You walk into the Bowery Ballroom and the air smells like stale sweat, old wood, and cheap…read moreambition. It's dark enough to hide your sins and loud enough to drown out the citys crime. ​The Bogmen took the stage like they had nothing to lose and everything to bleed out. Down on the floor, the boards were bouncing up and down beneath a hundred pairs of stomping feet, like the whole damn building was having a seizure. ​I stood back with a cold PBR tallboy in my hand, watching the band members, 20 tears later dance themselves into a stupor while the music hammered away. It's a great dark lounge for people who prefer their noise honest and their whiskey cheap. No pretense, just sweat, steel strings, and gravity doing its best to hold the room together.

It is an interesting experience, and I would say this spot definitely has a relaxed vibe. You can…read morepre-order the tickets on your phone (ticketmaster). It is just standing the whole time for the concert unless you are VIP (then there will be a small table with chairs set aside for you.) When you walk in, they check your bags and make sure you are of age (need photo ID and will get a wrist band), and there was no wait when I arrived at 6:30 PM, and the show was scheduled for 7 PM. There is a spot downstairs when you walk in to rest on a couch if you need. There are drinks: wine, beer, cider. The bathrooms are decent if you have to use them. Some positives: There is a coat check for $3, and they accept credit card. There are multiple stalls in the ladies' bathroom, and there is soap! I saw non-alcoholic drinks: Poland Spring water, Monster energy drink.

The Bitter End is NYC's oldest rock-and-roll club!…read more First time here, what I enjoyed the most about the venue was the seating. When I went to The Iridium over the summer, the seating was situated more for dining and the performance is more of an afterthought. At The Bitter End I was front and center facing the stage The big attraction is the history of the club. The Bitter End opened in 1961 and was a launching pad for performers who later became major stars. I started following The Curtis Family when we were all locked down in 2020. Now in 2026, the family band hit the road and one of the stops on tour was The Bitter End. As with any of these small venues, they have a two drink minimum. Once my wife & I were seated, we ordered a few cocktails and settled in. The stage was large enough to have the (7) members of the band and they had two keyboards! The sound system was great and the drinks were strong. The seating, even though I was able to be in front, it was tight seating. It was a little too close for comfort. The Bitter End is a small, intimate, old-school Greenwich Village club. If you're looking for a classic New York City music-night experience, The Bitter End fits extremely well into Greenwich Village. It's a great venue for a folk singer or a small jazz performance.

Staff is super friendly both at the door and waiting tables. The small venue is cozy and well lit…read morefor shows. The two drink minimum menu is reasonably priced, I had a ginger beer and bottled water. I really enjoyed this music venue and would definitely come back if an artist I like is playing and I'm in the area again.

First off, let it be known that I am so not familiar with the area or much of a bar hopper. Friends…read moreplanned for us to meet up here. When we arrived, there was a line at the door. Luckily, a table reservation for our party of had been made so we were able to go right in. Having just come from dinner, we did not eat any food. Drinks were all that we had. Shortly after arriving, the tables disappeared and it got way more crowded & loud on this Saturday night. It was a fun bar with live music. We did dance albeit very closely together. It was a perfect vibe for our birthday girl!

This is The Red Lion? Oh I see, this isn't the same as The Lion where an unknown singer named…read moreBarbra Streisand burst into public view for the first time over six decades ago. You can turn your gaydar off now. However, like The Lion in days of yore, this is indeed a live music venue and has been for quite some time. Jamie W and I were just trying to avoid the heat, so here we were. It was past noon, and the live music didn't start until 1PM. The space felt like a vintage tavern with a lot of dark wood wainscoting panels. We ordered a couple of their signature cocktails. Jamie went with the $14 Strange Brew, a caffeine-fueled mix of Jameson cold brew whiskey, Bailey's, and iced coffee (Photo 8). I ordered the $14 Start Me Up, a tart version of a Pimm's Cup mixed with lemon juice, berries, and mint (Photo 9). Neither drink had the potency we were hoping to find. Mine was particularly watery, and frankly we weren't sure if the bartender was trying to encourage a second round from us. We did manage to feel peckish and ordered the $9 Deviled Eggs which they well overstuffed with mayo, Dijon, and curry powder (Photo 10). We got served just as a talented young girl took the stage with her guitar in front of only a handful of people (Photo 6). Good luck, sweetie. DRINKS / FOOD - 3 stars...not as potent as we were hoping...the eggs were overdressed AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a true Village tavern of an earlier era...still as a tomb early in the day SERVICE - 2.5 stars...kinda transactional TOTAL - 3 stars...go for the live music RELATED - Thirsty in NYC? Here's my collection of bars and restaurants l've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2YS9ELS

Went to the Village Vanguard on a Monday night for the house band and drinks, and it's easy to see…read morewhy this place is considered a legendary jazz club. The music was fantastic and the sound in the room was incredible. The space is definitely tight, and they pack people in, but that's pretty standard for a jazz club and honestly part of the experience. Drinks are expensive, but the service was good and you're really there for the music. Definitely worth experiencing if you're into jazz, and I'll absolutely be back.

