Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Union and 7th Ave, Brooklyn
This place could be fairly okay if they would only play decent music. Seriously, this place has probably the worst selection I’ve ever heard: Fleetwood Mac (the definite highlight, which says a lot), James Taylor, LIVE Grateful Dead, Jamiroquai - the list goes on. But it’s open late and has free internet and they don’t care if you buy anything. Still, I feel the bad music sneaking through my skin every time I’m there.

Oh yeah, and the art: it’s always changing but it’s consistently bad, I mean, really terrible. It’s kind of amazing in a way.

Maybe it’s not such a bad thing that this place is closing down. As my associate Max put it, “Punk rock is dead when the bartender at CBGB is wearing earplugs.”

It might not be fair to judge the main stage by the condition of the lounge, but anyplace where it costs $10 to see a crappy ska/pop-punk band and $6 (!) for a bottle of beer (to be fair Bud bottles were $5) is definitely NOT punk rock in my book. I don’t care how many $30 t-shirts they have for sale on the wall. Maybe it’s just my disillusionment talking, but I probably would have had more fun at House of Blues.