REBEL SPIRIT MUSIC Venue Picks
Brought to you by rebel spirit music
Some our favorite musicians give extensive reviews of venues across the country!
Each month we will add more!
BESS ROGERS
Singer Songwriter and band mate of Ingrid Michaelson and Jenny Owen Youngs |
Spike Hill http://www.spikehill.com Brooklyn, NY [read ] RSM What's the name of the venue your going to review? where in the US is it located and what part of town is it in? BR Spike Hill, Brooklyn, NY RSM When did you play this venue and with whom? BR March 2008 RSM What type of music is played at the venue on a regular basis (Rock, acoustic singer songwriter, dance, etc) and what styles would fit best in the venue? BR Mostly rock, acoustic, singer/songwriter. Not much Jazz or dance. RSM What size crowd makes this room feel full? …or Semi full? BR 50-75 feels full. 100 is completely packed. RSM Did this venue seem to have patrons/regulars or was the crowd you played to solely there for the artist? BR One of the nice things about this place is that during the summer the doors to the front are wide open to Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg right at the L train stop. Its a really busy and trendy area and people definitely walk in from the street. RSM What was the sound system and backline like? Did you have any contact with the sound engineer? BR The sound system and backline are not great. The piano is out of tune and if you're in the back of the bar you won't be able to hear anything clearly because of where the speakers are placed. On stage - don't expect to be able to hear yourself very well. The sound engineer is super nice and will do everything he can do help, but he doesn't really know how to get everything sounding as good as it could. RSM Is there a charge to enter the venue? Do you know what percentage of the door bands get to keep or did you receive a set fee or tips? BR There is normally no cover charge. Just a tip jar. RSM Does the venue assist in promoting the show or is promoting the show entirely up to the artist? BR Promotion is up to the artist. Rockwood Music Hall RSM What's the name of the venue your going to review? where in the US is it located and what part of town is it in? BR Rockwood Music Hall, New York NY RSM When did you play this venue and with whom? BR March 2008 with my own band. I've also played there with Ingrid Michaelson. RSM What type of music is played at the venue on a regular basis (Rock, acoustic singer songwriter, dance, etc) and what styles would fit best in the venue? BR Mostly singer/songwriters and acoustic acts. Although they do have louder rock bands on occasion. The stage is TINY so you really can't have a large band there. RSM What size crowd makes this room feel full? …or Semi full? BR 75 is packed to the brim. RSM Did this venue seem to have patrons/regulars or was the crowd you played to solely there for the artist? BR It has a semi-regular crowd of people and many of them are musicians that play there. But for the most part people are there to see an artist. RSM What was the sound system and backline like? Did you have any contact with the sound engineer? BR They do a great job with sound there. I've never encountered a sound engineer who wasn't great. Usually it's the owner who does a wonderful job. RSM Is there a charge to enter the venue? Do you know what percentage of the door bands get to keep or did you receive a set fee or tips? BR There is no cover charge. RSM Does the venue assist in promoting the show or is promoting the show entirely up to the artist? BR Promotion is up to the artist RSM Any other things that stand out with the venue? BR It's super super tiny. This can be good or bad. If you're looking for an intimate setting this place is great. But be prepared to be very cramped on stage. It has a separate room in the back that people can go in to talk, which makes it a great listening room. People can also watch the show on a tv from that room. The Doug Fir Lounge RSM What's the name of the venue your going to review? where in the US is it located and what part of town is it in? BR The Doug Fir Lounge, Portland Oregon RSM When did you play this venue and with whom? BR with Jenny Owen Youngs in November of 2007 RSM What type of music is played at the venue on a regular basis (Rock, acoustic singer songwriter, dance, etc) and what styles would fit best in the venue? BR It seems like the type of venue that can fit any style of music. It can be intimate for a singer/songwriter and can hold a bad ass dance party. RSM What size crowd makes this room feel full? …or Semi full? BR 150-200 RSM Did this venue seem to have patrons/regulars or was the crowd you played to solely there for the artist? BR Most of the people there seemed to be for the artists, but I'm sure there are regular patrons. It's got a hotel, open bonfires, and a restaurant/bar attached, so it's a pretty fun place to hang out even if you're not familiar with the bands. RSM What was the sound system and backline like? Did you have any contact with the sound engineer? BR There was no backline. The sound engineer was thorough and competent and everything