Brooklyn Venue Cameo to Close in November
Another Brooklyn venue is biting the dust. From the looks of a recent Facebook post, North 6th street’s Cameo is closing on November 21. The news coincidentally comes on the day that National Sawdust (NS) opens. An artist-led, non-profit venue, NS is located just down the block from Cameo, at the corner of North 6th and Wythe.
Cameo, which has been a staple in the neighbor for 7 years, has played host to a variety of international acts including War on Drugs, Mumford & Sons, Blood Orange, Sharon Van Etten, Twin Shadow and more. The space also doubles as a nightclub, hosting late night parties featuring the likes of Juan Atkins, Com Truise, Frankie Bones, Juan MacLean, Neon Indian, and Simian Mobile Disco, among others.
The intimate and tucked-away venue opened in 2008 in the back of the then Lovin’ Cup Cafe. In 2013, Jify Shah, Cameo’s co-founder, booker, and promoter, took over the entire space and subsequently transformed the front into a caribbean restaurant called Jify’s. The downstairs was also converted to a bar/event space, Cameo Lounge.
One of the venue’s signatures is a shimmering light installation that hangs from the main event space’s tall ceiling. It is instantly recognizable and can be seen in many concert photos around the Internet.
The venue was also the longtime home of the much beloved Big Terrific. A free weekly New York City comedy stand-up show hosted by Max Silvestri, Jenny Slate and Gabe Liedman, Big Terrific called it quits earlier this year.
Cameo will still be part of this year’s CMJ festivities with upcoming shows featuring LE1F, Empress Of, Porches., Kirin J Callinan, Shigeto, and Willis Earl Beal. The venue’s final events will be announced in the upcoming weeks include Popgun Presents Beacon (11/12), Lemonade/Teen Commandments (11/13), and Class Actress (11/14). Cameo’s closing party is on 11/20 and features The Juan Maclean. It’s free, but there is an RSVP.
(Pictured above, Lost Lander at Cameo, April 2012. Photo by Mindy Bond)