Café Au Go Go Revisited

Café Au Go Go Revisited

Greenwich House Music School, located at 46 Barrow Street in the heart of the West Village, is proud to announce Café Au Go Go Revisited (CaGGR), a live performance festival commemorating the spirit and innovation of the short-lived yet legendary 1960s stage in celebration of the venue’s would-be 50th anniversary.

The series begins on February 24, with a special screening of Seven Years Underground, an intimate documentary on the history of Café Au Go Go directed by Jason Solomon. Mr. Solomon, son of Howard and Elly, the original owners of Café Au Go Go, will be on hand to present the film and speak about the rich history of the Café.

Café Au Go Go opened in February 1964 in the basement of 152 Bleecker Street and provided a stage for many of the greatest rock, jazz, folk and stand-up comedy performers of their era. A list of venue regulars reads like a who’s-who of the New York art and pop scene of the time: Van Morrison, Jefferson Airplane, Oscar Brown Jr., Judy Collins, George Carlin, Linda Ronstadt, Richie Havens, Muddy Waters, Odetta, Richard Pryor and Stan Getz. The Café set the stage for the first New York performance of The Grateful Dead, hosted Jimi Hendrix and is indelibly linked to the infamous obscenity arrest of Lenny Bruce following his shows at the club.

“The Café Au Go Go Revisited festival pays homage to the ingenuity and imagination of our one-time neighbor,” says Rachel Black, Director of Greenwich House Music School, whose vision to honor this period of Greenwich Village’s artistic history led to the production of the festival. “That spirit is at the heart of the work we do at Greenwich House and is reflected in the line-up for this inaugural festival.”

Ms. Black has invited Jennie Wasserman, previously of Carnegie Hall and Joe’s Pub and currently a member of the programming team at Jazz at Lincoln Center, to book the Café Au Go Go Revisitedfestival. Ms. Wasserman is assembling an impressive line-up of artists covering the fields of jazz, blues, folk, chamber pop, americana and classic soul and R&B, reflecting the diversity of programming that made Café Au Go Go great. The complete Cafe Au Go Go Revisited lineup will be announced shortly.

Live performances begin March 6 and will continue every Thursday thereafter through April 24. Tickets to all shows are available in person at Greenwich House Music School or online at GreenwichHouse.org/music_school/index beginning in February. Performances are general admission, first come first seated, and open to all ages. Wine and light refreshments will be served at most shows.

Jason Solomon, Director of Seven Years Underground; Elly Solomon, original owner of the Café Au Go Go; and Rachel Black, Director of Greenwich House Music School, are available now for interviews. For all press requests and ticket inquiries regarding Café Au Go Go’s 50th Anniversary and Greenwich House Music School’s Café Au Go Go Revisited festival, please contact: John Seroff at GreenHousePublicity@gmail.com.