Shuttered D.I.Y. rock clubs rarely get an encore. But Market Hotel, a rollicking space under the tracks of the J/M/Z subway lines, defied the odds and rose again in January, six years after the police raided it over the lack of a liquor license.
Market Hotel first opened in the late 2000s, when bare-bones clubs flourished in Brooklyn, hosting then-underground dance parties like Mister Saturday Night and providing a launchpad for homegrown bands like Real Estate and Titus Andronicus. While its unlikely return delighted indie fans, the resurrected club also reminded them of other D.I.Y. music shrines that have vanished, including Glasslands, 285 Kent and Death by Audio.
THE PLACE
Bordered by auto shops and check-cashing outlets, the triangular club is up a precarious flight of stairs, practically within arm’s reach of the elevated subway platform at Myrtle Avenue. Passing trains rattle the walls, which, combined with the undulating floor, rounds out the rough-hewed experience. This is the sort of music club where drummers haul their kits through the crowd after the show. Obstructing nearly everyone’s views is a pillar notorious enough to have its own Twitter account (@marketpillar).
THE CROWD
Despite the all-ages designation, the crowd on a recent Thursday night was filled with late-30-somethings, many of them coupled off and a few dead asleep as the clock neared midnight. Patrons blamed tardiness on band practice and talked about how cool and alternative Philadelphia is. There was a Pacific Northwest attitude in the air, owing perhaps to the Thermals, a recent headliner out of Portland, Ore. Sub Pop tote bags and sensible fleeces provided relief from the neighborhood’s edgier nighttime fashion norms. Some crowd surfing and a gentle mosh pit emerged late into the set.
THE PLAYLIST
Music depends on the act. Future bookings include Sheer Mag, Deerhoof and local D.I.Y. stalwarts the So So Glos. The bar sells earplugs, but volume levels are humane.
DRINKS
Take in the show with a Lionshead ($4), well cocktails ($7), Bitburger ($8) or an ironic bottle of sparkling wine ($25). The bar also serves Club-Mate, the caffeinated soda from Germany that is spreading across New York clubland. Get it spiked for $10.
