Southpaw closed on February 21st, 2012.
Southpaw is located on 125 Fifth Avenue, between Sterling Place and St. Johns Place in Brooklyn’s Park Slope. It lays only a four blocks north Union Hall, and four blocks east of the new Littlefield, other Brooklyn venues. It’s a (relative) ‘veteran’ venue in New York, having been open since June 2002. The same owners purchased the Galapagos art space in Williamsburg in 2008, moving Galapagos to DUMBO while renaming the old space Public Assembly.
The entrance to Southpaw is a hallway that leads past downstairs to the bar and stage floor, to the immediate house-right of the stage. The bar lays on the house right, an elevated couch and table area lies to the back house-left, behind a railing. There are a number of games at the back area, include two pin ball games, an arcade Duck Hunter, dart board, and, in the elevated area, a pool table (also, a photo booth lies to the front house-left). Down the stairs lies an ATM (just beneath the stairs), and the bathrooms, with a couched waiting area in between. The bathrooms share a separate sink area. To the house-left is ‘DownSouth’, a second bar designed for private parties.
Other than the odd ‘Vietnam War/Korean War/Pacific Theater of WWII-esque cantina’ look of DownSouth, the rest of Southpaw is actually rather skuzzy-looking, in a ‘punk rock club’ way pioneered by the late CBGB’s. The walls on the main floor are covered with fliers from prior shows, while the downstairs walls feature non-contemporary baseball cards (the bathroom, of course, is covered with stickers). The whole place gives off a bit of a ‘dive bar’ feel, darker, with less of a light show. However, the sound is perfectly good, and the long bar has a wide selection. The acts tend a little more towards the harder rock, but hardly exclusively. Similar-wise to Maxwell’s in Hoboken, New Jersey, Southpaw’s Park Slope location (not even in trendy Williamsburg) means the club bats a bit below its size, but often serves as a good ‘Brooklyn locale’ for bands that are also playing Manhattan, playing Music Hall in Williamsburg to the Bowery Ballroom of such slightly smaller Manhattan venues as Mercury Lounge.
Capacity: 400
Address:
125 Fifth Avenue, between Sterling Place and St. Johns Place
By Subway:
B & Q trains to 7th Avenue (Brighton) – walk two blocks west on Park Place, 1 block south on East side of 5th Avenue
D, N & R trains to Union Street – walk one block east, four blocks north on East side of 5th Avenue
2, 3 & 4 trains to Bergen Street – walk one block west on Bergen Street, four blocks south on East side of 5th Avenue
B, Q, 2, 3, 4 & 5 trains to Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street – walk seven blocks south on East side of 5th Avenue
QRO Coverage:
-Harlem Shakes, with Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers and Phil & The Osophers, February 14th, 2009 – Harlem Shakes live review, Harlem Shakes photos, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers photos, Phil & The Osophers photos
-Snowden, with Twin Tigers, December 4th, 2008 – Snowden live review, Snowden photos, Twin Tigers photos
-Murder by Death, November 12th, 2008 – photos
-What Made Milwaukee Famous, with Wild Sweet Orange, September 5th, 2008 – Wild Sweet Orange live review, What Made Milwaukee Famous photos, Wild Sweet Orange photos
-Jaguar Love, August 19th, 2008 – live review, photos
-Constantines, with Bear In Heaven, April 19th, 2008 – Constantines photos, Bear In Heaven photos
-Electric Six, with Earl Greyhound, December 12th, 2007 – Electric Six photos, Earl Greyhound photos
Harlem Shakes – “Sickos”, Brooklyn, NY, 2/14/09
Harlem Shakes – “Carpetbaggers”, Brooklyn, NY, 2/14/09
Harlem Shakes – “Strictly Game”, Brooklyn, NY, 2/14/09
Phil & The Osophers – “Cheap Livin'”, Brooklyn, NY, 2/14/09
Phil & The Osophers – “High Art”, Brooklyn, NY, 2/14/09
Snowden – “Anti-Anti”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/4/08
Snowden – “Black Eyes”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/4/08
What Made Milwaukee Famous, Brooklyn, NY, 9/5/08
What Made Milwaukee Famous – “Self-Destruct”, Brooklyn, NY, 9/5/08
Wild Sweet Orange – “Aretha’s Gold”, Brooklyn, NY, 9/5/08
Wild Sweet Orange – “Either/Or”, Brooklyn, NY, 9/5/08
Jaguar Love – “My Organ Sounds Like…”, Brooklyn, NY, 8/19/08
Jaguar Love – “Vagabond Ballroom”, Brooklyn, NY, 8/19/08
Jaguar Love – “Jaguar Pirates”, Brooklyn, NY, 8/19/08
Constantines – “Trans Canada”, Brooklyn, NY, 4/19/08
Constantines – “Credit River”, Brooklyn, NY, 4/19/08
Constantines – “Our Age”, Brooklyn, NY, 4/19/08
Constantines – “Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright)”, Brooklyn, NY, 4/19/08
Constantines – “Hard Feelings”, Brooklyn, NY, 4/19/08
Electric Six – “Germans In Mexico”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/12/07
Electric Six – “Danger! High Voltage”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/12/07
Electric Six – “Dance Pattern”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/12/07
Electric Six – “Randy’s Hot Tonight”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/12/07
Electric Six – “Rock and Roll Evacuation”, Brooklyn, NY, 12/12/07
