View Full Version : Your least/most favorite Venues to play.
squealie
07-28-2005, 09:15 AM
How 'bout we share our knowledge of great and/or horrible places that we have played? Do great rock clubs still exist? Did you accidently play a Polka bar? That sort of thing.
I'll start...
I guess my all time favorite club to play is La Vela in Panama City FL. Great pay, rockin club, no Saturday load-out, and hot wimmens as far as the eye can see.
Watchoo got?
I like places where there's a house PA, of course. Humphrey's Backstage Lounge in San Diego is a high profile place my band plays once a month.
In Solana Beach there's a bar called the Surf n Saddle where the hot girls like to come and dance once the booze and blow kick in. ( Ahhh, youth!)
I dislike any bar I play where it's obvious I'm just there for the money, but a guys gotta make a living.
:cool:
machinegun78_2
07-28-2005, 09:53 AM
I liked the Emerald Theater in Mt. Clemens. Kid Rock plays there alot. BIG stage. the next would be the good ol' Token Lounge in Livonia. not a verry big stage, but they get nationals in there all the time, and the crowd is always good. and of course, there's NOTHING like our favorite neiborhood dive....The Double "OO" Pub in Redford. they don't even have a STAGE....just some floor in front of all the tables. talk about intimate.
:cool:
THX1138
07-28-2005, 09:54 AM
Agree 100% on La Vela.
Been tryin to come up with a least favorite, but I always seem to find some redeeming quality, even in the shittiest of places.
So while not quite as general as least favorite venue, I submit this slightly more specific scenario... Sunday night at Planet Rock in Jacksonville, NC.
Low turnout, nobody is in a party mood, and the only thing to look forward to after three painfull hour long sets is a craplicous full load-out. And this after being a full on Rockstar for the two previous nights.
THX1138
07-28-2005, 10:05 AM
Wait a minute... check that...
If I'm going specific, I gotta change that to Sunday night at La Vela.
For everything it is Monday through Saturday, it is the absolute butthole of live rock on Sunday. Lowest turnout ever, three mega-painful sets to trudge through, shittiest load-out in the history of man, and we've had 6 previous nights of tip-top rock stardom complete with bras onstage... But on Sunday, all the hot Atlanta quality stripper babes have all gone back home to their farm boys in Iowa.
squealie
07-28-2005, 10:21 AM
Originally posted by machinegun78_2
I liked the Emerald Theater in Mt. Clemens. Kid Rock plays there alot. BIG stage. the next would be the good ol' Token Lounge in Livonia. not a verry big stage, but they get nationals in there all the time, and the crowd is always good. and of course, there's NOTHING like our favorite neiborhood dive....The Double "OO" Pub in Redford. they don't even have a STAGE....just some floor in front of all the tables. talk about intimate.
:cool:
Wow, it looks like your neck of the woods has a great rock scene going. That's nice to see.
xonetruedesirex
07-28-2005, 10:23 AM
Best: Cup-A-Joe, it's a tiny coffeshop with a tiny room attached for live music. Ridiculously hot, but a good number of kids come out, and it's a fun room to play.
other good venues: Turning Point, The Post, Anchor Community Church.
Worst: My House, Van Buren, IN, worst town ever, worst venue ever, and we played with the absolute worst band ever the one and only time we will ever play there. it's bad when the best thing a band does is a bad cover of a Drowning Pool song.
other bad venues: nothing even comes close to this place.
Electric_Porpoise
07-28-2005, 11:00 AM
Oh, my favourite to play in is definately Madison Square Garden. Those New Yorkers are great! If I have to, I'll settle for Carnegie Hall, it kinda sucks. Same with the Sydney Opera house.
I wish....
I play at a dive bar. It's fun.
60hurts
07-28-2005, 12:12 PM
Originally posted by Electric_Porpoise
Oh, my favourite to play in is definately Madison Square Garden. Those New Yorkers are great!
That's my LEAST favorite place to play! The sound is terrible when you only have 20 people in the audience!
fastplant
07-28-2005, 12:44 PM
Right on with LaVela. We used to hang out there in college.
Best place I'd say either Toad's Place in New Haven, CT www.toadsplace.com and Tuxedo Junction in Danbury, CT www.tuxedojunction.net Both awesome stages.
Worst: Club Parris in Boston, MA. Worst load in/out in existence. If anyone has ever been to Faneuil Hall in Boston, imagine loading your gear, trip after trip, all the way through the mass of people from one end to the other (about a 1/4 mile), every 2 seconds asking someone to move aside. I won't even touch on the club itself.
shredhead666
07-28-2005, 01:23 PM
Most favorite for me so far is the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. Apparently some big name acts go through there on occasion.
www.40watt.com
Although the management there completely sucks scrotum now, it's a great venue.
hammer744
07-28-2005, 02:14 PM
This is the worst we've played at - stuffed in a corner behind the pool table. Small bar, sounded horrible, weather sucked that night....
http://www.decadesrock.com/images/ShoelessJoes-April-2-2005/decades%20005.jpg
fastplant
07-28-2005, 02:23 PM
Originally posted by hammer744
This is the worst we've played at - stuffed in a corner behind the pool table. Small bar, sounded horrible, weather sucked that night....
Awesome, that's one of those places where you wonder why they even have bands.
TheMan
07-28-2005, 02:50 PM
Though the last time I played there was in about 1987, I concur about La Vela.
The late, great Yesterday's in Chattanooga was the greatest live music bar of all time, in spite of lousy loads and a somewhat awkward stage. The crowds in that town were simply spectacular, and they came to party.
The Lifetime Acheivement for Misery in a Shithole Venue goes to Thunder's Tavern in Pascagoula, MS (it had to be Mississippi, right?) Tuesday-Sunday, 9pm-2am Tu-Th and Sun., 9pm-4am Fri. and Sat. The owner dictated and enforced set times with Gestapo-esque security who treated the band worse than the clientele, which consisted almost entirely of toothless women and violent, pukin'-drunk rednecks and boot-camp military out to let off steam. I caught the flu there and played 3 nights with a fever in excess of 102, throwing up in a bucket beside the stage during most every interminable set. Cancelling was simply not an option. The 300 lb. owner, Thunder, made sure every band heard his favorite tale, which involved beating the shit out of Elvin Bishop for smoking pot in his parking lot.
Ever since, when hurricanes pop up in the gulf and head for Pascagoula, I pull for the fuckin' storm.
THX1138
07-28-2005, 03:03 PM
Originally posted by TheMan
The late, great Yesterday's in Chattanooga was the greatest live music bar of all time, in spite of lousy loads and a somewhat awkward stage. The crowds in that town were simply spectacular, and they came to party.
Whoa.... freakin small world. We played Yesterdays as well. Damn fun place. And yes it was an odd stage... I lined up next to the drummer, then our singer on my other side, then the lead guitarist next to him... Poor lead guitarist could hardly hear the drummer cause he was at the other end.
TheMan
07-28-2005, 03:44 PM
Originally posted by THX1138
Whoa.... freakin small world. We played Yesterdays as well. Damn fun place. And yes it was an odd stage... I lined up next to the drummer, then our singer on my other side, then the lead guitarist next to him... Poor lead guitarist could hardly hear the drummer cause he was at the other end.
Yep, only way to do it. We carried a drum riser at the time, so we put it at the end of the stage nearest the door and lined up from there.
When I first started playing there in 1984 it was even worse - they had a strange canopy/awning sort of thing over the stage which made lighting a distinct challenge.
Btw, your website is extremely cool. Good luck to ya's.
LateGreats
07-28-2005, 04:12 PM
Originally posted by fastplant
Awesome, that's one of those places where you wonder why they even have bands.
I hate when they put you in spots by the pool tables or the dart boards because then bar patrons get all pissed at you because they can't play. One time, a band I was in was set up by so the playing area was also the dart area. Two drunks came up to try to get a game in while we were playing. I grabbed the darts off the board, and they still belong to me.
hammer744
07-28-2005, 04:43 PM
Originally posted by LateGreats
I hate when they put you in spots by the pool tables or the dart boards because then bar patrons get all pissed at you because they can't play. One time, a band I was in was set up by so the playing area was also the dart area. Two drunks came up to try to get a game in while we were playing. I grabbed the darts off the board, and they still belong to me.
I've got one of those as well - just waiting for the pictures to come in - there were 3 dartboards - one behind me, one behind the drummer and one behind the guitarist - must have looked funny from the bar.
