Sin-e

Oh damn. Twice heartbroken.
First when they left their hearth on St. Mark’s Place. Now once again, having settled that they’re closing up for good this April.
I used to frequent the East Village venue to hang and listen to whomever might have been playing that night. Sometimes with friends. Many times on my own, in the brooding zone. Good times.
They packed up the East Village spot after I moved back to the West Coast, so discovering it gone when I visited NYC again was a bit of a shock. I thought for sure they’d be eternal. Little did I know they’d re-​emerge in the Lower East Side.
And when they did, I was initially dubious. But despite the much larger venue and the state-​of-​the-​art sound put in, it was refreshing to discover the same heart and soul that made the old Sin-​e what it was. The edge of the performing talent. And the same damn beer and wine only selection.
But Sin-​e, to me and perhaps most of its stalwart patrons, has always been about the music and discovery. It was at the new venue where I discovered Rachel Yamagata. And it was at the old venue where I developed a little crush on the sultry Southern Rawkr, Stacey Wilde.
But the lasting memory I’ll treasure for a lifetime: being there when Jeff Buckley sung Leonard Cohen’s «Hallelujah», immortalized by his now legendary live CD. That’s right. I. Was. There.

Love, love, love Sin-​e. Apes & Androids has rocked this place many times, and it has the best sound, space, and bartenders (never mind its predecessor being the birthplace of the incomparable Jeff Buckley).

This is a pretty good place to see live music. It’s not that big with a mostly standing room only, but it’s got a great sound system, and it’s a great place to see smaller sized bands.

Sizeable, yet intimate, the stage here has a sort of omnipresence. It commands your attention not only with its sheer presence but also with its great sound system… warm to the ears and eyes even on a cold winerty night, or was that just the bands I saw on stage?
Last night a five piece NYC local group called Chin Chin, showed off their soulful rendition of high octane ‘70s style soul/​funk with an intensity that wouldn’t stop escalating. Chin Chin is blessed with the ability to turn a low energy, flaccid Thursday night into a high energy, bonerized dance party in just one set!
A little more on the fringe of indie rock, Sin-e’s list of past performances (including Sek LoSo, from BKK, Thailand woy!) indicate they’re not afraid to experiment with new bands keeping things fresh. So when you go out to Bowery Ballroom only to find your favorite indie band has sold out, there’s always Sin-​e to help you keep on keepin’ on.