Cafe Au Go Go

The Cafe Au Go Go operated in the basement of 152 Bleecker Street, a space that functioned as a crucial gateway for musicians and comedians trying to break into the New York City scene during the nineteen sixties. Because the club did not serve alcohol, it welcomed underage patrons, which created a unique, youthful energy that helped launch the careers of artists like the Grateful Dead, who performed their first New York City shows on this stage. The room was long, narrow, and defined by a low ceiling, conditions that made the performances feel exceptionally intimate even as the acts appearing there moved toward global stardom.