Been a while. I've not been real active lately as during the summer and fall, I was playing pretty much non-stop. Also, there hasn't been a lot happening out there that gets me all worked up any more.
I understand we've lost some more live music venues. I understand Porter's Oyster Bar - Yellowtails Grill is closed now. Although I feel bad about that, the place was certainly not a great place to see a band in. Also, the owner had this attitude that was a touch "uppity" for Crystal Lake. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice place, but the food was too expensive for the quality you got and for ordinary average guys like most of us, this place was trying to be a little too "Chicago", if you know what I mean.
Although it's not in McHenry County, Idols Sports Bar is out of business. There goes another live music venue.
Talking about being a bit too "Chicago" for my liking, The Buzz, the new place out on Rt 14 in Crystal Lake, is another place I think may only make it to the end of the year, if that long. It's a square box room. Nice bar. It has a long line of benches all the way down one long wall. When I was there to see Phidget (yes guys, I was there), I was not impressed. It's too slick. The parking blows. The thing that really puts me off is that the management has obviously made a deal with Joey D to put some bands in there. I could of course be totally wrong but the band lineup as indicated on the web site screams of Mr. D.
So, if you missed Libido Funk Circus at the Fire Bar, don't worry, you can see them at The Buzz. If you missed them at The Buzz, don't worry, you can see them at Sideouts ... and on and on. That same circulation of the same old bands will continue. Therefore, the entertainment at The Buzz is nothing novel and exciting, except that you probably won't see many of the local bands there.
Bets anyone? I hope I'm wrong but I have The Buzz gone by December.
On the other weird side of things, The Cottage in downtown Crystal Lake has had some entertainment in there and get this, so does the Breakers. I haven't been to Breakers to see the entertainment but it sounds kind of scary to be thinking of single and duo acts in that place. However, KUDOS to both of you for having us play for your customers!
Thirsty Whale has bands. What an ant farm that place is. It's a place for the kids. It has bands but again, not a real fun place to see a band in, in my opinion.
Wool Street in Cary still seems to have bands although I'm getting tired of that place. As a side note, Double D, it might be nice to actually pay the bands a decent $. Just an observation on behalf of the musicians. The place seems to be taken over after 11 by the "Dance/Rap" contingent.
Well, I'm going to try to get out again to see some groups. Like I said earlier, there's not a lot out there that gets me excited any more. It's always the same songs. It's most often, always the same bands. I'll snap out of it eventually.
Showing posts with label the cottage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the cottage. Show all posts
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Friday, September 14, 2007
Getting Worried About Duke O'Brien's
You know. I'm getting worried about Duke O'Brien's.
Back in the 1970's - 1980's, it was Cat Ballou's. In actuality Cat Ballou's looked very much like Duke O'Brien's does now; dingy, usually dirty-looking and mostly kind of dark. It was a fun place however and the only place of its kind in town ... and the biggest. Then, it changed into Southside Johnny's. It was cleaned up and bright-looking, had live music and had good food. Then it became Duke O'Brien's ..... and things changed again.
In many ways, Duke's is not a lot different from a lot of other bars that have live music. If you are a hot-looking female in a tank top, you can get in for free. I've seen whole groups of women get in without paying and I've seen a few guys who are obviously the friends of the doorman's get in for free. This is a direct rip-off for the band who, by the way, is working way harder than that doorman.
There is also the friendliness factor, which is totally lacking in Duke O'Brien's at night when it's time for the band to go on. The door guys never smile. They just have this air of being on some kind of power trip. Dingy, unfriendly, hard to get around in, bad washrooms, and lately ... a lot of not-quite-up-to-par bands.
When JD took over the booking there, almost all of the local bands were nixed out of a chance to have a place to play in locally. If you wanted to see Insomnia on a Saturday night, check out Sideouts or Algonquin Road House or wait a week. They'll be at one of them. Then JD picked up even the little places like Georgios and DC Cobbs and Govnors. You had to be on JD's money maker list to get booked anywhere around here. I'm just guessing but I'll bet you the bigger better bands are not making anywhere near the money in Duke's as they used to so the D-Man's backing off on booking the bigger bands there. Maybe local groups can get back in again .... if the place stays open.
