The "Bermuda Triangle" of the NYC Music Scene
Introduction
New York City has always been known as a hotspot for music, art, and culture, and no time period proves this point like the 60’s and 70’s. Today we’re going to be discussing three important pillars from this time period in music, all within a short 20 minute walk of one another. These three pillars are Andy Warhol’s Factory, Max’s Kansas City, and The Chelsea Hotel, dubbed “The Bermuda Triangle” due to their short distance from one another and a lack of a reason to leave upon arrival. In this article you’ll learn about what artists you could find here, and how these locations played an important part in all of their lives and careers.
Warhol’s Factory
Andy Warhol was a famous artist, always working on countless projects. He’s most well known for his pop art, but he was also known for his experimental film work, and his work with many different musicians. The most notable group was The Velvet Underground. Warhol was the band’s manager for a year and a half after being introduced by “Warhol Superstar” Paul Morrissey. During this year and a half Andy would recruit them for different multimedia performances, introduce them to collaborator Nico, and help them work on their album Velvet Underground & Nico, even designing the iconic banana cover. Of course Lou Reed and his band were not the only musical collaborators Warhol worked with. He designed the cover of The Rolling Stones’ album Sticky Fingers, as well as designing album covers for Diana Ross, John Lennon (The Beatles,) Kenny Burrell and many others. The Factory was also visited by David Bowie, who performed the song “Andy Warhol” from his album Hunky Dory, as well as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, Debbie Harry (Blondie,) and Jim Morrison (The Doors.) Whether it be to attend a social event, collaborate on different art projects, or to stop in and see the latest creations of Warhol and his “Superstars,” there was always a revolving door of artists coming in and out of the infamous Factory. No matter who was there, though, one thing remained true: afterwards everyone would head over to Max’s.
Max’s Kansas City
Max’s Kansas City was a well known bar & music venue opened in 1965 by Mickey Roslin, once described by Jimi Hendrix as a place “where you can let your freak flag fly.” Mickey was an incredibly generous guy who was passionate about supporting the arts in his area, being credited as the reason that a lot of musicians didn’t starve thanks to the free food they would give away during their cocktail hour. Mickey also had a deal with Warhol, allowing pieces of art to be traded in exchange for a fully covered bar tab. There were countless different bands and artists you could find throughout the three different rooms that Max’s had to offer. For example, it’s here that David Bowie and Iggy Pop would first meet, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen would get their first big breaks in the city, Aerosmith would get discovered by a record label, and Bob Marley would first introduce Reggae to America. You could also find Emmylou Harris and Debbie Harry (Blondie) working as waitresses or Jonathan Richman (Modern Lovers) and David Johansen (New York Dolls) working as busboys. Some of the other musicians you could find here were: Alice Cooper, Patti Smith, Big Star, Marc Bolan (T. Rex,) and Tom Waits. No matter what genre, all musicians were welcomed here, and would often spent their time at Max’s listening to new music, or chatting with old friends. That being said, at the end of the night they would need to find a good place to rest their heads, and would often turn to The Chelsea Hotel.
The Chelsea Hotel
The Chelsea Hotel nowadays is considered to be a historic landmark, and you don’t really need to wonder too hard as to why. Located at 222 West 23rd St and built in 1884, this hotel has played home to a lot of musicians throughout time. The draw to this hotel could be chalked up to the same reason Max’s Kansas City was so popular, being that the manager, Stanley Bard, would often trade art for room keys. This art would then be displayed throughout the halls and the common areas, giving the hotel a very bohemian feel, something that was appreciated by the artist coming in off the streets. Some artists would stay here and go on to write songs inspired by their time at the hotel, such as Patti Smith’s “Land: Horses / Land of a Thousand Dances” from her album Horses. Along with being the subject matter of many songs, the hotel would even host one of it’s own concerts, featuring a performance by The Grateful Dead on the rooftop. Some of the other artists who stayed here were Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Jimi Hendrix, Nico, Joni Mitchell, Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones,) and Madonna. The hotel’s collection of unique residents inspired an Andy Warhol film called “Chelsea Girls” as well as the Nico song of the same name. All in all, this hotel not only hosted many an iconic musician, but inspired plenty of art along the way.
Conclusion
As you can tell, without the affectionately named “Bermuda Triangle” the landscape of music as we know it today simply wouldn’t be the same. Imagine if Warhol never introduced The Velvet Underground to Nico, if David Bowie and Iggy Pop had never met, or if Patti Smith didn’t have a place to stay during her early days in the city. New York acted as the backdrop for all of these musicians to come together and make something new, to get their names out there, and to remind all of us what really matters: the music. Next time you’re listening to an album, make sure to give a nod to the people and places that made it possible, because who knows if it would still exist without them.
-Bee Zak (Hollow Bone Records Employee)
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