A cool chill party on Avenue C and then dancing
My buddy Aaron recently moved to New Orleans. He’s back in New York for work and–as luck would have it–this weekend was also his birthday. So a bunch of friends were meeting at Teneleven (171 Avenue C, NYC) to celebrate.
Formerly Mickey’s Blue Room, Teneleven is a relaxed, hip little spot which continues the tradition of Lower Eastside bars using some form of their location as their name. Blue brick walls on one side, graffiti art on the other. Not sure who the artist is. The signature was M. Cruz (with the ‘r’ cleverly morphed into a cross). They have this wild array of specialty drinks with names like ‘The Headless Whore’ and shots like ‘Britney’s Shame’. Don’t ask me what’s in them, I stayed away.
For those who don’t go in for specialty drinks, Tenelven offers a nice variety of beer and (of course) other standard booze options. Their happy hour runs from 2pm-9pm daily, which is longer than most NYC bars. Well drinks and select beers are just $3.00. Their regular prices are not bad either. Plus they pour a decent Guinness which is of course critical. And for those on a really tight budget, they offer $2.00 PBR cans all night.
I had heard glowing reviews of their jukebox but to be honest, the box itself is nothing overtly special. It’s a typical web-based deal with music available from all over the spectrum. However, it’s a testament to the taste of the clientèle when music so seamlessly moves thru genres. Tom Waits to Van Halen and a full variety of styles in between that flowed and impressed.
Historically I have this problem where I try to squeeze too much out of a night. On nights like tonight where I’m having a fantastic time with my friends and making new ones, I tend to try and keep the party going too long. So I thought it would be wise to leave early, on a high note. Instead, I decided to tag along with a group going to Lit Lounge (93 2nd Ave, NYC). My choice to stay out paid off.
I’ve been to Lit before to see bands, but never on a DJ night. There was a bit of a snag at the velvet rope which almost proved too much for me. But we made it in, grumbled about the bullshit that is a velvet rope and proceeded to the basement.
Suddenly there I was drinking warm beer, sweating a river, helping my friend Holly touch the ceiling during ‘Shout’ and loving every minute of it. Imagine my own surprise when I caught myself dancing (yes dancing) and singing along (yes singing) to Tiffany’s version of ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ (yes Tiffany).
Aside from my Tiffany moment, there was plenty of 80s gems, a bevy of Motown classics and even Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple to keep the room jumping. I was confident that I had successfully redeemed my musical pride thru a devil-horn and air-guitar laden rendition of ‘Space Truckin’. I walked out with one ear deafened by the loud music, still sweating and still loving it.
My photos from Teneleven:
