The Stone (music space)

The Stone began in 2005 at the corner of Avenue C and 2nd Street in a former Chinese restaurant. Its founder, the composer and saxophonist John Zorn, established the venue as a nonprofit sanctuary for experimental and avant-garde music. The space functioned with a radical business model where every dollar earned at the door went directly to the performers. Because the venue took no cut of the profits, the programming remained entirely focused on artistic vision rather than commercial appeal.