Comments on: The Lights Come Up at Smalls- http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/ We ain't even keeping score no more... Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:29:56 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jamie Pascotti http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/comment-page-1/#comment-18967 Jamie Pascotti Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:55:59 +0000 http://jerseymike.org/?p=362#comment-18967 Just to give you guys some clarity. I am reading your comments and thought maybe you would like to hear about Smalls from me. Smalls was my creation I was lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity to bring it alive. Because of Ron I asked him to give me the room. He never claimed to know anything about what I was doing and just gave the room to me. He realised that we needed a bigger forum so we could do nationals and offered me space in York. Which is incredible. Smalls never made money and he out of his pocket kept it alive! People have to keep in mind that at the end of the day you have to be realistic that selling alcohol is the primary function of the bar business. A bar's business will never be the lipstick and rouge of the bar. ron is not the only owner of Smalls locations and other plans for the space were inevitable. everyone has been saying you suck and greedy Ron killed it when they never even came and supported the bar. There never was a rock venue in Los Angeles it was a small shithole that I frequented and loved the name. It has since closed. The reason the decor was spray paint and The Queen logos is it is what I wanted to do. There were always be people questioning authenticity of everything that is different. You guys sound like skateboarders looking at the kid with the Tony Hawk board and airwalk sneakers and calling him a poser! When really the kid was embracing skateboarding. So in closing I apologize if Smalls didn't have the cool board and sneakers. But it did love skateboarding. I will personally bring another venue back to the burg when the time is right. Jamie Just to give you guys some clarity. I am reading your comments and thought maybe you would like to hear about Smalls from me. Smalls was my creation
I was lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity to bring it alive. Because of Ron I asked him to give me the room.
He never claimed to know anything about what I was doing and just gave the room to me. He realised that we needed a bigger forum so we could do nationals and offered me space in York. Which is incredible. Smalls never made money and he out of his pocket kept it alive! People have to keep in mind that at the end of the day you have to be realistic that selling alcohol is the primary function of the bar business. A bar’s business will never be the lipstick and rouge of the bar. ron is not the only owner of Smalls locations and other plans for the space were inevitable. everyone has been saying you suck and greedy Ron killed it when they never even came and supported the bar.

There never was a rock venue in Los Angeles it was a small shithole that I frequented and loved the name. It has since closed.

The reason the decor was spray paint and The Queen logos is it is what I wanted to do. There were always be people questioning authenticity of everything that is different.

You guys sound like skateboarders looking at the kid with the Tony Hawk board and airwalk sneakers and calling him a poser! When really the kid was embracing skateboarding.

So in closing I apologize if Smalls didn’t have the cool board and sneakers. But it did love skateboarding.

I will personally bring another venue back to the burg when the time is right.
Jamie

]]> By: HarrisburgNightlife » Blog Archive » Smalls Never Saved The Scene http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/comment-page-1/#comment-18953 HarrisburgNightlife » Blog Archive » Smalls Never Saved The Scene Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:55:35 +0000 http://jerseymike.org/?p=362#comment-18953 [...] For one, Smalls was one of the more original ideas to land on 2nd Street in the last few years. I will agree with Jersey Mike that you can’t just “create” a rock club atmosphere, that one has to put in the show time, the sweat, and the beer stains to build character. [...] [...] For one, Smalls was one of the more original ideas to land on 2nd Street in the last few years. I will agree with Jersey Mike that you can’t just “create” a rock club atmosphere, that one has to put in the show time, the sweat, and the beer stains to build character. [...]

