Casbah issues

[Im going home Donny]

yeah I could work at a place like PepperJacks...good vibes for sure.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Next time I go to a bar I'm bringing my own pint glass.

That's a good angle - though it might ignite the same sorts of difficulties that people would run into bringing their own reusable containers or plates for burgers at fast food places. I wonder if you said you had some crushing neurosis that prevented you from drinking out of glasses other people drank out of that they'd have to accept it.

Otherwise, if they're using the language of "pints", it should be based on a universal standard, or they're guilty of something.

[timouse]

Next time I go to a bar I'm bringing my own pint glass.

That's a good angle - though it might ignite the same sorts of difficulties that people would run into bringing their own reusable containers or plates for burgers at fast food places. I wonder if you said you had some crushing neurosis that prevented you from drinking out of glasses other people drank out of that they'd have to accept it.

Otherwise' date=' if they're using the language of "pints", it should be based on a universal standard, or they're guilty of something.

[/quote']

sadly, supplying your own dishes and cutlery is prohibited by your local health department. as far as volume goes, sneak in a graduated cylinder and measure one next time.

in the meantime,

cheers!

[bONES]

pfffftt... cowboy, some of us losers are just jumping on board now so don't ruin it for me! Their latest album has really helped me through some rough times and made me feel like fucking gold. I think that album is brilliant and I know I can expect great things from them in the future.

I agree. Great cd.

life stories for minimum wage is also great.

Wayne gives off a "I AM Cuff The Duke vibe. Jeff Peers was an integral part of that band. Wayne seems more interested in the commercial success of HIMSELF.

that is all.

enjoy the show NewRider

[bouche]

$5 for a full pint at Pepper Jack's. Friendly helpful staff. Great sound. Kenny. Makes you feel wanted and welcome.

'Tis my venue of choice.

aside from the great MUSIC venue that is pepper jack's, their food is fugging FANTASTIC! I had a burger there and I do wish I could eat there again before a show.

[Lazlo]

Out of what little respect I have for Kenny, I will refrain from making any comments regarding his establishment.

The Casbah is over priced and the sound is pretty shitty but they lost my regular business when Doug Feaver's weekly show was canceled. Boooooooo...

[Freak By Night]

1 Imperial pint (UK) = 20 UK fluid ounces ≈ 568 mL (0.56826125 litres exactly)

1 pint (U.S., wet) = 16 U.S. fluid ounces = 2 U.S. cups ≈ 473 mL (0.473176473 litres exactly)

Never been to the Casbah, but if they're selling 400mL of beer and calling it a "pint", that's grounds for a boycott.

In the U.K., they'd be getting a visit from the pint police. The U.K. takes their beer quantities very seriously.

[guigsy]

Wayne gives off a "I AM Cuff The Duke vibe. Jeff Peers was an integral part of that band. Wayne seems more interested in the commercial success of HIMSELF.

that is all.

enjoy the show NewRider

hah!

i knew you'd come around!

[AD]

I agree. Great cd.

life stories for minimum wage is also great.

Wayne gives off a "I AM Cuff The Duke vibe. Jeff Peers was an integral part of that band. Wayne seems more interested in the commercial success of HIMSELF.

that is all.

enjoy the show NewRider

hehe. Jeff Peers got royally screwed by Wayne... The story I heard (from reputable sources) was that CTD returned from their tour in the fall, dropped Jeff off at his place, and said "See ya, you're out." No warning or anything.

He's scrounging around Toronto now looking for new bands to play with, I know he was turned down by one. But hey, that bowed-guitar thing never gets old.

Of course Wayne is 'I AM CUFF THE DUKE,' because he is. He does all the writing, singing, heck he even smiles on stage.

But I really don't care what the Duke does next, don't think I'm gonna go see them again unless they're playing with someone I like.

AD

[Tooly]

Ive got a few issues with the crapsbah too:

-1-mis-advertising cover prices, i hate it when i see a show there advertised for X number of dollars, im broke, but i can justify spending 5 bucks, so i go, show up, and now i have to pay 8 bucks?! what the fuck??

-2-crappy sound, not sure if its the soundguy or the system, but something aint right there, i worked at pepperjacks for 2 years, and i left with ringing ears once. every damn time i go to crapsbah i come home with ringing ears, its not like im stading beside the speekers either.

