The Village Underground

"Hip", "fun" and "diverse" get thrown around a lot, but nothing defines the Village Underground better. I randomly wandered in on a Thursday night; the opium den-like lounge area and connecting dive bar upstairs may appeal to some but the true gem is the downstairs live music room. Where has this place been my whole life? Seemlessly transitioning from Roberta Flack to Tribe Called Quest to Stevie Wonder, the house band knocked me out... and the (very) mixed crowd was there to have FUN and not caring to impress or be seen. A+++

When you want great live music...Im talking about hearing great Chaka, some Stevie, Lenny K, Nirvana, and even a lil of MJB. This is the place to be on a Friday night. The house band is one of my favs..They can do any and every thing!

You might run into a few celebs who just want to to hear other musicians or join the jam session. I went one Friday night and John Mayer just walked and joined the band......HOTTTTTT!!

On Sunday & Monday nights it's open mic night. Sundays are with Ron Grant, and Mondays are w/ R&B Great Vocal powerhouse Cheryl Pepsi Riley. Don't fret you wont just hear someone who definitely sounds a mess. You will definitely be treated to some of the best musicians NYC has to offer.

One complaint: Service is not the greatest, I'm talking about a waitress disappearing for like an 1hr. But it can't keep me away I love music and understand that some people just really hate their job...LOL!

You will not be disappointed... You'll probably even see me there singing my heart out!!!

So I was sad to find out the house band wasn't performing on Saturday nights anymore and turned it to a comedy club that night. I then gave it a try because I heard good things.

If you have ever been to VU in the past for the band, it looks EXACTLY the same.....just filled the dance floor with tables. So here's some tips:

- Reservations are important....do it weeks in advance if you want a specific time. They have different time slots starting from 7:15pm to 12:15am...check out their website. I came to the 7:15pm showing and I went to the front doors at 6:30pm and they gave me my tickets and asked what area I wanted to be seated at. It's first come first serve so we chose the front. We pay everything at the end of the show. Depending on the time you choose is how much you'll pay for a cover charge...mine was $20pp
- There's 2 locations
- There is a 2 drink minimum. If you want munchies the calamari is pretty good.
- If you sit in the front, bring a shawl or sweater....the air is pretty much on you and can get a bit nippy.
- I had Marina As our host....she was fantastic
- 5 comedians....I had 2 faves Greer Barnes and Leonard Outzs
- They offer 25% off your food and drinks at the bar next door (The Fat Black Pussycat....gotta love the name) AFTER the show...they give you this offer card before the show begins.

It was a great time. The reason for 4 stars is because I was really cold in the front. Now that I know I will definitely bring something to keep me warmer.

I wouldve given them five stars, but te seating arrangement was ridiculous. (ill get to that at the end).

The performances were jaw-dropping! Some were so entertaining and comical. I even gave one performance a standing ovation - that woman with the violin killed it!!! There were some performances that weren't that great, but nobody sucked. The host was even entertaining, as well as the house band!!

Now to the reason why i dropped a star. We made reservations beforehand and was told that we would have a table. What they left out was that there would also be a party of 5 joining our table as well. (it was a total of 8, including us). It was not comfortable at all, because whoeever was at the end of the table had to keep getting up to allow those in the back to use the bathroom. All this annoyance for a $15 cover charge? But honestly, the performances were worth it, and i will be returning in the future, although not the immediate future.

LOVE.LOVE.LOVE this place!

It was amazing. It made me happy. It made us dance. It made us forget about everything except reveling in that very moment.

I absolutely loved this place and can't wait to return.

We kicked off our visit to NYC at the Village Underground and I'm so glad we did. This place was AHHHMAZING I'm dreaming about my next visit already.

My friend made reservations early around 9:30 pm and we were one of the very first groups to arrive but the place started to fill up pretty quickly. There was no cover because we visited on a Wednesday.

The band that night was their house band and they were absolutely amazing and so talented. They were so talented i forgot all about my problems and just enjoyed the very moment.

Service for drinks was also great and our waitress was very friendly and helpful. They do have a 2 drink or 2 item minimum per person and we easily met that minimum as we were there to kick off a fun filled weekend.

Highly highly recommend. Get there early, make reservations and just enjoy the music. Definitely a MUST visit.

