We enjoyed dancing at Swan Dive! The dance floor is huge and airy so it doesn't feel claustrophobic even with a crowd. The live DJ music was quite good and the disco balls decor and funky lights brought a fun vibe to the club. read more

Swan Dive - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Often the line to get in here is many times shorter than the line to get into barbs next door so it makes sense to enter through here and I think swan dive is kind of cooler because the bar has lots of seating on the side and bar tables so you can wait for your friends. They also have play different styles of music than barbs like one night it was lady Gaga music. The restrooms here might also be easier to use. The color scheme for swan dive of course it's very Swan inspired. Outside in the back patio they normally play hip hop dance music in Saturday's. read more

Swan Dive - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went here for the first time during the Red River Hot Summer Nights festival. This was one of our favorite bars that we visited that night! They had great bands playing and the air conditioning was blasting. We got cocktails and thought they were super cheap. The bartender was friendly and quick. Also loved that they had some booths. We sat and watched the music for a while. This was a great intro to this place. I've been following along with some of their fun themed events and am looking forward to going back! read more

My friend was roofied at this bar this past Sunday and the staff literally kicked them out when they needed help the most. If you hate drunk people so much you're literally kicking them out of the bar (after taking their money and serving them drinks) you have no business running a bar. This is not a safe place to enjoy your night. The people that run this bar do not give 2 shts about you and will leave you to die outside their bar. read more

An Austin institution! So many amazing events here! My fav, is the Tongue in Cheek night, where local lgbtq comics can work on their material free from the homophobic, transphobic hack stuff you sometimes see elsewhere. Drinks are always on point, creatively crafted and changed up regularly. Staff is friendly and the atmosphere is wonderful for a date night or a night out with the gang. read more

Swan Dive - Randi's Candy - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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My wife and I came here for a special haunted cocktail pop up event. I had never been here before so I can't speak on what they are like under normal circumstances. The event started at 6:30 pm on a Saturday. We took a lyft as we usually do going downtown. Realized how close this was to Mohawks and Beerland as places we used to go to more often. We got there a decent time before the start yet all the booths and tables against the wall were taken already. We took seats in the folding chairs. Finding recently this is another reason I don't get out as they are so uncomfortable. Not the bars fault but if you are like me you may want that info. The event was fun. It had several people telling various horror related stories while 4 different shot/drinks were supplied at start of each story as well as a contest that Shana was picked to compete in. She came in 2nd! This was all through a company called Fever. The drinks were all pretty good. I had my favorites of course. It opened with a shot, Conchita's Revenge, then Humiliated and Hammered, Headless Squeeze, and Tavern Martini. All were named for the stories but you should go to hear that for yourself. Shana approved of the drinks calling them "so creative and yummy". The Tavern Martini was my personal favorite with Humiliated being 2nd. The atmosphere for this was dim and smokey. Their was a stage up front and bar in back. The bathrooms are down a hallway past the bar. They brought each drink to you but no idea if they have waitstaff normally It was only about an hour. It was unique and fun, especially if you enjoy stories or story telling. I would suggest checking it out. read more

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The bar is a vibeeeeeeeee. The lighting when I went with my friends was so cute. It was all pink and plush and giving bubblegum fantasy. I do wish the staff here knew or where more aware of the events occurring the night off. Like obviously it's third party ppl planning events but they did not and we're not aware of anything of the drag that night. I'm also not used to ordering a vodka redbull and not getting the vodka with the whole bottle of redbull as well. Obvi different establishments and different ways of doing things but I just found it odd. read more

It pains me to write this review. Swan Dive and its counterpart Barbarella are amazing bars. Unfortunately, their bouncer staff are blood hungry, power thirsty people. I like to give bouncers the benefit of the doubt when it comes to conflicts, but when a bouncer bumped into my friend (attempting to walk through him.) I thought "wow what a rude thing to do". My friend said " that was disrespectful" to this bouncer. The bouncer's response was to grab my friend, heave him to the door. My friend, of course, tried to regain his balance and pushed into the bouncer by mistake. The bouncer's reaction was to throw him to the floor, beat him, and not only was this bouncer beating him, all the bouncers in the vicinity joined him. Resulting in two lacerations of the scalp. Needless to say, a hospital trip with 6 staples in the head later, we will not be returning to this establishment. I truly hope these people are held accountable for their actions read more

