by Filomena Culwell on This place is a hit or miss. Came here several times on Saturdays for free. Drinks are pricey like any other NYC clubs. Music in general is pretty good. However, the crowd was just alright. One time I came it was full of senior citizens. I am not joking!!! People with grey hair and cranes! Apparently there was a party before they opened to the public. But I just felt like I was in a senior home. The beds are all over the place as promised but I dont dare lie on it since I don't know what people have done on them! LOL
by Myrtis Lino on I went here a few weeks ago to see Son Volt. I entered from the street side/basement area so I saw the panoply of records that was put together as a display on the wall of the entranceway. Since I purchased my tickets last minute I had to go upstairs and pick them up. Once I managed that I had a chance to look around. The space is well decorated with radio and music paraphernalia. The upstairs lounge looked like it would be cool to hang out and catch a show. I made my way downstairs to the main venue. The downstairs area was well decorated and tastefully lighted. After being in some real music dives(cough cough, Starlight, cough cough) it was nice to be somewhere that was clean. The bar was also very nice and had a nice wood top. I ended up just getting some water, since I was feeling a tad verklempt. The waitress didn't bat an eye and promptly served me water. I left a nice tip for her, which also helped me get water promptly the rest of the night. That's a good lesson to learn for the younger rateclubsers. If you tip well initially, you'll get good service later on. The sound was pretty good, though they did have some problems early on in the show balancing the instruments with the vocalist. Later on things improved and the rest of the show sounded good. The crowd was a good mix of ages, but everyone seemed to be there for the music, ie. No chatty posers. However that seemed to be confined to the back area where I was standing. I heard from some guys that were up closer to the stage that there were some "Gee I've heard of these guys, I'll go so I can say I went and saw Son Volt" type of people yakking away during the show. The bathrooms were immaculate. That doesn't seem like a big deal until you've been to the the Starlight or other venues where they have Trainspotting type bathrooms. The people running the show were very nice and helpful as to getting tickets, taking your tickets and directing you to where you need to go. No sulking, no sullen faces, no ignoring you, no combativeness or frisking. In summary: Good music, good sound, good bar service, reasonably priced tickets. I'll be back.
by Elissa S. on Jake's Dilemma holds a special place in my heart. Initially, I kind of just wanted to copy and paste my review for The Gin Mill, but I realized that Jake's differs from GM in many aspects. How so? Let me list the ways: 1. BIG BUCK HUNTER - Oh my god, if this machine took credit cards, I would be here all night. Wait, I am here all night. I just happily feed the machine $5 bills. 2. Beer pong - two tables, conveniently located next to BIG BUCK HUNTER. 3. Foos Ball - I suck at this, but certainly a good time as well. 4. Pool Table - I never step up to this thing when there are people around, lest I knock out an eye/nose/testicle with a flying cue ball. 5. Library-like back room - Comfy couches and ottomans. My friends have made out on those couches. I, on the other hand, have not been so lucky. Perhaps if I spent less time playing BIG BUCK HUNTER (my real true love), I would.
