Author: Pedaltone

Pays decent. They tend to choose bands that seem sophisticated and sound wallpapery. Many pay Lisa Lapine's 'consultation' (gatekeeper) fees for 'career development,' as well as play her summer parties for free- for a chance at the McM's gigs. I have heard mixed reviews of her consultations - some said they thought she was great, others thought otherwise. If you're thinking of a consultation just for the sake of a better shot at an Edgefield gig, please first, A) check her roster of artists to see if you recognize any of them, and B) Consider calling the guy who books the White Eagle, and playing there, first. Although the White Eagle is one of (if not the) last McM's properties that tends to pay poorly, the booking guy there is reportedly on the level and also books the Edgefield and other decent-paying McM venues like Boone's Treasury. It's still a hoop, but it's a cheaper one.

A historic building that happens to sound pretty good. high ceilings, lots of wood. Incredibly tall bar. Band sits in the front window, fits up to a quartet, which matches the pay. McM's pays reasonably well, and the bartenders and staff are friendly and supportive of the music. They also feed you, which is rare for McM's these days. Worth the trip if you can get the gig. The way to get in to McM's these days is via the booker at the White Eagle; you don't necessarily have to go through Lisa Lapine and pay her for her consultations any more.

Owner/Booker Steve also runs the travel agency a few doors down. A saxophonist himself, not only does he hire good acts and treat them reasonably well, he will occasionally sit in, and sounds good!

This is technically a concert hall, not a music club. Beautiful spring-loaded dance floor and murals. Capacity in the low thousands. Great place to play if you're a headlining band. Crap if you're the local schleps - i've opened there half a dozen times and was treated like a third class citizen every time. Booking agent Jimi Byron once made me and the band wait outside on the street before we went on, then made us run up three flights of stairs before going on! He later referred to the band we were openign for as "the REAL band," implying that we were... imaginary? I haven't been there for a year or two, maybe it's better. Be prepared to be very clear about what is acceptable behavior, and good luck!

Mostly rock, hard rock, and metal. Spitting distance from at least three strip clubs, there's a lot of hair and fishnets, like our own little sunset strip. Not sure if there are actually strippers working there but there's a tangible BDSM vibe. The pizza's supposed to be good. Booking agent and owner Frank is widely purported to be fair, and recently renovated and opened the nearby Star theatre as well. I do not believe this venue books bands that are not incredibly loud, you can usually hear them all the way from voodoo donut across the street. More fights at this venue than most others.

Brett, aka "Tony," a performer himself, is an even-handed businessman who looks out for his performers-- and the longevity of his business. This is not a typical "bar" venue, it's an older style of "supper club" where people buy tickets and make dinner reservations ahead of time. There's a lighting tech who runs a theatre-style spotlight, and they tend to host polished, professional 'revue' type shows, like tributes to (impersonators!) Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack... There's also big bands, smaller jazz combos, etc., usually with a singer. You will not find punk rock, indie rock, salsa, or dubstep at this venue, and it's a damn good thing.

Played here twice. Great location. Nice down-home kind of vibe. Venue staff were pretty nice. They provided a sound engineer, but they may have been employed by the headlining band; we opened. PA system was pretty limited and a little run-down. The engineer, though nice, could barely understand my stage plot, which is pretty standard. I couldn't tell if it was because they were inexperienced, because our sound needs were so beyond what the PA could offer (I think we specified two mixes) or a combo. The bar is a separate half of the building and the wrap-around patio is quite large. The music room probably has about a 60 capacity; it's not that big at all. Although the venue is in a trendy neighborhood, there appears to be little to no built-in traffic, so be prepared to be responsible for bringing all of the customers. Several of the postering services (e.g. posterchild) have telephone pole routes in this neighborhood that are pretty reasonable.

Andina is a large, very busy restaurant that serves South American food from the west side of the continent. There's a bar at one end, and, in a narrow strip wedged between the women's room, the kitchen, the bar, and a balcony, the band performs. Up to four people can fit there, provided their equipment is not very big. The food is good, and they feed you off the menu up to a certain price in a very regimented, short break. Try to enjoy as you eat very quickly. Try to snag the bartender as quickly as you can. They'll give you a few drinks, but it's very busy, so you'll have to be aggressive. The booking agent is named Jels. He also works pretty hard in the kitchen, I believe he is also general manager. Parking can be a little bit of a challenge in this neighborhood; factor in some time to find a spot.

Tiny place. Well-established base of loyal regulars. Offers bands guarantees, putting it well above the norm, and, as such, some very fine bands (Sneakin' Out comes to mind) play here - if they can fit!

This is the lounge of an airport hotel. They generally book jazz trios.

I've danced here before, it's great for that. Huge dance floor. I've played here twice; the sound was abominable both times. The performance area is a cubbyhole between a wall of plate-glass windows and a childrens' play area walled in by plate-glass windows. The walls opposite the performance are are plate-glass windows. It might have been better if they'd let us plug into the house PA, which the DJ's use, but they did not. It is possible to pack a lot of people in this large room. Good luck!

a beautiful venue, swank, on SW stark and 11th, near Powell's. Band play for people coming and going from the theatre multiplex. There is a bar that has some food. Not a bad gig, and people speak well of Ajay, the booker. The pay wouldn't be bad if the gig were not quite so long.