‘Folk pharmacy’ in tune on Thompson
BY JANE HEIL USYK
Does your pharmacy offer a medicine
show? Mine does. It’s an amazing ongoing
event: concerts two or three Tuesdays
a month inside the pharmacy.
We are talking here about Thompson Alchemists,
at 132 Thompson St. between Houston and Prince
Sts., not some wayward CVS or Duane Reade. (“Alchemists”
makes reference to the old and honored
practice of concocting remedies.)
Gary Alony, who owns Thompson Alchemists
and is the pharmacist, has only one drugstore, and
this is it. His wife Jolie runs the front of the pharmacy;
that is, everything except the prescription
drugs.
The neighbors like that it is small and very much
a part of the community, that Gary is an excellent
pharmacist who always has time to answer drugrelated
and wellness questions, and that, upon
request, he might mention alternative solutions to
your problems, if there are any.
Seventy-fi ve or a hundred years ago, well before
the chain stores, you could confi de in your local
pharmacist, and he might come up with solutions
for your problems; Gary and Thompson Alchemists
hark back to that time, when the pharmacist
was a fi rst line of defense for your continuing good
health.
Gary provides not only a personal relationship
and advice; he also makes a space for a bluegrass,
country and popular music concert several times a
month, with outstanding local musicians.
On concert nights — every second, fourth and
fi fth Tuesday of the month — he moves the benches
and chairs to one side of the store. He clears out the
other side, between the high-end creams and the
socks. That’s where Sheriff Bob and Deputy Kat,
plus about fi ve other musicians, set up. They drift
in at about 6:45 p.m., Captain Bob on guitar and
vocals, Matt Quinones on bass, Michael Donovan
on violin, occasionally Trip Henderson on harmonica,
Jeffrey Rowland on mandolin. Phyllis Elkind
and Emma Turoff sometimes appear on guitar and
mandolin, respectively.
Sheriff Bob a.k.a. Bob Saidenberg organized the
group and brings them together. He plays the Dobro,
which is a kind of resonator slide guitar. Bob is
a lifelong Manhattanite who grew up in the Village,
went to Friends Seminary on 16th St. and MIT. The
Deputy, Kathryn Minogue, a former archeologist,
plays guitar and sings.
One of her infl uences is Loretta Lynn. She is also
a songwriter, and wrote the show’s theme song,
“Thompson Street Medicine Show”:
Give me one shot of the Sheriff,
One dose of the Deputy,
Pass that bottle ’round and ’round
Good times for you and me.
At the Thompson Street Medicine Show.
The audience sits quietly, enjoying the music. Occasionally,
someone dances.
The concerts began as a 25th anniversary celebration,
in October 2017, of Gary and Jolie’s marriage;
that one was so much fun, they kept on going.
Playing in October at Thompson Alchemists, in festive attire, the musicians were led by The
Sheriff (Bob Saidenberg), center, and The Deputy (K erg),De at Minogue), right.
An “Italian Elvis” from Bologna recently
blew in and joined the pharma-jam.
Headgear is important; each musician has several
hats, ranging in goofi ness from serious to off
the rails, as with Sheriff Bob’s Tibetan hat, which
he wears, very purposefully, kind of cockeyed.
Sheriff Bob also leads a “Goodtime Jam” at
the Zinc Bar on W. Third St. one Wednesday a
month. Another name he uses is “The Sheriff of
Goodtimes.” A fi lm was made about him last year.
He lives on Thompson St. just north of the pharmacy,
where he has a very busy recording and rehearsal
studio. He goes back to the ’50s and calls
Pete Seeger his fi rst important infl uence. Pete came
to his school and performed, and that inspired Bob
to become a folk singer.
Their songs on a recent Tuesday included, “Pick
Me Up On Your Way Down,” “Nadine,” “Someday
You’ll Call My Name,” “Cryin’ Time,” “Hey, Good
Lookin.’” The musicians have a huge and varied
repertoire. The musicianship and arrangements are
fast-moving and upbeat.
On a recent cold Tuesday, Jolie offered hot
PHOTOS BY TEQUILA MINSKY
chocolate and black-and-white cookies to the audience.
Another Tuesday, herbal people from Vermont
came to the pharmacy and gave out free samples of
mushroom chai tea and a balm of some kind.
One guest musician was an Italian Elvis type,
with precise and accurate versions of Elvis’s gestures,
voice, guitar playing and presentation. He
was uncanny. But he had to go back to Bologna. He
can be seen on one or two of the many videos of
the show on YouTube; search for “Thompson Street
Medicine Show.”
The store is fi lled with various ever-changing
artistic touches: strange silver folk, possibly left
from a previous window display; a golden fi gure
that seems to be an old-time alchemist; charming
representations of Jolie and Gary, the work of Soho
artists who are customers. The windows are always
interesting, combining imaginative artistry with
the drugs and lotions.
Until a few years ago, Edd Fenner, a local artist
and friend, did the windows in a very fantastical
manner, with colorful production numbers
and sweeping themes. He died, and the windows
went back to being just original and interesting,
with several personal items in them, like photos
and articles along with the drugstore items. The
windows have two themes: feeling better and country
music.
There is an old Life magazine cover with Johnny
Cash on it in the window right now.
For the very few small pharmacies left, personal
communication and advice still create a bond between
pharmacist and customer, and that provides
a space for improved health and well-being. That
it’s also a space for beautiful music is an extraspecial
benefi t. This is something only places like
Thompson Alchemists can provide, and we are
richer for it.
The writer would like to thank Frances Illuzzi
and Michael Usyk, who helped with this article.
22 March 7, 2019 TVG Schneps Media