The Direct from NYC performance series began in the Fall of 2003 with the goal of presenting an ecclectic roster of performers from New York City's vibrant downtown performance scene. Featured performers have included Karen Finley, Marga Gomez, Murray Hill, Mike Albo and Julie Atlas Muz. For a complete listing of past shows click here.

The series is curated by EARL DAX (pictured right) an artist and activist recently relocated to the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. The series was an outgrowth of Earl's years of frequenting alternative performance spaces such as Fez, PS.122, La Mama Etc as well as club nights with outlandish performances like Jackie 60, Squeezebox and FOXY.

The series began at the Five Spot - one of the few cabaret spaces in the Philadelphia. Since then shows have been presented in conjunction with the Cabaret at L'etage, Bar Noir, and the Trocadero - an old burlesque theater in Chinatown that is home to larger scale productions.