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Been seeing some friends bands here and really came around to liking this place. Barbarella's next door is just not my scene, and Swan Dive is basically an extension of that as they're connected. But that's what makes it fun! I get to watch my friend's bands play while a parade of 6th Street'ers make their way in to Barb's. Fun people watching. read more

I had one drink here for eight dollars and had to leave on an emergency. When I realized that I had left without closing out, I thought oh that's cute, they'lll probably just put a nice tip that they deserve on my card- which ended up being TWELVE DOLLARS! if that's y'all's jam, then that sux. read more

Sound is excellent, bathrooms are abundant and clean, and there is good beer at the bar. When the weather is good, the big doors are open to a spacious patio. It's nicer than 6th street and I was able to take my recent (high school) graduate to see a show. Not an easy feat in most music venues downtown. read more

I really only came to Swan Dive because I wanted to use the back patio to get into Barbarella next door. However, when I was taking a breather from dancing at the Barbs, me and my friend came out here to watch whatever band was performing. The band was awesome. The crowd was into it. I was into it. The place wasn't too packed. Pretentiousness wasn't found. I liked it. And, if all the bands that play high are as awesome the band that was performing when I was there. This place is definitely worth checking out. read more

Swan Dive - Some awesome live performance - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

i love the venue but unfortunately was drugged or they put something in the liquor, after one shot and one mixed drink i was incapacitated. it was fast and i felt it as it happened. I've been drugged once in 2022 at barberella, the sister bar. I hate to put blame on anyone but i've only been to these bars 2 times in my 5 years of recidency and both times i was drugged. Ladies please be aware, i never set my drinks down but ended up here two times. I don't want to blame them but this also isn't a coincidence in my eyes as i'm very aware, always hold my drink in front of me, and keep an eye for any sketchy movement. Something does not sit right with me and sadly i will not return. stay safe ladies!!!! read more

Came straight from the airport sober looking for a few drinks before bed and dropped my ID when they wanted to look in my WALLET and got denied. Lose the ego read more

Totally awesome small venue off Sixth Street, a little bit away from the craziness. It's very cute inside with some booths and tables. The bartender was great and drinks were cheap. We went to see our daughters band play on a bill with small local bands. The crowd was fun and respectful- not like in NYC, where they yak the whole time - and sounds was decent. There is a bigger club attached but it was closed the night we were there. read more

Swan Dive - Bart Harley Jarvis 12/26/19 - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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A dive bar that grew up into a swan! This bar is all white- everything is painted white. It's like partying at Elton John's or Liberache's. It's got a retro feeling to it, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and small, intimate seating areas. Everything here seems so ornate. With all the fancy flourishes on this place, it feels like a nice dive. Is that a thing? There's a large dance floor with a stage- live music is usually going on, and they run a good stage with SXSW parties or other live music. On the walls, there's always interesting artwork in here by local artists, which they seem to rotate out regularly. The restrooms are part of Barbarella, the bar next door. You have to go through the back of the bar to find them- they're shared with the neighbor's bar. I wouldn't call the restrooms 'clean' but they are able to handle a lot of people. The bartenders were fast and efficient, but the doorman could've used a bit more grace and tact when asking for identification. The back area is pretty nice- it's got an extra bar or two back there. Sometimes there's an extra band back there, or just a quieter place to hang out. They sell a variety of cold beers, and Lone Star tallboys for a reasonable price. For being part of the Red River area, they're good prices. It's a good place to catch a show! read more

A love affair between Eastside Showroom and Barbarella, this is one of the most beautiful places in Austin. A gentle reminder of The Peacock that is now closed, its white walls and gentle colors are soothing, to say the least. The staff is incredibly friendly. The bathrooms are astounding. The music is delicious. The only negative I have is that they don't have a specialty cocktail menu YET. They've only been open less than a week, so I forgive them for this. Definitely worth checking out. read more

