Lower Manhattan has plenty of 365 party girls, but it’s in desperate need of a 365 party space. Enter Gonzo’s, the all-purpose music and party hub leaving its mark on the East Village.
PAPER caught up with owner Brendan McElroy on the phone, who asks if I’ve ever been to Gonzo's. Yes, but for what party I can’t remember, having been a few vodka sodas into the night.
“We do parties, that’s the big thing, but also events," McElroy says, "and we work with various people around town touring special events, the art world adjacent parties, various album releases, birthday parties" — alongside their music practice and recording spaces, all under one roof. “We have a bar, and there’s a community element to it, and that was really the idea when we originally started. If you go to the other rehearsal spaces in New York, it’s a different story to what we have at Gonzo’s,."
The dream for Gonzo’s, when McElroy set out to build it? “Comfortable and vibey, and a pleasant place to be. Other rehearsal spaces are just utilitarian, bright fluorescent lights, ugly carpets, they smell like socks.”
Gonzo's was always going to be a multi-purpose space, not just a music recording and rehearsal space, the likes of which have become scarcer as rent has hiked in Manhattan, bands leaving for cheaper prospects across the river or down the Eastern seaboard, to Philadelphia. “That was the plan from the get-go, to be multi-purpose. The way that we built it, we were off the ground and running with events while the rest of the studios were sort of in progress. It’s just the way it worked out, and we had to bootstrap it, and push it through with the money we had coming in from events," McElroy says.
On the topic of finances, rent isn’t cheap, but McElroy is hopeful for the future of the space as more and more people discover the East Village’s latest gem. “Clearly, there wasn’t anything like this that currently exists in Manhattan. There might be some, somewhere in Brooklyn, but definitely not in Manhattan," he says.
They’re currently looking for additional funding to keep the space alive and growing, but McElroy would rather focus on “what we’re doing that’s awesome and unique and New York.”
And there is a hunger for this sort of hub from musicians, besides the party-goers. “We’re fairly connected with the downtown music scene, so that was definitely built-in," McElroy says. “I think there are a lot of bands out there that don’t know about us, that don’t know even that Gonzo’s exists, because we’ve been below the radar, putting the finishing touches on the spaces.”
Whoever has the good taste to get hot and nasty has a place to go now.
Ryan Gentles, former The Strokes manager and CEO of Wiz Kid Management, tells PAPER: “There’s nothing that comes close to rivaling Gonzo’s in lower Manhattan, in my experience. Their rehearsal spaces are beautifully designed, and stacked with top notch professional gear and sound.”
The ease of the space, Gentiles says, is an added bonus: “Any artist, from established touring acts to local musicians can just walk in and plug in and play without needing anything more than what Gonzo’s has already set up in their multiple studio rooms, including ones designated for DJs to work on their sets.”
Matt Sweeney, musician and producer says "Gonzo's is the dreamiest downtown NYC rehearsal space. Like, I kinda can't believe it exists. It has a classic lounge vibe where you expect Johnny Thunders to fall out of the bathroom while being pristine and thoughtfully appointed.” He adds that “the rock and roll dream of St. Mark's Place is alive and kicking at Gonzo's — whoever has the good taste to get hot and nasty has a place to go now.”
As for McElroy's immediate hopes for the future, there's lots still to be done at Gonzo's. “In terms of the studios, we really want to continue pushing forward, building a community," he says, "and creating more opportunities for bands to utilize different elements of the recording studios, events spaces, setting up industry nights, and becoming more embedded in the music industry.”
For more information visit studiogonzos.com.
Photos courtesy of Gonzo's
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