Thank you for your support of The Bottom Line. Though we are sad to have left our home on West 4th Street, we are now making plans for the future to continue The Bottom Line’s commitment to music. We continue to be moved by your e-mails, your memories and the outpouring of support for the club and the voice that it provides. We are actively meeting with our original financial backers, and with those who have contacted us since then, with the goal of presenting, better than ever, The Bottom Line’s unique music.

If you want to get in touch with us you can e-mail us at bltmailbox@aol.com.

Keep checking the website www.bottomlinecabaret.com because we will give you updates on a regular basis. In response to a number of e-mails, yes we do plan on continuing the timeline, and will try and put up more dates and a few more stories in the immediate future. And yes, T-shirts are still available will continue to be sold through the website – payment can be made according to the instructions on the website.

We will keep you posted as things move forward. Stay tuned for more developments.

Allan and Stanley

Well, we all tried. Unfortunately, our best efforts together weren’t strong enough to hold back the creeping tide that is NYU from swallowing up yet another part of Greenwich Village - a pillar of NYC musical history called The Bottom Line.

We would like to thank everyone who has visited our web site since it launched on September 16, 2003 (the day after the sad news broke), everyone who signed our online petition, the artists who put their names to the Artists’ Statement, and all who shared their thoughts and feelings in our message board forum.

This has been a difficult and sad time not just for the people at The Bottom Line nightclub itself, but for their legion of fans and supporters as well. We here at SaveTheBottomLine.com hope that in some small way, we were able to provide through this site a means for fellow supporters to link up, to have a dialogue, to make their voices heard, to obtain current information, and to see that they stood shoulder to shoulder with thousands of like-minded music fans across the globe - in short, an online community in which we were all citizens together.

After speaking with NYU President John Sexton, Councilperson Alan Gerson approached The Bottom Line late on Friday, December 5, 2003, to offer his good offices as a mediator-facilitator between The Bottom Line and NYU. The Bottom Line worked intensely with Councilperson Gerson over the weekend to craft an agreement that Gerson felt would meet NYU’s needs and at least work as a starting point for reaching a lease agreement. Beyond including an initial payment to NYU of $55,000.00 to show good faith, The Bottom Line included a mentoring program for NYU students in the Music Business program, and a work-study initiative for NYU students.

Today, that proposal (which we have included in its entirety) was unequivocally turned down by NYU’s attorneys, who said that the University was not interested in any way, shape or form in entertaining this proposal or any proposal, and in fact had no desire to have any communication with The Bottom Line at all. NYU’s response speaks volumes for their true intention, and perhaps their intention from the very beginning.

Today is a dark day for the arts in the City of New York. Despite the protests of artists and citizens throughout the world, the court has granted New York University's demand for the eviction of The Bottom Line. As a result of NYU's action, the music that has played for nearly 30 years at 15 West 4th Street will soon be silenced.

Since June, we have presented New York University with numerous proposals in the hopes that this day would never come. As recent as two weeks ago we sent a counterproposal to the onerous terms which NYU submitted to us; alas, they never had the courtesy to respond. Indeed, just last week the judge offered to mediate a resolution between NYU and The Bottom Line. Sadly each and every one of these solutions has either been ignored or rejected by NYU.

Over the last month many concerned private and corporate citizens including: Sirius Satellite Radio, Bruce Springsteen, Mel Karmazin, Richard Wissack and AT&T have all offered financial commitments to help demonstrate to NYU that they were the custodians of something much more valuable than a piece of "undervalued real estate." In fact, in a cultural and historic sense this piece of real estate might be the most valuable property in their portfolio.