When we got there, the music was great and at a reasonable volume. Place has a cool style and reasonble divey drinks. But at 10pm when a show came on they literally doubled or tripled the volume of the music. It was literally deafening. I wore earplugs and it was still unpleasantly loud. Went outside to escape and found the volume of the music outside had also been doubled and was also unpleasantly loud and made it hard to have a conversation. I would guess the music volume was around 120 decibels, no joke. That's loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage in 10 SECONDS. TBH it shouldn't be legal to play music that loud without requiring patrons to sign a waiver. read more

LOVE this place!! Love the rustic white interior and classic cocktail!. Love that the bartender was super friendly and helpful and made AMAZING drinks! I had the Moscow Mule and the hubby with a great Sidecar (the barkeep for sure knows his bourbons). I feel thrown back to the 1930's. We showed up early and were the first one's there (well practically and as you might know from other reviews this is quite common for me) so we could totally pick our spot! It filled up a lot after 9:30 or 10. Around that time the band came on (I lost track of the time since I didn't have my phone)...so very amazing and they fit the venue so well! Then these great perfomers - who we met and were super sweet - came on and did some aerial performances! What a great night! I will be back!! read more

Swan Dive - Zee stage - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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What a beautiful venue! A great place to have a fancy drink, have a chat (it's never super loud) and dance a bit. There are tacos in the backyard if you get hungry and always always very talented musicians on the stage. The staff is pleasant and helpful. Don't miss these two monthly events: Exquisite Corpse (goth, surrealist dada cabaret) on the 1st Thursday of the month Vintage Vivant - a night for glamourous anachronists to dance, drink and delight at the bevy of 1920's and 30's themed entertainment. Join us on the last Sunday of each month as we celebrate with vintage cocktails, vintage or vintage-inspired attire and free dance lessons (vintagevivant.com) read more

Swan Dive - www.vintagevivant.com - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I've never posted a negative review as i believe that small businesses deserve the benefit of the doubt. However as an advocate for under represented , under funded communities the fact that the bartender, Tommy, called my friend the r-word multiple times is so hypocritical. He's an ableist, discriminatory asshole. read more

Great venue for live music! Love the individual booth seating if you want to chat w friends or snuggle with your hunny. Bathrooms are clean for a live music venue. The back patio is huge and has 2 additional bars. Staff is polite. Always a nice time here. read more

Came to Austin for New Years and was dying to go into Barbarella's (I've heard so many stories)! Went to Swan's first since the line was shorter and we had just parked. Hadn't been drinking prior so we were excited to get our night started and the door guy tells us our friend is "too drunk" to come in. Understand he has to do his job but SUCKS at it lmao. Lost $100 for the business not including money spent on drinks or tips for the bartenders. Train your door guy better. ///: read more

Super illegal alert!!!! I was trying to enter with my girlfriend that broke her ankle with handicap access and the said our charge was double and they didn't want us in. Their management needs to do a major training session or they need to close. read more

Sad that I waited three hours for karaoke, but didn't get to go because people can pay $20 to cut the line.

I love this joint. Big patio, rarely over-crowded, classy decor. The live music is almost always fantastic. The mixology seems to have gone a bit downhill; the first time I was there, they served a fairly extensive menu of mixology-style drinks, and when I returned recently, it seems most of those had disappeared. Perhaps they're in the middle of a menu change, as they still had the bottles behind the bar I'd expect (several types of bitters, quality gin, etc). The beer selection is better than most in that general area, but not amazing. I'm a little sad they don't have a better selection, as there's clearly enough room behind the bar to stock a few better bottles, but oh well. There's a large area to dance, and quite a few booths that are intimate and well decorated. The music usually ranges to what you'd mentally assign to the 1920s or 1930s, which I love but you might not (but you should), and the crowd is usually pretty big on dancing to whoever is playing. BIG AZZ WARNING: They charge cover. That's right, boys and girls, a bar in downtown Austin that charges cover. I blame this for the apparent case of Swan Dive never being all that busy. I even mentioned it to the bartender, who said that they constantly brought it up to management, but were rebuffed. I've skipped the door and vetoed going to the bar more times than I can count based on the cover charge. I'm sure I'll get back there eventually, but that cover is a huge turnoff. read more

