Then I thought, while I lived in Westchester, yes, I went to NYC, but my favorite place was the Beat.
In Port Chester.
I went there every night after work, and almost every weekend night.
One good thing was that right down the block there was a greasy spoon called Texas, where you could get great burgers with chili fries for less than $5 after 3:00 A.M.
The Beat was a hole-in-the-wall, and one of the first punk/alternative clubs outside of New York city.
It had a capacity of about 75, but usually filled to 150. Many bands of the era played there, including many appearances by the Smashing Pumpkins, Helmet, The Reverend Horton Heat
and others. These bands were scheduled to play in NYC, so you never knew ho would show up. You could, if you got there before 6:00 (or came with me) see a band that the next night would be playing in NYC for $50 a ticket for free. or show up at 8:00 and pay a $5.00 cover charge.
For the most part, if it was not on commercial radio and it did not have a synthesizer, it was welcome at The Beat.
So why did they do it?
Gin up attendance in NYC.
The weekends were mainly DJ based until the early to mid 90's
But I stopped going there just before 1990.
You know, marriage and all,
But the weekends were DJ based.
When I went there, I knew all the staff barmaids and bouncers, and I never had to pay the cover charge, they just let me in.
And they let me stay after closing, to hang out with the employees and the bands. I did have to mop and sweep, but that was OK. I think they liked the idea that someone else was moping while they smoked Kools with the bands.
But, for pushing a mop, I was in after hours, drinking for free with the band and staff, having a good time and talking with this dude.
The house DJ at The Beat from 1985 until about 1992, or maybe a year later, was
Moby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnj8IIY7bSk&index=5&list=RDN_Qwo8sT9U0
go figure.
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