Author Archives: Donald

On this special night the doors will open at 5 pm, and will close at 4 am.

The headline music act of Les Sans Culottes will go on at midnight, with opening acts of Apple recording artist Brute Force and eclectic world roots band The Magpie kicking things off. An exhibition of glitter and flock paintings by N.Y artist Nancy Drew will be on display.

The new bar is not the old Freddy’s, but many items did make the long journey from demolition to re-birth, including the original prohibition era red mahogany bar, the old booths and tables, and a few special items as well. The “Chains of Justice” will still grace our bar as a reminder of our fight against eminent domain abuse and the power of the community bond. The video art of Donald O’Finn will still be prominently featured. The decor is unique and vibrant, a mixture of old and new, antique Hollywood Regency chandeliers, steam punk accents, vintage wallpaper as well as handmade erotic wall-paper and permanent art installations from local art stars like Nancy Drew and Steve Pauley. The stamp of co-owner/artist Donald O’Finn is evident almost everywhere you look, from the fish tank sunk into a wall with giant albino frogs to the barn wood wall constructions and oversized gothic frame mounted to a flatscreen TV.

The entire bar has been created almost exclusively out of re-cycled, found or hand made objects, with next to nothing being purchased “New,” Thus we are “Green.” We have been built by the community, thus we are for the community.  The creation of this bar is owed to the hard work of the new owners (all previous staff members), and especially to the generous efforts of other staff members and many a bar regular, who all pitched in with innumerable hours of contribution. Owned by staff and built by regulars – the old guard is out and the new guard is in, the inmates now run the asylum.

The new Freddy’s is located on 5^th Ave between 17^th and 18^th Street in the South Slope. It is one block from the Prospect stop on the R train, and 8 blocks from the 4^th Ave and 9^th Street stop on multiple trains.

LES SANS CULOTTES: “The seven-headed beast from the hardscrabble streets of Menilontant,” Brooklyn-based francophonic rockers, LES SANS CULOTTES, made their US debut at Freddy’s Bar back when Freddy’s was the preeminent domain of a pre-eminent domain Prospect Heights.

The band has had its songs featured in HBO television programs “Entourage” and “Cat House” and in ads for Hewlett Packard and the new Google Nexus android phone. They have played throughout the US, Canada and France and are known for high-energy, take- no-prisoners live performances. The band has just completed work on their seventh recording, 2011′s “Pataphysical Graffiti.”
http://www.lessansculottes.com/

BRUTE FORCE: Apple Records recording artist, currently on “Come And Get It, The Best of Apple Records,” and Bar None/Sony, Confections of Love, teams up with Steve deSeve, drums, Andy Messina, bass, Jon Keay,  guitar and Daughter of Force, vocals…to perform The Best of Brute Force.
http://www.brutesforce.com/

THE MAGPIE: Moody and gritty old world roots music sourcing every corner of the globe for influence.

http://www.facebook.com/magpienyc

NANCY DREW: NY Artist Nancy Drew has created permanent installations of handmade flocked & glittered wallpaper, a Pollock-esque floor painting, Clyfford Still-esque painted silver walls, as well as an endless video loop “Bill – Drinking Cat.”

Bust Magazine said “Nancy Drew caused quite a stir with two NYC solo shows…masterpieces bursting with intriguing tactile surfaces and layered with sparkly girl power.”

“Painted in her trademark glitter and flocking on canvas, Nancy Drew’s painting embrace and amp up the notion of ‘retinal art’ by making it vibrate with familiar if unexpected associations.” – Christian Viveros Faune, Village Voice
http://www.nancydrewpaintings.com

STEVE PAULEY: Artist Steve Pauley has made a site-specific granite engraving specifically for Freddy’s. It is a re-construction of the original Freddy’s men’s room graffiti, faithfully carved into a wall-mounted 100-pound piece of black granite.

Holland Carter of The N.Y. Times calls Pauley’s granite engravings “striking and unorthodox.”
http://www.stevepauley.net/

LISANNE McTERNAN: Local artist and editor of the popular blog Found In Brooklyn, Lisanne McTernan designed and collaged 2 bathroom doors with cult and camp media imagery for the new Fred’s. Her work can currently be seen at Proteus Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY.
http://www.foundinbrooklyn.com

DONALD O’FINN: Donald O’Finn’s cult art videos are the product of re-purposing and re-contextualizing appropriated media samples. They have been shown nationally and internationally and most recently enjoyed a solo exhibition in Berlin Germany.

