NYLXors, tell me about PIANOS on Ludlow!

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OK, so I'm now playing bass for an Americana-type band, and we're playing a show at this venue in April, so just curious if anyone's familiar with it? Neighborhood, popularity, crowd, sound, etc.? This is the first time I'm playing in NY, so it's kind of a big deal to me, so wondering what I can look forward to at this venue. Anyone?

― phil d. (Phil D.), Friday, 7 April 2006 11:38 (twenty years ago)

crackas get shot there

― Jimmy Mod: My theme is DEATH (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Friday, 7 April 2006 11:53 (twenty years ago)

part of a trend of places which are like bar/lounge/food/club etc. Was exceedingly hip during it's early days. First booked by one Larry Golden, who quit from frustration during the new years party where I dj'd and James Chance played. Still had some great stuff, crowds got unbearable, I refused to DJ upstairs anymore because the monitor was broken and the crowds were annoying and they wouldn't let people dance. It's still hugely popular but not very hip. The live room is a nice room, a black box with a stage, doors closed to the bar/eating/lounge area. I think they have good sound, though it depends on the soundperson and I haven'be been in ages. On a good night, it's all packed, but just as likely the live room is empty as people fight to get upstairs. The Nieghborhood is the heart of the lower east side, so it's a huge pain in the ass. A few doors down is Cake Shop, which is a hipster record store and smaller venue where it's hard to see bands because the set-up is so weird, but try to play there as well, or visit before or after your show, it's a cool spot.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 7 April 2006 11:53 (twenty years ago)

Pianos is deece. Good sound when we played there. It's definitely less hipsterish than other lower east side venues. It's still considered a good gig by most bands I know.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Friday, 7 April 2006 12:33 (twenty years ago)

Hopelessly poorly run from what I can tell. The last time I went to Pianos (and the last time I ever will) was to see my friend's band, booked at 10pm for $6. I got there at 9:30; they made me pay $10 and then told me things got changed around so he had already played at 8pm to an empty room, and no, there were no refunds, sorry.

Matos or Tracer can tell the 2 Many DJs story.

― Paul Eater (eater), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:38 (twenty years ago)

PE's experience sounds typical; I've never gone cuz I've heard they treat the patrons like shit.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:40 (twenty years ago)

Go to Rothko instead.

― Je4nn3 Æ’urÂ¥ (Je4nne Fury), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:47 (twenty years ago)

TERRIBLE PLACE. AWESOME VEGGIE BURGERS.

― ddb (ddb), Friday, 7 April 2006 13:50 (twenty years ago)

almost everyone i know who has played there has not gotten paid, no matter what the turnout is. or not more than like car service money.

― hstencil (hstencil), Friday, 7 April 2006 14:02 (twenty years ago)

I HAVE WORKED FOR THOSE FUCKED-UP ISRAELIS.
NO GOOD FOR "REAL" MUSIC, BUT GOOD PLACE FOR CORPORATE HOBBY BANDS
THEY HAVE GOOD CALAMARI

― Washable School Paste (sexyDancer), Friday, 7 April 2006 14:07 (twenty years ago)

Haha -- this turned from "pretty decent place" to "death would be preferable" quickly! Gives me great hope, it does.

― phil d. (Phil D.), Friday, 7 April 2006 14:08 (twenty years ago)

Was exceedingly hip during it's early days

i was out of the country for like 6 months, and when and i got back and would hang out with friends they'd be like "god, i just can't go to pianos anymore." - so i guess it went like supernova within 6 months. but i've been there for shows in the back, and it seemed ok. its a nice place, and pretty good for a first NY gig. congrats! i dunno anything about the management though. if its a weekend, the place is going to be crushed with suburban'ite sort of people.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:28 (twenty years ago)

Go to Rothko instead.

Rothko was a really nice place to play -- v. friendly.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:33 (twenty years ago)

I suspect we'll be go over well w/suburban'ite sorts -- we're not cutting edge or hipsterish at all, so I can't complain too much.

