Loved this place ! I was there for the opening week and caught every show of the Fabulous Dr. John, early and late. The fact it was just about the music made it a pleasure to go there. The late shows were the great shows ! Many musicians would be in the audience as they would hit it when their gigs were over. Tower of Power would blow the place apart while Gentle Giant would be in the audience going nuts. The Blues guys were the best Albert king, Freddie King, Buddy guy, you name it. Many times you would be sitting next to Bill Graham or Clive Davis. lots of music business guys. They had eclectic line ups, Sleepy John Estes opening for Weather Report was great. but the best show Ever was Count Basie and his full orchestra burning the place down one night in '76. It was like the Queen Mary ocean liner squeezed into a phone booth !!! What a place !!

"KILROY WAS HERE"

the words I read, the first words I read above the bathroom stall that was just puked in, drank a shot and a beer, my band that later named Springwheel, which consisted of Stuffy Capobianco, drummer Josh Kates, and Rob Terry sat in on bass, We had an hour to play, we sold 50 tickets at a buck to get the room; set but a setup problem resulted in a three song medley of Stuffy;s originals that we never rehearsed together, no recording and I got a parking ticket for $75 bucks. No of which would could save the SPRINGWHEEL, maybe if demand I'll drop it on itunes like the BEatles....peace, Also played every other club on Bleeker Street that would let us the Sumer of 1994, TWELVETOMATO.

I worked at The Bottom Line from September 1976 until September 1977. AND, I went to two Bruce Springsteen shows in 1974, on "walk in" tickets. While I worked there, I saw so many great concerts, and as Russell wrote above, got a great education in jazz. ( Russell W, of the Sic Fu*s, is that you?)
Best memories: Lights were down, Patti Smith started singing "Because The Night", lights came up, and the guy playing piano was Springsteen. The cast of "Saturday Night Live" would show up. Going to the Dolly Parton after show party at Windows of the World, and riding up with Mick Jagger. It wasn't all fun, but a lot of good memories. John Curtin, the head host, would give autographs as Meatloaf. John,where are you?

Saw a lot of shows there when I was in grad school. Many times I would walk over to the box office in the afternoon and get a ticket for the same night. Saw Taj Majal there twice, Jane Siberry many times, an Idiot's Delight 'In Their Own Words' show. And Michelle Shocked, summer of 1993. In the middle of a song, she stopped to ask if it was after midnight because it was her first wedding anniversary. She dragged her husband on stage to celebrate.

I worked at the BL in the late 70s –started in the kitchen with John the Chef but quickly got moved to the floor when my lack of culinary skills was discovered. Fine by me – that’s where I could watch the shows – and what a great experience that was. My favorite shows from that time include: Dire Straits, Philip Glass (playing music from Einstein on the Beach – phenomenal!), The Police, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, Peter Tosh, The Roaches, Garland Jeffreys, The Tourists (pre Eurythmics), Prince, The Tom Robinson Band, Clannad, Joe Jackson (looking sharp), Dexter Gordon (who seemed to always think that the 8:30 show started at 10:30), John Cougar Mellencamp (at that time, performed as John Cougar – he was second on the bill to Tracy Nelson who canceled that night b/c she was sick – maybe 40 people in the audience – great show with John running all over the room having fun.), Willy DeVille, Lowell George, The Shirts, Pat Benetar, Steve Forbert, and, or course, The ‘Be Stiff’ tour – a group show of Stiff Records artists (Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury, Rachel Sweet, etc) I recall how the English band, The Fabulous Poodles (I think it was them), scheduled to have their show broadcast live on WNEW, had their equipment stolen the night before and, instead, had to do an acoustic set with borrowed equipment.

For me, though, the most memorable shows at that time were the Lou Reed shows – you never knew what was going to happen as the room was always way-too-packed, electric, and potentially combustible – great stuff.