Oh my gosh, what a great jazz music spot! There is so much history in these walls. All the greats…read morehave played here and still play here. It is a small venue with very tight seating, but not a big issue unless you are a need space person then please avoid this venue. Your ticket does not guarantee a seating location, your place in line is how you get seated. If you want to sweated on by the band, be first in line. They also don't like you using phones during the concert and neither do your crowded neighbors. There is a drink minimum with your ticket, a bottle wine is worth 4 drinkers, and once the music starts service is limited, thankfully, so you can enjoy the music. Totally worth going if you love small venue jazz!

A personal favorite when in SoHo. The place itself is smaller but a great venue. There's always…read moregood music and fast drink service. You'll find me here after 10pm during the week and on weekends. No consideration. Just go.

This blues club offers exceptional live music from talented musicians and a wide selection of…read morewhiskeys and cocktails for over 30 years. Performance was amazing as always, drinks were good. Service was outstanding. Atmosphere was lovely, glad to see young generations come to embrace with amazing sound of blues, and also see older generations bring their grand kids too. Want to mention the $20 cash cover charge and that seating is first-come, first-served.

I first learned about The Jam in 1998 from reading something in Time Out about it. I went to the…read more"rock jam" on Saturday afternoon and it became a habit...it was basically live karaoke with a band, but it wasn't intimidating. Long story short: I had always wanted to be in a band since high school and the manager of club encouraged me to do so. I was in a B-52's tribute band that played at Le Bar Bat and other clubs for 3 years (we did NOT get paid, rather we paid for the experience), and another cover band for another 2-3 years. The people are super nice--no egos! If you like karaoke or are tired of playing an instrument solo, I definitely recommend checking it out.

My wife and love Jazz music and when my son said his friend works at one and we could go if we…read morewanted, we said of course we would. I was so surprised by the crowd that was there to listen to jazz. The club is small and with the long line of people waiting to get in, the club got full instantly. We were early that we got front seats. It was a nice band and it just made the evening enjoyable and we got to meet up with our son's friend.

Kinda wild that I didn't write a review the last time I was in this jazz joint…read more Last time I popped into the 2am show and it blew my sox off. I saw Miki Yamanaka randomly for the 1st time. But apparently i missed writing a review. Maybe because there are many glowing reviews already. But may I put my 5 star review on the pile. This time we caught the 2pm Sunday open jam. We were smartly near the front of the line so we got my favorite spot, right on the bar rail near the stage. The drinks were good and strong, the service was quick and succinct. The jam was incredible. I didn't know all the guys but the guy on drums is a legend named muppet. He held back on his solos on the first 2 songs. On the third, when the baton was passed to him, he ripped off an impressive solo that would be amazing for anyone, and he is 93. We had to dip out to catch our flight, but cant wait to stop in again next time.

Definitely a hidden gem! If I hadn't looked it up on Yelp first we would have walked right by…read morewithout noticing it on while walking by. The unassuming outside hides a tremendously cool inside. As soon as we walked through the door, we were greeted warmly by Dinara (sp?) who was effortlessly cool in her own right. A young lady ( whose name I didn't catch) promptly seated us. It's not a huge space, but we didn't feel cramped. There was a bar up front, tables along the side walls and a stage in the back. Apparently they have live music nights and open mic nights too. When we went there was 80s/90s music playing and it was very cool. The decor is unapologetically Black and I love it! The restroom is clean and contemporary. The service staff is amazing and attentive. They gave us cornbread with berry butter. Very tasty! My only complaint is that they could have given us each a piece instead of giving us one piece cut into 2. Lol! But it was free! And if that's the "worst" part of the experience then you know it was an overall good time! I was wavering between whether or not to get the collard greens and asked if they were sweet or bitter or spicy. Our server went and got a small sample for me to try because it was hard to describe. I was grateful for her willingness to let me try them. By the way I did order them and they are more savory than any of the above. It's a gentle savory flavor. I also got rice and beans and teriyaki salmon. The beans weren't exactly what I expected. They were black beans which I don't typically associate with soul food. They weren't bad although next time I think I'll get potatoes. My dining companion got lamb chops and collard greens and mac and cheese. She loved everything and at it right up! The food presentation, flavor, and portion size were all good. I didn't leave feeling overstuffed but I was satisfied. The servers checked in on us an appropriate amount of times (we didn't feel rushed or under surveillance but they made sure we had what we needed). The manager/owner stopped by to make sure everything was good and chatted with us. All around good vibes & good eats--I would go again. Highly recommend!