Even in this 11th hour, when the court has already ruled, we are still calling upon John Sexton, the President of NYU to use his good offices to help bring about a more reasonable solution to this situation. Not to act means everyone loses. We believe his silence will reverberate far into the future, as would his leadership if he chooses to act. His silence will be considered when future students choose what university they wish to attend, because what school you choose says much about who you are. His silence will be remembered by alumni, when they are deciding about contributing to their alma mater. It will be remembered by the people of New York City who will remember that NYU is more interested in swallowing their neighbors than preserving their neighborhood's quality of life. And Mr.Sexton's silence will be considered by that "next Einstein" the University so hopes to attract, because he or she will know that as much of an elite University education takes place outside the classroom as within it. After all, it was the first Einstein who said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Our hope is that in the time we have left a concerned member of this community, city, state or nation who may have influence far beyond ours will be able to persuade NYU to reevaluate their position so that they realize that the university will be diminished by eliminating one of the most important classrooms on their campus. Any other university in this country cannot match this classroom where art, culture and history are taught by a distinguished faculty past and present including Professors: Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Bill Monroe, Count Basie, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bill Evans, Richard Price, Aaron Copland, Tony Bennett, Ringo Starr, Emmylou Harris, June Carter Cash, Patti Smith, George Jones, Doc Watson, Lou Reed, Kris Kristofferson, Alan Ginsberg, Joan Baez, Ravi Shankar, Jerry Garcia and Dizzy Gillespie.

As for The Bottom Line, if NYU does not grant us some type of reprieve (which only they can do) we will be able to present live music only until the Marshall silences us by executing New York University's warrant of eviction.

A LETTER IN RESPONSE TO JOHN BECKMAN’S RECENT MAILING TO PEOPLE
WHO SIGNED SAVE THE BOTTOM LINE PETITION

We have learned that John Beckman of NYU has sent a letter to many supporters of The Bottom Line explaining that NYU really wants to keep The Bottom Line as a tenant. In an ideal world, we would challenge each and every allegation made by him. We cannot do so; we will honor our promise to NYU not to litigate or negotiate this matter in public, and, even though they’re the ones who insisted we not do so, they have repeatedly maligned The Bottom Line and its attorneys to the public and in the media.

NYU is holding all the cards; they are our landlord and we have no lease. We have no legal right to a renewal of a commercial lease; the only way The Bottom Line can survive is if NYU elects to let us stay on with a reasonable and fair new lease.

The terms of the lease submitted to us by NYU were in no way dictated or suggested by us. We now pay $11,250 in rent per month. In the lease that was presented to us, NYU has placed the first year’s rent at $27,800 with each consecutive year increasing exponentially.

So we ask you, if we dictated the terms of this lease, why in the world would The Bottom Line offer not just to double its current rent but to nearly triple it?

This is one example of many conditions imposed on us which are impossible to meet. So The Bottom Line’s self destruction is assured if we had to sign this lease.

So, we will leave it that Mr. Beckman and NYU have a different opinion of what has transpired from ours. Since they seem inflexible and possibly not forthright in their demands (which they have every right to be because it is indeed their building), we do feel it is appropriate for us to be clear with our supporters that without movement on NYU’s part we are left with no other alternative than to try and raise as much money as possible to be able to negotiate those demands to keep The Bottom Line at its current location.

Thank you for your support.

Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky
The Bottom Line

Message from SaveTheBottomLine.com to petition signers: We were shocked and upset to learn that NYU’s representatives had culled your e-mail addresses from the online petition and bombarded the signatories with a spam e-mail. On Wednesday, November 5, we received an e-mail from John Beckman of NYU, attaching a Word document of what would become his spam e-mail and asking us for “a favor”: namely, to “transmit it to them all”, meaning the petition signatories. Before we could respond to Mr. Beckman’s request that we spam you on NYU’s behalf, we discovered the following day that he had already proceeded to spam our petition signatories. We apologize to our visitors for this gross breach of Internet protocol by NYU, and suggest that you let NYU know how you feel about the unsolicited intrusion.

Statement by Richard Barone regarding The Bottom Line:

Alan Gerson is a member of the New York City Council from District 1, who has publicly come out in support of The Bottom Line. “The Bottom Line Cabaret is a vital functioning, historical link to all that is good about Greenwich Village.   .  .  .  The compact that NYU has with the taxpayers implies that it should be dedicated to the educational and cultural enrichment of its students and the community.  .  .  .  From a curatorial point of view, we must do whatever we can to preserve the Bottom Line.” Click here for the full text of the statement which Councilman Gerson brough to court and publicly released on Thursday, 10/23.

