The SideWalk Cafe is a music venue and restaurant/cafe in East Village, New York City est. 1985. Known for its underground music scene, and in particular, and being the center for Anti-folk in the United States. Offering an eclectic mix of local and national acts ranging from DIY, avant-garde music, indie rock, and jazz to pop music and electronic music. The venue also plays host to poetry readings, comedy and live-band karaoke. The New York Times referred to the SideWalk Cafe and its music scene as a “gift to the neighborhood”.
A number of well-known acts performed at the Sidewalk at the beginning of their career including Regina Spektor, Lana Del Rey, Hamell on Trial, Lach, The Moldy Peaches. The Sidewalk Cafe is also home to an open mic night that is one of the oldest and largest traditional open mics in the city, garnering the name “the king of NYC open-mic nights.” The open mic was founded by Lach but is currently being run by Somer Bingham. It also hosts the bi-annual New York Antifolk Festival, which features the largest gathering of anti-folk musicians in the nation.