music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...
located in New York City founded by Melissa Caruso Scott and John Scott. First opened in 1998, it described itself as supporting "avant garde, creative and experimental music" and known for its commitment to musical integrity.Requiem for a Club: Saxophone and Sighs Nate Chinen, ''The New York Times'', April 16, 2007, Retrieved September 29, 2007 Tonic was a former kosher winery and after opening quickly became a focal point of the downtown avant-garde scene. The small and unassuming building provided a sense of intimacy by setting the performers within arms length of the audience. Tonic also doubled as a place for a variety of musicians to record live.Federico Cribiore (2000). "Tonic is a special place.". ''Tonic''
D booklet
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
Hollywood: Blue Note.
In April of 2007, Tonic would permanently close its doors due to soaring rent on the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
.Lower East Side Is Under a Groove Allen Salkin, ''The New York Times'', June 3, 2007, Retrieved September 29, 2007 As gentrification spread through the Lower East Side, apartment high-rises were built on either side of the club, eventually pushing the club to close its doors. On Friday, April 13, 2007, Tonic would host its final show, an evening of improvisation organized by
John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...
and a techno party, The Bunker, hosted by Bryan Kasenic (DJ Spinoza). The closure the following day was accompanied by a symbolic protest. There were more than 100 protestors and two musicians, ( Marc Ribot and Rebecca Moore) refused to leave, resulting in an arrest for trespassing. The Bunker moved the following week to Luna Lounge in Brooklyn which was also a club that had recently displaced from the
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets.
Traditionally an im ...
Electric Tonic
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''Electric Tonic'' is a live jazz album by Medeski Martin & Wood. It consists of completely improvised''Electric Tonic'' cover and liner notes (2001). Beatworld Music. material recorded as one piece at Tonic in New York City on July 4, ...
'', July 4, 1998
*
R. Stevie Moore
Robert Steven Moore (born January 18, 1952) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter who pioneered lo-fi (or "DIY") music. Often called the "godfather of home recording", he is one of the most recognized artists of the cas ...
, ''More Moores Than Smiths – Live at Tonic'', September 6, 1998 (DVD)
*Medeski Martin & Wood, '' Tonic'', March 16–20 & 23–26, 1999
*
John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...
and Masada, ''Masada Live at Tonic 1999'', Summer 1999 (DVD)
* Erikm,
DJ Olive
DJ Olive (also known as The Audio Janitor; born Gregor Asch) is an American disc jockey and turntablist. He is known for producing music generally in the electronic genre, with strong influences of dub, and free improvisation styles. He is wide ...
Bob's Pink Cadillac
''Bob's Pink Cadillac'' is a double album by bassist and composer William Parker's Clarinet Trio, clarinetist Perry Robinson and drummer Walter Perkins, which was recorded in the studio in January 2000 and live at Tonic in August 2001 and relea ...
'', August 1, 2001
*
Avey Tare
David Michael Portner (born April 24, 1979), also known by his moniker Avey Tare, is a musician and songwriter who co-founded the American experimental pop band Animal Collective. He has released three solo albums, as well as three collaborative ...
,
Panda Bear
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...
and Deakin, ''Campfire Songs'', November 2, 2001 (only full performance of the album, later classified as an
Animal Collective
Animal Collective is an American experimental pop band formed in Baltimore, Maryland. Its members consist of Avey Tare (David Portner), Panda Bear (Noah Lennox), Geologist (Brian Weitz), and Deakin (Josh Dibb). The band's work is characterized ...
album)
*
John Zorn
John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...
and Masada, ''
Live at Tonic 2001
''Live at Tonic 2001'' is a double album by Masada featuring two sets recorded live at Tonic during one evening in New York's Lower East Side.Wally Shoup
Wally Shoup (born 1944) is an American jazz alto saxophonist and painter. Based in Seattle, Washington since 1985, Shoup is a mainstay of that city's improvised music scene. ''Seattle Metropolitan'' named him one of the 50 most influential musicia ...
Chris Corsano
Chris Corsano is an American drummer, improviser, and composer.
Career
Alongside his solo work, Corsano has performed on over one hundred records with artists including Evan Parker, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Six Organs of Admittance, Dredd ...
, ''Live at Tonic'', September 14, 2002
*
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (sometimes written Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Ted Leo + Pharmacists, or TL/Rx) are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. ...
, ''Live at Tonic'', June 25, 2002
*''
Fred Frith
Jeremy Webster "Fred" Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer, and improviser.
Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock ...
Marina Rosenfeld
Marina Rosenfeld is an American composer, sound artist and visual artist based in New York City.Christian Marclay, August 21, 2003 (Subtonic phOnOmena)
* Milford Graves and John Zorn, September 8, 2003
*
Sunny Murray
James Marcellus Arthur "Sunny" Murray (September 21, 1936 – December 7, 2017) was an American musician, and was one of the pioneers of the free jazz style of drumming.
Biography
Murray was born in Idabel, Oklahoma, where he was raised by an ...
Marco Benevento
Marco Benevento (born July 22, 1977) is an American pianist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who has been a fixture of the New York experimental music rock and jazz scene since 1999. He is the founder and recording e ...