Oh, the Bottleneck. How I miss thee.
When I went to KU I wasn't yet 21 and so I did not get to appreciate the complete and utter glory that is The Bottleneck. Lucky for me, I have tons of excuses to visit Lawrence now that I'm 22 and so now The Bottleneck has become an easy fun-times mainstay.
This place has a pretty incredible music scene, especially when you consider how small Lawrence is. The first band I ever saw here was the now-Grammy-award-winning-band fun. (sic). They were incredible, as you might have guessed-- and The Bottleneck was the perfect venue. I brought a whole gaggle of friends to the show AND I got to hug Jack Antonoff, so yeah, I guess you could say my life is pretty great.
But, I digress. My point was that The Bottleneck consistently serves great up-and-coming bands to it's patrons, and I keep bringing gangs of pals to come revel in The Bottleneck's greatness. Recently, I brought my mom (I have a pretty cool mom), my best friend, and his girlfriend to see the Quiet Corral and we had a darn good time! The drinks were strong, the bands were incredible, and my mom even made nice with the band so we could all fawn over them in person.
So yeah, I love The Bottleneck. You're making a huge mistake if you pass this gem up for something as lame and sh***y-hipster as The Jackpot.
Lawrence's only 5 star dive! When I'm going to The Bottleneck I know I'm going to have a great time. Yes it is small and dingy but it's a bar and my favorite bands play here so I'm there. It's the best place in Lawrence for live music. It is not a cowboy/hippie joint at all...it is Rock n Roll all the way!
Review Source:Ah, the Bottleneck. Â It is what it is, and it will never be anything else. Â Kind of dirty, a little bit of a cowboy hipster (cowster?) bar. Â Great bands, great bartenders - I can honestly say I've never had a bad time there. Â
Oh and PS - these jerks trying to change downtown Lawrence into the Plaza were going to try to bulldoze the Bottleneck and surrounding businesses in order to put in "high-end" shopping to mirror the new "high-end" condos across the street. Â Stand strong, true citizens of Lawrence! Â Tell these developers that Johnson County is 20 minutes away if they want some place to destroy.
I live in Kansas City but have lived in Lawrence and Bottleneck as I recall is the former Off the Wall Hall - which also enjoyed many great artists and concerts among those Tofu Teddy, Blue Riddim Band, Billy Spears and Secrets (it was another time). Â Of the Bottleneck, WOW, great shows!!! Â You gotta keep checking to see who is coming to town as some of the best bands play here and not necessarily KC. Â I'm giving it 5 stars cause they recently had one of my favorite bands who haven't toured in over 7 years yet made it to Lawrence, KS. Â WAY TO GO BOTTLENECK!!!!!! Â : - D.
Review Source:Many of the bands I adore will pass up venues in the Kansas City metro area, but they will play The Bottleneck every tour. When I look at venue schedules in The Pitch, I check The Bottleneck first.
I waltzed in a few hours before Sleater-Kinney was scheduled to go on and was treated to a sound check...no hassle, completely mellow, and yeah, woah!
The lead singer of the Donnas chucked a shoe into the crowd and hit me in the face. How much better than that does it get?
I've been going to live shows for more than half my life. That said, one of the most memorable was at the Bottleneck. No, make that two of the most memorable. Hell, make it three.
I first saw the Kills a year and half ago at a packed venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Fast forward a year and I saw them at the Bottleneck and what's more...I SAW them. As in, right in front of me and I didn't need binoculars (I jest. I would never put on binoculars to see the Kills). I also didn't need to elbow anyone away because they were standing too close. Nice.
And then there was John Doe and the Sadies. Oh yes. Not every city in the US was deserving of this show. Lawrence, Kansas got 'em. And it was easily one of the best concert experiences of my life. I've seen John Doe solo, with the Knitters and with X, just to impress upon you the magnitude of this statement.
And then there was the Gogol Bordello after party this past October. They played at Liberty Hall and then told everyone to meet them at their favorite venue in town, The Bottlneck, and so we did. After the scheduled acts for the night finished up their sets, Eugene and co. got on stage and had some fun. Oh yes. Only in Lawrence.
Other stuff: drink specials are INSANE. As in $2 double wells and half price calls, not to mention cheap beer, if you want to go there. I love the booths up front by the windows. Sound is excellent. They have pool (not a fan, but I know that is a big deal for some people).
True, sometimes their calendar leaves a lot to be desired. As the story goes, this was THE place to see whomever was up and coming in music and I'm not sure that you can say that 15 years later.
the bottleneck is like stepping back in time to 1994. the bottleneck has become a storied and popular venue in lawrence amid a glut of competiting spaces.
what the bottleneck lacks is any sort of nightlife scene outside its events or programming. whereas replay/taproom/jackpot are able to host both heavy regular crowds and events-- bottleneck seems content only with event crowds. this is a shame because the bottleneck has potential to be something more important.
as a live club...it is so-so. sound is usually good and of course you're intimate with the performers. the stage is in a corner position which makes it a little awkward at times. when the place is really busy-- the place is a disaster.
i think the whole place should be remodeled despite its anacronistic flair of the 90s. it looks and feel like a punk or hard rock club, but usually books a variety of performers and events.
I really love the atmosphere in there...low ceilings, wood walls and floor, and a massive amounts of pictures on the walls from all the past played performers ranging from Wilco, The Toadies, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Has a couple pool tables and some booths and bleachers to enjoy the show. The sound is not the greatest and seems like some band members get frustrated with it, but in my mind I actually think it adds to the ambiance. Â The sound at the Granada is much better, but I refuse to go there because the atmosphere at the Granada is equivalent to an empty closet. Drink specials some nights are great, and some nights are okay (the nightly drink speicals escapes my mind). Â I will definitely miss this place when I move...
Review Source:Went here for the first time last week. Â It's quite common for Nebraskans to drive down here because they get lots of fantastic shows, and it's really not TOO far. Â Sound was okay, though the band we saw seemed to be having some issues. Beers were well-priced though the Stella Artois on tap was a little flat. Â Overall, I had a great time. Â I loved the crowd here... and the bar is a total dive. Â Wish we had a cool place like this in Lincoln.
Review Source:As well, a regular at the Bottleneck since I was 18 because of all the insanely good shows that were booked there. Â My mind reels to try to remember all the bands I have seen. Â Strangely enough, I have a very vivid and clear picture of the bathrooms in my head. Â A fantastic venue, a good bar, a great hangout, the sound rocked more than it ever sucked - I was lucky to have 10 years of Bottleneck shows in my life.
Review Source:Wow. Â I can't believe no one else has written this place up yet. Â The Bottleneck has been part of my life since I was old enough to get in. Â Its such a part of the early 90s for me and has been a solid place for shows straight through. Â Its a good venue overall. Â They tend to bring in some pretty awesome live bands. Â I've been there when the sounds been great and I've been there when its been questionable, but its like that will all venues I think. Â The Bottleneck is a down to earth place thats never seemed too over the top or hipster. Â But that, of course, could depend on the night and who's playing. Â Overall, its a good place to hang out even if you're not there for the show or want to skip the opening band. Â The four pool tables and booths at the back of the place make this pretty easy. Â Recommended for shows.
Review Source:
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