As many of you know, I’ve been at least a semi-regular customer at Cafe Racer on Roosevelt, ever since it opened almost a decade ago as the Lucky Dog Cafe.
It’s been a food, booze, and coffee joint, the site of Marlow Harris and Jo David’s “Official Bad Art Museum of Art,” a space for more ambitious art works, a home to comix-drawing sessions, and an eclectic live-music live music. It was the latter role that got it a big front-page paean in the Sunday NY Times arts section.
The music booker at Racer also led its house band, performing at the space at least once a week. He’d been a sword swallower in the long-running Circus Contraption troupe.
He, and another member of the band, were among the three who died from a gunman’s madness. Even if a motive for the shooting gets discovered, it will still be, and will always be, senseless.
I wish all condolences and serenity to Racer’s staff, its owner Kurt Geissel, and the many communities that coalesce there.