As for what happened to these venues, later, as I recall, when they first came to New York, the more-know artists (The Clash, semi-big at that time Adam Ant, etc.) started to play larger venues like the Palladium instead of the BL. And then, of course, in ’81, MTV started broadcasting, which really changed how artists were introduced.

I don't know what venue some of these haters went to, but it surely wasn't the Bottom Line that I knew and loved. It was simply the best music venue that I've ever been to, and in my line of work I've been to a lot of them.

Memorable shows were the legendary Bruce Springsteen shows in 1975, Todd Rundgren's "Back to the Bars" tour, and several Buddy and Julie Miller shows.

I played the Bottom Line a few times beginning in 1984 with my band (the Fugs). It was a great venue. When the show aired, I was driving, so I didn't call in with a comment, but I really wanted to respond to what one of the guests said. He seemed to be saying that venues like Max's and the BL went out of business because the music outgrew the smaller venues. But there were, of course, economic factors. I remember being at the BL before a gig and talking with Charlie Rothschild, a veteran agent promoter of NY music since the early 60s. He was saying that the reason there were so few medium-sized venues between the dive bars and the big halls was the cost of insurance. Great show. I listen every day. Thank you.

I saw Lowell George with a couple of
Little Feat band members about a week
or two before he died. He was one of my
all-time favorite rock singers.

I grew up in the New York in the 70's and although I have very many special memories of shows at the Bottom Line---the Police, 10,000 Maniacs, Poi Dog Pondering and Lucinda Williams, the sad truth is that the Bottom Line had a terrible reputation as an exploitative, horrible place to work and to play. My family and friends have always been artists and musicians and there was no club in New York that was more dreaded as a venue---the hustle for the terrible drinks was intense, the vibe was awful, the sound appalling. The waitresses were unsalaried and abused which made them grumpy. I loved the bands but I have no nostalgia for the Bottom Line---which always seemed so aptly named, as that was their main concern.

a lot of comments sound like people missing the forrest for the trees. truth be told,i was so focused on the music,i did not really care about food,pillars,creepy weirdo psycho whatevers'. i got a nice present,i didn't give a bloody how the wrapping looked,or if it was given to me with a smile or not.

Every Thanksgiving I found myself there with friends to see Buster Poindexter and then we followed him and the band around in the conga line.

How about one in Jersey... The Meadowbrook in Cedar Grove. It was 'the' place in the early 1980's for new bands, especially 'new wave'. I was there nearly every Friday night for years. U2 was the biggest future star I saw there, but I also saw Eurythmics, Flock of Seagulls, Robert Palmer, Duran Duran, Robert Gordon, The Waitresses, Stray Cats, Romeo Void, Oingo Boingo, Romantics. Peter Gabriel, Ramones, Pete Shelley.....

Saw great concerts and among the ones that stand out were Laura Nyro in a red dress with red roses on a shiny black piano, Roy Buchanan who came in quietly, got on stage and said he was going to "rock our brains out", Tim Hardin and oh, so many others.

The Bottom Line was unusual in that it was a music venue -- not a hang-out, not a scene, not a celebrity spot. It wasn't ahead of the curve, trend-setting or exclusive; the food was "fast", the seating was hit-or-miss. But oh man, the music was always the focus, typically great sound work at less brain-cruching volumes than CBGB or Max's, groups up-and-coming, or down-but-not out, solo, acoustic, electric, big, little, famous and not. It was, as RW has mentioned, a great jazz venue, but also blues, Brit pop, reggae and folk. It could be seen as a legacy of the best radio mixes from the 60's and early 70's when you could hear almost any style of music at one time or another.

wnew-changed because of media consolidation,as much as changing tastes,don't you think?

My wife and I went on our first date to the Bottom Line. The show was NRBQ in around 1982. She didn't want to go and turned me down and then reconsidered. We are still together. Another great memory was seeing a young K.D. Lang open for Warren Zevon.

