Fear not, Nietzsche’s lives. The music won’t stop, and the bands will play on, says Sam Marabella, own of the new owners of the famed and fabled Allen Street destination.
As part of the deal, Marabella’s group - Music Fam LLC - paid $400,000 for the Nietzsche’s building at 248 Allen St., buying it from longtime owner Joseph Rubino, who is retiring.
The deal for the circa 1925-era, two-story building is just one part of the investment Marabella and his partners, John and Kelly Weber and David Arakelian, are making,
Coming soon: new lighting, a new PA and speaker system, renovated bathrooms, balcony seating, and fresh beer lines.
An expanded menu featuring hummus plates, paninis, and specialty Mac and cheese is also in the works.
But, the vibe and music will remain the same, Marabella said.
“I don't think that we're really basing any changes on the two fires, the tragedies on our street Mohawk. We certainly will get more promoters and bands through here because of that recent loss. But I don't really see us changing, you know, our goals or our culture,” Marabella said.
Marabella, a musician himself and owner of such bars as the late Broadway Joe’s and House of Charm, has been going to Nietzsche’s since the late 1980s. He knows what it means, especially now with the Mohawk Place closed and fire destroying the Old Pink and Mulligan’s Brick Bar - both of which were Allen Street neighbors.
“We'll certainly have the same types of music. One of the best parts about Nietzsche's is that it's just so unassuming. You can come and catch a jazz band on a Sunday. And the fact that we do music here 365, days a year, you can also come and check out a hardcore act. We're just wide open when it comes to all different genres and all different days of the week,” Marabella.
Nietzsche’s, which is open every day, has a 250-person capacity for concerts. The music will never stop, Marabella pledged.