]]> By: blogHarrisburg http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/comment-page-1/#comment-18883 blogHarrisburg Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:56:02 +0000 http://jerseymike.org/?p=362#comment-18883 @Glenn, have you tried Pep Grill? It's about as no-frills as you can get. Walnut Street between Molly's and the garage, half a block off Second. I don't mind having a few "just bars" around, but be careful how you word that. Noma went from being classy and interesting to "just a bar" (immediately after becoming a cheesy beach club and immediately before becoming Prive). Mars went from being dark and unique to "just a bar" as South Street Tavern. 5:01 became "just a bar" as Market Street. The lot formerly known as having hope for bringing after-hours food to downtown Harrisburg became "just a bar that also happens to serve food-like product up until midnight". Molly's and Cragin's also do excellent jobs at being "just a bar", with a little decorative flair thrown in. @Mike, yeah, Smalls wasn't CBGB. It wasn't unique on a national scale by any means. But I liked it because it was about the only place on Second Street to go and (1) be around people my own age, (2) be around loud people, and most importantly (3) not hear some Beyonce song from seven years ago 27 times in one night. Authenticity? Unconditionally no way. A breath of fresh air for downtown? Yup. @Glenn, have you tried Pep Grill? It’s about as no-frills as you can get. Walnut Street between Molly’s and the garage, half a block off Second.

I don’t mind having a few “just bars” around, but be careful how you word that. Noma went from being classy and interesting to “just a bar” (immediately after becoming a cheesy beach club and immediately before becoming Prive). Mars went from being dark and unique to “just a bar” as South Street Tavern. 5:01 became “just a bar” as Market Street. The lot formerly known as having hope for bringing after-hours food to downtown Harrisburg became “just a bar that also happens to serve food-like product up until midnight”.

Molly’s and Cragin’s also do excellent jobs at being “just a bar”, with a little decorative flair thrown in.

@Mike, yeah, Smalls wasn’t CBGB. It wasn’t unique on a national scale by any means. But I liked it because it was about the only place on Second Street to go and (1) be around people my own age, (2) be around loud people, and most importantly (3) not hear some Beyonce song from seven years ago 27 times in one night. Authenticity? Unconditionally no way. A breath of fresh air for downtown? Yup.

]]> By: jerseym http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/comment-page-1/#comment-18876 jerseym Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:11:51 +0000 http://jerseymike.org/?p=362#comment-18876 I couldn't agree with you more, Glenn- I've often argued about the "authenticity" of a place like Smalls- which, by no accident, modeled and even NAMED itself after a legendary rock club in LA - A real-deal rock club with a dirty, dingy vibe simply CANNOT be fabricated- take CBGB's for example- that place hosted tens of thousands of shows and, over time, BECAME the dirty little dive that it was- A couple cans of black spray paint and a Sex Pistols poster does not a rock club make. I couldn’t agree with you more, Glenn-
I’ve often argued about the “authenticity” of a place like Smalls- which, by no accident, modeled and even NAMED itself after a legendary rock club in LA –

A real-deal rock club with a dirty, dingy vibe simply CANNOT be fabricated- take CBGB’s for example- that place hosted tens of thousands of shows and, over time, BECAME the dirty little dive that it was-

A couple cans of black spray paint and a Sex Pistols poster does not a rock club make.

]]> By: glenn p http://jerseymike.org/2008/01/the-lights-come-up-at-smalls/comment-page-1/#comment-18875 glenn p Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:00:04 +0000 http://jerseymike.org/?p=362#comment-18875 How about just a bar on 2nd street? Why does everything have to have some phoney premise or theme? Sports bar, irish bar, punk bar, german bar, etc etc. Just open a cool place that is interesting and not pretenous and, most of all, not trying to BE anything. Real cities have dozens of these but, unforutnately, they are born not created. These clowns that keep creating bars in Harrisburg just keep striking out. Bring back the neighborhood corner bar. How about just a bar on 2nd street? Why does everything have to have some phoney premise or theme? Sports bar, irish bar, punk bar, german bar, etc etc. Just open a cool place that is interesting and not pretenous and, most of all, not trying to BE anything. Real cities have dozens of these but, unforutnately, they are born not created. These clowns that keep creating bars in Harrisburg just keep striking out. Bring back the neighborhood corner bar.

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