― phil d. (Phil D.), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:36 (twenty years ago)

Rothko is a terrible place for the audience if there are more than three people attending the show. Also; no re-entry, which means smoking in the gross little stairwell.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:36 (twenty years ago)

so i guess it went like supernova within 6 months

oh, i mean that it had opened while i was gone, so when i got back i hadn't even heard of the place, and it was already deemed "over". but i remember the sound in the band-room being pretty decent.

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 7 April 2006 16:39 (twenty years ago)

they put together really strange bills sometimes, like singer-songwriter -> metal band -> hipster nu wave -> another singer-songwriter

but I've only been to the upstairs

I like Rothko ...

― Renard (Renard), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:00 (twenty years ago)

how do i shot piano's scenestars?

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~cjmaldon/article/thanks3.jpg

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:13 (twenty years ago)

you know its kinda like a law to not dance w/o a cabaret license. i think every bar int he city has one of those

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:18 (twenty years ago)

yeah, those signs are all over the place. still lame though.

we need to cut loose .... footloose.

― Renard (Renard), Friday, 7 April 2006 17:39 (twenty years ago)

nyc cycles through periods where there are crackdowns, I remember when every place was very strict about that, and security at Pianos would go out of their way to stop you from dancing. Probably not a problem...right now.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:01 (twenty years ago)

I guess after Plant Bar closed people seemed more aware of it (not that I really know the story behind that, but I thought it had something to do w/ the cabaret law). I've never actually seen the no-dancing thing be enforced anywhere.

― Renard (Renard), Friday, 7 April 2006 18:22 (twenty years ago)

Rothko's bigger, has higher ceilings, and you don't have to paddle through a sea of knobs eating steak frites and talking Hamptons summer shares in order to get to the stage area.

― Je4nn3 Æ’urÂ¥ (Je4nne Fury), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:10 (twenty years ago)

well, the cabaret law has little to do with dancing. If they want to fuck with someplace because someone's complaining it's too noisy, or the crowds outside are too big, the easiest thing to do is say "sorry, you have people dancing, bring on the padlocks." Plant Bar was essentially on a residential st., on 3rd st, and I'm sure neighbors complained. At the height of it's popularity, they got threatened but nothing too hardcore, and that was 2 or 3 years before it closed. By the end, the bar really wasn't that crowded, but god knows we got rowdy on monday nights without anyone giving a shit. I think when it came time to make an example of someone, they came back to Plant. When they got fined/padlocked, Plant's friday nights were much less crowded then at their peak. A whole bunch of places were getting threatened, we used to dance upstairs at Pianos all the time, but for a while it was a no go. I mean, the same cabaret laws in manhattan apply to brooklyn I assume but I've never heard of them being applied there.

anyway, if I remember correctedly, the monday our party was supposed to have Optimo dj was after the weekend they got shut down! Plant workes some deal where they were able to stay open but without turntables...they redesigned, set up an mp3 jukebox, and eventually set up the turntables again, but it was never the same. I still have Plant Bar matchbooks...I spent a lot of time, good and bad, in that little bar.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:37 (twenty years ago)

up knob creek without a paddle

hey just like my last bourbon bender

xpost

― Renard (Renard), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:39 (twenty years ago)

Didn't the cabaret laws orig have to do with anti-miscegenation and an effort to do away businesses of ill repute? Then Guiliani resurrected them to clean up T Square area and the city realized they were worth a pretty penny in fares/fines. That's always been my impression, at least.

― Laurel (Laurel), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:48 (twenty years ago)

something like that

the people that were fighting it in court just recently lost, too, I think

― Renard (Renard), Friday, 7 April 2006 19:55 (twenty years ago)

i brought a couple of my Scottish friends to Plant bar once, i think to see dj rupture. their impression was that the sound was great and the place was cool but there wasn't enough room to dance. which was true.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:22 (twenty years ago)

R.I.P. Plant Bar. I heard it's now a fashion boutique that converts into a lounge/bar at night. could be wrong.

the place was cool but there wasn't enough room to dance. which was true.

why is this always the case in nyc?

