Crash Mansion

Apparently the little-loved Crash Mansion closed its doors some time in 2011. Crash Mansion is located on 199 Bowery, Manhattan, between Rivington and Spring Streets.  It is a block...
Crash Mansion

Crash Mansion

Wild Light

Apparently the little-loved Crash Mansion closed its doors some time in 2011.

Crash Mansion is located on 199 Bowery, Manhattan, between Rivington and Spring Streets.  It is a block and a half north of Bowery Ballroom, and lies in southwestern corner of the circle of venues in the Bowery (roughly between Houston, A, Delancey Street, and Bowery), which includes Bowery, Mercury Lounge, Piano’s, Cake Shop, Living Room, Arlene’s Grocery, Rockwood Music Hall and others.  Fearless Music TV, a syndicated television program featuring live performances, shoots there.

There are actually two venues at Crash Mansion, an upstairs & a downstairs, with separate entrances from the street (albeit right next to each other).  The upstairs venue, called ‘BLVD’, has a fancy, Japanese-looking foyer, before the bar/dance floor/booths, with a stage to the far side.  The downstairs venue has an entrance which leads one down a flight of stairs and through a hallway, past the bathrooms, and into the belowground bar area, with the bar to one’s right, booths to one’s left.  The actual stage floor is past that, divided from the bar area by a semi-wall, with couches lining the sides and the back (right in front of the soundboard).  The stage itself is to one’s right, raised only a foot.  It is near impossible to get cell reception in the stage floor or bar area; one has to walk back out to the entryway.

Though the downstairs entrance is rather bright & spartan, the actual bar & stage area are quite nice & classy, albeit still with the low, belowground ceiling – but neither of those problems plague BLVD.  But don’t let that fool you, as Crash Mansion has the reputation of being a poor venue for actual music, especially the rarely-used-for-shows upstairs.  It’s not a regular venue, and many only go there during CMJ, a trying time for any NYC venue, so that reputation might not be 100% deserved.  But the place definitely feels more like a nightclub, with stages added on as an afterthought, and, CMJ aside, rarely shows anyone you want to see.

 

Capacity: 400

21+

Address:

199 Bowery (Between Spring and Rivington Streets)

By Subway:

J train to Bowery – walk one and a half blocks north on east side of Bowery
B or D trains to Chrystie/Grand – walk one block west on Grand, three and a half blocks north on east side of Bowery
F train to 2nd Avenue – walk two and a half blocks south on east side of Bowery
4 & 6 trains to Spring Street – walk four blocks east on Spring, turn left on other side of Bowery
N & R trains to Prince Street – walk six blocks east on Prince, one and a half blocks south on east side of Bowery

 

QRO Coverage:

-Hooray For Earth, with Extended Family, Zambri, October 20th, 2009 (CMJ) – CMJ coverage, Hooray For Earth photos, Extended Family photos, Zambri photos (upstairs)

-Hank & Cupcakes, September 17th, 2009 – photos

-Wild Light, October 19th, 2007 (CMJ) – CMJ coverage, photos

Hooray For Earth

Click below for the venue’s website

Crash Mansion

Categories
Venue Reviews

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