Insiders BlogStay informed on the latest happenings in satellite radio. With news, events, products and reviews, we bring you the highlights of the SIRIUS Universe and beyond.
This is a nice community gesture for Sirius. It also gives Sirius a chance to continue their live broadcasts and perhaps offers even more control over the in-club marketing presense.
The Greenwich Village nightclub, in danger of extinction after falling $185,000 behind in its rent, received a four-week reprieve Wednesday.
Attorneys for the club and landlord New York University agreed to a postponement of eviction proceedings with an eye on signing a new lease.
"We have an agreement to craft an agreement," said Mark Alonso, attorney for the nightclub.
Under that agreement, satellite radio network Sirius will post $185,000 in escrow to cover the debt in the event a new lease is reached.
The Bottom Line, which opened in February 1973, has hosted legendary nights of music, with performers from Bruce Springsteen to Miles Davis.
Club co-owner Allan Pepper said the agreement left him feeling optimistic.
"I'm grateful and relieved that we have another month to continue to work things out," he said. "We all hope it's resolved in a way that everybody wants."
But NYU spokesman John Beckman said the nightclub needs to take advantage of its second chance because "our patience is pretty much at an end."
The temporary agreement was reached hours after the case was scheduled to go to trial in Manhattan civil court.
Lawyers from both sides spent the morning and part of the afternoon negotiating the deal in a 12th-floor hallway.
How Can Something Like this Help Sirius Out?? I do not see any benefit to them by doing this also if they are $185000 behind in rent shows the club is not making a good income this could be a very bad decision for Sirius
$185,000 is about the cost of a nationwide network television spot. The good publicity from this alone is worth far more than that.
Plus it shows, true or not, that Sirius cares.
I agree it's good publicity, but what if the club can't turn a profit. Does Sirius have to fund their operations too? All I can say is they better start making money because Sirius would look really bad if they didn't help out again if they needed it.
This is pocket change. The money Sirius pours into the club is way less than it would take to purchase live broadcasts of the same quality.
The wires have picked up on the story, and Sirius has already earned their money pack in free publicity.
Not to mention, the press has been killing Sirius for the past year. It's about time they did something philanthropic to prove that it really is all about the music.
NEW YORK, Sep 24, 2003 -- The Bottom Line, the venerable Greenwich Village music cabaret, may not have to close its doors after all. SIRIUS Satellite Radio today announced an agreement for SIRIUS to provide financial support that would enable the club to continue operating. SIRIUS has pledged funds to help the club with past obligations and future expenses.
"The Bottom Line is too important of a music institution to lose," said Meg Griffin, the SIRIUS Satellite on-air personality who is spearheading the drive to save the club. "Our goal is to help this historic club get back on its feet and do what it does best, showcase some of the music world's greatest names."
SIRIUS also broadcasts the show "Live From The Bottom Line," to its nationwide subscribers several times a week.
Thanks in part to SIRIUS' commitment, The Bottom Line and its landlord, New York University, agreed today to suspend an eviction proceeding for thirty days while they seek to negotiate a new long-term lease for the club.
A Greenwich Village fixture since 1974, The Bottom Line has hosted such music icons as Lou Reed, k.d. Lang, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Jerry Garcia and Bruce Springsteen. Opened by Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, the club has suffered in recent years following the World Trade Center attack.
"I am gratified that SIRIUS shares my passion for live music," remarked Pepper. "Stanley and I founded the club to showcase great music by artists young and old. Thanks to SIRIUS, I hope to continue the tradition for another three decades."
The Bottom Line partners with WFUV, the public radio station at Fordham University, to produce "Required Listening," "In Their Own Words" and other programs. "WFUV's partnership with The Bottom Line has been very important to the station, artists and audiences in New York and beyond," said Chuck Singleton, Program Director of WFUV. "We speak for the entire music community in our desire to see a resolution of this difficulty, so that there will continue to be a supportive home for intelligent songwriting on West Fourth Street."
How Can Something Like this Help Sirius Out?? I do not see any benefit to them by doing this also if they are $185000 behind in rent shows the club is not making a good income this could be a very bad decision for Sirius
just think, maybe some of the artists who've played TBL in the past will now stop by Sirius as a Thank You.
I'd kill to see Bruce Springsteen stop by Sirius. Then he could bitch smack them for not doing any Bruce Specials like XM did.
The man only set a new world record by selling out 10 GS shows, a venue 5 miles from Sirius!
It will be reported in papers all across the country tomorrow. The AP has it covered. Google news already has 10 different hits, and I am sure it is in many more. This may not seem like much, but when that person is in Circuit City looking at XM and Sirius, s/he may remember the article, and that can sway them as it makes Sirius out as philanthropists/people who love music instead of another faceless corporation.
