In an intimate, darken music club, groups of people engaging in idle chit chat were quickly drawn to the stage when the opening band began to perform. The crowd was brought to screams of excitement and anticipation with the introduction of the first performance of the night. The setting? A popular local New York City music club, the Knitting Factory.
Being a native New Yorker, I had always heard of the Knitting Factory and that it was a great place to check out new bands. The Knitting Factory is a music venue that hosts musicians, mostly of the rock and jazz genres, each night in one of its three performance spaces. I recently had the opportunity to go the Knitting Factory for the first time when I found out that a band I had discovered on Myspace.com was going to play there over the weekend. I figured paying 10 bucks to see a great new band on the cusp of hitting big was a pretty good deal.
From the outside, the Knitting Factory doesn’t appear to be anything special. In fact, you would probably pass it by working the streets of New York and wouldn’t notice it unless you were actually looking for it. The inside isn’t exactly the Taj Mahal either, but it has a down to earth, starving artist feel to it.
The real beauty of the club is the three venue stages, each located on a different floor of the club. The Main Office is on the main floor, below that is the Tap Bar, and in the basement is the Old Office. Unlike most places in the city, this club is actually quite affordable. Most tickets range from $6-$10 to watch at least six bands.
Another good thing about this club is there isn’t an age requirement to enter, unlike many venues in New York City. Yes, they do serve alcohol, but only to those of age with proper ID. Most of the talent that plays at the club is usually unknown or just branching out into the music industry. It provides an intimate setting where the audience can have a chance to meet with the artists after they’re done with their set. Fans can also buy band merchandise such as CD’s, t-shirts, and sweaters for pretty affordable prices. It’s a great place if you just want to hang out and listen to some new bands.
Although I originally went to see The Morning Of, I ended up discovering two other really great bands. On the bill for that night were The Day Before, Deciding Tonight, The Morning Of, There For Tomorrow and Settings. I stayed for the first three performances which were pretty great.
The Day Before, which will be working on an album in the coming months, was the first band to perform and I must say they were a great opener. They had so much energy, great talent, and a young playful side. The second act to perform was Long Island native Deciding Tonight. The last band I saw was The Morning Of and they gave an amazing performance. They brought the energy of the crowd to an even higher level and pretty much rocked that night. Although most of those bands weren’t signed to major labels, or signed to any label at all, they had developed a strong fan base. What was refreshing about each of the bands was that they genuinely seemed to enjoy what they were doing. In a day and age where most people are just out to make a quick buck, these performers showed a passion for what they do. They have a great passion for music and for expressing themselves with other people through their passion.
All in all my experience at the Knitting Factory was an unforgettable one that I hope to repeat again soon. I suggest to any who’s in the city to check out the club.
