I came to see a few WE Fest alumni and their bands
Despite the tiny neon sign above the entrance and the large watermark-type design on the outside wall that said ‘Fat Baby’, I wasn’t sure if this was the right place. As I parted the thick drapery that was in place of a front door a large, slick and classy looking lounge was revealed. I was here to see a couple of my freinds’ bands and this really didn’t appear to be a place for live music. Here we had a spot purely for drinking and socializing. The layout was comfortable and the decor was very warehouse meets steakhouse. Seemed a fine enough room, but I was here for other reasons.
I walked around perplexed for a few moments and then asked the bartender where the bands were. It turns out that you pass thru another set of not-so-thick drapery and down a flight of stairs to a much more fitting basement setting for music. There was what appeared to be spare furniture from the upstairs, exposed stone walls, a tiny bar and stage. The bar had a blonde wood, heavily shellacked top with dark scars from smoking days gone by.
Even though this was a small the small space, and their tendency to rely on stage volume for the guitars, the sound was pretty decent. On this night I was here to see both an acoustic and an electric act. The soundman, whose name I missed, did a fine job of maintaining control by keeping alert to the inevitable changes to the stage volume. He was also on the ball when it came to working the strobes and colored stage lights.
Speaking of the music, first up was my friend and fellow WE Fester Gregg Yeti with Jessica Rudy from Syracuse, NY. They have a very ‘Battle of Evermore-esque’ folk quality to their sound. We at Fat Baby were the first to be told of their impending marriage. I think they decided to get hitched as they drove down.
Next up was the raw ruckus of Darling Nerves from Brooklyn. They’re full of energy, slightly off-kilter and just loose enough for rock. Two of the members—Nina and Zoe—are also WE Festers. They were among my housemates this year and are very cool people. The Traveling Lighter showed up too and made friends with a nine-volt battery. [pix]
One thing I thought was a tad strange was that the club requires a $40.00 minimum to use a credit card. Drinks here a pretty reasonably priced so that seemed a bit over the top. I could understand a $20.00 minimum. It turns out that they have an ATM in the bar. My one theory is keeping such a high minimum inspires folks to use the machine from which the bar gets a commission.
The other theory is that it’s just a pain in the ass for bartenders to keep track of tabs. Many other clubs with an ever changing bill of bands have abandoned the acceptance of credit cards altogether. With the high turnaround of crowds due to the number of bands that play each night, it becomes near impossible, not only for the bartenders to keep everyone straight, but to keep from getting ripped off.
See Also:
Photo Gallery
Fat Baby
Darling Nerves
Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights
