The Bitter End: A Stitch In History

There's something special about walking into a place full of history. You can feel a certain vibration radiating from the walls. This is exactly what it feels like when walking into The Bitter End, or as the regulars call it, The Club. Nestled in the heart of Greenwich, and full of dusty pictures of figures who are now more legend than persons... Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Joan Baez, Mohammed Ali, Stevie Wonder, Otis Rush, Gavin Degraw, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, Tracy Chapman, Simon & Garfunkel, Lady Gaga… The Bitter End feels like its a living, breathing entity of its own. While moments and people are fleeting and ephemeral, memories, and more specifically energy, is lasting. Not to get too philosophical or scientific (looking at you, Einstein) if energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred, then The Bitter End has acted as a home and a stage for the transfer of energy in the form of ideas, music, protests, and poetry by some of our cultures great thought leaders for over 60 years. 

History is important, and so is supporting the preservation of structures where history has taken place. We all have a collective responsibility to tell and re-tell the stories that stitch together history and sometimes there’s no better way to do that than to witness the setting where the everything played out. That’s why we, in collaboration with The Bitter End, created our latest garment: The Bitter End Chore Coat. This piece is a tribute to the venue, the moments, and the people who have made it what it stands as today… both a platform for artists and a reminder of the impact that a voice or message can have on a culture. The textiles used for this coat are 100% cotton canvas and dyed a light blue to mimic a weathered version of the infamous awning in front of the venue. The upper patch is a replica of the logo used in the 1960s, and the New York Historical Society patch is there to signify the venue’s recognition as a historical landmark. There’s an intentional vision for the future for this venue, with hopes that it becomes a museum by day, and venue by night. 

We need places like The Bitter End. Places where our thoughts, words, messages can be heard, received, and shared. A brick stage that feigns an altar, for the stories of those who have been there, and for those who will come. At DSNY, we’re happy to contribute our little stitch in the history that already exists at The Bitter End.