The East Village, The Music and the Explosions of the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, Walking Tour
September 19 @ 11:00 am - 1:00 pm EDT
$25 – $30
The edgy East Village has long led the way in cultural revolutions. This tour begins at the first place where Patti Smith read poetry, beginning the journey that led to her breakthrough. Why did she and so many creatives come here? Follow Ann McDermott on a stroll back through East Village music venues of the 1960s and ‘70s and learn about the performing artists who helped shape our culture.
Music was abundant, apartments cheap, and the venues of the East Village gave artists a chance to play – and for some to become world famous. We’ll visit over ten sites where musical and artistic history was made, see where some of your favorite album covers were shot. We’ll discuss how the “scene” in NYC in the mid-70s opened doors and allowed for an explosion of creative energy and drive. It wasn’t just the dingy clubs on the Bowery, such as CBGBs, that enabled this to happen – there were economic factors as well. Who were the music impresarios discovering the artists and helping catapult them to worldwide fame? It all happened here in the late 1960s and early ‘70s. Explore the careers of the New York Dolls, the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Led Zeppelin, the Who, and Jimi Hendrix and discover how this neighborhood and these venues helped establish their artistic reputations and following. We’ll also hear about some of the many lesser-known figures who were no less talented but didn’t become quite as famous.