On Thursday, October 23, 2003, The Bottom Line was back in court after a four-week stay in the ongoing eviction proceedings brought on by New York University. Both sides presented their cases before the Honorable Donna Recant, and rather than entering a decision immediately she adjourned the case for further deliberation. By law, the court has up to 30 days to enter a decision, which means The Bottom Line has been granted another stay - but we do not know for how long.

What does this mean? The Bottom Line has a bit more time to come up with enough money to meet the demands of a new ten-year lease with N.Y.U., a very sizable sum. While two more people have come through with significant sums of money to help the cause, it is only one-third of the amount we believe will be necessary to make our case incontrovertible to the Powers That Be at N.Y.U. More money is needed, and at this point gifts both large and small are necessary to save The Bottom Line. Many fans of the club have asked if they could send money (even just small amounts), and we are working with our lawyer on the proper procedures to accept gifts, so please keep checking the website for more information on that.

Furthermore, N.Y.U. needs to continue to be reminded of the importance and significance of keeping The Bottom Line alive. We know there is a better way for this to be resolved, where both N.Y.U. and The Bottom Line can continue to live together as they have for the last thirty years.

Thank you for your support.

Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky
The Bottom Line

9/25/03 update from Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky,
owners of The Bottom Line

We are pleased to announce that The Bottom Line has been granted a four week stay, due in large part to the overwhelming public support and to Sirius Satellite Radio, who has generously stepped up and agreed to put up the $185,000 in back rent. We cannot thank them enough for believing in The Bottom Line and its long history of making music, and breaking and furthering the careers of artists. Sirius is also planning to host three nights a week of the music that you have come to associate with The Bottom Line, throw “rent” parties to help the club, and to set up a $10,000 scholarship and internships for NYU students.

We must thank all of you–the fans, the musicians, the members of the community, and students past and present of NYU–who have written letters and voiced support for The Bottom Line. Allan and Stanley read every single letter, and were moved by how articulate and well-thought out they were, but most of all, were enormously touched by what this place means to so many people. We are looking forward to the 30th Anniversary of The Bottom Line in February 2004, but please know that we are not yet out of the woods. Now we need to continue to work out a viable financial plan which NYU can agree to, in exchange for a long-term lease.

We would also like to take this moment to publicly thank Karen and Carmine DeMarco, who have done an incredible job of getting the word out around the world with their website, www.savethebottomline.com. They have created a forum for people to express and exchange stories, and some very creative suggestions–believe us, we are reading them all.

Many of you have asked about the possibility of benefits to raise money, and several of you have suggested that we go back to the artists who got their start here. That is a lot more difficult than you might imagine, but we are exploring those possibilities. Several artists, managers, and representatives have called us to offer their support, and we are currently working on logistics to put these shows together.

Here’s the deal: we promise to keep you updated, but there is a big job still ahead of us. We have one month to raise a substantial amount of money to be used for operating capital and renovations in order to satisfy NYU’s requirements for a ten-year lease. While the lawyers are negotiating in good faith, we are booking future shows while simultaneously looking for a strategic partner. You can help by coming to shows, supporting the artists and our committed staff who love The Bottom Line, and continue the wonderful work you are doing, especially as we come up on the next court date (October 23, 2003).

Thank you again for your love and support,
Allan and Stanley

The sad news broke in a New York Times story on Monday, September 15: The Bottom Line’s landlord, New York University, claims that the club owes $185,000 in back rent and that the school also needs the space. As a result, NYU has filed an eviction proceeding to take possession of the club. The court hearing has been continued from Wednesday, September 24 to Wednesday, October 23.

If you would like to show your support for The Bottom Line nightclub and its continued existence, please sign our online petition, which we will present to the relevant NYU’s administators, as requested in the below letter from The Bottom Line’s owners. (Note to NYU alumni: as of 10/12/03, we have set up a new, separate sign-up area specifically for NYU alumni to let the current school administration know how you feel - please sign the NYU alumni petition.) After signing the petition, please participate in our message board forum, to let others know why you support The Bottom Line, to leave your memories of great shows you’ve seen at the club over the years, or to put forth suggestions on what might be done to save The Bottom Line. And thanks very much for participating.

Not about commerce, but culture . . .

