Bowery Poetry Club Bar / Café / Club

Lower East Side, New York –

A two-room café, bar, and performance space that proves that weird little venues are alive and kicking on the Lower East Side, Bowery Poetry Club gives curious New Yorkers a welcome taste of the many sides of the city’s performance art world.

Popular open mic nights draw plenty of NYU film students and unpretentious theater types, while the front café with its exposed brick and framed art pieces sees an influx of vintage-clad local artists looking for a place to grab a coffee and spend a few hours clacking away on their laptops.

Just through the heavy black curtains in the back, oddity seekers and poetry enthusiasts will find the performance space, where a hip audience settles in on the high-backed stools at the bar or takes a seat among the spartan rows of folding chairs in front of the stage, ready to witness everything from zealous slam poetry and jazz musicians to experimental theater and old-school burlesque shows.

A steady flow of hip regulars and students pours in throughout the week, and although some acts can whip the crowd into rounds of boisterous applause or conversation, the venue is usually content to remain a laid-back outlet of artistic inspiration.

A varied roster of events and an anything-goes attitude makes Bowery Poetry Club a must-do for show-seekers looking for a little off-kilter entertainment.