Читать книгу New York City's Best Dive Bars - Ben Westhoff - Страница 11

169 Bar

169 East Broadway (Rutgers Street) Transit: F to East Broadway

169barnyc.com (212) 473-8866

A woman sitting at the bar was ignoring the complimentary peanuts in front of her, in favor of her own plastic bag of cashews. Black, mustachioed, and flirting with the halter-topped barkeep, she was serious about her liquor, evidenced by the fact that she was drinking from two glasses simultaneously.

Most 169 Bar denizens fit this description. (The part about being serious about their liquor, not the part about being hirsute females.) With its leopard-skin pool table, Chinese lanterns, red vinyl booths and palm fronds nestled in bottles of Patron, the place offers a terrific environment to be off your rocker.

The David Lynchian vibe is almost enough to make you forget that they filmed an episode of Flight of the Conchords here. After all, Bret and Jemaine’s music would have a hard time finding its way onto the speakers at this eighty year-old Chinatown haunt, as owner/ musical curator Charles Hanson tends towards big band, jazz, blues and funk when there isn’t a DJ or live rock band. The stage is right next to the front door, so you’re forced to listen to the music no matter how bad it sucks. Thankfully, each act plays only thirty minute sets, and there’s substantial down time between groups.

If you’re interested in performing here, keep in mind that Hanson, a former New Orleans punk player who took over the place in 2006, has redecorated and reorganized the booking process, and there are tons of rules for bands nowadays; they must use the house drum kit, bring in a certain amount of customers, etc. After sets, the musicians become part of the crowd and begin eating their own cashews, grooming their own mustaches, or whatever.

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