If you’ve ever been to New York and craved the elegance of a dark, intimate, transportive bar that’s intrinsically sexy, then you’ve probably been to Death & Co in New York City’s East Village
YET as COVID-19 changes the way we live our lives, you probably wish you could sidle up to that bar right now and indulge in the simple joy of ordering an Oaxaca Old Fashioned or their Pisco based Sweet Revenge.
After all, bars like Death & Co has always been a refuge in its own right, a place that makes you feel united with those around you and ultimately safe, so that the rest of the world, and its problems, no longer exist.
Their musical choices, like their clientele, are diverse and are not locked into any specific time or place. Or as head bartender, Shannon Tebay puts it, “no one feels the same on a Monday at 6:00 pm as they do on Saturday at 1:00 am, and the music is a reflection of that.
“Going to a bar or restaurant is an immersive experience,” she continued. “The music is just as important as any other design element. Everything you taste, see, touch, smell, and in this case, hear, come together to create the holistic experience. Music choice is as important as the quality of the cocktail in your hand.”
While the list below is pretty eclectic, Tebay assures us it is a fairly accurate cross-section of the typical music choices at Death & Co. “On any given night, it won’t be uncommon for us to go from jazz to disco to rock to hip hop to metal. It’s all about reading the room,” she said.
Tebay explains that at Death & Co, they believe that music should be an adaptive tool in their bars setting, where they select the music that fits the mood of the room. “At Death & Co we’re entrusted to pick whatever music we want. It’s a privilege.”
“No night is the same, and therefore no playlist needs to be the same,” she continued. “We use the music to enhance the atmosphere that’s already created by the energy from our guests. Each one informs the other.