That was actually a good night, though.
rebonn
07-29-2005, 09:33 AM
The worse place was the Jockey Pub in Davie Fl.
Nothing but low life's, druggies and drunk Indians from the reservation constantly fighting and half the time it was with the band.
The best place is probably The House of Blues / Tabernakle in Atlanta. Huge stage, crowd, sound and backstage area.
DV-US
07-29-2005, 10:21 AM
The best place to play has to be The Machine Shop in Flint MI. Kevin and Craig who run the place are the best!! They have lots of national acts and we've opened for a few of them including Jackyll and Silvertide.By the way i'm Mark from the band FLINTDRIVE and play guitar lead & rhymth in a twin guitar hard rock all original act
squealie
07-29-2005, 10:53 AM
Originally posted by DV-US
The best place to play has to be The Machine Shop in Flint MI. Kevin and Craig who run the place are the best!! They have lots of national acts and we've opened for a few of them including Jackyll and Silvertide.By the way i'm Mark from the band FLINTDRIVE and play guitar lead & rhymth in a twin guitar hard rock all original act
Does your band have a website?
That club looks like a great rock venue.
The last time I played in Flint, some sackless-assbastards broke into our van....WHILE WE WERE ON STAGE!
:mad:
machinegun78_2
07-29-2005, 12:54 PM
Originally posted by squealie
Does your band have a website?
That club looks like a great rock venue.
The last time I played in Flint, some sackless-assbastards broke into our van....WHILE WE WERE ON STAGE!
:mad:
I forgot about that joint....I played there in 2003 with this hip hop band I toured with. long story...maybe I'll get into it later. but it was a really cool place. not too big, and not too small. and the sound guy there is the SHIT!
:cool:
Singin' Dave
07-29-2005, 01:31 PM
No shortage of great live music venues in Chicago.... Schuba's, Joe's (on Weed St.), Cubby Bear, Empty Bottle, The Abbey, Double Door, and Martyrs' are probably tops for booking local & national talent on great stages with kickin' pro sounds systems and solid sound guys... I've played at the first three....
Played tons of dives too....
whiteroom
07-29-2005, 02:10 PM
Fav-o-rite:
Anywhere there's a "NASCAR" hood, there will be much beer consumption and a "classic rock type of crowd". (which is good)
Least Fav-o-rite:
Anywhere there is a pool table... A fight could break out any minute. (which is bad)
shredhead666
07-29-2005, 02:32 PM
Originally posted by hammer744
This is the worst we've played at - stuffed in a corner behind the pool table. Small bar, sounded horrible, weather sucked that night....
You should have jumped ON the pool tables and played there! That's what we would've done at least.
What are you worried that they wouldn't ask you back? ;) ;) ;) :D
DV-US
07-29-2005, 04:00 PM
Yeah our website is www.flintdrive.com and the machine shops is http://themachineshop.info/ Also were looking for a bass player! So any available bass players into original hard rock music mail me at dtm16@peoplepc.com
riffdaddy
07-30-2005, 12:06 AM
My favorite place to play is a little out-of-the-way club called The Vintage that primarily caters to a thirtysomething black audience. The place has no real functional air conditioning, low ceilings, and no stage (we set up in the corner of the dance floor). It's sort of a dive, but the audience is majorly appreciative. They usually know the more obscure tunes we pick, and they pay close attention to everything we play. I can't leave that club without recieving at least a dozen hugs and offers from guys twice my age to carry my stuff to my car. It's like being a rock star without the coke and strippers. :D
Plus, the fried okra is delish!
THB_bassman
07-30-2005, 04:17 AM
hmmm, we were just talking about this......
least favorite - a little shit-hole called Molly Malones, in north San Diego county.
Weird, diverse crowds, nice sound system but nobody who knows how to work it. We use it as a paid rehearsal.
Pretty much sucks in every way.
Originally posted by THB_bassman
hmmm, we were just talking about this......
least favorite - a little shit-hole called Molly Malones, in north San Diego county.
Weird, diverse crowds, nice sound system but nobody who knows how to work it. We use it as a paid rehearsal.
Pretty much sucks in every way.
Boy howdy, last night sure sucked there, eh?
