■ Sense of Escape ★★★☆☆
■ Venue / Space ★★★☆☆
■ Uniqueness ★★☆☆☆
A long-established live music venue in New York City, opened in 1961. I enjoy a spontaneous trumpet performance on a stage lit by vivid lights.
A live music venue in New York City. When I think of rock venues in New York, CBGB always comes to mind, but it closed a long time ago. I feel that the live music scene in New York has changed a lot since then. In the 1990s and 2000s, I could still find interesting venues here and there across the city, and I often felt I could drop in and enjoy a good show almost anywhere. Today, however, I feel that the number of live venues in Manhattan has become much smaller.
The Bitter End was already there when I first visited New York City in 1988, but I did not go there because it was not a priority for me at the time. My priorities were CBGB and the Bottom Line. At that time, I had the impression that live venues in Greenwich Village, including The Bitter End, were places where students went to drink. I did not think of them as places to listen to live music, so I did not visit it. It opened in 1961. The club calls itself “New York City’s Oldest Rock Club,” but in fact it is a historic live music venue that also hosts folk and singer-songwriter performances.
Before my visit to New York City in 2025, I researched the city and found that The Bitter End was the only live music venue I truly wanted to visit. It left a strong impression on me, so I would like to include it here.
The location is Greenwich Village in Manhattan, just south of Washington Square Park. The area is surrounded by New York University buildings, and I often see many students there. I visited the venue for Monday Night Jam, a regular event held at this live music club.
The announcement said doors opened at 9:30 pm and the show started at 10:00 pm. But when I arrived right at 10:00 pm, nothing had started yet. I paid $10 at the entrance. They did not check my ID, and they gave me a yellow paper wristband. On the stage, about three people were setting up their equipment. After a while, someone arrived, took a keyboard out of his bag, and started setting it up. Later, after 10:30 pm, a man came in and set up a bass. This gig seemed to be for a house band jam session. It felt like the musicians arrived one by one, as if they were just showing up for work at different times.
The performance started around 10:45 pm. It began with introductions of the members and short individual performances. The drummer changed during the session. There were four drummers in total. One guitarist joined as a guest. A trumpet player was added later, and a saxophone player also joined as a guest. A female guitarist and vocalist also came up as a guest performer.
The guest musicians spoke with the person who seemed to be leading the vocal part of the session. They said things like, “It’s our first time meeting, right?” and “I’m actually from Boston.” The response was, “Oh really, I’m from Boston too.”
The stage is about 10 meters by 2.5 meters, and it is about 30 cm high. The venue itself is long and narrow, roughly 40 meters by 10 meters. When I entered the club, the stage was on the right side, and tables and chairs were placed in front of me. What I found interesting is that tables are placed right next to the stage, with chairs in front of them, and booth seats are set at the back.
The stage feels open and easy to see. For a small live house, the stage is quite large, and the view from the audience is very good. The lighting is also very vivid and impressive. Just by looking at the atmosphere, I feel like I am in a high-end jazz club.
The seating area has three rows, and I sit in the second row. When I enter the venue, only a few people are sitting in the booth seats at the back, but by the time the performance starts, the number has grown to around ten. The bar counter is on the left side when I enter the venue, with about ten counter seats lined up. I order a Guinness beer for $8. Prices have gone up a lot, but it still feels like a relief that I can get by with under $10.
At the table, the man sitting next speaks to me. He asks, “What beer is that?” I answer, “It’s Guinness.” He reacts in a way that I cannot clearly tell whether he understands or not. After that, he goes to the bar by himself and comes back with a beer that also looks like Guinness. I have had this kind of conversation in the United States before, but I still do not know whether he was trying to start a conversation or if he was simply curious about what I was drinking.
After the show starts, the vocalist looks around the room and says, “There are some faces I don’t recognize.” Then he looks at me and one other person and says, “I do not recognize you.” I think this kind of interaction is one of the good things about a local live music venue.
The restrooms are at the back, with two stalls. There is an “All Gender” sign on the door. Beyond the stage, further toward the back of the venue, there is also a nice lounge-like space. To get there, you pass by the stage and walk all the way to the back from the entrance. That area has sofas lined up and feels very comfortable.
I left a little after midnight. When I entered, the venue was almost empty, but by the time I left, it was much busier. I saw people who looked like tourists, as well as people who had just dropped in. About 80% of the seats were filled, except for the front row.
I recommend enjoying the performance facing the stage in this historic venue, where the lighting creates a wonderful atmosphere.
I felt that New York City has become much safer. When I visited in the late 1980s and 1990s, I always paid close attention when walking at night. In my impression from my 2025 visit, it felt easier to walk around, and the level of danger seemed lower. Of course, it is still very different from Japan, so I think caution is still necessary.
Visited in 2025.
Basic Information
■ Name : The Bitter End
■ Address : 147 Bleecker St, New York, NY, United States
■ Performed Musician : Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Patti Smith, Taylor Swift, Neil Young
■ Home page : https://bitterend.com/