Great venue, sound guy is a douche. I worked here for a while, got called a thief and was fired and still don't have anything bad to say accept, the music sucks. Imagine borrowing a poorly aging hipsters iPod and having it come to life. Great venue. Sean is a creep. Everyone else there is cool as F. read more

The Swan Dive Saturday, 11:13 pm Me: "This wait is ridiculous." Her: "Just think about all the thirsty people in Rwanda." Me: "I would rather be in Rwanda right now." Her: "Yeah, it'd probably be easier to get a drink at Hotel Rwanda." Us: "HAHAHAHA." Me: "Ohh, my god, why only three bartenders?! It's like they don't even care about making money. It looks really nice, though." In Groupon Super Bowl ad fashion, please donate to relief efforts in Rwanda at http://HopeRwanda.org. read more

I really REALLY dig this place. It's bound to blow up. It's too awesome. But for my own selfish purposes, I'll tell you to stay away. It takes long enough to get a drink here - I don't need YOU comin' in and making my wait longer. I definitely agree with Kerissa B that its reminiscent of the wonderful Peacock. This little gem is a step back in time... you get a prohibition era feel. The music is AMAZING. Always live, always has that New Orleans type jazzy music. Marching bands! If you haven't heard Minor Mishaps, you haven't lived. It's easy to dance here and its easy to drink here. Get your drinks from Kevin, the one with glasses who works the far end of the bar. He makes the best mix drinks and one hell of an Old Fashioned. Definitely a standout on the Red River strip... very different, but in an awesome way. read more

Swan Dive is a lovely place with an incredible vibe and I really enjoyed myself here last night. We met up here to celebrate a good friend's 30th birthday. It was my first time in since SXSW and I was really taken by the great little scene that is being built here. We were immediately drawn to the awesome music coming from the stage - an old timey sound with accordions, tubas, and Tom Waits' cover songs. There was a eclectic mix of people in the bar and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Although I didn't see a whole lot of dancing, the birthday boy told us that the last time he was here the dancing was incredible and he saw people doing dances like the fox trot. How cool is that? Why the three star review for a place I'm clearly enamored with? The bar service was absolutely horrible. While I get and appreciate the whole handcrafted cocktail thing they have going on here, the wait for drinks was just too long and the bartenders didn't give me the impression that they cared about either being friendly or fast. And if the drinks here do take so long to make maybe they should have more people behind the bar on a busy Saturday night? It was frustrating and disappointing, and I heard several people complaining about the length of time it took to get served. I hope that this is something that improves because I really adored the place and want to come back. They just need a little more focus on speed and quality of service at the bar. read more

In all fairness, likely should be subject to a re-review after SXSW is behind us, but as venues go, the latest incarnation of this Red River spot felt like a welcome addition to the musical legacy of the street it sits on. Not hard to tell that it's apparently owned by the same folks who run East Side Showroom, what with the painted white brick facade, but contrary to that stark-sounding industrial interior, the sound this night came off warm and inviting. SXSW is always such a hot mess, and the clubs don't really run their own venues during official events, so in terms of service, the best you can hope for is to gauge how you're treated at the bar. I recognized a number of the guys slinging cold ones back there, and they were pretty efficient. I'll be coming back here once the madness of March has subsided, and am eager to hear the latest. And maybe just maybe find a new place to camp out. read more

This pretty, little bar is really classing up the Red River corridor. If Swan Dive were a lady, she would be the girl next door. Let's be clear though ... Swan Dive may new to the Red River scene, but she knows how to have a good time. It's just that her idea of a good time is a little more high falutin' than that of some of her more tawdry neighbors (ahem ... Valhalla, Barbarella, and Elysium). Aside from the fancy cocktails - which are simply not available at any of the neighboring bars - what I find most impressive about The Swan Dive is the exquisite attention to detail. First and foremost, the color scheme is white and grey and it works to great effect because it makes you feel ... well ... so fresh and so clean, clean (thank you Outkast). It is dimly lit with strategically-placed chandeliers. It doesn't feel overly pristine though. This is thanks in part to the fact that someone has made excellent use of old, iron radiators which line the stage and are strategically located under the bar. And while we are talking about the bar ... it should not be overlooked that they thought to put hooks for coats and purses under the bar. The booths and tables that line the room make it easy to see the stage or to check out your neighbors. This is a good thing considering that our beloved Swan Dive is offering a full and eclectic range of musical performances featuring instruments ranging from the piano to the ukelele ... and everything in between. This self-described music emporium has good cocktails and ample floor space that allows for dancing, prancing, and making a grand entrance or exit - whatever suits your fancy. read more

