Looking for a the best of the best? You can find them here - our Top 10 lists keep on growing. Today’s list features the best places to hear tunes around NYC. -Liz Levine
1. Cornelia Street Café
Opened in 1977, the narrow basement performance space of the Cornelia Street Café (pictured above) offers a cheaper, cozier alternative to other clubs in town that have high cover charges or a pesky drink minimum. An excellent place to take in some live jazz music, this mirrored, blue-bricked room also hosts events appropriate for all musical tastes, and even offers nights of poetry, comedy, and a science series. This much-varying bill of fare is suggestive of the history and engaging spirit of the venue, but in the end the intimacy and acoustics of the place lend best to performances of the musical type. With cute tables lining both walls and a well-stocked bar tucked in the back, the atmosphere is pleasant for romance and conversation between acts, and hey, it ain’t too shabby that they’ve got a three-star dining experience right upstairs. The Cornelia Street Café offers an easy all-in-one – a fine meal in a café that’s reminiscent of grandma’s house – and an intimate live show for the latter part of your evening.
2. The Fort at Sidewalk Café
Credited as the club that birthed the Antifolk movement, The Fort has been settled in the small backroom of the Sidewalk Café since 1993, and together the two form a celebrated spot in the East Village. The space is tight yet comfortable with a small stage up front to showcase the talent, and the no-cover policy makes it the perfect place for taking in a bit of culture without straining the wallet. We all know that wining, dining, and entertaining a date can be quite cumbersome to the budget, so take your special friend here where in exchange for free entrance, you’ll only be responsible for the two-drink-minimum. Herewith, you and your company may enjoy not only the intoxicating effects of beautiful notes on the ear, but the similarly exhilarating influence that alcoholic beverages tend to have on a person. Mostly home to aspiring singer-songwriters or silly-yet-talented garage band sorts, the atmosphere is low-key and with a youngish crowd. Conveniently, the attached Sidewalk Café offers inexpensive diner style food with a very vegetarian-friendly lean, so if desired, your date could remain entirely in one location for the whole of the evening
3. Cake Shop
This Lower East Side space has definitely got the young, fresh, and hip thing going on, so if you and your date are hoping to take in some rockin’ new indie bands, this is your spot. The upstairs coffee shop carries lots of delicious hot beverages and baked goods, and with its comfy couches and interesting art on display, it’s a fine spot for enjoying some pre-music conversing. Extend your time before the loudness begins by browsing the small yet plentiful record and book shop in the back corner, where you can impress your special someone with knowledge of obscure singles and outdated music trivia. At showtime, head downstairs to the snug basement space for some boozin’ and rock music. Cake Shop often hosts a long lineup of bands, sometimes even beginning in the late afternoon, so expect the talent to be ever-changing. A cheap $5-10 entrance might just win you the chance to see upwards of eight bands, so after being thoroughly rocked, you and your date can accurately discuss the state of the current music scene in NYC.
4. Village Vanguard
This historic jazz club is famous for its laundry list of reputable past acts and the spectacular acoustics of its wedge-shaped performance space. Arrive with your date not only ready to be enraptured by gorgeous sounds as you sit in the cozy room, but armed with bits of back-story with which to impress. Once a prohibition-era speakeasy called the Golden Triangle, the club opened as the Village Vanguard in 1935 and offered an array of entertainment including comedy, cabaret, and many varieties of music. Going strictly jazz in 1957, the place has since become famous for boosting the careers of countless genre greats, as the memorabilia lining the walls and numerous live-album recordings will attest. Arrive a little early to the romantic triangle basement room to snag a quieter table, where you and your date can both chat and be dizzied by beautiful, inspired music.
5. Union Hall
Roomy and popular Park Slope bar upstairs, the basement music space at Union Hall sticks with the professorly, bookish cabin feel of the place while offering an excellent location for seeing mostly indie (but not necessarily small time) bands do their thing. If the night you choose finds the music space crammed with eager listeners, it’s easy to find romantic conversing spots right outside the stage area. With come as you please access in and out of the basement, you and your date can move smoothly from watching performances, to chatting on a nice plush couch, to drinking on the large outside patio between sets. Furthermore to such bar staples, they’ve got a delicious menu should your stomach be growling, and a full, very active Bocce court that never fails to start a conversation. A plate of tasty sliders and a wild sporting match are an awesome accompaniment to a night of rocking.
