Photo via Bowery Boogie

​We were not the only ones to grumble about the Annex, whose off-brand booking practices and sullen bouncers never quite coalesced into a place in which you might actually want to spend any time. But at least it was a venue, that booked bands on occasion. As opposed to what it is now: The Doghouse Saloon, elegantly summed here by Bowery Boogie:

Proclaiming themselves "drinking consultants," this new frat-hole replacement allegedly has ten TVs, free hot dogs until 4 am, and holds regular beer pong tournaments. And of course, lest we forget, the monthly "Bikini Beach Party."

The logo for the new spot is pretty immortal too:

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​The Annex, the Lower East Side club whose attempts over the years to become a covert den of iniquity--cigarettes! afterparties! cross doorpeople!--never quite took off, may be closing in September, according to today's completely non-verified internet rumor du jour. Brooklyn Vegan is tentatively asking the question. We've heard the rumor elsewhere as well, and can't help but note that the venue's calender is conspicuously bare in both August and September. We reached out for the club for clarification, but have yet to hear back. Should the Annex close, it's unclear who will mourn--the venue's booking was irregular and by multiple accounts, not infrequently larcenous. Anyway, developing...