I had the time of my life here Thursday night. Why? Oh, I dont know. Maybe it was the live band, the drinks, hmm, the whole vibe? Yeah.

I loved the house band and all the songs they covered. I'm usually the awkward, shy person at shows like these, sitting down and just sipping my drink. However, this place and the band had me bopping my head and moving up and down my seat. This is THE place to go if you feel like dancing up a storm and singing along to covers of Prince, Lauryn Hill, and so forth.

There is a two drink minimum! That may not attract those looking to save money since drinks are pricey, but having seen the martini selection I think I had about three or four.

Holy shit.

I walked in last Monday night (5/9/16) after some friends invited me to an "open mic night." I had no idea what we were getting into. I reluctantly paid the $12 cash only cover, settled in for a 2-drink minimum, and waited for the music to start. The house band walked on stage, the drummer clicked off 4 beats, and for the next 4 hours I sat on the edge of my seat witnessing some of the most insanely-good live music I've ever seen.

One girl got up and did Jill Scott's "A Long Walk" while the band played OutKast's "So Fresh, So Clean" behind her. What!? Too good.

Another lady got up with her two (2!) tambourines and TOOK. US. TO. CHURCH.

The wait staff was a little slow, but the place was packed, so I was thankful just to get a drink at some point. Plus, I was too enthralled with what was happening in front of me that I wasn't even thinking about where the waiter was.

Cheryl Pepsii Riley. #blackvelvetmonday. It was all incredible.

What an unexpected night! The boyfriend and I were looking for something to do during our vacation on a Wednesday night and I stumbled across this on yelp.

This is a great hidden gem -- it's located under the Fat Black Pussycat (or whatever it's called.. What a name huh?). The fact that it's underground gives it a cool vibe! Wednesday night was actually perfect -- no cover fee!

There is a "2 drink minimum" per person but our waitress told us that it actually means two items. So I ordered a drink per recommendation of our very helpful & friendly waitress, cheese sticks, and the bf ordered a pineapple martini and chicken kabobs. The drinks were stronger than I expected but that was good because the price for it was not on the cheap side. The food was whatever.

Best part of this place is the house band! They are super talented & entertaining!!! Worth every penny dropped that night! 5 stars for the band alone.

ABSOLUTELY AMA~ZING BAND!!! I went there on a Friday. I had a little trouble finding the place because I'm clueless with directions but it's right across the Blue Note on W 3rd Street... Two entrances: left side is the live band and the right side is the bar (which I didn't check out yet) Butto speak for the house band.... I was BLOWN AWAY! There were about a dozen people on stage singing all kinds of genre from rock n roll, r&b, tango, to broadway... and some traditional jewish songs occasionally (i think they sang it because it was hanukkah).. I heard from my friends that Amanda Brown from the Voice Season 3 used to lead there and will be performing this coming Thursday. I would def go if I wasn't getting my wisdom teeth pulled out... What I'm trying to say is they are mad talented and funny!!

There is a $10 cover for housebands - but it takes all the poor college kids away (no offense, I was one too). The crowd is mid 20s to early 40s I would say... Service is 3.5/5, food was 3/5, drinks were 4/5, and the atmosphere was 5/5... so 4/5.

It's great for a group of friends to go get a table, with some munchies and plenty of drinks and enjoy! They also have a small dancing area right in front of the stage. Def a must go!!

Every time...every single time I come here I darn near lose my mind because I have a great time. The house band is solid and is always really entertaining. They have a great vibe with each other, even when they're dealing with guest band members. I suppose that's part of what makes someone a good entertainer.

This may be hard to believe but it's pretty difficult to find a live music venue that is consistent with it's entertainment and doesn't have a cover charge. I haven't been to the open mic on Sundays, but I hear that's good as well (there is a $15 cover for that but c'mon...the house band is free on Wednesdays and Thursdays).

The drinks are standard NYC prices...not much suprise there. The waitresses can be flitty sometimes and may be MIA for extended periods of time but all in all, a great place to rock out in.

SWEETHOOK Loves
The Village Underground!
This Friday
12/11/09
SWEETHOOK performs live at the Village Underground, 7pm

130 3rd Street
NY, NY
$10 cover
Village Underground has great food and better music!!!
We're opening for the rock band Red Abbey and the excellent house band goes on at 9pm.