Excellent live music venue in Clifton,NJ featuring up and coming bands. The headliner tonight "Hellenbach" firing up the audience with a rocking set of original material. Nice bar area and friendly staff made for a night of fun and music. Plenty of free parking one block away at the municipal parking lot. read more

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Really dope spot with a cool grunge atmosphere. They showcase local artists and really give an opportunity for some great bands to play. They have a large stage area for guests to rock out! The drinks are decently priced. read more

Good venue for bands up close and personal They do get some good national acts there and tribute bands .. read more

This is a great small venue to enjoy a show without getting ripped off at the door or the bar. The municipal lot down the road has what should be ample parking. read more

My partner was playing in a band tonight- when we walked in to soundcheck an unfriendly woman pointed at me and said 'if she's not in the band she needs to pay to be here'. He asked if there were any guest list spots and we were denied, so he paid full price admission for me to be there. This made a bad first impression of how this place treats artists- not only is he bringing a lot of people out to your venue but I always support the venue anyway by getting food and drinks, though I felt less inspired to at this place. The band wasn't given any drink tickets or complimentary food and denied any guest spots (If you can guess they also weren't paid super well). I'm also a performing musician and I've never encountered this in a venue before. If a manager reads this I highly suggest you update your policy. I understand that it's a business but you can throw musicians a couple of thoughtful bones (like everyone else does), it sends a nice message. Also the same woman was working behind the bar and either talking to her friends or texting most of the time she was working, not looking out for people who wanted to order. read more

Regarding admission prices: They are pretty reasonable at the door. They have a nice selection of beers. Donna is a great bartender and she will give you masterful service. You can see the stage from the bar pretty well. So you can stay seated at the bar during a show or walk up to the front of the stage. The men's room is clean and user friendly. I have been there about 6 or 7 times and really haven't seen many bikers there. The place is considered by many to be a "biker bar." I usually find street parking when I go there. Owner seems like a nice gent. read more

Dingbatz - Soap Girls at DINGBATZ in Clifton, New Jersey! - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Phenomenal place to catch a band! Came here with my husband to see Dead Again and will definitely be back the next time they play here.

An absolute dive bar but a great music venue. I absolutely love that they have all ages shows and shockingly a food menu.

Great biker bar with extremely talented cover bands. Zero judgement bar/club... come in have a beer and enjoy the music. Too cold for my blood to ride in, but will be back on the iron horse once days warm up. read more

Dingbatz - Awesome Saturday night at Dingbatz with Moto Club - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

PROS: Very good music and full bar. The place is long so if you don't want your ears to pop you can always stand back from the stage. Nice parking lot next to it and the food is good. CONS: The lady with the dark hair and the older man with the short white beard who do entry admissions we're very snippy towards me when I was paying to enter. The place also gets cramped because it's very skinny OVERALL: If you want to see live music and don't care about the admission than come by, but just don't strike a convo with the entry people read more

Dingbatz - a band performing on stage at a club - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Yes, my boys from The Phoenix Within had a very busy weekend with back to back shows. I came here tonight to show my support. I actually haven't been to an NJ show for more than a decade. This venue was quite spacious with an oval-shaped bar and towards the back, you can see an enormous stage. Tonight, I rocked out with Danger Club, Horton's Truth (wow, this was actually their very first show...I am impressed), The Phoenix Within (I love my boys), and A Likely Story. I couldn't stay for Colly and Punchline...there's always a next time! Note: You must be 21+ to drink! Overall, I had a kick ass time at Dingbatz! read more

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This is a dirty, grungy and semi dilapidated bar venue and I love it. Music is generally live and loud. Drinks are good and pretty cheap. This is an old school bar reminiscent of the old days. For those fossils who remember, this is the Loop Lounge/Aldo's vibe that instantly brings you back to, if not a better, certainly a more fun time. Kudos. read more

Great live music venue, beers & drinks are reasonably priced. If the beer selection was better I would've given 5 stars, that's how much I dig Dingbatz. read more