“Donald O’Finn’s feverishly edited encyclopedically strange video collages…” Village Voice – Best Of 2001 – 2008

“The most tripped out and intelligent re-cuts of movie clips, commercials and various other resources you can imagine.” OpenAchedemic.org

http://www.donaldofinn.com/

Thank you,
Freddy’s Bar

The new owners:
Matt Kuhn
Matt Kimmett
Donald O’Finn

The inmates now run the asylum — three cheers for Donald O’Finn, Matt Kuhn, and Matthew Kimmet, partners and owners of the new Freddy’s Bar! After months of toil we are proud to announce that Freddy’s Bar has just signed a lease on Thursday, October 21st, 2010.

Final approval from city, state and community agencies will determine our opening date, as well as the embrace of Community Board 7. We also have extensive re-modeling ahead to flavor the space with that familiar Freddy’s Bar decor, plastic shark, bobble heads, and all. We’ll still feature our popular videos, art exhibitions, live music and performances… opera night, stand-up comedy, knit night, to name a few… but there’s still more to come. As you enter the new Freddy’s Bar, the “Chains of Justice” will still grace our bar as a reminder of the power of the community bond.

We at Freddy’s Bar are genuinely excited about the future, and we look forward to opening our doors to old friends and new friends alike. As we dust the ashes of eminent domain from our sleeves, we thank all our faithfull partons, friends for their support as we forge a strong, new community relationship in this blossoming Brooklyn neighborhood.

There’s much work ahead before our doors open. Anyone who wishes to be involved or assist in these next few weeks please contact us.

Before the era of theme bars that looked like other bars, there was the neighborhood bar. A crazy idea that just seemed to work. This June Director Vicente Rodriguez Ortega presents “Freddy’s Bar & Backroom” his documentary film about Freddy’s Bar and it’s colorful patrons which has recieved much acclaim at the Madrid Film Festival. Check out the screening times below for schedule and locations.

Brooklyn Heights Cinema
70 Henry Street
Wednesday, June 9th @ 7:00 PM

IndieScreen
285 Kent Avenue
Friday, June 11th @ 6:00 PM

FREDDY’S : 2010 Documentary Film by Vicente Rodriguez Ortega @ Brooklyn Film Festival

Dear friends, loyal patrons, and talented contributers,

I thank you again for your continued support and warm words. As you know Freddy’s Bar and Backroom was forced to move from Dean Street due to that Death Star we know as Atlantic Yards. Will that Nets arena ever be built, prayer station and all? The more important question is “Where is the new Freddy’s Bar?” Paperwork, legal matters, et al, we actively seek a new location in the area and will soon announce our plan as we can confirm. Our plan allows us to keep our employees, serve our wonderful patrons, give talented performers a place that they can call home… and of course sustain and grow our business. Check out our website for news and more.

The Chains of Justice have served their purpose to raise awareness of New York city and state’s shameful corruption. It’s been like watching someone getting robbed in broad daylight, but not being allowed to stop it. We stand vehemently against this legalized crime called “eminent domain abuse.” Our lives in Brooklyn had been made a living hell for the past 7 years, solely by this manner of corruption. With a doubtful eye that the Net’s arena and affordable housing units will ever be built as purported, all parties that have benefited from this eminent domain abuse and misuse of public funds for personal gain should be held accountable. Forever we shall hold their feet to the fire they’ve created. The lesson we have learned should never be forgotten.

We are Freddy’s, the little guy with a home-grown Brooklyn business. In our fight against legalized corruption and closed-door cronyism we feel we have dealt a blow to billionaire Ratner’s abuse of eminent domain. Among current reported news, Forest City Ratner partner Prokhorov’s business dealings in Zimbabwe continue to flout US sanction laws, and now Ratner claims that the arean was just a civc deal. But which corporate monster is civilized? If not justice, karma will be dealt like a hellish boomerang.

Freddy’s Bar has been the culmination of everything I am and everything I’ve ever wanted this bar to be. I could not be any more proud of our widely creative community. Freddy’s is not an address it is a superb idea.

Sincerely,
Parterns Donald O’Finn and Matt Khun, and all of Freddy’s staff

“They are tearing down Freddy’s Bar”