Live broadcasts from the club would be awesome on Sessions
Funny, but that was actually the same thing I was thinking. Sirius now has a respected venue to bring acts and then not only provide a live concert to paying customers, but they also can broadcast and re-broadcast the event.
Combine that with the publicity and this is win-win-win.
Unfortunately, the club didn't deserve it. The place gouges its customers and cranks artists through rushed sets as if it's a ticket-collecting assembly line. In fact, I have *avoided* many promising shows in NYC *because* they were being presented at The Bottom Line.
They claimed their attendance had declined? No kidding. Let's see, they charge $25 and up to see a niche artist, tack on a minimum food/drink requirement featuring the most expensive drinks in NYC, then give that artist a short set time so they can add a late show and try to collect twice as much money from the artist's biggest fans (which is most of the people in the place to begin with, since casual fans wouldn't pay that much to see the show in the first place). By the time you're finished, a Bottom Line show can easily end up costing you more than most people pay for a major concert at a Ticketmaster venue, at least if you want to see the whole thing. Add to that a lousy, overpriced menu, cramped seating and dingy atmosphere, and you've got what I consider one of the worst live music venues in New York.
By contrast, there are other very good venues in NYC like The Fez, The Cutting Room and The Knitting Factory that bring in artists of a similar calibre for half the price, and often let them play sets that are much longer.
The real question is, did The Bottom Line fall on hard times because it drove away customers with their way of doing business, or did the owners just squander their profits instead of paying the rent? Either way, I find it disappoining that Sirius seems to have been duped into the cause of "saving" this bar.
No matter what kind of history The Bottom Line may have, it's the kind of business model I wouldn't have been sorry to see fail. In fact, if left to die, it might have served as an example to other venues how *not* to conduct business in the live music industry.
Of course, over the years The Bottom line has built a brand recognition that extends beyond NYC, and people outside of the city aren't aware of the bar's downside, so it's a good P.R. move on the part of Sirius. It's also a good business investment for them, since they can continue to record at The Bottom Line and use those sessions as content on their live music channel.
From a fan's point of view, though, I would have rather seen a new venue come up in NYC that cares more about "the music" than "the bottom line".
This guy must work for NYU or one of their contractors.
Poor NYU, they don't get to take over every squar foot of the city just yet.
I've seen a few shows at TBL and have enjoyed them all.
The place has name recognition and a history you can't mess with.
It would be great to see Pat St John or Meg G create a live show featuring some of the artists who have passed through TBL or artists who can remember some special shows they saw at TBL.
CBGBs is a dump but again it has its place in music history.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alt_Prog_NYC
Unfortunately, the club didn't deserve it. The place gouges its customers and cranks artists through rushed sets as if it's a ticket-collecting assembly line. In fact, I have *avoided* many promising shows in NYC *because* they were being presented at The Bottom Line.
They claimed their attendance had declined? No kidding. Let's see, they charge $25 and up to see a niche artist, tack on a minimum food/drink requirement featuring the most expensive drinks in NYC, then give that artist a short set time so they can add a late show and try to collect twice as much money from the artist's biggest fans (which is most of the people in the place to begin with, since casual fans wouldn't pay that much to see the show in the first place). By the time you're finished, a Bottom Line show can easily end up costing you more than most people pay for a major concert at a Ticketmaster venue, at least if you want to see the whole thing. Add to that a lousy, overpriced menu, cramped seating and dingy atmosphere, and you've got what I consider one of the worst live music venues in New York.
By contrast, there are other very good venues in NYC like The Fez, The Cutting Room and The Knitting Factory that bring in artists of a similar calibre for half the price, and often let them play sets that are much longer.
The real question is, did The Bottom Line fall on hard times because it drove away customers with their way of doing business, or did the owners just squander their profits instead of paying the rent? Either way, I find it disappoining that Sirius seems to have been duped into the cause of "saving" this bar.
No matter what kind of history The Bottom Line may have, it's the kind of business model I wouldn't have been sorry to see fail. In fact, if left to die, it might have served as an example to other venues how *not* to conduct business in the live music industry.
Of course, over the years The Bottom line has built a brand recognition that extends beyond NYC, and people outside of the city aren't aware of the bar's downside, so it's a good P.R. move on the part of Sirius. It's also a good business investment for them, since they can continue to record at The Bottom Line and use those sessions as content on their live music channel.
From a fan's point of view, though, I would have rather seen a new venue come up in NYC that cares more about "the music" than "the bottom line".
Sirius Bails Out The Bottom Line
Linear Mode