Dingbatz is a Killer bar to encounter and support local bands who are on the scene and on the rise. You'll find an intimate and somewhat small setting here but don't let that fool ya. This place has excellent sound and acoustics for what is a local house of 'Heavy Rock'. I caught some Awesome local acts here that were some of the best young talent shows that I have Ever had the privilege to witness. I saw Aurin here on many occasions and they always put on an unbelievable show. -[check out Aurin on Spotify]- They Rock. The bar is always well stocked and the PBR flows for next to nuthin'. Plus they're really cool bartenders here. You should definitely check this place out and be prepared for some Head Bangin'. read more

Dingbatz - Aurin - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Came here to see my brother's band. This place is awesome. Bartenders and bouncer are friendly and the beers are cold. If you're into punk music, you have to come in to see the local bands. There's some serious talent on this stage. I'm not sure if I would order any food, but the bathrooms are clean and the bar is consistently sanitized. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

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Can't be biased and post a post based on the outside or just letting my son go see an up and coming artist he likes so I'll be fair and leave four stars. Took my son to see DC the Don. It was an all age level entrance, which had me nervous at first but after seeing it was mostly teens and they had security searching at the door, I felt a little relieved. My son who is 15 also got stamped a big X on his hand to show he was underage and couldn't drink. He said his time there was great, he even went into the mosh pit and enjoyed a great concert by the artist. read more

Dingbatz is a great venue to see local bands & some easily recognizable bands. The layout, lighting, sound guy and their in house booking agent are all great. They also use an outside agency to book bands so be careful. I recommend "Nice Guy Booking" which is their in house band booker. They seem to be very fair and compared to the other booker, bands definitely are able to earn more. Dingbatz also allows bands to sell merchandise in a premier location in the venue. Very easy to work with. They also have a large bar with seating as well as a large area in front of the stage for fans to watch the bands close up. Wish they only used the in house booker. It would probably be better for the Venue so they could have more control & only let bands that improved their reputation perform. I do agree with everyone that mentioned the Nazi hate speech band & how they should have never been able to play there. While I don't know if the in-house or outside agency was reasonsible for that incident, I believe if they only used an in-house booker we would know for sure & it would be a lot easier to decide if I ever wanted to see bands there or suggest bands play there again. I found it very disappointing. That's why I didn't give them 5 stars. 4 stars was generous because when I was there it was before the incident & I am hoping they changed their policies so that NEVER happens again. As for how many people go to see shows there, when Mind Hazard played there (before the Nazi hate speech band) Mind Hazard pulled in over 50 people and there were other bands that night that also brought in a decent following. It was packed! Hope the hate speech band was a one time lapse in judgement by the person responsible. read more

Dingbatz - Local band Mind Hazard performing at Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

Such a great spot. I love dive bars that are super duper cheap and actually have great music playing in here. Oh, and don't 4get about the local bands in the scene that can be found playing weekly shows here. Its great and is always a good time. The downfall is of course, the size...its pretty small and the ladies bathroom always smells like sewage. read more

I've been to a bunch of these types of music venues (dive bars) but NONE match up with Dingbatz the bar was great The whole atmosphere and vibe was really cool everybody was just there to have fun and listen to some great music . And STIFF UPPER LIP the AC/DC tribute band did NOT disappoint we actually felt like it was almost AC/DC ...they were so good . The sound system was top notch ...just a great night here I Would definitely recommend coming here even the first band which was like a house band were great. Looking forward to going back! read more

Would be cool if they fixed the men's bathroom door so people didn't walk in while you're taking care of business. Shit is pretty mortifying. Would update my review to be more positive if they fixed this. read more

Pretty cool rock club. I just wish they had draft beer there and that the sound was lowered some since my ears were still ringing the next day. Also, the men's bathroom needs either a bathroom stall or a bathroom door that locks since there's both a toilet and a urinal in there read more

Was never a fan of this place. While I love a good dive bar, this place always just felt like a crappy dark hole. THEN they allowed Nazis to play bc they didn't want to inconvenience their travel plans. God forbid we shouldn't be nice to hatemongers! Now I know why it felt like a dark hole. Will never go back. read more

Def a hole in the wall place but has some unique talent Saw nirvana and smashing pumpkins tribute band good sound quality Bar service was poor and it wasnt that busy No beers on tap Credit card machine "didnt work" that night read more

Rockers rejoice, your delight for loud music and beer consumption will be met with open arms here! One of the best places to check out a local artist in NJ, Dingbatz offers the rock dive bar experience on any night, pairing with it's affiliated Dingo's Den across the street. Be sure to sample the Batz-Brew, parallel to a Yuengling, but with less cost. Be sure to thank Freddie (Owner) too who always enjoys a friendly hello & drink. read more

Dingbatz - Aurin on stage. - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

This is a cool dive bar. The place is a real hole in the wall but that is what gives it its personality. Drinks are priced very well, the specials during the week are better. They have a nice sized stage in the back for concerts. Cover for live music is ten bucks which is not bad but they had a great rock cover band and even some heavier bands. Ten bucks for 3 bands is fine with me. I am a beer snob though, and their tap selection was minimal. The employees were really cool and they even had a awesome dog chilling outside the bar. Definitly a uniquw spot. read more

Dingbatz - Monument of a memory playing at dingbatz last night - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

My friend's band will be playing live here in a month so we came out to see some of the other acts on Saturday night and it was blast! After being cooped up due to COVID for so long, it was so much fun to blow off some steam while listening to some seriously hard music. The sound was great and so was the bar service. We end up staying until last call. Ignore the reviews from people saying this is a skinhead/white supremacist bar. Those reviews were based on people who completely don't get black metal and don't understand that it's supposed to be "evil" and provocative. I doubt those people have even been to a show here or heard a note from any of the bands they were protesting against. If they had actually been there, they would've seen patrons and performers from all walks of life and been too exhausted from fun to complain about anything. read more

Had a great time for my first venture here. I came to see a band I've been following for years and Dingbatz didn't disappoint. Joe did an awesome job bartending and the staff overall were great. read more

Definitely water down the alcohol. I drank all night and barely felt anything. Better to piss in the gutter, the men's shitter will give you hepatitis A B and C. The bartenders will try to rip you off. Great place if you want to have a lousy time. read more

So you know the whole saying, "dont judge a book by its cover," well that applies here. Ok so let me start by saying that I am by no means a heavy metal kind of girl. I like some music but im not really into that scene. So when I was approached to attend an event here I immediately took to google and yelp to scope out the scene. From the websites and social networks it is a biker type bar, dark inside, that has music shows. I was nervous to say the least..... Me and the date walk in and, surprise it was dark with heavy metal stickers on the wall, and the crowd fit the environment. HOWEVER, the next couple hours were some of the best times i had in a long time! The bartenders were welcoming and friendly. Very personable. The other bar patrons were the same, engaging in convo's and friendly jabber. Even the owner/manager, who i got to have a conversation with, was sooo nice and courteous. The acoustics here are awesome, felt like i was at a bigger venue. All and all i will def be back to visit this spot for good music and good times! read more

Won't be back. Went to "ladies night" with my two girlfriends. Show was good. Had two beers and they had two vodka cranberries. Tab came to $60.... We aren't in Hoboken. Ridiculous. read more

Dingbatz is an authentic New Jersey hard rock and heavy metal club. If you are into heavy music and ready to discover new bands - this is the place to go to. They care about music. Staff is friendly and treat their customers very well. Alcohol is priced right. Sound is not bad. The best part is atmosphere in the club - cool decor, crowd, etc. I've been at Dingbatz numerous times and will keep coming back. read more

Love this venue!!! Amazing sound and an amazing place for some fun. Love when locals play

I like Dingbatz. It's one of a very few places in NJ that offers live heavy metal music. The bands are pretty good too. Wish more people would come though, ie. girls that are not girlfriends of band members haha. Be sure to check it out on a Thursday night (Jose Mangin's Hard Attack Thursdayz). Check their website or Facebook page for current events schedule. Cons: - drinks are somewhat expensive and often watered down - restrooms are blah - sticky floors - boring lighting on the stage/no smoke machines read more