Thursday, 07May26 - A night of celebrating Taurus' at Ashford & Simpson's Sugar Bar Lounge - and…read morewhat a celebration it was. So much joy. So much talent. Thank you, Valerie Simpson, and your late husband; Nickolas Ashford, for creating this amazing venue. The guest host for the evening was the incredibly talented Olutayo. Olutayo is joy exemplified. His vocal range, dance moves, entertaining facial expressions...infectious. I fell in love with this man and did not hesitate to tell him so. Beyond his talents was Olu's ability to manage / juggle the night's open-mic entertainers with such grace. From the lyrics of En Vogue and Salt-N-Peppa: "Whatta Man, Whatta Man, What a Mighty Good Man!" All of the entertainers were incredible. What a range of singers, dancers, a poet, a violinist. And the band! The band! The band! Come on!! Outstanding. I was seated next to Darius, one of the several background vocalists that were positioned throughout the lounge. We became fast friends in this space filled with exuberance. Darius was a delight. He was also a big brother to me, making sure no one blocked my view of the performance. Thank you, Darius, that was so kind of you. I had such a wonderful time being in the company of all these amazingly talented people. It was a 6-hour dopamine rush that should not be missed. The dinner that was served was top-notch. I had the Sea Bass. My friend had the Golden Fried Chicken. Both meals were delicious. I had the ginger mocktail with rosemary and blueberries - so yummy I had two. Dessert was key lime pie - suffer we will. Our server; Vickie, was a delight and amazing to observe as she maneuvered around the performers and kept us and everyone around us well served and continually hydrated. Vickie is to be commended for how hard she worked throughout the evening. I made sure our tip reflected our appreciation of her. Put the Sugar Bar on your bucket list when visiting NYC. You'll leave there feeling you have experienced Heaven on Earth.

My favorite neighborhood bar ever. I come here very often and everyone is so amazing. Such an…read moreawesome place to meet people from all over. They do live music all the time which is so amazing and fun and karaoke every night after 11:30 which is what my friends and I go for. It's so much fun! They newly renovated the outside and they do live music out there too! I've met so many amazing people here. The staff is so fun and friendly! Their food is tasty too!

It's a random Wednesday during the week and the atmosphere is amazing it's a nice community spot if…read moreyou know you know kinda spot. Drinks are mad cheap respectfully might be a good pregame spot for the future. 5/5 will be back!

Absolutely LOVEEEE this place. The arcade games are all so creative and so fun to get lost in…read more Especially the fact that they're FREE!!!! So it really pulls you into this sort of portal where you're fully locked in on games and then you look up and its been 3 hours, love it. Drinks are fine but they are a great price. Got the Waaaluigi which was really tasty and pretty unique! The wonder punch was a classic tropical rum drink and good but was a little watery. Absolutely LOVE the music here, both live and regular music through the speakers once the live shows are done. They also have a backyard outdoor courtyard that is perfect for a quick break to touch grass before going back in and screentimemaxxing again

I was a regular at Wonderville for about two years and genuinely loved the place. Without any prior…read morewarning or conversation, I was suddenly told I was 86'd "for life." I had to email afterward just to learn that my "behavior and demeanor" had supposedly made people uncomfortable. Nobody ever told me specifically what I had done wrong, what boundary I had crossed, or gave me an opportunity to correct anything. I'm a human being, not furniture. If staff had simply communicated with me, I would have listened and complied. For context, I was not harassing people. I was a social regular who enjoyed friendly conversations, and if someone didn't want to interact, I respected that and gave them space. If staff wanted me to change something about my behavior, they could have simply told me. I would have listened and adjusted. I also have concerns about whether my race, sex, and height affected how I was perceived and treated, which I'll be looking into separately. After Months of follow-ups, management finally confirmed that I'm still not permitted on site. Great concept, but the way this was handled showed a serious lack of communication and people skills. One star.