Located in a building full of artist studios and literally steps away from the Chauncey J stop is The Tiny Cupboard, a new experimental events space in South Bushwick. Done up in all-white everything, the space is ready for anything, and the co-creators, Matt Rosenblum and Amy Wong, are very busy doing just that.
Some of the currently scheduled events are a “no-small-talk” speed-dating night, listening parties for anything from Frank Ocean to pop-punk, a one-woman immersive theater show, an escape room, a haunted house, and a Carly Rae Jepsen dance party. The Tiny Cupboard has big plans for its small space.
“Attendees have described it as a fresh DIY space throwback to the ‘80s and ‘90s NYC punk scene,” Matt Roseblum says. When asked about why they chose Bushwick as their location, Matt pointed out the proximity to where they lived played a big role, “We originally were looking for a live and work space to do events from, but then we found a commercial art studio that was a two minute walk down the block.” With an event every night of last week and the two of them being the sole operators of the space, it made sense to keep their commute as short as possible.
Both tired of being a part of the never ending cycle of digital content creation they organized The Tiny Cupboard as a space for physical community and experiences in real life instead of virtual presence.
“We found that people don’t want more social media content, they want to meet people and experience things in real life,” says Rosenblum. “Our aim is to bring people together, get them to experience new things, and build our brands while doing so.”
Rosenblum is an entrepreneur and founder of Advanced Life Coach Marketing, a business which focuses on taking on the marketing services for life coaches, and Wong is both a nail artist on Instagram and the owner of the new retail brand, Off-Norm.
With that kind of resume behind them, it’s possible to mistake The Tiny Cupboard as a personal grab for the audience at the center of Bushwick’s cool-kid hipsterdom, but both Rosenblum and Wong are humble, warm, and friendly. While attending a listening party focused on pop-punk and emo, which are two genres about as far from hipsterdom as possible, it was easy to see how the two of them are trying to turn The Tiny Cupboard into a resource for local creators and artists.
Working to cover their space with art from local creators, they are currently working with Alberto Paez, who works down the street at Little Skips East. Their excitement about the experimental possibilities for their small space was audible, too. When they discovered a previously unknown hatch on their roof with access to a lower hallway, Wong was already imagining the ways it could be used for a haunted house or immersive theater experience. When their open roof access is taken into account, The Tiny Cupboard has a broad range of possibilities for theater shows, parties, and other events.
As far as the pop-punk listening party went, it was a blast. I have not thought about the bands Yellowcard or Good Charlotte in many years, and it turns out there is no better place to get reacquainted with them than on a rooftop at sunset with a group of strangers who quickly became friends.
Images courtesy of author.
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