What a difference a day makes!
The Littlefield performance space in Gowanus will re-open at its new location June inside a retrofitted print shop one block from its former home on June 16 after closing for a whole twenty-four hours. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it move was funded in part by patrons, who donated more than $31,000 to the effort through Kickstarter, according to owners.
“We had fans in the community really support what we’ve been doing the past 8 years,” said Julie Kim, a co-owner of the space. “It was humbling and amazing.”
But aside from a slight change in geography, patrons should find the new, similarly-sized spot at 635 Sackett St. between Third and Fourth avenues quite familiar to its former Degraw St. home.
The space’s design incorporates elements from the old site, including a recessed area where customers can take refuge from the antics that ensue during the bar’s eclectic events, which include word-play competition Punderdome 3000, the Nerd Nite lecture series, and Drunk Science, where geeks and comedians discuss particle physics while guzzling booze.
And the owners took care to ensure that guests can watch the action unfolding on the main stage no matter where they perch.
“You’ll be able to see the stage from anywhere you stand in the main area,” Kim said.
Locals and patrons of Littlefield watched as the old space was dismantled over the past few days. But most of the heavy lifting happened on Thursday, when owners officially shuttered the old space in order to finish transferring pieces of it — including a large, anime-style mural — to the new spot.
A second mural will be unveiled at the new location, featuring giant portraits by a New York City artist that recall the massive painted faces that dominated walls of the original site when it opened in 2009, according to Kim.
The Sackett St. space will celebrate its opening with a bash that includes a performance by the 19-piece brass band What Cheer Brigade with Raya Brass Band, followed by a set by DJ Joro Boro.
The fans who supported Littlefield’s move through Kickstarter came out of the woodwork, not only sending funds from out-of-state, but out-of-country. The owners said they will use part of the money to build an outdoor garden at a nearby satellite space called Parklife, which will open on Degraw St. a few doors down from the original location on June 23.
“We’ve actually gotten several e-mails from former patrons who moved away that reached out to support us when they found out we were doing Kickstarter, even though they’re not living here anymore,” said Kim. “That’s really surprising, they must have had a great experience.”
