Brooklyn Bowl

Ever been to  Rock 'n Bowl in New Orleans?  A total run down bowling alley that plays live music.  Great concept.  Take it to Brooklyn and the experience is transformational. 

I read about the opening of the Brooklyn Bowl when it first opened.  Made a mental note to get there.  Also made a mental note that the economy was going sour and that the concept sounded expensive and quite grand for the times.  We saw the venue last night, quickly thought again, it is genius.  A tad clean at this point but I am sure that will change over time.  Sort of has a Southern bend like a clean honky-tonk bar out of Austin, TX.  The cleanliness sort of makes you wonder if you are in Brooklyn but believe me, you are.

The venue has a variety of different rooms that flow into each other.  You can sit down and eat, you can hang at the bar, you can bowl ( very sweet bowling spot with large leather couches for sitting in each area ), or you can go see live music.  No plastic glasses at this place but big glasses for beers on tap and wine glasses.  Nice touch.  I particularly like the glass wall with filled with arcade dolls, the ones where you generally buy 3 balls to hit down and win a stuffed animal. 

We went to see The Gaslight Anthemn.  Sort of mixture of Bruce Springsteen meets Pete Yorn and happens to bump into The Killers on the way out of New Jersey.  90% of the audience knew every word which was really nice to see.  The band was totally into the place.  Young, buff and clean cut.  Don't love them but seeing the venue was worth the trip ( and of course dinner at Dressler's and the company we were with ). 

Check out the Brooklyn Bowl, find a band you love and go.  Or if you love to bowl and toss back a few, this could be your place.  Except for the tunnel of smokers en route to the front door, a great additional venue to the city.