When I think of downtown, I think of dirty 6th, nights of $5 pitchers of long island iced tea that I'd rather not remember (and honestly, can't even if I wanted to ) at Shakespeare's. The Swan Dive was a nice change of pace. My friend's boyfriend's band was playing, so we stopped in and listened to two bands before them. They were fun. One band sounded like surfing on an acid trip.. kind of like a beachy version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I wasn't expecting that. The drinks were stupid expensive. However, I loved the decor. It does look like it hasn't been remodeled since the 40s, but that's what I loved about it. There were flowy, white sheaths of fabric right behind the stage, little booths tucked away on either side of the dance floor, and the wallpaper going to the outside area seemed really vintage. I felt like someone had transported a shit ton of hipsters into this romanticized rendition of a drinking establishment. Speaking of hipsters, no shortage here! It was kind of funny though. My friend smokes, so in between sets we went to the patio so she could smoke and I could dance. The dj was playing a great mashup of 90s hip hop, and THE HIPSTERS WERE GETTING DOWN. This guy with a jeri curl mullet was TOTALLY grinding up on a girl who looked like she hadn't washed her hair in days. It was great for people watching. I'm excited to come back here, but wouldn't get more than 2 or 3 drinks due to the cost. read more

The decor looks like a Burning Man-style dust storm hit an early 1900s town, blowing out windows and leaving everything not blown away covered in a layer of stark white that just will not come off. It works mostly, but it seems a little cavernous for that particular look. That being said, the decor is one of the things I really like about this place. The service and drinks are the other. The bartenders were all really helpful and friendly. Actually, even the sound guy was really helpful. So why 2 stars? Well, I'm not sure exactly who to blame here, because they won't return my calls or emails, so let's just say management. My band split the bill with some other performers a few weeks ago, and we agreed that we'd split the door. Sounds fair. We also had to pay the sound guy from the door. No problem. He deserves it, because he was great. The day of the show, I get a call from the other group saying the venue wants us there to start earlier, so they can start letting people from Barbarella in for free earlier. I'm sorry, you want to change the time of the show that we've been promoting for weeks on the DAY OF the show? No. In any case, everything is worked out, or so I'm told. I'm also told they don't think they're going to do shows here anymore. Lord knows what they're going to do with that nice stage. The first show happens, and it's great. We get set up and have a great time performing. The bartenders like us, the sound guy says he's impressed. A nice drunk girl dances my girlfriend right into a radiator...twice. Y'know, a good show. Even better, I notice quite a few people coming in and hanging out to hear our music. Sweet! We'll have some money to put in the band fund. Except that we don't. As we loaded up in the rain and had to drive off, the rest of the band forgot to get the money. No worries, I can swing back by there in a couple days. "Hey, we performed here a few days ago, and I was trying to find our cut from the door." "Oh, you need to talk to the manager. I don't know where she is. Maybe talk to the bartender." "Hey bartender!" "Hey you're the guy from (insert band name here) the other night! That was fun!" "Thanks! We had a great time! But my guys didn't pick up the money. Who do I talk to about that?" "Hm. I guess the manager, but I don't know where she is. Plus, I don't think there's any money. Or it all went to the sound guy." "Oooook. Can you have them give me a call or shoot me an email to explain this to me? I know that at least 30 people came through while we played, plus the fans we brought with us, so at $7 each, we should have something." "Yeah, that doesn't sound right. Let me get your info. I'll make sure they get back to you." "Thanks! I just want to know what happened to it." So, after emails, phone calls, and stopping by with no response whatsoever, I still can't even find out how all those people made it in and (supposedly) paid a cover, the sound guy was paid half from the other group, and there's still no money at all for us. I call that bad form. read more