sounded excellent. RSM Is there a charge to enter the venue? Do you know what percentage of the door bands get to keep or did you receive a set fee or tips? BR There was a cover at our show. I'm not sure of the percentage. RSM Does the venue assist in promoting the show or is promoting the show entirely up to the artist? BR Ummm... I don't know. I was just playing guitar. RSM Any other things that stand out with the venue? BR If you are debating on where to play in Portland, this is the place to go. The hotel is awesome (kind of feels like you're staying in an ikea show room). Everyone hangs out by the bonfires outside an drinks. The food at the restaurant is great (they have vegan selections) and the venue itself is probably the coolest room I've ever been in. It's looks like a combination of a dance club and a log cabin. Pretty sweet. The World Cafe RSM What's the name of the venue your going to review? where in the US is it located and what part of town is it in? BR World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA RSM When did you play this venue and with whom? BR I have played the upstairs room with Jenny Owen Youngs and the main stage with Ingrid Michaelson. RSM What type of music is played at the venue on a regular basis (Rock, acoustic singer songwriter, dance, etc) and what styles would fit best in the venue? BR Rock, acoustic, singer/songwriter, world, etc. It's great for a variety of styles. RSM What size crowd makes this room feel full? …or Semi full? BR The upstairs is a dinner room, so with 75 people seated it would be pretty full. The downstairs holds about 500. RSM Did this venue seem to have patrons/regulars or was the crowd you played to solely there for the artist? BR The upstairs may have regular patrons because you can eat dinner there. But for the most part I think people go there to hear a particular artist. RSM What was the sound system and backline like? Did you have any contact with the sound engineer? BR Upstairs the sound system is fine. There is no backine. Downstairs the sound system is much better and I believe they have a house drums but I'm not sure about the rest. We brought our own gear. The sound crew are very pleasant and do a great job. RSM Is there a charge to enter the venue? Do you know what percentage of the door bands get to keep or did you receive a set fee or tips? BR There is a cover charge for both rooms. I don't know what the percentages are. RSM Does the venue assist in promoting the show or is promoting the show entirely up to the artist? BR World Cafe Live promotes their shows a lot within the venue. They are also affiliated with WXPN and sometimes announce or broadcast shows on the air. RSM Any other things that stand out with the venue? BR The green room for the downstairs space is beautiful with a clean shower and nice comfy couches. You'll also get fed a good meal. It's a nice place to relax if you've been on the road. The Living Room RSM What's the name of the venue your going to review? where in the US is it located and what part of town is it in? BR The Living Room, New York, NY RSM When did you play this venue and with whom? BR I've played there with my own band as well as with Jenny Owen Youngs and Ingrid Michaelson. RSM What type of music is played at the venue on a regular basis (Rock, acoustic singer songwriter, dance, etc) and what styles would fit best in the venue? BR It's a perfect venue for singer/songwriters and acoustic acts, but they also have the occasional rock band. RSM What size crowd makes this room feel full? …or Semi full? BR 100 would feel packed - 30 would feel semi full RSM Did this venue seem to have patrons/regulars or was the crowd you played to solely there for the artist? BR The Living Room definitely has a local crowd because of it's reputation, location and the fact that it's mostly free. On a good night, you'll most likely play for a handful of people that have just walked in. RSM What was the sound system and backline like? Did you have any contact with the sound engineer? BR They have a nice backline with everything you'd need as far as I remember. Plus an upright piano which is usually in tune. Everyone that I've ever heard doing sound here does an great job, plus the room itself sounds great. RSM Is there a charge to enter the venue? Do you know what percentage of the door bands get to keep or did you receive a set fee or tips? BR There is normally no cover charge although you can set one if you wish. They do pass a tip bucket around during your set. RSM Does the venue assist in promoting the show or is promoting the show entirely up to the artist? BR The venue posts you on their website but that's about it. RSM Any other things that stand out with the venue? BR The Living Room is one of the best listening rooms in NYC. When you're on stage you get the audience's full attention. There is a separate bar area where people can go to talk. |
You don't have to be a musician to give feedback, you just have to know your stuff! Interested in writing venue reviews? Email us at rebels@rebelspiritmusic.com.
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