The newest addition to the booming Park Slope nightlife scene, Rock Shop, celebrates its grand opening on Aug. 2.
The space, in the former Cattyshack and spearheaded by Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge owner Michael Winsch, has been open for a few weeks, but the managers waited to get settled and tweak the sound before “officially” opening.
“I’ve been very surprised with the local support,” said Brian Harkenrider, an operating partner of Rock Shop, which boasts a stage on the first floor, an upstairs bar and outdoor roof patio. “The response has been, ‘Oh my god, this is what the neighborhood has needed for a long time — a sports bar with live music and an outdoor deck.”
For the grand opening, Rock Shop booker Jack “Skippy” McFadden, whom music fans will recognize as the former booker for the Bell House and Union Hall, has pulled together a “sentimental” lineup, with songstress Sharon Van Etten, the quirky Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, and a special female headlining act that’s hush-hush until the day of the show on the bill.
By fall, Harkenrider looks to start offering typical bar food like wings and burgers.
Grand opening of the Rock Shop [249 Fourth Ave. near Carroll Street in Park Slope, (718) 230-5740], Aug. 2 at 8 pm. Tickets $15. For info, visit http://www.therockshopny.com.
— Meredith Deliso