6. Barbès
This small but lively Park Slope bar makes up for its tiny performance space with a wildly eclectic calendar of acts sure give you and your date the desire to boogie. A small, low-lit bar up front offers a fine pre-show place to chat and perhaps consume the beverages necessary to loosen you up for some dancing. The room where the music happens is lined with folding chairs, but those who remain seated will inevitably end up shaking at least their upper halves. The rest of the floor usually becomes crowded with dancin’ fools and revelers engaged by the participatory nature of the performances here. The intimacy of the room is far from awkward as the bands address members of the crowd and the server slips casually between returning and new imbibers. But the pretension-free ambience isn’t even Barbès’ best feature – it offers some of the most unique and varying lineups in town, presenting groups from all over the world that are sure to test and entice your musical taste. You and your date will have your pick from a calendar that may include a boot-stompin’ jug band, a Greek ensemble, or an African jazz band. Particularly popular is their Tuesday night Slavic Soul Party, which rages through this otherwise dull weeknight with a carefree Gypsy vibe and insanely dancey beats. You’ll have to save your quiet chatting for after the music’s through at this establishment, but as the night wares on you’ll find no shortage of giggle-worthy closeness and the infectious romance of the dance floor.
7. Music Hall of Williamsburg
If you’re hoping to attend a more typical rock concert event for your night on the town, the freshly renovated Music Hall of Williamsburg is located conveniently in this happening Brooklyn neighborhood, and has a large enough capacity for hot-right-now bands. For those who want to truly rock out they’ve got your typical large stage and spacious standing room, appropriate for either squished-in rowdiness up front, or the casual swaying of those standing at a more safe distance. When you and your date have had enough of both, this multileveled venue carries plenty of spots for grabbing a bit of rest for the legs and ears. There are two large lounge areas, one downstairs and one behind the balcony bleachers, and each offers the convenience and refreshment of a full bar. The MHoW can easily be comfortable for the couple who likes to sit at a table on the side of the stage, the couple who likes to rock out on the floor, or the couple who likes to relax on fancy couches while only sorta listening to the band.
8. McCarren Park Pool
This once public swimming facility turned Williamsburg concert venue is perfect for a summertime date, be it of the daytime or evening variety. Every Sunday during this season, as the sweltering heat makes us question our sanity, laugh at discomfort as you guzzle refreshing Brooklyn beer or take a trip down the Slip’n’Slide. Other non-musical diversions include the dodge ball games that rage in one corner, and the delicious BBQ items for sale should your stomach need sustenance. The shows themselves take place on a large stage at one end of the former pool, with the old concrete sloping slightly toward this point, offering views that seem almost made for such events. All of the sunny Sunday concerts are free of charge, and in the past have featured mostly up-and-coming or newly popular indie acts. For those who prefer the cool breezes of the evening, the Pool also hosts nighttime shows that while not as short-shorts appropriate, are a bit more romantic and sweat-free. The overall spaciousness of the place makes it an ideal choice for a pair who wants to enjoy the show but also be able to spread out on a picnic blanket for a chat.
9. Warsaw
The Warsaw is an excellent place to enjoy a larger concert event without losing the opportunity for intimate conversing and cute, datey moments. This Polish establishment offers on one side a large stage and accompanying floor space for while the band is doing their thing, and on the other side a long, friendly bar that’s separate enough from that action so that you may engage in conversation. This room also has cozy tables and standing room, so that if you weren’t paying attention you’d almost feel like you were just hanging out in a regular bar. Furthermore, the Warsaw serves delicious, authentic Polish morsels like pierogis and kielbasa, bonuses that deliciously round out the trio of positives this venue has going for itself. The convenience of being able to start and end your date in one place is ideal for those who want to focus on the food, music and fun rather than worry about your date’s comfort or sanity.
10. Town Hall
Attending a show at Town Hall in Midtown makes for a right classy evening. Resting comfortably between the formality of larger concert halls and the rowdiness of a dive bar with a stage, this theater has plush red seating and is pleasantly inviting. Though the overall atmosphere is nice and casual, the elegant lobby is a lovely place to chat before the performance and enjoy a cocktail or some light snacks. Once in front of the stage the assigned seating is nice for those who prefer a setting with a bit more luxury than the mosh pit, but that also manages to keep in tune with the rockin’ vibe that bands often provoke. Not to be restricted by the assigned seating, people tend to tap their toes wildly or even shake in their seats a bit when the music gets going. And hey, the comfy chairs may be ideal for your date’s success, as you’re finally able to execute the patented yawn-turning-into-an-embrace move so popular with the kids these days.
Liz Levine lives in Brooklyn and is the co-founder and co-editor of lizandlaura.com where she writes about music, pens poetry, and covers a number of humorous topics. Her work also appears at thestonewailer.com.
