propositioning the two rock star and their peers as let the exact same experience , with New York being their Catskills recourse and garage rock candy being their dance .
As history would have it , and is good report in Goodman ’s bestselling book and the new Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern - lead doctor , that is exactly what happened to band likeInterpol , The Strokes , Yeah Yeah Yeahs , and more . The documentary ( out now in New York and Los Angeles , with one - night - only showings across the nation on November 8 , and stream November 25 on Showtime ) spotlights that unique New York moment , which , even though it was small and scrappy , was bursting with energy and perhaps more special than any of the immense succeeder many of those bands eventually regain outside of it .
" The Strokes are amazing , Karen O ’s a star rock ‘n’ roll star , Interpol is unbelievable , and look what James Murphy did with his career . It is impossible to expresshow unlikelyall of those contingence seemed at this time , " says Goodman . " Everyone was saying guitar music was over , everyone was tell leather jacket were dead . The approximation of sexuality and loudness and the primal nature of the essence of sway and scroll was so passé to masses . It was like , ' No , we ’re doing electronic medicine now . This rock thing is something from the previous century and we ’re moving on . ' "
The Strokes at Mercury Lounge in ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Rebecca Greenfield
In New York’sLower East Side , though , there was an " energy , " as Goodman name , and lots of young the great unwashed count to produce the artistic , shoot up , " really , really underground " New York that they had imagined . What helped to house and fuel that Energy Department was a fistful of BAR and music locus .
While many of those places have since close , they gave the magic of the tantrum a abode , and made it feel both as alive and tangible to New Yorkers as it was . Several of those Manhattan and Brooklyn spots make an appearance in the doc , as it ’s compiled exclusively of previous footage and photograph , but not most every essential localisation . So below , Goodman ( who was very much a part of the scene herself ) explains what she regard some of the most essential Manhattan venues in the very other moments of the sway setting and her favorite floor about them .
The Cooler
Formerly at 416 West 14th StreetThinking about the former years , The Cooler [ was an essential venue ] . It ’s in all the [ tale about ' 90s cult band]Jonathan Fire*Eaterin theMeet Me in the Bathroombook . That ’s where they were playing their early shows .
There ’s this great story in the book about Karen O being at The Cooler to see a set and running into Debbie Harry . Karen was confused about a guy , shout , and had been out all night , and Debbie Harry was there . So Karen watch her and she ’s like , " Oh my God , you ’re Debbie Harry , " [ and says something to her like ] , " Is n’t it bad being a daughter in a boy ’s populace ? " and Debbie say , " Honey , just enjoy it while it endure . " I opine about that conniption all the clock time .
I think it ’s both , as Karen point out [ in the record ] . She thought it was fearsome advice at the time , but also realizes that [ Debbie Harry ] was altogether right . That is how you should feel about these minute . But when you ’re 21 , you have no capacity to feel that elbow room about these moments , and yet that ’s the only style to feel about these moments . I think about that and The Cooler .
‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Ruban Wijesooriya
Lit Lounge
Formerly at 93 2nd AvenueEven though Lit was mostly a bar , there would also be secret appearance there , probably totally illegally . Like , " How do they even punch in ? What were the electricity requirements ? " It was probably not extremely dependable , but I think back ensure some really — in the flavour of the clock time — dank , rough , wild [ shows ] that were really fundamental for a sure period of prison term .
Lit was this total den of shabbiness kind of situation . To me , the OG debauch was all about Lit . It was on the west side of the street on Second Avenue [ between East fifth and East 6th ] . It was this totally retiring station , like all the slap-up bars are , and you step down into this hallway with what I remember as stone all around . It was a cavernous space that had this feeling like a dungeon . There was a bar and then a bit of an open space room with couches , banquettes , and chair and tables . No part of it was very big . It was like a internal ear . You ’d be in that front part , but then you ’d go to the bathrooms , which were in the back on the right field , and there would be another piffling seating area . Then over to the left was where the disk jockey would be . Downstairs was where band would recreate . It was the size of the midget , shittiest apartment you ’ve ever been in , but all these the great unwashed would be in there . When I ’m figure this little tour in my mind ’s eye , it ’s like there ’s [ former Interpol bassist ] Carlos D. spin Bauhaus . That ’s what Lit was like .
What [ Lit ] brings to mind is that when you add up to New York and you ’re fantasizing about this mythic place — this thought of this place that only exists for everyone who comes to the urban center . It live first in an melodic theme of yourself , who you ’re decease to be there , and who else is rifle to be becoming themselves there and how you guys are going to interact , and this inherently unimaginable alchemy , witching situation that ’s blend to evolve from that . Lit was one of the places where I was like , " It ’s like the fantasy fulfill world , " and it was like , " Oh my God , this is actually fucking real . "
The Strokes in ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Piper Ferguson
Lit was wild — just as wild as you conceive it would be and just as serious tone and just as exciting , and just as many cute son and just as many cute girls and just as many outfits you date that you wanted to go home and copy . It was so stimulating and a live telegram of a vena portae to this thing you would come there seeking .
Mercury Lounge
217 East Houston StreetIf we ’re speak about venues — not bars , situation masses play — I would sayMercury Loungeis No . 1 for sure .
I was in college in Philadelphia and I graduate in 2002 , but I come to New York in the summertime of 1999 because I want to be near the city . It was that signal like , " Come be with me . " I was like , " Okay , New York , I ’m coming . " That was the energy of it . I read up and I get a job in a eating house , and [ the guitar player of The Strokes ] Nick Valensi was also run there . That ’s how I met all these people , so I was in New York a lot in those former year when a shoes like The Cooler or Brownies was hap . I knew Nick and his friends were play in this band called The Strokes , but it was a piddling previous and before they really converged into the full matter that would become the phenomenon of The Strokes . It was just kids and bands mill around .
[ When I was back in Philly ] , Nick would be like , " We ’re play [ Mercury Lounge ] tonight . " This is how I call back of the introduction of the Mercury Lounge into even my own estimate of what that topographic point meant . Of of course , they met Ryan Gentles , who was the booking agent at the meter and became their manager , but if The Strokes get a lance at Mercury Lounge , that was a big deal to Nick . It would be like , " We ’re playing at the Mercury Lounge , so come up for this show . "
The Strokes in ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Alessio Pizzicannella
I would come from Philly to see them play sometimes , and I remember thinking , " That ’s some sort of diadem jewel of young bands during this sentence ’s desire . " Like , " What ’s the nerveless booking ? " It ’s like , " Whoa , getting a spear at the Mercury Lounge . " I always think about , if I ’m dreaming and I ’m imagining myself at 22 , that ’s the venue I ’m in .
Mercury Lounge’s iconic shows
I always say that the whole story of New York is about being in the sum of everything , and worrying you ’re not in the right shoes at the right time . It ’s like you ’re in the crashing center of everything and you ’re like , " But wait , what about that party ? Were we guess to be at that ? " or , " What about that show ? " because you may not know what is go to bethe thing — you only can feel it . That sense of exposure — of a low level of insecurity but a pleasurable insecurity — is the nature of the city to me .
I was not at any of those damn [ iconic Mercury Lounge shows , like Yeah Yeah Yeahs spread out forThe White Stripes ] for their first show ever at Mercury Lounge . It ’s one of my favorite parts of the book : [ Karen and Nick Zinner ] had been bragging around town about how awesome their new band was , but nobody had heard them play . Then finally , this bozo who was their friend was like , " I ’m run to call your four flush and I ’m going to book you with The White Stripes . " Nobody knew who the White Stripes were , and [ Karen and Nick ] were like , " Oh no , we have to get a ring together , " and they shout out Brian Chase , and that ’s how the Yeah Yeah Yeahs play their first show . Of of course the rest is account . It ’s just awful that that ’s how it happened .
I was n’t there for that , I was probably canvas for something [ in Philly ] , and I did n’t see The Strokes ' famous residency at the Mercury Lounge . I was invited — I remember Nick being like , " We ’re playing shows"—and I probably had finals and then was go home for Christmas . They act four week and those were famous . My friend Anthony ’s bandThe Damn Personalscame down from Boston to play ; a bunch of stripe that played with them would go on to be significant fellow member of this biotic community .
Interpol in ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Josh Victor Rothstein
It ’s really hard to over - express how much this felt like a minuscule , intimate , never - to - be - seen - by - anyone - beyond - the - confines - of - Alphabet - City scene . It felt up like the most private affair ever . Nobody was thinking , " Wow , I ’m really go to regret not having gone to those Strokes abidance shows . " What you were thinking was , " I be intimate this band and I want to see them at all costs . " That ’s how I feel . But there were thing like , " Oh , I have to meditate for finals , " so I did n’t see [ the residency ] .
I end up seeing The Strokes at Mercury Lounge quite a few times , and I remember see very too soon Interpol shows at Mercury Lounge because my friend [ music manufacturer and critic ] Sarah Lewitinn was their No . 1 evangelizer . Once Interpol started to sound off in , in terminal figure of their ill fame and getting signed to Matador , I already act to the urban center and we were living on Rivington and Ridge [ in the Lower East Side ] . I remember very clearly go from some show at Bowery Ballroom one Nox — a swell show , I ca n’t even commend who was playing — but then Sarah was like , " We ’re going to finish out the night by going to Mercury to see Interpol . " I was like , " Okay , fine , " so we did and it wasmind - blowing .
Brownies
Formerly at 169 Avenue ABrownies was even before Mercury Lounge . gremlin closed pretty early in 2002 , but it was huge and so important for the first Rapture and Yeah Yeah Yeah prove . It was such a storied spot .
I do n’t really repent anything — that ’s not a good word for me — but I assay not to loss too hard after the things that I had no chance to see . Brownies is the [ now - shut venue ] that haunts me , though , because I really was there [ in the shot at that meter ] .
I would like to have seen Yeah Yeah Yeahs at Brownies . I retrieve one night when I was living in New York that they played when citizenry were commence to go see them . Yeah Yeah Yeahs play a bunch of shows at Brownies , but they played one at a prison term when I was already living in the city . I hear there were some cooler , older rock shaver fromRolling StoneandSPINgoing because they could get in , and it was a very nerveless show already at that power point because the EP had already come up out .
Karen O and Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs in ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’|Photo by Toni Wells
I had never been obsessed with a band and will never be as obsessed with a band as I was and am with Yeah Yeah Yeahs . My swain at the clock time [ music diary keeper ] Marc Spitz had an advanced copy of the record and we had a huge party at my apartment I partake with Sarah Lewitinn — apt . 3A , 203 Rivington Street — and Marc broughtFever to separate . I took it from him , shoved him out of my bedchamber , close up the door , dally the platter for an hour , and then get along out in tears and was like , " This is my faith . Whatever else encounter , this person , this band , this sound ! " The whole affair — what Karen represented , what the sound did to my body and made me sense capable of doing in my own spirit — all of that got ignited in a huge path in that moment .
[ Their show at Brownies ] happened before that . I had heard rumblings of them , but somehow , I was n’t ask in . I could have been like , " I will stand outside of this stripe with my top off until someone lets me in or turn back me ! " or some sort of uttermost protest to get in , and I did n’t do that . Brownies is my weft , [ I would go back to Brownie if I could ] .
This audience was edited and condensed for clarity .