:(
Sucked, I tell ya.
Sucked.
:(
THB_bassman
07-30-2005, 10:07 AM
Aww, am I whining again?
OK it just sucks a little.
:)
Originally posted by THB_bassman
Aww, am I whining again?
OK it just sucks a little.
:)
No, yer right.
Suckssuckssuckssuckssuckssucks.
Sucks is as sucks does.
"Hey, your club sucks!"
"Wow, if this your bar? It sucks!"
"Those your sound guys? They suck!"
:cool:
Get it? Good!
How's the head today, Mikey?
:)
THB_bassman
07-30-2005, 10:12 AM
I would say it sucks, but people would get the wrong idea.
Thanks for asking, bro.
:cool:
Originally posted by THB_bassman
I would say it sucks, but people would get the wrong idea.
Thanks for asking, bro.
:cool:
Bummer, dude. Can I help?
:(
THB_bassman
07-30-2005, 10:32 AM
Hang on....
*digs for vicadin pills - eats two*
Hey I'll be better in no time!
Thanks!:D
Originally posted by THB_bassman
Hang on....
*digs for vicadin pills - eats two*
Hey I'll be better in no time!
Thanks!:D
* Tallies a "score" for Mikey *
Better living through chemistry!
;)
Gotta run, bro. See new post.
:)
fastplant
07-30-2005, 05:02 PM
Another one, since no one's mentioned it:
CBGBs in NYC. Not the best stage, not the best sound sytem, but dammit, people there love music. And that's always appreciated.
DV-US
08-24-2009, 08:46 PM
Best place to play in Michigan has to be "The Machine Shop" in Flint MI.Kevin & Craig Zink are the coolest brothers in Rock & Roll.They treat you with respect,and cant forget The Sound Nazi "John Tanner" running sound.We always get a killer mix."New York New York" in Chesterfield MI is another cool place to play.Large stage good sound system,and they even have a curtain now.To cool. :thu:
mnash
08-25-2009, 02:13 PM
The Train Wreck in Burlington, WA. Ain't that a great name for a juke joint? Right next the to the tracks, the windows rattle and the glasses jiggle whenever the train goes by. Funky wedge-shaped building, we play at the narrow end, right on the floor 2' from the dancers, great sound, great food, great crowd. Don't know if it's my all-time favorite, but it's been good to us lately. We'll be there this weekend, in fact.
THX1138
08-25-2009, 02:18 PM
Whoa... Holy Thread Necromancy Batman!
Lee Knight
08-25-2009, 03:03 PM
I like places where there's a house PA, of course. Humphrey's Backstage Lounge in San Diego is a high profile place my band plays once a month.
In Solana Beach there's a bar called the Surf n Saddle where the hot girls like to come and dance once the booze and blow kick in. ( Ahhh, youth!)
I dislike any bar I play where it's obvious I'm just there for the money, but a guys gotta make a living.
:cool:
I've played Humphrey's a few times. I love the high profile aspect but... I hate the hollow stage. As a bass player, my bass goes oooooooooo. :)
I live about 2 miles from the Surf and Saddle. Ever play The Kraken? The unholy dive that is, it can be one of the funnest places to light a beer drinkin' crowd on fire.
The Belly Up! It's been years but I used to play there weekly in the 80's. Now there's a nice solid stage. Great sound system, great bands to open for... nice big open plan where music is the focus. I still love that place. And a recording studio in the back room. Or maybe not anymore?
Scott Powell
08-25-2009, 06:30 PM
The @tmosphere club in Loganville is my favourite place to play.Great stage, hanging PA, ( no schelping the PA or monitors in) a crowd that loves music and a great staff.
I dont really have a least favourite place, i dig everywhere we play
wheresgrant3
08-25-2009, 07:12 PM
I've played rooms in Rhode Island, CT, Boston, Long Island, NY, NJ and NYC... the award goes to "The Bayou Cafe' (http://www.bayoucafe.com/) in downtown Albany, NY. About 2 hrs north of us. Hands down the best room I've played in the Northeast.
It's not just because it has the perfect height for the stage in proporation to the size of the room.
It's not just because we've been blessed with great lights and sound (when the owner is not behind the board).