I don't know the reasons for Dave Sarkis's departure but he and Skaja are premier-class musicians and entertainers and Sarkis has been there since he was old enough to walk. You have to think Sarkis is making a move either because he sees the writing on the wall or Duke's management doesn't want to pay any more. It's a genuine drag to see Dave and Skaja leave. They are truly excellent musicians and McHenry County should be proud to have them.
I don't know. I don't see Duke's making it. The 20-somethings were shunning the place for the most part anyway for a few years now. Duke's has always had great great food but that alone is not enough to keep it afloat. The 20-somethings are gravitating to Finn McCool's and the Cottage now. Duke's can make it and maybe still could make it as a live-music place but it will take a bunch of bucks to clean it up and probably new management to show these employees that their livelihoods depend on how they greet and treat people.
85 Brink Street could keep do better but I think that place needs a new attitude. Labemi's is just too dark and scary in there. The deck may help but the place needs to be more festive. The Williams Street Tap is way too scary to hang out in. It's turned around some but there still seems to be an an unsavory crowd that hangs out there. Georgio's used to be the 20-something hangout and will lose that title if it hasn't already. It just needs a gimmick now.
The real sleeper is Metro Bowl. That place could be a friggin gold mine if they wanted to be. It's very obvious they just don't want to be because why else to they stay like they are? They're hopeless. They want to be the last of the townie bars and they'll tread water until they sell the place in their old age trying to keep it that way.
Well ... that's my take. Let me know what you think.
Back in the 1970's - 1980's, it was Cat Ballou's. In actuality Cat Ballou's looked very much like Duke O'Brien's does now; dingy, usually dirty-looking and mostly kind of dark. It was a fun place however and the only place of its kind in town ... and the biggest. Then, it changed into Southside Johnny's. It was cleaned up and bright-looking, had live music and had good food. Then it became Duke O'Brien's ..... and things changed again.
In many ways, Duke's is not a lot different from a lot of other bars that have live music. If you are a hot-looking female in a tank top, you can get in for free. I've seen whole groups of women get in without paying and I've seen a few guys who are obviously the friends of the doorman's get in for free. This is a direct rip-off for the band who, by the way, is working way harder than that doorman.
There is also the friendliness factor, which is totally lacking in Duke O'Brien's at night when it's time for the band to go on. The door guys never smile. They just have this air of being on some kind of power trip. Dingy, unfriendly, hard to get around in, bad washrooms, and lately ... a lot of not-quite-up-to-par bands.
When JD took over the booking there, almost all of the local bands were nixed out of a chance to have a place to play in locally. If you wanted to see Insomnia on a Saturday night, check out Sideouts or Algonquin Road House or wait a week. They'll be at one of them. Then JD picked up even the little places like Georgios and DC Cobbs and Govnors. You had to be on JD's money maker list to get booked anywhere around here. I'm just guessing but I'll bet you the bigger better bands are not making anywhere near the money in Duke's as they used to so the D-Man's backing off on booking the bigger bands there. Maybe local groups can get back in again .... if the place stays open.
I don't know the reasons for Dave Sarkis's departure but he and Skaja are premier-class musicians and entertainers and Sarkis has been there since he was old enough to walk. You have to think Sarkis is making a move either because he sees the writing on the wall or Duke's management doesn't want to pay any more. It's a genuine drag to see Dave and Skaja leave. They are truly excellent musicians and McHenry County should be proud to have them.
I don't know. I don't see Duke's making it. The 20-somethings were shunning the place for the most part anyway for a few years now. Duke's has always had great great food but that alone is not enough to keep it afloat. The 20-somethings are gravitating to Finn McCool's and the Cottage now. Duke's can make it and maybe still could make it as a live-music place but it will take a bunch of bucks to clean it up and probably new management to show these employees that their livelihoods depend on how they greet and treat people.
85 Brink Street could keep do better but I think that place needs a new attitude. Labemi's is just too dark and scary in there. The deck may help but the place needs to be more festive. The Williams Street Tap is way too scary to hang out in. It's turned around some but there still seems to be an an unsavory crowd that hangs out there. Georgio's used to be the 20-something hangout and will lose that title if it hasn't already. It just needs a gimmick now.
The real sleeper is Metro Bowl. That place could be a friggin gold mine if they wanted to be. It's very obvious they just don't want to be because why else to they stay like they are? They're hopeless. They want to be the last of the townie bars and they'll tread water until they sell the place in their old age trying to keep it that way.
Well ... that's my take. Let me know what you think.
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