| Garrick Cinema | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within New York City Show map of New York City Garrick Cinema (New York) Show map of New York Garrick Cinema (the United States) Show map of the United States | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th century American movements, other |
| Location | 152 Bleecker Street New York, NY 10012 |
| Coordinates | 40°43′42″N73°59′58″W / 40.7282°N 73.9994°W /40.7282; -73.9994 |
TheGarrick Cinema (periodically referred to as theNew Andy Warhol Garrick Theatre,Andy Warhol's Garrick Cinema,Garrick Theatre, orNickelodeon) was a 199-seat movie house[4] at 152Bleecker Street in theGreenwich Village neighborhood ofLower Manhattan inNew York City.[1][2][3]Andy Warhol debuted many of his notable films in this building in the late 1960s.
TheCafe Au Go Go was located in the basement of the theater building in the late 1960s, and was a prominent Greenwich Villagenight club, featuring many well known musical groups, folksingers and comedy acts. The building was demolished in the 1970s.
As anadvertisement illustrator in the 1950s, Warhol used assistants to increase his productivity. Collaboration would remain a defining (and controversial) aspect of his working methods throughout his career; this was particularly true in the 1960s. One of the most important collaborators during this period wasGerard Malanga. Malanga assisted the artist with the production of silkscreens, films, sculpture, and other works at "The Factory", Warhol'saluminum foil-and-silver-paint-lined studio on 47th Street (later moved to Broadway). Other members of Warhol's Factory crowd includedFreddie Herko,Ondine,Ronald Tavel,Mary Woronov,Billy Name, andBrigid Berlin (from whom he apparently got the idea to tape-record his phone conversations).[5]
During the 1960s, Andy Warhol groomed a retinue ofbohemian andcounterculture eccentrics upon whom he bestowed the designation "superstars", includingNico,Joe Dallesandro,Edie Sedgwick,Viva,Ultra Violet,Holly Woodlawn,Jackie Curtis, andCandy Darling. These people all participated inthe Factoryfilms, and some—like Berlin—remained friends with Warhol until his death. Important figures in the New York underground art/cinema world, such as poetJohn Giorno and film-makerJack Smith, also appear in Warhol films (many premiering at the New Andy Warhol Garrick Theatre or the55th Street Playhouse) of the 1960s, revealing Warhol's connections to a diverse range of artistic scenes during this time. Less well known was his support and collaboration with several teen-agers during this era, who would achieve prominence later in life including writerDavid Dalton,[6] photographerStephen Shore[7] and artistBibbe Hansen (mother of pop musicianBeck).[8]
Andy Warhol debuted many of his notable films (includingBike Boy (1967),Blue Movie (1969),Flesh (1968),Lonesome Cowboys (1968),Loves of Ondine (1967) and others) in the Garrick Cinema building (as well as in other area theaters, including the55th Street Playhouse) in the late 1960s.[1][2][3][9]
Frank Zappa and theMothers of Invention played here nightly for 6 months in 1967.[10] Faced with a lack of venues in his native Los Angeles, Frank Zappa booked a series of shows at downtown New York's Balloon Farm in November 1966 then returned to play at the Garrick, the narrow, 199 seat, performance space/cinema above the Cafe Au Go Go. The Balloon Farm at 23 St. Marks Place, actually on 7th Street off of Third Avenue/The Bowery, started with a four night engagement Wednesday through Saturday, November 23–26, 1966.Herb Cohen, Zappa's manager who had booked gigs at coffee bars and pubs in the 1950s, helped Zappa to rent the Garrick, first during the Easter period Thursday 23 March to Monday 3 April 1967 and then from the Summer to September 5, 1967. The Mothers' show, entitled "Pigs & Repugnant," evolved into extended musical pieces interspersed with Dada and vaudevillian theatrics. Officially, the gig was a live presentation of their second album,Absolutely Free, onVerve Records.[11]
Opening acts for the Easter shows wereTim Buckley (23-29 March),Richie Havens (March 30–31 and April 1–3, then through May TheJoe Beck Jazz Ensemble. During the month of JuneEric Andersen and Luke and The Apostles were the opening acts and finally, during July,Meredith Monk performed with Don Preston backing her.[12]
TheCafe Au Go Go was a Greenwich Village night club located in thebasement of the New Andy Warhol Garrick Theatre at 152Bleecker Street. The club featured many well known musical groups, folksingers and comedy acts between the opening in February 1964 until closing in October 1969. The club was originally owned by Howard Solomon who sold it in June 1969 to Moses Baruch. Baruch closed the club in October 1969. Howard Solomon became the manager of singerFred Neil.[13]
The club was the firstNew York City venue for theGrateful Dead.[14]Richie Havens andthe Blues Project were weekly regulars as well asHarvey Brooks who was bass player in residence,The Stone Poneys featuringLinda Ronstadt played frequently. TheGrateful Dead played 10 times in 1967 and 3 in 1969.Jimi Hendrix sat in with blues harp playerJames Cotton there in 1968.Van Morrison,Tim Hardin,Tim Buckley,Joni Mitchell,Judy Collins,Howlin' Wolf,Muddy Waters,John Lee Hooker,Oscar Brown Jr.,the Youngbloods, theSiegel-Schwall Band,John Hammond Jr.,[15]The Paul Butterfield Blues Band,Michael Bloomfield,Jefferson Airplane,Cream,The Chambers Brothers,Canned Heat,The Fugs,Odetta,Country Joe and the Fish,The Yardbirds,The Doors all played there. Blues legendsLightnin' Hopkins,Son House,Skip James,Bukka White, andBig Joe Williams performed at the club after being "rediscovered" in the '60s. Before many rock groups began performing there, the Au Go Go was an oasis for jazz (Bill Evans,Stan Getz), comedy (Lenny Bruce,George Carlin), and folk music.[16][17]
The Garrick Cinema and related Cafe Au Go Go buildings were demolished in the 1970s,[18] and the location, at 152 Bleecker Street, was used for a mid-rise apartment building with aCapital One Bank branch at ground level, which are the current buildings (as of September 2017), according toGoogle Maps.[19]
