There was a line down to the end of the block this afternoon at 2:15. I don t know who is playing tonight, but those folks were willing to endure boredom and pain to get in.
I have been to Bogart s multiple times and it is consistently my least favorite venue in the city. First of all, it is in a very bad area in Clifton. I definitely would not show up any earlier than you need to to avoid waiting in a line. The club itself lacks the atmosphere of a lot of the cool venues around town (such as Southgate House). It is just a big open space and could use some remodeling. The sound isn t always bad but I ve had my experiences when it was. Also be prepared to deal with the plethora of drunk college kids (UC is in Clifton) and tough-guy bouncers.Alas, good music is good music, so if you definitely want to see the band, go for it. But after being there, I wouldn t go back unless I really had to.
I ve been there a few times. When you walk in it s just a bar then you go down a few steps to a slightly larger area where bands will have their tshirt booths etc. Then you walk down little ramps to a kinda big open rectangular area with a stage at the end. That s really all nothing special and it can get pretty crowded depending on the day and the bands. There s a line outside to wait but I was with a group of people and felt perfectly comfortable being outside. They will check your pockets and purses, so be ready for that, but otherwise it s good enough if you wanna hear some music.
i have been going there for over 20 years. back in the 90 s it was horrible because of the bouncers. but now it s not bad. shows are usually good. as long as you are not rowdy the bouncers really won t bother you. i have been there when the sound was not good only once. if you really like who is playing the venue really does not matter.