It's not just because you load in right from the street to the stage (sliding glass doors), never having to navigate through crowds, lug gear over steps, or walk thru canvernous hallways to find the stage.
It's not just because the owner, despite his edgy mood swings, is a musician, a music lover and built the place with the musician in mind.
It's really because the crowds are like THIS (http://www.vimeo.com/6271531), nearly every time we play there.... People love this place.
zekmoe
08-26-2009, 05:51 AM
I've played rooms in Rhode Island, CT, Boston, Long Island, NY, NJ and NYC... the award goes to "The Bayou Cafe' (http://www.bayoucafe.com/) in downtown Albany, NY. About 2 hrs north of us. Hands down the best room I've played in the Northeast.
It's not just because it has the perfect height for the stage in proporation to the size of the room.
It's not just because we've been blessed with great lights and sound (when the owner is not behind the board).
It's not just because you load in right from the street to the stage (sliding glass doors), never having to navigate through crowds, lug gear over steps, or walk thru canvernous hallways to find the stage.
It's not just because the owner, despite his edgy mood swings, is a musician, a music lover and built the place with the musician in mind.
It's really because the crowds are like THIS (http://www.vimeo.com/6271531), nearly every time we play there.... People love this place.
The place is also somewhat of a nuisance, and a bastion of underage drinking and street fights from amped up college boyz. Not all good, but better to exist than not to.
wheresgrant3
08-26-2009, 06:30 AM
The place is also somewhat of a nuisance, and a bastion of underage drinking and street fights from amped up college boyz. Not all good, but better to exist than not to.
True... but couldn't the same be said about any other Pearl St. bar? The exception is probably McGeary's, where I've seen some good bands... but it's not a place I'd prefer to perform.
One of the things I like about the Bayou is they keep the interior relatively fight free, and there is a nice diversity of audience when we play there. Sure there's alot of college students, but there's also (depending on a Friday or Sat night) a nice selection of working professionals.
It's also one of the few rooms I've played where the audience is there 100% to see the band, and nothing else. The DJ is just filler in between sets. It's never a case where the band is competing with the DJ.
RupertB
08-26-2009, 06:42 AM
My all time favorites are gone... The Mad Monk & the IceHouse Beer Garden in Wilmington NC. Both were great places to play or see a band.
My current favorite is probably Mac's Tavern in Cary NC. Big outdoor patio to with a stage. Great staff & mgmt. The crowd is a good match for the material we play. Always a fun night. I love playing outside.
My least favorite? Hard to say. We don't play places we don't like. The last place we dumped was a bar in Apex NC. We were hit & miss with the people there & couldn't get through a night without some dumbshit going on.
The last time, some guy got his ass kicked, went to his truck and got his 9mm out. No shots & his buddies got him packed up before the cops arrived, but I'm not interested in being anywhere near that brand of stupid.
wheresgrant3
08-26-2009, 06:53 AM
My all time favorites are gone... The Mad Monk & the IceHouse Beer Garden in Wilmington NC. Both were great places to play or see a band.
My current favorite is probably Mac's Tavern in Cary NC. Big outdoor patio to with a stage. Great staff & mgmt. The crowd is a good match for the material we play. Always a fun night. I love playing outside.
My least favorite? Hard to say. We don't play places we don't like. The last place we dumped was a bar in Apex NC. We were hit & miss with the people there & couldn't get through a night without some dumbshit going on.
The last time, some guy got his ass kicked, went to his truck and got his 9mm out. No shots & his buddies got him packed up before the cops arrived, but I'm not interested in being anywhere near that brand of stupid.
Believe it or not I've heard of the Mad Monk all the way up here in NY? Unless I have that place confused with some other NC bar. Did national acts play there too? I remember seeing footage years ago from some touring band playing a place called the Mad Monk in NC and the footage looked awesome.
T. Alan Smith
08-26-2009, 07:35 AM
best venues- wineries/tasting rooms(they "get" us)
worst venues- ice cream socials (they do NOT "get" us)
RupertB
08-26-2009, 08:15 AM
Believe it or not I've heard of the Mad Monk all the way up here in NY? Unless I have that place confused with some other NC bar. Did national acts play there too? I remember seeing footage years ago from some touring band playing a place called the Mad Monk in NC and the footage looked awesome.
The Mad Monk was the place to play in Wilmington from ~1980 to 1992 when it burned down. They reopened a new Mad Monk a half-mile away but it only lasted a couple of years.
The old MM was one of those places that booked mostly mid-level touring bar bands, but occasionally got a "name" act and sometimes threw the local acts a bone. We played a few openers & eventually started doing our own nights there.
The better-known names I remember playing there were B.O.C., Mother's Finest, Pat Travers, Nazareth, The Cry of Love, Hootie, Marshall Tucker, Dave Matthews, Helix, Ricky Medlocke, the Romatics, Kix, Wendy O Williams, Drivin' & Cryin', etc.
wheresgrant3
08-26-2009, 08:23 AM
The Mad Monk was the place to play in Wilmington from ~1980 to 1992 when it burned down. They reopened a new Mad Monk a half-mile away but it only lasted a couple of years.
The old MM was one of those places that booked mostly mid-level touring bar bands, but occasionally got a "name" act and sometimes threw the local acts a bone. We played a few openers & eventually started doing our own nights there.
The better-known names I remember playing there were B.O.C., Mother's Finest, Pat Travers, Nazareth, The Cry of Love, Hootie, Marshall Tucker, Dave Matthews, Helix, Ricky Medlocke, the Romatics, Kix, Wendy O Williams, Drivin' & Cryin', etc.
Yup, that was the place! I can't remember the band... but it was video circa 1990. Looked like a great club.
RupertB
08-26-2009, 08:44 AM
Yup, that was the place! I can't remember the band... but it was video circa 1990. Looked like a great club.
It was a beautiful, beer-soaked, nasty, poorly ventilated, old-fashioned rock club. Pat Travers bitched all night about the inadequate air-conditioning. The lead singer for the Busboys wanted to know if he could get a Courvoisier :lol:. Somebody wrote "Audley Freed is God" on the dressing-room wall. I rocked out there while my Mom sat in the upper deck next to the guys from Kix, who were playing there the following night (very cool guys).
I miss that place.
WynnD
08-26-2009, 11:56 AM
There are a lot of dives on my good list. If the management is easy to work with and the crowd is fun, I'm pretty OK with it. These are all in the Denver metro area.
Zephyr Lounge
Sidekicks Saloon
Denver Turnverein (Now that they've invested in improved acoustics.)
Dislike list
Two Doors Down - bad acoustics and resulting smaller crowds.
Rock Star - management is unpredictable. (Probably doing drugs or booze. Don't really know, but the results are all over the place.)
germs
08-26-2009, 09:44 PM
Holy God, I was reading back over some of the older posts (from 2005!!) and had flashbacks to some of my old stomping grounds, namely La Vela and Thunder's...L O fucking L. Good to see some 3rd coast acts out on the boards!
If we're gonna talk about local venues...
Best: It's a tossup between Grant St. Dancehall, which is a legend. Everyone who's anyone has passed through here, and it's an A level room no matter who's playing. OR Nitetown (formerly Amanda Scott's), also a very pro room.
Honorable mentions go to Click's Billiards in Baton Rouge for sheer rockstar factor (courtesy of Rhett), and Northgate Tavern for knowing how to treat a band (free food!).
Worst: ... ... ... dive bar by the name of The Little Easy. Country roads, no ads, booked a modern rock cover band on a Saturday night for a very "locals only" type of bar. Could have been cool, definitely was not. Gave it a fair shake, but had to let it go after a few tries due to...questionable...practices of the staff. Namely stealing our money.
Fendercaster
08-27-2009, 12:28 AM
One of my favorite places to play is long gone, a dive called Pete and Benny's. Always had a good, partying crowd and anything goes as far as choice of music to play. I much prefer the bars to the Moose, Eagles, VFW's, etc. It's nice to play places where they're not telling you to turn it down before you've even got stuff plugged in!
mnash
08-31-2009, 11:25 AM
I much prefer the bars to the Moose, Eagles, VFW's, etc. It's nice to play places where they're not telling you to turn it down before you've even got stuff plugged in!
Me too. We're at Eagles clubs twice this coming month. I'm cringing. Playing to a room of people with their backs to you all night, many of whom have been sitting on the same stool drinking cans of bud since noon - every day since like 1989. Good pay, though I don't know why.