| photo gallery |
 |
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:
 Fat
Baby
Darling
Nerves
Gregg Yeti & The Best Lights
My
Pix from Fat Baby
|
