Ochi's Lounge is No More; Also: What's up with Comix?

It was announced today without warning that Ochi's Lounge has been closed. Kambri Crews wrote on Facebook:

After three years of fighting to keep it open, free and cheap, it is with great sadness that I report that Ochi's was officially closed. I want to thank each of you for giving that room so much charm and community.

The joy I felt in that room was never short of stupendous. I’m sure gonna miss it. Special thanks to Mr. John Morrison for the loan of the lighting system for over two years! His generosity and support is mind boggling.

Your commitment to comedy is inspiring, and I look forward to seeing you all move on to bigger and brighter things. I'll be seeing your faces around. I can't wait to have some laughs with you outside of that club.

Best, Kambri Crews

It's unfortunate that another nice space in Manhattan has been put out to the pasture, especially one that was so welcoming for noobs and pros alike. Performers lined up on FB to eulogize.

CC Insider's Gonzalo Cordova wept:

Oh, man, that really bums me out. I've spent countless hours in that space waiting to go up. I'm really glad I went to the mic there on Wednesday and got to perform there one last time.

Mike Lawrence added a rose to the casket:

Also I think a special mention has to go to Sean Donnely for doing such a great job of running a show and a mic there. I'd say Kambri, King, and Donnely are the holy trinity of that place.

Ochi's, which was created using stem cells from the miscarriage that was Mo Pitkins, made good use of Comix's otherwise untapped downstairs area, so why not keep the dream alive, why not lure more audiences with more shows and more comedians with more opportunites?  Show producers there were notified as late as this past Wednesday about the cancellation of all future performances and a group of ominous sounding "new investors" was cited as the reason for the sudden course of action. This doesn't seem to bode well for the venue.

QUESTIONS!

• Who saw this coming??

• What do these new investors want from us??

• Do they plan on turning Comix into a 300-seat Muscle Maker Grill??

• Is the Manhattan alt-stand up scene in shambles??