In honor of the newest DIY, The Bodega...

DIY venues are terrific and horrible. They're terrific for their horrible-ness, and horrible for their terrificness.

Though people seem to lament New York's past, the 80's maybe, when venues weren't filled with blog-hyped bands and weren't getting "shut down every two seconds", I don't. Maybe it's because I barely popped out of my mom's woo-hah before 1990 approached. Maybe it's because I got into fringe music pretty late (for whatever reason). Maybe it's because I have a hunch that smaller venues aren't getting busted any more frequently than before and because the "hyped blog bands" shouldn't be faulted or denounced for playing more intimate venues. Music for music's sake is a beautiful thing. And for goodness' sake: it's not Clearchannel, LiveNation or the now ginormous Bowery Presents. Yes, breathe a sigh of relief.

Pros...
-fringe music
-'music head' crowds
-little fluff
-ALL AGES!
-LITTLE/NO MONEY!
-more bands

Cons...
-shotty equipment / bad sound (usually)
-little ambiance: basements and unfinished walls could be a con for those looking for atmosphere
-no liquor license=potential trouble with Johnny Law...and no more venue...

A few notable DIY/ smaller Venues in BK, NY:
-Death By Audio: my highschool grad party was thrown there, and then everyone got kicked out for a broken sink
-The Bodega: owned by the folks at ChiefMag. Follow the murder sign downstairs. (more on the July 4th show, later)
-Goodbye Blue Monday: right next door. Looks like your g'ma's attic threw up. I like it.
-The Woodser
-Soundfix: okay, it's not DIY, it's an instore, but it's pretty damn close.
-Asterisk* Art Project
-Issue Project Room (though rumor has it that they're moving to a more permanent location soon)
-The Yard
***I forgot to mention
-Silent Barn
-Market Hotel

DIY/smaller Venues in the city:
-@ Seaport 219 Water Street: (brought to you by the people who produce the free summer shows at the Seaport...I'm not sure if it's still around)
-The Stone
-The Tank
-Less Artists More Condos

THERES TONS. Todd P claims he's booking less, but check his page anyway. He's a good place to start. If anything, I respect him for a genuine interest in giving artists a voice and a place to play, and for giving underage kids a place to go in a 21+, 18+ city.