Is there a better venue for live music in New York, one with better sightlines and acoustics, one more intimate and comfortable? Is there another room where a singer-songwriter’s considerable talents can be better displayed -- not only for average listeners but for record company types with pockets deep enough to bring that music to a larger audience?

Nope.

Whether a solitary singer or full band is onstage, no room delivers music so up close and personal. I’ve written about music for more than 20 years, and have enjoyed countless performances there.

In fact, anyone who’s been to the Bottom Line can cite a magical evening, be it a night during the legendary Springsteen run, an installment of the Downtown Messiah, or this author’s personal highlight, Television’s “farewell” performance in 1978.

It’s near-impossible to grasp the sheer depth and breadth of talent, but you can start with a tiny sampling:

• Lou Reed
• Keith Richards
• Van Morrison
• Doc Watson
• Mose Allison
• Stevie Wonder
• Bob Marley
• Tom Waits
• Leonard Cohen
• Taj Mahal
• Talking Heads
• Elvis Costello & the Attractions
• The Police
• Tito Puente
• Son Seals
• Billy Joel
• Muddy Waters
• Jackson Browne
• Warren Zevon
• Jean Pierre Rampal
• Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
• Carly Simon & James Taylor
• Chet Atkins & Les Paul
• Peter Gabriel
• Prince
• Shel Silverstein
• John Belushi
• Patti Smith
• and, of course: The Ramones

What matters now, though, is the future.

As the megacorporations narrow their investments into a dwindling stable of megastars, more and more singer-songwriters continue to get marginalized out of business.

What’s more, despite its claims to being the greatest city and the world and the center of the universe, New York already has too few venues for such talent to be heard.

There is only one live music venue of its kind worthy of being dubbed an historic landmark.

The Bottom Line: This is not about commerce but culture.

contributed by Jerry DeMarco

The following is a reproduction of the original notice of the problem posted on The Bottom Line’s web site:

HELP SAVE THE BOTTOM LINE:
A note to friends of the Bottom Line from Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky:

The doors may soon close on a thirty year legacy.

The Bottom Line has been presenting live music since February 12, 1974, and is owned and operated by Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, who have been friends since childhood. The Bottom Line is unique because it is a “mom & pop store” amidst a crowded field of conglomerates and corporations. Our main commodity in the club has always been and will always be the music.

The Bottom Line has always been, and still is, run by Allan & Stanley, who take a great pride in what they do. They always have and still love the music.

The problem is as follows:

Even before the terrorist attacks on the World Trader Center, the nation was already feeling the downturn in the economy. Our business, along with so many other small businesses, has not been able to recover since the tragedy of September 11th. Attendance to shows has declined. In addition, our customers are feeling economic stress, our bills have been multiplying, and we have found ourselves substantially behind in our rent. Our landlord, New York University, has started eviction proceedings.

During our negotiations with New York University to resolve this situation, the Bottom Line has presented several different proposals to pay our past due rent, while at the same time keeping current with a new, higher rent proposed by NYU. Unfortunately, NYU has not been open to negotiating a long-term solution to our mutual problem. We want to pay off our debt to NYU, but to do so we need to remain in business. To stay in business, we need a promise from NYU that, if we pay off the rental arrears, they won’t evict the Bottom Line.

Unless we can sway NYU to give us this basic assurance, we won’t be able to take the steps necessary to save the Bottom Line. If you’d like to help, here’s what you can do.

Let NYU know how important the Bottom Line is to the metropolitan area and what a loss it would be if the city was downsized by another landmark - particularly if you are an alumnus/a of NYU. Send a note to John Beckman assistant vice president of the Office of Public Affairs at john.beckman@nyu.edu or Lynne Brown, the VP for University Relations and Public Affairs at NYU at lynne.brown@nyu.edu. Please send us a copy at SaveBLT@aol.com - and please forward this message to your friends.

Please support The Bottom Line now. Do not put off seeing a show today because we may not have a tomorrow.

You can e-mail us at: SaveBLT@aol.com.

Thank you for your support.

Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky
The Bottom Line

SaveTheBottomLine.com is not owned or operated by, or affiliated with, The Bottom Line nightclub. The Bottom Line logo and name are property of The Bottom Line and are used by permission. Site created, operated, and maintained by Virtual Town Pages. Copyright © 2003 Benevento Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.