Love this venue I've come across some great bands here, the bar is good and the drinks are fairly priced, they have a bar menu for some snacks, I love looking at the stickers that plaster the walls including the bathroom to see all the bands that have been here. My only complaint is the music is typically too loud for such a small room and some of the house monitors need to be upgraded they rattle like a tin can. Otherwise a fun night out close to home. read more

purple is the theme on the outside, w/ a door handle made of a welded length of chain (really cool). easy to find, quite on the outside, large bar area (in an island formation so easily accessible from all angles). the show area is ample, stage is a little small, but workable. i was here to see the band "soul unhinged" perform, & it was greatthe overall metal / rock vibe here is awesome. even my über driver agreed that it's a great place to see local bands perform. read more

Dingbatz - #soulunhinged - Music Venues Near Me - Clifton, New Jersey

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I had a great time at this little bar last night. The bartenders were personable and the other staff was great! The music sounded amazing! read more

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I'm only rating so low because each time I've played there our original agreement has been broken or ignored. Sound guy wasn't typically rhe sound guy. The dude they normally use is nice enough and does a good job. Other than that, of the 240+ shows I've done in 13 years, this place seems to care more about the liquor earnings than they do the bands having an enjoyable and professional experience. Damn shame. NJ is dying slow. read more

Dingbatz is pretty much the only venue left in North Jersey that plays metal and serves up great drinks at a reasonable price. Located on Van Houten Ave (the main drag in Clifton) its definitely hard to miss. It's a red building that sits on a corner and the main entrance faces Van Houten. Once you walk in you'll notice bizzarre paintings on the walls and the bar is a traditional oval/circle shape. Drink prices are pretty cheap at 3 dollars for a pbr and shots are $4 and up. Normally every night Dingbatz is open (wed-sunday) they have anything from local bands to out of state touring acts playing with a fixed cover price of $10 unless a bigger national act is playing. Unfortunately the cover isn't always worth paying but sometimes you'll find a few bands that are real diamonds in the rough. If you like metal you'll love this venue/bar simply for the sound alone. They have what I think is the best live sound system in all of Northern New Jersey. Typical genres are hardcore, metalcore, death metal, doom metal, rock, industrial, horror punk and deathcore. If your in a band go to the dingbatz website for booking and for show schedules. read more

Always a great place to grab a bite to eat, a drink, and see a show! They always got some decent punk or metal acts playing. Chances are if you are into that kind of music, you most likely have been here already. There is usually some sort of cover charge so keep that in mind. Must also add if you mind rough mosh pits, just stay out of the pit! Simple as that! I've seen my fair share of karate in those pits so you have been forewarned! They always have affordable drink deals so you don't have to break the bank. Usually 3 dollar pabst and their mixed drink specials are the way to go! Their French fries really hit the spot for some reason. Haven't tried the wings but they seem to be a favorite and will give them a shot next visit. Everbody I have met that work there are really nice people. And the characters who frequent the place are great too! I never have a boring conversation with anyone I meet here. What else can I say?! This place is an excellent venue all around! Just check em out! read more

I'm giving this bar the props it deserves for being "real". Having just arrived from the southwest where I endured living amongst The Children of The Corn for the last 10 years,this place was such a breath of fresh air to me. Why? Well,I realize I write with the slightest inuendo of irony when I coin the term"breath of fresh air"referring to this local dive bar,but the place was great. Just real folks living their lives out on a Saturday night listening to some local metal. No attitudes,no bs,no poseurs,no wanna be Jerri Halls. As a female solo flier,I tend to be cautious in new surroundings. I got parking right across the street,the door guy was polite and welcoming.It was obvious I was a newb to the club. I went to see some live music and I don't drink,but was not gouged for a glass of Coke.The bar staff also attentive and genuine. I have to say I did feel a little out of place as I didn't know anyone,wasn't a girlfriend or hanger on of any of the band members,in fact I seened to be the ONLY solo female in the whole place. At least I had the advantage of no one knowing me,so folks kept respectful distances. The sound guy was great,could hear all the bands clearly and the music choices between bands was great as well. I look foward to going back,awkward or not. Thanks Dingbatz for making me feel welcome in a new place. Rock on! read more