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"On the Lower East Side, Close Up—opened in June 2024 by filmmaker Daniel Gaynor and business partner Solomon Gottfried—deliberately feels like an impromptu get-together: it is unapologetically music-forward with a front bar and a separate dimly lit room for bands where voices are hushed so the music takes precedence; the space has presented longtime players such as drummer Andrew Cyrille and experimental acts like trumpeter Peter Evans (including a recent “doom-metal” set), and this year alone has hosted more than 550 performances with two one-hour sets, a late-night set, and a jam session six nights a week." - Megan Krigbaum