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

it's not, it just always seems to be the case at the places who have good bookers. maybe good bookers are agoraphobic.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 7 April 2006 21:33 (twenty years ago)

There are certainly places I'd rather play, but I thought it was better than some Manhattan places we've played (Ace of Clubs, for example, is total ass.) My favorite place to play in NYC is probably Southpaw in Brooklyn, but the location doesn't seem the most ideal for walk-ins.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:09 (twenty years ago)

southpaw is a great venue. it will be even better once the downstairs bar opens up!

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:18 (twenty years ago)

PIANOS IS LAME!

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:23 (twenty years ago)

I went to this fabulous S-K show at Southpaw a few years back, but it was like 105 in the place (in July, admittedly)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:24 (twenty years ago)

the story about Pianos that Paul refers to upthread: i had gone to see 2 many DJs and erol alkan at pianos - in the back room. i had gotten there early and was snug inside. the music was great and i was in a good mood. i felt like smoking a cigarette. as i pushed out through the doors into the front bar/restaurant area i saw an ENORMOUS line of shovy, frustrated people trying vainly to get in the door i'd just come out of. i asked the bouncer who was standing there - "am i going to have any trouble getting back in?" he said no, don't worry about it. i smoke my cigarette and come back in. huge queue is huger. i push to front and bouncer doesn't recognize me, doesn't let me in. "by my drink's in there! my friends are in there! i just went out for a cigarette, you said it would be fine!" he scarcely acknoledges me, and has his hands full with all the other angry people who have all PAID ten bucks or whatever but can't get in to see a show that's already about halfway over. the bouncer disappears behind the doors and comes out again, periodically, about every five minutes to tell people to stop pressing against the door. people are leaving the back room in twos and threes but no one is let in. finally the bouncer comes out and says "OK i can let in 10 people." he counts people off, 1, 2, 3, 4... i am the 10th. i come into the room, erol alkan is on... and it's practically EMPTY! there's like 20 people in there! wha???? vibe has been killed because of no crowd. i talk to my friends a bit. my drink is obviously long gone. i see felix da housecat come in with like three friends a little later and he takes one look around at the almost empty room and leaves. afterwards everybody went to Hole bar and felix da h. was there, too, people were smoking cigarettes and everything was great.

― Tracey Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:29 (twenty years ago)

WFMU but on an amazing bill at Southpaw once: ESG, Outhud, and more treats I can't remember. We couldn't get tickets tho.

― jinx hijinks (sanskrit), Friday, 7 April 2006 22:30 (twenty years ago)

the place was cool but there wasn't enough room to dance. which was true.

why is this always the case in nyc?

because 9 times out of 10 when the good promoters put on good shows in big spaces nobody shows up.

The sound at Plant was hit or miss. James Murphy, maybe you've heard of him? installed it and when it worked it was great. But some of it was super ad-hoc, maybe people trying to fix shit or whatever. For a while there was a switch up front for the bouncer guy to switch which would turn on a red light in the booth so the DJ could kill the music before the cops even saw inside. This hadn't been used in 2 years (if ever?) and one night, just as I was about to get started, I put a bag down and that cable shorted out and blew the fuse, there was like, fire in the booth (fire in the disco?), and half the lights shut off. We hit the circuit breaker and were good to go.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Friday, 7 April 2006 23:21 (twenty years ago)

i was there last xmas for a showcase where i met Tracer (who hooked up weed! my man). i had a good meal, but like dude said upthread, getting the band paid was an ordeal (good thing they coughed up or i woulda thugged out that place to bits). yo but Tracer later on i 'had to' share a bed with those french sisters when it started snowing, that was sort of AIGHT lol

― LeCoq (LeCoq), Friday, 7 April 2006 23:33 (twenty years ago)

good luck with your show phil d.

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 8 April 2006 00:50 (twenty years ago)

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