Seen & Heard: Empire of the Sun Concert on Pier 26

••• Love this! Postmasters gallery, moving from Chelsea to 54 Franklin,”is pleased to invite you to a beta launch of our new Tribeca space. We gutted it, and before building proper galleries, offices, and a showroom, we want to share it in its vast, unbuilt, decrepit glory. Tuesday, July 30, 6-9 pm we will open the door with a summer fare of fruits, cheeses and wine, and—more importantly—a premiere of Mirage, a spectacular video installation by Serkan Ozkaya. The gallery will be empty save for you, our guests, and the moving shadow of an airplane passing through space once every few minutes. We will also install a bee pollen cotton candy station courtesy of Natalie Jeremijenko. Mirage will remain on view for the rest of the week (from Wednesday through Saturday 11-6). We advise against high heels for the beta launch. There is no AC, but the wine will be chilled. Afterwards we will continue building and hope to re-open Postmasters Tribeca in late September.”

••• The “cash only” / “no monthly” sign at the garage at 432 Washington—part of the Washington-Desbrosses-West-Vestry block that Ponte’s was on (and may be getting developed)—sure makes it seem like that particular building isn’t going to be around for long.

••• I was walking up Greenwich when I noticed that Gigino is closed for a bit of construction work. I called and they said they’d likely be open for dinner tomorrow. There’s actually a ton of restaurant construction on Greenwich right now: Flor de Sol space (anyone know anything about that?), American Cut (the Forgione-affiliated steakhouse coming to the old Trattoria Cinque space, although not for a few months, by the look of it), Sweetgreen (opening in Il Mattone—looks nowhere close), and of course Dylan Prime (note to self: check in with them). UPDATE: “We are finalizing all designs and details now in order to start milling the furniture,” emailed John at Dylan Prime. “Very exciting! Looking like Oct 1.” UPDATE: The word on Flor de Sol is that it’s still a former manager opening his own Spanish place there. (That had been the plan at one point, then for some reason I thought it stopped being the plan, but it’s July and I honestly don’t feel like looking it all up. Let’s wait and be surprised.)

••• Awkward timing, this: Just days after neighbors lambasted the Hudson River Park Trust and Heritage of Pride for the really loud dance party and concerts on Pier 26, another one was announced: “Empire of the Sun will launch an extensive North American headline tour that will give fans the opportunity to see the Australian band in more intimate settings. The fall outing will include a show at Pier 26 at Hudson River Park in New York City on September 5.” Anyone else getting a serious Animotion vibe from the photo below?

Empire of the Sun

 

27 Comments

  1. Tribeca, the perfect place for a video installation of a moving shadow of an airplane. All that is missing is the outline of two identical tall buildings.

  2. @James L: Funny, that never occurred to me (possibly because the shadow is inside?). I bet it occurred to the artist, though.

  3. Hudson River park is ridiculously loud again tonight?!
    They have their speakers pointed in the wrong direction and it is bouncing bad cheesy music all over the buildings in the neighborhood.
    Crazy that they are allowed to do this legally on a regular basis!

  4. We are way up near canal… I pity the poor folks directly across from this…

  5. And these are the same people (Friends of HRP) you want to give your money to in the form of a N-“Improvement”-D tax?
    What is and has been the biggest complaint by NYC residents throughout time? Noise.
    CB1 & HRPT are beyond disappointing in grasping the very basics of common sense.
    More importantly, what’s going on in the Industria Argentina space?

  6. @Smithers: Telepan Local, the more casual restaurant from UWS chef Bill Telepan (and yes, I know you were being sarcastic).

  7. Called 311. They were quick and responded calling back saying that HRP / pier 26 does have a permit for this level of noise till 10 pm tonight. However interestingly enough they had got a lot of complaints and I did notice the overall noise level dropping for sure so it was probably beyond permitted levels for a while.

    Apparently this permit was “wisely” granted by (tah dah) CB1

    Anyone directly affected by this should feel free to have their voices heard by CB1 –

    http://www.nyc.gov/html/mancb1/html/home/home.shtml
    49-51 Chambers Street, Suite 715
    New York, NY 10007
    Tel. (212) 442-5050
    Fax. (212) 442-5055
    man01@cb.nyc.gov

  8. @Torkells – I was NOT being sarcastic. How DARE YOU! I don’t know what I would do without the Tribeca Citizen. Seriously. Thank you. You should run for CB1 or you could just bang your head against the freshly laid cobblestones on Franklin Street. Your choice.

  9. @Rohin – stop getting everyone’s panties in a wad! If news of this Pier 26 musical nuisance gets out, LeoDiCap may decide that he doesn’t need riverfront views accompanied by a pounding bass. The boy does need to sleep once he can get Jonah Hill, Tobey, and numerous super-skinny-models to split. Tribeca really needs to up its game & property values now that Justin Timberlake left and Bethanny Frankly-I-Don’t -Care moved in. Bigger picture, people.

  10. Ha Smithers… Yes tough living on the mean streets of TriBeCa tonight! ;) sic

    That being said, no amount of twisted rationality will help deflect the terrible tunes bouncing of our panes. It’s like the 4th of July celebration tv soundtrack all over again. Argghhhh

    P.s. from what I’ve read Leo does not need much sleep, but I seriously doubt he would move anywhere near this kind of #%*%}

  11. And more more importantly – Kate & William had a baby boy! God save the future King!!! I wonder what they will name the little Monarch-to-be? Blue Ivy? Poison Ivy? Green with Envy? Apple Cider? Apple Crisp? Jayden? North by North West?

  12. @Rohnin – I fear for your safety. If the NYPD can’t nab the skate-rats & graffiti “artists” & the office workers/restaurant staff-smokers of the weed that have infected Duane Park and Staple Street, then there is little hope that they’ve got your back, now that you’ve exposed yourself as a 311-er. Keep your shades drawn and your IP address hidden, as they will be hunting for you and your kind. Keep to the main streets and stay clear of the Moors. You most realize that you are living in a world concerned only with perception and invitations to “charity” events.
    Side note – I can’t wait until Ric Burns updates his epic documentary on the history of New York to include Anthony’s Weiner & Elliot’s Spitzer – the leaders we deserve – the best and the whitest…penises among us.

  13. I’m clearly the only one who has been enjoying the events from Pier 26. I understand that it’s loud, but folks, it’s live music on a pier! If you had to choose between that & noise from construction/Holland Tunnel traffic/etc., wouldn’t this win? Can’t we all just put this in the “Cool Things About New York” column?

  14. @Amy – Yes, you are CLEARLY the only one that we can put in the “TOTALLY Unaware & Uncool People in New York” column. I don’t believe the events on Pier 26 are improving the City’s infrastructure and water supply lines…although I could be wrong. I mean, it’s probably a good bet that 100% of the people probably wish this thumping bass would go until midnight, every night!!! Amy, are you a member of CB1 or FofHRP? If not, you should think about it because you’re so obviously qualified.

  15. Jim – I wasn’t aware that entertainment events needed to improve the city’s infrastructure & water supply. Perhaps Pier 26 should be used as an elementary school instead? Add in some Citi Bikes, a sustainable organic garden, & family friendly locally owned restaurant that doesn’t serve alcohol & closed at 9pm sharp!

    Yeesh!

  16. @Amy – Would the elementary school & organic garden have kick-ass subwoofers? Because that would be soooo cool.

  17. Why the heck would someone design a performance space with the stage (and speakers/sub woofers) facing the neighborhood instead of the river? That seems CRAZY. I feel for all those folks who live in earshot of the pier. I watched the fireworks from West Street back in June and couldn’t believe how loud the noise from that concert was. If that level of noise is within legal limits, then someone needs to change the law.

  18. I just can’t understand why they cheaped out and didn’t put rear speakers at the Seaport, so that we could have experience surround sound.

  19. The concerts start at 6 and end at 10 much better than the jackhammers and construction that starts 7 am and sometime goes through the night for years on end. Also, generates revenue for the park. i agree that facing the stage and speakers towards the river might have been a better way to go.

  20. @TribecaMom: We should not put up with the overnight construction that DOT seems to happy to give up permits for. I hope you and others are complaining about this, because there is no reason for it (especially when it’s on a side street like last night, GRRRRRRRR)

    @Smithers: LOL! You are cracking me up.

  21. @tribecamom
    facing stage towards river MIGHT have been a better solution?! :)

  22. I’d guess that you can not face the speakers toward the water because the audience would be trapped on the pier if there was fire or any other threatening event on the stage.

    And for what it’s worth, i live on Greenwich st. right across from Pier 26 and the noise has not been bad IMHO. I think as long as the concerts are done spuratically they are a very nice addition to the neighborhood.

  23. I went to pier 25 and watched the concert last night. I was bored and found the music dull, but my kids loved it and hundreds of other people seemed truly joyous. Good for them. Live and let live.

  24. I am on North Moore between Greenwich & Hudson, I had window closed, AC running, and I could still hear the concerts pretty loudly (like the TFF family day activities), so I feel sorry for anyone at IP. Or me, now that weather has cooled off ;)

    Seriously, how is it that after loosing Pier 26 for maybe 6, 7 years, the community still does not get the benefit of using it, but thousands of people from other neighborhoods can flood in to hear music there? When do Tribeca residents (who still could be taxed for living near it) get to have access?

  25. I have lived directly across from Pier 25/26 for 30+ years. Lived through the lambasted Amazon club, numerous dance parties on Pier 25, on and on. The concerts end at 10pm — it is NOT a big deal and a fine use of the waterfront. Why, to see The Specials again after all these years (even without Jerry Dammers) from my free balcony seats? Priceless. What a bunch of whiners we’ve all become.

  26. @Loren, it is a great use of the waterfront. It would be great for them to broaden the genres of music they bring to that venue. We don’t live in Westchester, so these things are part of the deal I think of living in a dense urban environment.

  27. Since when did the comments section of the Tribeca Citizen become as bad as the comments made on every other site? I thought we were better than insulting one another over the noise generated by a short concert every now and then.