Before a tear is even wasted over the demise of the Bottom Line, let's remember that the place was run by two of the biggest skinflints that ever operated
(recall how the waitresses always look so stressed..and how mundane the food was,not to mention the cheap chairs and tables).The only reason the club lasted so long was the subsidy as a showcase from then flush record industry! Sure there were many great great shows--but that was due more to record company A&R guys and publicity departments than
the clubowners--who no doubt "skimmed" the place to death!!AND people who were willing to overlook the discomfort!!

For my ears' worth, the Bottom Line was the best-sounding small concert venue in New York. But if you were sitting on the side or behind a piller, the view wasn't great.

I first went to the Bottom Line to hear the great John McLaughlin and his acoustic Indian fusion band, Shakti, at the age of about 16. It was a life changing experience and the first of scores of shows of all kinds of music that I took in there. When I became a musician myself and played there with several different artists, I really felt that I had grown up and in a sense, arrived. When the place closed, I felt that a key part of my youth was gone forever.

Thanks to having very strange musical tastes, I spent much of my teenage years at the Bottom Line with my father learning about different kinds of music and seeing some wonderful acts that just didn't come around all that often. We were devastated when it closed down.

There was much great music at the Bottom Line, but it was run in a creepy way. So many bad vibes--from trying to reinvent the definition of "gross" in their settlements to just charging musicians to bring in a cup of coffee from outside world. They even cooked up the idea, now copied by other venues, to present fake benefits--charging legit charities big $ to rent the room, while expecting all musicians to appear for free. Not missing it!

i remember dizzy gillespie at the bottom line,early 80's. someone in the crowd yelled,how come they call you dizzy. diz' stoped for a sec,looked serious and retorted, "because that's what your moma named me". he broke the house up,we were all in stitches. great memory.

The Bottom Line was great because of its ecclectic program. I remember seeing Captain Beefheart, Devo, and then a memorable Sonny Rollins concert there way back. At the Devo show, there was a rustle through the crowd as we turned to see Joni Mitchell in beret and cape emerging from the darkness. Even though we were herded out quickly after each show like we were cattle, I'm sorry it's gone. Good music, cheap prices!

As a kid, I always tagged along with my older sisters to go to the Bottom Line.
I saw The Rasberries, The Eric Burdon Band, The Hello People, Janis Ian, Laura Nyro, Leo Sayer, The Hollies, The Tubes and of course, Bruce Springsteen who walked down a line of tables from the stage. Those were the days he sang "She's A Rebel," and before "Born To Run." The thing I remember most about the Bottom Line was their brownies - they were the best!!!

Have worked at Wetlands, Knitting Factory...gone/changed

My favorite, most frequented NYC venue 70-80's ... THE BOTTOM ( Bitter End runner up)

Paul's Mall, Jazz Workshop along with the Bolyston St Theater (Boston) was/were my intro to quality small venues

There should be law: no concert halls over 500 seats!

shame on nyu forever,for pulling plug on,"the bottom line". shame on real estate jackal/goons,whose only perogative is filthy lucre. push out the artists,and over time we will get club "duane-reade" and "chase" coffe shop,where i guess the people who caused this mess can hang, while the rest of us are banished to brazilia del norte............

One of my all time favorite venues. I have so many fond memories of shows there.

The one that sticks out most is Peter Gabriel Oct 4, 1978. Robert Fripp joined in on the encores.

I remember seeing the Roches there at least a half dozen times. They were a staple at the place. I think they played at least two shows every month through the eighties. All great performances, and a perfect venue for them.

I worked at "the Line" for over ten years, in two stints through the 1970s and 1990s. While I always had mixed feelings about the venue, I have to say I received a fantastic music education---particularly in jazz (I got to shake Charles Mingus' hand my first night working there in 1976)---there.

As an example of the club's eclectisim, I would have to say my three favorite shows there were Dolly Parton, Television, and Sun Ra.