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This Saturday, March 10, Billy Leroy will begin taking down the tent that's marked his Bowery antiques shop for nearly 30 years. The landlord plans to build a two-story building on the site, and while Leroy told the Times back in December that he plans to re-open inside the new space, it won't be the same without all that tarp.
To honor the tent's service to the Bowery, Leroy and associates have planned a two-day funeral. On Friday, there will be a goodbye celebration hosted by writer and bon vivant Anthony Haden Guest and featuring musical appearances from bands like the Virgins. Then, on Saturday—actually, let's turn to the official event announcement, as quoted by Bowery Boogie.
On the next day, Saturday, March 10th at 3pm, the tent will begin its first phase of demolition. The tarps and fabric, enduring over 30 years of New York weather, both cultural and environmental, will be taken down forever. In a gothic burial ceremony, the "Flesh" of the tent will be peeled from the skeletal "Bones" of the structure and placed in a coffin. The coffin will be paraded around the block by pallbearers, while a funeral march is strummed by guitarist and tent-matriarch Lorraine Leckie. The coffin will be chained to the inside fence, and the remaining hollow structure will be painted fire-engine red in the days to follow.It all goes down on the corner of Houston and Bowery; Team Boogie has more details.
· The End is Here: Saying Goodbye to Billy’s Antiques this Friday [BB]
· Billy's Antiques Is Losing Its Tent, Will Have a Week-Long Wake [Racked NY]