Capitale Review

February 27, 2003 Few things in life are as glorious as a profoundly botched press event. So it was with wings on our feet and malice in our heart that we headed south yesterday eve to Grand Street and Bowery, home of the former Bowery Savings Bank and now hotspot du moment Capitale. The event: a press gig titled D.C. After Dark. The idea was to promote nightlife in Washington, D.C. by hosting an event on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (don't ask). As a draw, they'd bused in Thievery Corporation to DJ an "exclusive set." That this whole event was held the self-same day Capitale's owner, David Marvisi, hit the front cover of the Village Voice in a fantastic takedown article, was just one of many beautiful subtleties we noted. Yes, the Thievery boys were there, looking like they wanted to light themselves on fire. And in a lucky bonus (credit SA), we scored a tour of the entire premises. Conclusion: MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT HERE. Big moolah. And it's beautiful -- dance areas, private dining rooms, bank vaults cum wine cellars (see pics) -- all carefully done to avoid altering Stanford White's historically protected 1893 design. And yet... something isn't right. We can't just put our finger on it. We'll need to return, but so far, Capitale has only been accessible for private parties ("We're doing ten a month," our source claimed). In any case, we love the smell of apocalypse in the morning -- and at Capitale, it hangs in the air even deep into the night.