Very nice atmosphere. The interior is all painted white and there is a lot of design areas, including a patio. The bands they have are always fantastic and the sound system is great. read more

Swan Dive - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have come to this bar for years and have never had an issue. Last night my sister and I were kicked out very aggressively by an employee after we tried to use the "gents" restroom. We didn't get any warning or explanation, and when we questioned why we were being removed this employee took a photo of us and said "congratulations you're now banned." This response would have made sense for someone engaging in a fight or harassing/placing another customer in danger. All we did was walk into the "wrong" restroom and we were kicked out and then banned when we asked questions. Swan Dive and the bar next door, Barbarella, have had increased complaints about management being racist, not helping women who have been roofied, and being unresponsive when anyone has a complaint. This is extremely disheartening and I strongly advise you do not go here. read more

LETS GO SEE SOME LIVE MUSIC!! Does anyone else get tired of hearing their visiting guests say this? Possibly I'm just jaded because I work in a live music venue and have to hear it all the time. If I'm being real with myself, the last thing I want to do when I'm off is go check out "live music". But when my sister who I love and her friends come to visit and want that irresistible Austin live music experience, I decided to take them to Swan Dive. Yay for some live music that an Austin local can appreciate as well. I'd never been before my first visit but since this place is the child of ESSR and Barbarella, I figured I'd probably love or at least like it. This place is a peaceful little haven tucked away just blocks from dirty sixth on loud red river street. They have a gorgeous all white interior with big luxurious booths and scrumptious cocktails. It's remarkable to be in here and remember sweatily dancing to eighties music in the same place. It has been totally revamped and is now sophisticated and refined. My old fashioned was made promptly and very tastily by a very friendly bartender. Actually everyone who worked here was welcoming enough that I had at least a few sentence interaction with each one. Pay the five dollar cover, relax, and smile at the adorable grandpas doing some blues dancing. read more

First bar I visited in Austin. Reasonable drink prices, good cocktails, live music, and a 1920s Austin-weird vibe that really got my Austin trip off on the right foot. $5 cover read more

Swan Dive - First Names getting their stage set - Music Venues Near Me - Austin, Texas

"It looks like heaven," said a friend of mine when he walked in. Everything was white or painted white, which gave the whole place this antique feel, like stepping back in time. This lovely hawaiian band was playing, and we all had a wonderful time. I had too many French 75s, but only because they were damn delicious and I couldn't help myself. I can't wait to go back. The only reason I docked two stars is because it took a long time for drinks and because of an incident with a bartender. After waiting a while to be acknowledged, he walked over and took my order. Then this other man walked up to the bar, credit card in hand, and got my bartender's attention immediately and gave his order. Then, this is the kicker, the bartender walked to me and said he was going to take care of the other guy first and then get to me after, even though I ordered first. Now, maybe that dude was VIP or something, I get that. But really, don't tell me that. Make all our drinks at the same time or something. It was insulting. To top it off it took forever to make this guy's drinks, so much so that the bartender casually walked back to me to ask me what I ordered again, as he had forgotten. No good. I expect this rating will go up with my next visit, hopefully with slightly better service. read more

I really liked Swan Dive. It did remind me of my once favorite bar, The Peacock Lounge, that is sadly no more because of the cool, design-conscious interior that harks back to a 1920s speakeasy. Walking off of dirty, loud Red River (my favorite street...I mean it with love) in Swan Dive is like entering a different, more civilized world where people still dress up to leave the house and men ask women to dance with them (not grind up on). My only gripes is the price and difficulty in getting a drink. They need more bartenders and I think they might need to reevaluate prices based on their location. Sure, it's acceptable for their sister restaurant, Eastside Showroom to charge that much because it's the Eastside and they serve food, but on Red River, the rules are different. I just don't see the same clientele fighting for drinks amongst drunk young hipsters on any given night. I'm really interested in seeing how they fare. Because it is SO different from the rest of Red River, I think they might have some problems continuing to pull in business with expensive drinks and jazz bands. read more