Sin-é

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Sin-é
A band performing at the final incarnation of Sin-é in 2007
A band performing at the final incarnation of Sin-é in 2007
Location(s) Manhattan, New York
Coordinates 40°43′38″N 73°59′04″W / 40.727286, -73.984564 (Original)
Years active 1989 — 2007
Owner Shane Doyle & Karl Geary
Website http://sin-e.com

Sin-é (pronounced "shin-ay", Irish for "that's it") was the name of a music venue in New York City which helped launch the careers of several noted musicians in the early 1990s.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Original café

The original Sin-é, located at 122 St. Mark's Place in Manhattan's East Village, was a small café that served food, coffee, and Rolling Rock beer. It was opened by Irish immigrants Shane Doyle and Karl Geary in 1989. Sin-é allowed performers such as Katell Keineg, Ben Folds, October Project, David Poe, Jeff Buckley, and David Gray to take their first steps in the music business, playing for tips. Seasoned performers such as Sinéad O'Connor, Marianne Faithfull, Shane McGowan, Hothouse Flowers, The Waterboys and Allen Ginsberg also appeared at Sin-é, giving impromptu performances. Iggy Pop, PJ Harvey, Jane Pratt, and Gabriel Byrne were also known to stop by. Johnny Depp, The Black Crowes, and U2 all visited the café on at least one occasion. The informal atmosphere and devoted regular audience were instrumental in creating a fertile musical scene that flourished until Sin-é closed its doors in the mid-90's. Jeff Buckley's first release was the EP, Live at Sin-é (1993), while a double album, Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition), was released in 2004.

[edit] Second incarnation

In 2000, Doyle opened a 380-capacity version of Sin-é on North Eighth Street near Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Because of problems with the city and the community, the club closed after only a few months.

[edit] Final venue

Located at 150 Attorney Street, at the corner of Stanton Street, on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the last Sin-é was built to be the "epicenter" of New York musical venues. Sin-é was named "Best New Venue" in NY Magazine's "Best of New York" issue (March 2003). On its first birthday, Sin-é was awarded "Best Place to See a Local Band's First Gig" by NY Magazine (March 2004) for helping nurture acts like The Seconds and The Secret Machines. In 2004, the adjoining Sin-e Bar opened to expand the total area, with partners Shane Doyle, Emily Danziger, and two others from Ireland. The venue and bar closed on April 2, 2007, a victim of the gentrification of the area.

[edit] References