more often than none, there are a number of other shows going down within the vast area that is NYC, that may interest those who could potentially see (and want to see)the Breakfast..   but choose otherwise..I never made it to Tobacco Rd. but have seen some healthy crowds at the knit and the lion\'s den.. Very impressed with the turnout from this past summer\'s boat cruise, esp for  a wed. night..
 for me, right now, nyc= meh
::puts on flame retardant suit::

QFT!!!!

And NYC is teh Ghey!!!. It will never be anything like it used to be. The city has no edge to it anymore. it is just like every other city. You could go down to a show in NYC and PARTY. those days are over. I cannot name 1 venue where this is true. 5 years ago I could name 5 off the top of my head. The Boat Cruise was the closest thing in recent memory but that has pretty much lost its allure as well.

You didn\'t have to sneak to do this or that. You could just go and enjoy a show or shows. Now you cannot do that, you have the same BS traffic, expensive drinks, and no where worth staying up until 5AM so u can catch the trains.

Unless you live in NYC it is the biggest pain in the ass to go shows in the city (I live only 50 minutes from midtown). I much prefer to go to shows upstate. The rules are the same but the traffic is almost non-existent, and drinks are much cheaper. I would rather drive 21/2 hours North then drive 1 hour south to the city to see a show.

CT is a little different for me anyway. I DO NOT DRINK and DRIVE anymore So that puts a damper on some fun. There are only a few venues near Hotels that the bfast play (Toads for example). They have been playing a few shows on Thursday nights and for those of us that have to work it makes it more difficult to get out to do (especially considering the above).

Are there any good clubs for soul-jazz/funk projects (not the straight-ahead, plain vanilla jazz that most people enjoy), or is the above specifically for jambands?  I was just thinking the other day that a city like NYC must have so many great venues to boogie down with exciting bands.  I\'m blessed out here with quite a few great venues all within 10 miles of me.  Definitely sad to hear if NYC is short on good venues, as I\'m thinking about heading there for a weekend in March.

It depends on what you are looking for. If you mean a bunch of places that will have good to great bands booked then Yes. NYC has a bunch of those. What I was trying to describe (and i guess miserably so)was the loss of the free for all attitude that the city once had. It was this attitude of some venues coupled with the jamband scene which really made the city blossom for me and others. That free for all attitude has been stomped out of the city. I guess some people really like it others like me do not.

I will sound like a broken record but it all basically comes down to Guilliani and his "Quality of Life" laws. Specifically the anti-smoking laws. It was this law specifically that I like to point to that killed the city. When they pushed the smokers outside they pushed everything else outside or out all together. OK yes I am talking about being able to puff 1 down during a show. To some it might not seem like a big deal. And in the large scheme of things it is kind of petty but it really kills the mood of a show (for me anyways). Where once you could just do what you wanted with a small amount of discretion now you have to be a concert ninja. Was it being spoiled, perhaps but it is very difficult to have to go back to the days of hiding in the crowd or taking a walk around the street or whatever. It is just annoying and was never an issue before.

So where does that leave the city. It leaves it just like any other place where you have to play the same stupid games. So the traffic and expensive everything starts to outweigh the benefits of going out in NYC, where the benefits used to always outweigh the hassle.

OK yes I am talking about being able to puff 1 down during a show. To some it might not seem like a big deal.

The is very little attention paid to those who want to smoke one here.  The only clubs out here that are likely to take a Webster-style approach on security would be hip hop clubs that attract lots of thugs with illegal guns.  Otherwise, western music clubs do little to meddle with a concertgoer\'s amusement.  The last time I saw strict security at a show (and I\'m out on the town nearly every weekend) was probably the Breakfast NYE 2004-2005 show at Toad\'s, where they were pulling people left-and-right out of the club (seemed to be Max Creek freaks exclusively).

Sounds like it\'s harder to find a little freedom in an increasingly unfree world.

yeah zurflu but buds are technically legal in cali too, so why would they give you a hard time for it in a club...

why do all music shows in NYC have to be in Manhattan?  that place is overpriced and overrated.  are there any good venues in Brooklyn or Queens that a band can play at?  Granted it\'ll still be a little on the pricey side, but nowhere as bad as the tourist trap that is Manhattan Island.

it\'s a great room but it would get NASTY fast in there.  if it\'s full with people actually dancing like they do at breakfast shows it might get unbearably hot in there.

upgrade the ventilation system in there and it would be perfect.

what did you think of hte pyramid club greg?  thats a nice room for the breakfast IMO.  seems like mike rocklin is looking to help them book bands at that club after a nice turnout this weekend.

the room was alright, a little small, but seeing as the breakfast usually don\'t pull crap in nyc anyways, it\'d be about the right size.  they\'re drinks were a little on the small size and pricey, but i guess thats par for the course in nyc.