Such volume, such energy, such Jersey coolness crammed into such a small space!
Loud music in NYC is quite literally being forced underground. And while the sound systems in these subterranean sanctuaries from the dying scene above may leave a lot to be desired, they are ultimately a godsend. Fat Baby (112 Rivington St, NYC) is one of these places that have been packing in bands much to the delight of those of us who miss the days gone by.
Fitting for a flash back to the good old days is a bill made up primarily of my long-time comrades in musical arms. But first up was my introduction to the funkalicious good time music of Hoboken’s Jak Tripa. There’s a touch of reggae, a pinch of jazz and a heaping chunk of funk in their extended jams. This got the crowd moving in the small Fat Baby basement.
The night built to a frenzy as my friends took stage. From the marionette dance and monstrous grooves of Crewman Number Six straight into the dirty anvil across the skull of High Speed Chase. And then came the ever-evolving, power-filled Downshallow. Yes the PA crackled from the decibels and the bass would find itself lost in a void of cancellation. But soundman Adam handles the unenviable task of keeping it all together with ease.
OK, I do have a bit of criticism here. One, they sacrilegiously dump their Guinness like any old brew leaving a sadly flat liquid in the glass. Second … what, no buy backs? I’m not a greedy person, but please. Everyone knows the value of rewarding customers no matter what the business. And lastly, their beer prices were decent, but the sudden jump in dollars for a shot was woefully unjust, but not unlike many city bars.
My night ended with a Coke (yes, a Coke) at Flannery’s near the 14th street PATH station. Why so far away? I went with my friends Yvonne, John and Aileen. Yvonne has a connection with the pub because her father was the architect. And even though I confined myself to an alcohol-free cocktail, I wanted to have one more drink with John. He and Yvonne had finally closed a deal on a new bar opening in Jersey City. We are all very excited about it and I’ll have more on that real soon.
See Also:
Photo Gallery
Fat Baby
JakTripa
Crewman Number Six
High Speed Chase
Downshallow
