Streetalk March 04 2004
What are the best and worst clubs to hear local bands?
Mike: Star Bar. It’s comfortable. Sound is good. I like the downstairs. It’s a fun place to hang out. Cheap drinks, the people who work there are nice. You feel close to the performer. Worst is the Earl. The room sounds like ass. It sounds like everything is wrapped up in tinfoil when under 8 feet of water. It’s like going to see a band in a community center rec room when you’re in eighth grade and they got $30 amplifiers. It’s terrible.
Liz: Smith’s Olde Bar. It’s a comfortable-size venue. You can get close enough to the band without fighting a thousand people. Never been there where it’s been a rough crowd. Worst is Masquerade. I always feel like I’m going to fall through the floor because it’s so wobbly. They have a bit more attitude, tend to be more asshole-ish. You can’t walk in without getting the finger or some comment if you bump into someone. There’s stuff all over the floor, bathrooms are disgusting, bars are sticky.
Jackson: 10 High. It’s small. You’re almost on a level field with the musicians, which means you don’t have some kind of a weird pedestal thing going on. And the sound is really good. Nice, loud and clean. If you got shitty sound, there’s no point of being there. MJQ is too loud and the sound isn’t good. They focus [more] on it being loud than being clean. And it’s freezing as hell in there. They got two heaters in a place that probably holds 600 people.
Liz: Smith’s Olde Bar. It’s a comfortable-size venue. You can get close enough to the band without fighting a thousand people. Never been there where it’s been a rough crowd. Worst is Masquerade. I always feel like I’m going to fall through the floor because it’s so wobbly. They have a bit more attitude, tend to be more asshole-ish. You can’t walk in without getting the finger or some comment if you bump into someone. There’s stuff all over the floor, bathrooms are disgusting, bars are sticky.
Jackson: 10 High. It’s small. You’re almost on a level field with the musicians, which means you don’t have some kind of a weird pedestal thing going on. And the sound is really good. Nice, loud and clean. If you got shitty sound, there’s no point of being there. MJQ is too loud and the sound isn’t good. They focus [more] on it being loud than being clean. And it’s freezing as hell in there. They got two heaters in a place that probably holds 600 people.