Luna Lounge was a bar and music club located at 171 Ludlow Street on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Opened in 1995 by Dianne Galliano and Robert Sacher, it was a popular venue for local bands and stand-up comics[1] (the rock band Interpol played there early on and last returned in 2003 to perform a secret show under the name "Cuddleworthy"). Luna Lounge is notable as the place where Elliott Smith wrote the songs for his first major label release, XO.[2]
A much-loved foosball table was located by the entrance; a game cost $1 in quarters.
Luna Lounge was forced to close when its landlord sold the small building to a buyer who planned to demolish it and build a larger development site.[3] The bar closed its doors for the last time at its original location on the morning of June 12, 2005 and the building was torn down on July 26 and 27 of that year.[1]
Luna Lounge co-creator and co-owner Sacher later wrote an autobiography, Wake Me When It's Over, which mainly focused on Luna Lounge and its historic and cultural significance within the music scene in New York. The book was published by Selena Press on March 1, 2012.[6]