8BC
Encyclopedia
8BC was a non-profit performance space and art gallery located in the East Village
neighborhood of New York, New York, United States
. Founded in 1983, the space was closed by 1985.
. During his time working on Theatre Row
, Conboy became aware of the lack of experimental performance support in the area. He came across the space, a former farmhouse
, in an area described as "Little Dresden" due to the large quantity of burnt out and abandoned buildings. Eventually, he decided to open a performance-oriented club space, intending to create a casual environment without the restraints of sitting in a theater environment. Dennis Gattra was co-partner; a member of a traveling circus
and road manager for the The Flying Karamazov Brothers
.
The space opened on October 31, 1983 with Ucci's Circus Romanus; a four hour variety show
. The small space had a capacity of 200 people and a very large stage, which was longer than the main room of the club, and allowed for large performances. Large murals decorated the exterior and interior, and rotating exhibitions were held showcasing local and regional artists. The space relied solely on cover charge and bar sales, paying its performers a percentage of the admission revenues. The space was awarded a Bessie Award
for their contributions to the local art community in 1985. That year the space was closed due to improper zoning
use. The closure made the front page of the New York Times on October 28, 1985. In 1999 the Smithsonian Institute's request that archives from the club be donated was granted and items have appeared in related exhibitions at their physical facility in Washington D.C. as well as online in their Archives of American Art.
bands to cultural performances such as Japanese Buto
. Notable performers include: Karen Finley
, Steve Buscemi
, John Zorn
, They Might Be Giants
, Leisure Class
, Ethyl Eichelberger
, Holly Hughs, Charles Busch
and XS: The Opera Opus
.
" in the musical RENT
.
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
neighborhood of New York, New York, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1983, the space was closed by 1985.
History
In 1980 co-founder Cornelius Conboy purchased the building with the intentions of opening a theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. During his time working on Theatre Row
Theatre Row (New York City)
Theatre Row is the popular name for a section of 42nd Street in New York City which is the location for a number of small theatres; it is also the name of a large theatre complex built in 2000 to house six theatres....
, Conboy became aware of the lack of experimental performance support in the area. He came across the space, a former farmhouse
Farmhouse
Farmhouse is a general term for the main house of a farm. It is a type of building or house which serves a residential purpose in a rural or agricultural setting. Most often, the surrounding environment will be a farm. Many farm houses are shaped like a T...
, in an area described as "Little Dresden" due to the large quantity of burnt out and abandoned buildings. Eventually, he decided to open a performance-oriented club space, intending to create a casual environment without the restraints of sitting in a theater environment. Dennis Gattra was co-partner; a member of a traveling circus
Traveling Circus
Traveling Circus is the fifth studio album by American country music singer Phil Vassar. It was released on December 15, 2009 as his second album for the Universal South Records label. The album contains the singles "Bobbi with an I" and "Everywhere I Go," both of which have charted on the U.S....
and road manager for the The Flying Karamazov Brothers
The Flying Karamazov Brothers
The Flying Karamazov Brothers are a juggling and comedy troupe who have been performing since 1973. They learned their trade while performing as street artists in Santa Cruz, California...
.
The space opened on October 31, 1983 with Ucci's Circus Romanus; a four hour variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
. The small space had a capacity of 200 people and a very large stage, which was longer than the main room of the club, and allowed for large performances. Large murals decorated the exterior and interior, and rotating exhibitions were held showcasing local and regional artists. The space relied solely on cover charge and bar sales, paying its performers a percentage of the admission revenues. The space was awarded a Bessie Award
Bessie Awards
The New York Dance and Performance Awards, informally known as the Bessie Awards in honor of Bessie Schonberg, are awarded annually for innovative achievement in dance and related performances, particularly so-called "downtown" performances...
for their contributions to the local art community in 1985. That year the space was closed due to improper zoning
Zoning in the United States
Zoning in the United States comprise land use state laws falling under the police power rights that State governments and local governments have the authority to exercise over privately owned real property.-Origins and history:...
use. The closure made the front page of the New York Times on October 28, 1985. In 1999 the Smithsonian Institute's request that archives from the club be donated was granted and items have appeared in related exhibitions at their physical facility in Washington D.C. as well as online in their Archives of American Art.
Performers
During its first year the space showcased over 666 performances ranging from punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands to cultural performances such as Japanese Buto
Buto
Buto , Butus , or Butosus, , now Tell al-Fara'in near the city of Desouk , was an ancient city located 95 km east of Alexandria in the Nile Delta of Egypt. The city stood on the Sebennytic arm of the Nile, near its mouth, and on the southern shore of the Butic Lake...
. Notable performers include: Karen Finley
Karen Finley
Karen Finley is an American performance artist, whose theatrical pieces and recordings have often been labelled "obscene" due to their graphic depictions of sexuality, abuse, and disenfranchisement...
, Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent "Steve" Buscemi is an American actor, writer and film director. An associate member of the renowned experimental theater company The Wooster Group, Buscemi has starred and supported in successful Hollywood and indie films including New York Stories, Mystery Train, Reservoir Dogs,...
, John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
, They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
, Leisure Class
Leisure Class
-Band history:Formed in Detroit in 1977 as Mr. Unique & the Leisure Suits, the band got their start as the opening act for The Mumps and local favorites like Flirt and Destroy All Monsters. In the following years, they managed to amuse, annoy, and antagonize all manner of audiences before finally...
, Ethyl Eichelberger
Ethyl Eichelberger
Ethyl Eichelberger was an American drag performer, playwright, and actor. He became an influential figure in experimental theater and writing, and performed nearly forty plays...
, Holly Hughs, Charles Busch
Charles Busch
Charles Louis Busch is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright and female impersonator, known for his appearances on stage in his own camp style plays and in film and television. He wrote The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, which was a success on Broadway.-Early life:Busch was born in 1954 and...
and XS: The Opera Opus
XS: The Opera Opus
XS: The Opera Opus was a no wave avant-garde music and art performance created by Rhys Chatham and Joseph Nechvatal in the mid 1980s. Jane Lawrence Smith sang the lead role in the Boston performance and Yves Musard danced the main role...
.
In popular culture
8BC is mentioned in the song "La Vie BohèmeLa Vie Boheme
"La Vie Bohème" is a song, which is broken into two parts , in the musical Rent. The song is a celebration of bohemianism, especially the type present in the 1980s Alphabet City, Manhattan, and begins with a mocking of the character Benny's statement that "Bohemia is dead"...
" in the musical RENT
Rent (musical)
Rent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
.