Ah, Sunny’s

I already told the Sunny’s story here, but in brief: The 100-plus-year-old dive bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn is my favorite place in the world, largely because of the magical Saturday night jam it hosts; however, it’s been officially closed ever since it was devastated by Hurricane Sandy (though the jam was still going for awhile under the radar) .

Well, I have good news to report: After several rounds of fundraising, Sunny’s was able to collect enough money to repair the damage from Sandy. The bar was closed for almost a year (and hadn’t hosted a jam in nearly two months), but it officially reopens on Thursday, with a barbeque and a live band. Happily, the reopening party coincides with owner Sunny Balzano’s 79th birthday.

The refurbished (still shabby chic) interior

Unofficially, Sunny’s had a soft opening this past weekend. On Friday night, John Pinamonti performed, and on Saturday night, Sunny’s once again hosted the Saturday night jam. The inside was clean, but still lovingly worn, and the walls were decorated with large paintings done by the eponymous Sunny. It was a little less crowded than usual (the bar tried to keep attendance down, since they’re still working out some kinks in the slightly updated setup), but there were still about a dozen musicians jamming deep into the night. The music was still going when I left, with a huge smile on my face, at 3 a.m.

The jam is back

So, Sunny’s is back. Now, if you’re looking for me on a Saturday night, you’ll know where to find me.