Best live music bar nyc5/8/2023 ![]() And at a certain point, they’ll have to go inside. He knows not all musicians can afford to do so. Yet, as it gets colder, there’s a new set of concerns: Who will still dine outside? Who can afford heaters? Will musicians feel comfortable playing indoors? Will restaurants give up seating space - and capacity - for entertainment? With the winter in mind, violinist James Teal bought a carbon fiber instrument, which can withstand the weather far better than its traditional wooden counterpart. ![]() ![]() (This being Park Slope, it’s probably a given that kids dance outside of the restaurant.) There’s an undeniable curb appeal to a restaurant with music, one that feels more alive: Pasta Louise owner Allison Arevalo opened her doors in July, and Park Slope neighbors have come in to praise the outdoor music and offer up other potential acts. After all, a five-piece band is included in the capacity limit. Those who are open must also consider what matters most to their bottom line: entertainment, or space for one more paying table. Bushwick’s House of Yes was temporarily closed for violating regulations they believed they were following.) (In fact, proprietors have found themselves in the dark frequently regarding city rules. When he made those calls, no one could give him an answer. Crown Heights bar Wild Birds opened in July co-owner and booker Julian Klepper had to call five different government agencies to determine whether he was even able to host music outside, a condition related to his liquor license. The rules haven’t been easy to navigate for operators, either. “Restaurants and clubs are struggling to figure out how they can survive, and then the city is struggling trying to figure out how to get people to be able to survive but also to be safe,” says Stefan Zeniuk, the Gotham Easy’s clarinetist and saxophonist. Afterward, they were told they couldn’t return. Recently, the Gotham Easy was hit with noise complaints as they played a bar on Avenue B. With venue shutdowns and new regulations, playing gets more perilous, too. It doesn’t help that guaranteed rates for musicians haven’t changed much since the 1960s and ’70s, according to the group’s tubaist Joe Exley. The percentage changes based on how many tips we’re able to hustle, but at the end of the day, maybe a quarter of it, or less, is guaranteed.” “We’ve had gigs where we get 10 percent from the venue, and the rest is tips. We know a lot of people who have made opportunities for themselves - just get a band together and go from restaurant to restaurant or bar to bar and scrounge for tips,” says Chris Cortier, a trombonist and singer for the Gotham Easy. “There are definitely fewer opportunities. (All of its members also participate in other bands and sometimes perform solo.) Jazz band the Gotham Easy relies on tips, and with five bandmates, profits can thin out quickly. Taylor relies primarily on the restaurant’s guaranteed pay, but not all gigs have a guaranteed rate - or at least a substantial one. Saxophonist Sam Taylor has noticed that most musicians currently playing at restaurants and bars had a relationship with the business beforehand, and that’s the case with his stint at the Grange Bar and Eatery in Hamilton Heights. Still, those gigs can be difficult to secure. ![]() Now, though, besides private events, which have dwindled both in regularity and size, restaurant and bar gigs are one of few ways working musicians can get paid while venues remain shuttered. Heat lamps are too expensive.Ī musician herself, Johansen is also among a number of bar and restaurant owners hiring musicians, a practice that fell out of favor even before iPhones, streaming services, and sound systems became the ambiance-providers of choice. In anticipation of the winter, Sunny’s owner, Tone Johansen, has embroidered the bar’s logo onto blankets she plans to sell. Sunny’s Bar has survived the Spanish flu, Prohibition, and both World Wars - COVID-19 is the latest hurdle, as the Red Hook bar grapples with the financial instability that comes with reduced indoor capacity and outdoor service that’s hindered by weather and available space. Musicians Adrian Moring (bass), Juan Carlos Polo (drums), and Arturo O’Farrill (piano) playing at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club on October 20.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |