The Bottom Line

In November, a book about a club which attracted attendees like Lou Reed, Stephen Stills, Bonnie Raitt, and Carly Simon, is scheduled for publication. The Bottom Line was run for thirty years by Allan Pepper and the late Stanley Snadowsky. 

In Positively-Fourth-and-Mercer-The-Inside-Story-of-New-York-Iconic-Music-Club-The-Bottom-Line, Allan (who wrote the book with Billy Altman), talks about how the venue transformed the nearby industrial neighborhood.

A preview of sorts appears in David Browne's recently released Talkin' Greenwich Village: The Heady Rise and Slow Fall of America's Bohemian Music Capital. While the bulk of the book focuses on folk music, Allan has contributed some memories about the rock and blues scene. 

The former promoter admits that he disliked some of the acts they booked, such as the New York Dolls. And it didn't help matters when he discovered a broken mirror in their dressing room.

Another performer was Bruce Springsteen. He played five shows which sold out. Funnily enough, when he first appeared at the establishment a year earlier, few people were interested in attending.

Later on, when the club faced financial difficulties, Bruce and SiriusXM tried to help. They were not successful, and the site now houses New York University classrooms.