June 20, 2011
It’s Sunday and there’s an art show at the Mars Bar...need I say more?
This is the piece of art I made for the show. I used the Mothers of Invention album artwork for "We're Only In It For The Money" and turned it into "We're Only In It For The Mars Bar." I used photos from Easter Sunday at the Mars Bar to add to the Mother's original collage which was their parody of the Sgt. Pepper album artwork.
I really dread seeing this corner when the Mars Bar is gone. Oh well, let's celebrate the fact that it's still here.
Here's Terry posing in front of the latest and possibly last mural he had just drawn on the outside of Mars Bar.
Terry and Ray check out my Mars Bar art. I made a lot of copies and gave them each one.
I think it's time to go in, why not?
It's safe to drink and that is good to know!
Some of the art from today's show hangs on the wall behind the bar.
Bartender Jessica is behind the bar.
Here's Ed and Goggla. Goggla brought me some swizzle stcks to add to the MAD collection which was really nice!
You can't really tell from the photo, the swizzle part lights up and turns different colors! Very cool! Thanks, Goggla!
Bob and Lindsay were sitting up front by the window.
This is Dave who's shooting a documentary on the last days of the Mars Bar.
See, he's got the camera to prove it! He filmed me telling the story of how I bought pizza on Easter Sunday when I did my bar crawl last year.
This is Gary, who's a longtime regular of Mars Bar.
And here's Melanie, a fellow NYC blogger who I met for the first time at the art show!
Dueling photos!
A fuzzy shot of Eric. One of these days I gotta learn how to use this camera!
Goggla in action taking a photo of the art on the wall.
Hamlet points to the art he brought for the show.
My collage was placed below Hamlet's on the wall. I'm proud to have it included in what might be the last art show at the Mars Bar.
I had heard a rumor that Lindsay had lost her left elbow, but here she proves that it was just an untrue rumor after all. Thank God!
There's Goldfish at the bar and they are Flavor Blasted! Soon I will be just plain blasted. That always happens at the Mars Bar.
Lisa showed up a few hours into the festivities.
Kate checks out something on this guy's phone. The nails match his shirt, nice!
Goodbye Mars Bar.
Darkness falls on Mars Bar and I've had quite a lot of drinks.
Time to exit, stage left!
Holy shitballs, it's dark out here! Great to see everyone and see you all tomorrow after dark.
Further reading: EV Grieve, Musings By Melanie, Neither More Nor Less, The Gog Log and One More Folded Sunset.
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31 Comments
Reader Comments (31)
Looks like a great afternoon/evening/night out.
You've done a great job chronicling the past year or so with your frequent visits to the Mars Bar..
Great place, great crowd, characters, art and cast of regulars and irregulars.
Everything a bar should be.
To the Mars Bar!
Love your art work! Would love to see Dave's documentary. Glad you were included, I've liked seeing your coverage of the place.
(my computer crashed yesterday right after I clicked on the surprise link, I'm sure its a coincidence, but I'm too scared to click today. And I'm without a home computer till its fixed so might be scarce some days)
@"Boris:" Thanks, Daddio! Another fun day/night at the Mars Bar. The days are numbered and the clock is ticking.
@kari: Sorry to hear about your home computer and I hope it wasn't the surprise link that did it! I can't wait to see Dave's documentary too!
Thanks for a really good afternoon - it was great to see you, Melanie, Bob, Kate, Lisa, Lindsay and everyone else. Your collage was fantastic! My copy got stolen, along with my painting from Easter that I was going to take home... :( That was kind of a downer, but those things happen, I guess. Where will we ever find a place like this again??
Love the surprise link....
funny last night at 1 am I was talking about that in woody radio chat..
I love the mars bars posts.. so sad it's going away..
glad your pic of a mars bar is a real mars bar.. not the American thing with the almond. I really am a candy snob aren't I?
I love Goggla's glasses
I love Lisa's shirt !
My favorite Bartender here in Milwaukee was at the Mars Bar last week! I'm glad he made it before it went away! Guess i'm too late!
@Goggla: Great to see you too! I'll bring you another collage next week. Thanks again for the swizzle sticks, they are too cool!
@Gidgie: You candy snob! Goggla's glasses are very cool indeed!
@GENE: Me too!
@Professor Dungpie: You should've told him to call me! And I think the last night is June 30th, but no one knows for sure. I'm going to start going every night from the 25th on and document the last days of the Mars Bar.
The Collage was great, you placed yourself in Dion's spot on Sgt Pepper,,,,nice job. Bob's site was also cool,,,his pictures of Tompkins Square Park and the guy shitfaced on the walkway was unreal,,, lots of youngsters throwing away their lives there,,,,oh well. Great pics of Mars and all your friends there, going places is always more fun when you run into people you know,,,I like the McCartney video too.
The collage is so amazing! I love it! Nothing could ever replace the Mars Bar, always such a great group of people around. Glad to spend the last art show with you, Kate, Goggla,, Ed, Bob and Melanie! You guys are so wonderful.
(Perfect surprise link selection)
TO THE MARS BAR...the last and only of it's kind. Marty, how does it feel to officiate at the end of an era that is now, tragically gone forever? An electric swizzle stick...my God, now your collection really is complete...where were those things back when LSD was cheap, plentiful and readily available just about everywhere?
@Al: The fun thing about the Mars Bar is even if you don't know anyone, you'll end up making new friends in there.
@Lindsay: It was great to see you too, glad you could make it. And I'm so relieved the elbow rumors weren't true!
@Jaws: The swizzle sticks are great, if only I had some LSD! And yes, TO THE MARS BAR!
Dang, that's sad! "Improving" the building sometimes sucks. Does NYC need more condos? Can anyone afford to live there anyway without rent control? Love the collage - Tom and I of course have Sgt Peppers hanging on our wall right now - maybe we should do our own Photoshop on it for next year's Christmas card. ;)
Great day all round. Nice to meet everyone and have fun .Lovely piece Marty.
Marty has to go hang with this guy for a day!
@Britta: It really sucks seeing Mars Bar close. I was saying yesterday it's really going to be sad to walk by and not see it. The Sgt. Pepper cover is a good idea for a Christmas card!
@Melanie: It was so great to finally meet you! I'm so glad you could make it, yes it was a lot of fun!
@GENE: That's a wild story, I don't think I'd have the patience for doing what he does. More power to him, though, thanks for sending the link!
Aw. Looks like a great time. I wish I could have gone but I went to the Mermaid Parade on Saturday and got a nasty sunburn which I am still reeling from (ow, ow, ow). Glad all of you had a great time and documented it :).
A great time! It was so good to meet up with everyone again, & to meet Melanie. Goggla always comes up with such cool presents! Love the art piece, Marty.
@Vivienne: Thanks! Maybe you can make it to the next Chillmaster Dance party! I'll send you an email.
@onemorefoldedsunset: Another great day at Mars Bar, sadly there won't be too many more, so it's good to enjoy it while it's there.
Excellent post today, old chap! I still have my regrets each time you post the Mars Bar. Can you email me a copy of your art work? That was classic and would like a closer look.
@Gene: That dude is on some easy money! There's something for the BBC to consider once you've hit every bar in the city?
To The Mars Bar!
MAD...one hella of a post...would say more but it all evolves into some kind of very confusin' rant...
“That last day does not bring extinction to us, but change of place.”
~Marcus Tullius Cicero
“The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity.”
~Douglas Horton
rr
Too many things in NYC changing & so glad I'm getting out , Thanks Marty for helping Me get out !!!
It's kind of sad that there is so many like this going down for condos .
NYC is losing it's Magic , like chewing gum losing it's Flavor , but when chewing gum loses it Flavor it be come very kind of hard & sticky , great to put in gum ball machine to steal all the gum ball's , love that trick I earned when I was a Kid .
Long Live Old New York City !!!
& it's Funny I Am Changing & becoming French !!!
Viva Toulouse
TO : Marty , even tho you where not born here You are a True New Yorker !!!!
Cool video for New York City fans !
I actually saw one of the very first MB bartenders the other night on First Avenue. I think Amy was her name. Did not talk to her, she probably wouldn't have remembered me anyway. Felt oddly nostalgic - almost like everything had come full circle. Been having quite a few of these experiences lately.
Uncle Waltie...flashbacks?...
they happen ...it can't be denied...
rr
@Clacky: Thanks! I'll send you a copy when I get home.
@JHWang: Thanks! We'll have to get together before you take off!
@rr: Two wonderful quotes, thank you for posting them!
@GENE: Great video, thanks for posting it!
@Uncle Waltie: I hope you're at the International Bar tomorrow! I'm buying the first three rounds!
I wish I could've made it in for a visit. What a great place, filled with real oners. Nice way to commemorate the event, Marty. Not only your post, but your fab album cover too. TO MARS BAR!!!
@Biff: TO MARS BAR!
Love Love Love the MARS BAR!
I've heard a lot about MB, and am so sad that it's closing--thanks for giving us this look at the show! That whole area seems to be gentrifying now...filling up with annoying yuppies, and children of rock royalty (also annoying)...I will still look forward to visiting NYC whenever I can, now that I'm not terrified of it anymore! hehe But I guess I'll stick with living in Chicago for now...we finally got rid of Oprah!! Huzzah!!!
@Tiki Bar Susie: Me too!
@Aarron: Congratulations on the loss of Oprah, I'm assuming Steadmand's gone as well!