Quasi to curate special night at the NYC Knitting Factory 12/20

Next year, the Knitting Factory on New York's Lower East Side is packing up and moving to Brooklyn. However, on December 20, before all that happens, Quasi are curating a venue-wide event, featuring two rooms with musical performances plus a separate room with film screenings. Dang, Quasi!

But who's performing, you ask? Quasi, of course. Also, their pals Sic Alps, Marnie Stern, Soft Circle, and Jeffrey Lewis are set to play, as well as some special guests.

Sam from Quasi jotted down some very special Knitting Factory memories in honor of the event. Check them out below, and make sure to grab your tickets for December 20 now before this once in a lifetime event sells out.

"I can't remember how many times we've played the Leonard St. Knit - it seems like I've been there about a half dozen times with one of two bands, & also Ive seen several other shows as an audience member. Every time we play there, it seems like there are always crazy circumstances. Last time we were there, for instance, there was a massive demonstration against federal immigration policies. All our gear was stored at Janet's sister's apartment across the street from city hall. Streets were totally closed down. We had to push all our gear down the street on hand trucks through thousands of protesters for however many blocks to get to Leonard. It was practically impossible to get to the club till like an hour before doors. Would anyone show up? And if I remember right the club had also been burglarized the night before & lost bunch of money. But anyway people came, the show was great as it usually is there & it all worked out.

The most remarkable show we played there was on 10/04/01, which was the night the Knit first reopened after 9/11. We weren't the first band to play there after 9/11 because the Magic Magicians & Shannon Wright opened the show & so played before we did, but we were the first band to headline, for whatever that's worth. The neighborhood was still cordoned off by the cops, the air was still thick & noxious & the ruins of the trade towers were still smoldering a few blocks away. The psychic atmosphere was even more oppressive. We had to have permits to enter the area with a vehicle - it was totally desolate. Again, we wondered would anyone show up, & how exactly do you just get up & play a rock & roll show under these circumstances? But the place filled up. We maybe said a few words to acknowledge the situation, then went ahead with the show, & it turned out to be an intensely cathartic experience for everyone, I think. After the show I guess at least about half of the audience came up to us to thank us personally for playing the show, & it was obvious it was a significant moment for them at that time, as people were starting the process of coming together, standing up, & moving forward; & it absolutely was a significant moment for me also as I realized what a huge privilege it was to be in a position to help facilitate this sort of thing, this sort of supercharged experience. This is the kind of thing which makes you realize its all worth while.

So I have some pretty resonant memories associated with the Leonard St. Knit & obviously I wish it the best of luck moving forward."