-3- having the back partitioned off for 90% of the shows(that ive been to) im old, lazy, and i like to sit every now and then, have a table to order food to, and ditch my coat at. i have no idea why the back tables are roped off. grr

i dont drink pints so i cant really comment on that, but man thast a shitty friggin way to make an extra 20cents per beer. not to mention that their drinks are WAY overpriced to begin with. the least they could do is have it be the right amount of booze. double grr.

pepperjacks is my venue of choice, id go as far to say that its the best live music bar-venue in town

[onthejourney]

I gave up on The Casbah some time ago. Between the ridiculous bar prices, snooty bar staff, the terrible terrible sound and just sheer lameness of the place, it just ruins the experience of going to see the good bands that are booked there. I have skipped on a number of good acts there and will continue to do so. It's just not a good venue for live music and life is too short to continue to be frustrated, so fuck it.

I am in total agreement here! They overcharge for beer (pint or otherwise) so if you just give them $5 it is a measly tip and you feel bad, the sound really isn't that good (don't know if it is the sound guy or just the shear acoustics of the place)...and lately, they will pack the bar, charge you more then advertised and then have the back part closed!!! what the hell? why can't they open that extra bit of seating?

[questcequecest?]

wooohooo, bash the casbah!

i have to agree (sort of), only been there twice:

both times was charged more cover than was advertised (on this board, so not necessarily their fault),

and both times found the beer overpriced (but not undersized, i think i had bottles).

personally i liked this thread better when alexis was saying things, and then denying them, and them rationalizing them... all to no avail (whino).

[NewRider]

pepperjacks is my venue of choice, id go as far to say that its the best live music bar-venue in town

Agreed.

[onthejourney]

hehe...i didn't look at the 2nd page of this before i posted!!! my hunny already said everything i did!

[Esau]

Dont drink pints either so I won't comment on that. And Theres enough complaining in this thread so I wont do that either.

But I think its a bit harsh to say boycott the place, especially after so many bands I (and many others) love play there & I want to support them, not too mention how much the casbah has done for the Hamilton music scene (past & present). But, by boycotting the bar in turn I'm boycotting who plays there (indirectly of course).

I've had my share of amazing times there & granted I don't go as often as I used to, but moreso because most of the music there now-a-days isn't my taste. Although, I've had my share of pleasent surprises also. I do (and have) found the volume levels there to be really loud, somtimes its the band I guess (Fatties I'm told like to play loud there) and other times its probally the bar. Meh, no biggie, I bring ear plugs now, if I need em, I got em.

I don't understand why the back seat area is always off limits, especially when theres not alot of seating & at times standing room. Thats somthing I wish would change, since I also like to sit at times or have a "base" during the winter months when I'm totin a sweater & jacket.

As for the license, no one can blame a person if mail is just late, but it does make ya wonder since I believe anyway (uneducated guess) that license renewals usually come in adavnce of expiration, so if its just a case of gettin it late due to Canada Post then quarter should be given here.

If not, then I'll say the ball was dropped big time and thats a shame.

Just my thoughts about this...

Summary:

I may not attend as much as I used to in the past but I'm not ready to boycott them over a late license renewal or the price/size of a pint.

Tip:

Don't buy pints if ya don't like the price, buy a bottle.

[M.O.B.E]

Jeff Peers got royally screwed by Wayne... The story I heard (from reputable sources) was that CTD returned from their tour in the fall, dropped Jeff off at his place, and said "See ya, you're out." No warning or anything.

It's true. Jeff still hasnt had all his gear returned to him yet either. I think he is playing with the Mark Inside this week here in Schwadawg

[Chips]

I have noticed the same thing being said again and again above. Main problems with the Casbah:

1) Overpriced cover - Often more expensive then advertised (i've even called ahead to ask, and found it to be more expensive at the door!).

2) Short pints - nothing like making a customer feel ripped off! I HAVE poured a bottle of beer into an empty pint glass, and can verify those pints are certainly 400mL or less.

3) No website - What time does the show start? How much is it? Any opening bands? All valid questions when you're planning a night out, however when a show is at the Casbah finding out this info can be a full time job in itself!

4) Bar partitioning - Why aren't we allowed to sit down in the back of the bar anymore?

5) Sound is always WAY to loud. Forget seeing a show here without earplugs!

While i probably won't boycot the casbah, i certainly won't be buying drinks anymore.

[shainhouse]

There is a website. It'll be up when the venue gets going again. I designed it and it's done.

[whiteymuseum]

My name is Brodie Schwendiman. I have been booking the entertainment at Casbah since April 2004, and based on the climate of this thread I feel a need to explain some things.

On January 4, 2006 my small company (Cincinnati Records & Promotions Inc.) purchased the business located at the Casbah address (306 King St W Unit , and signed a lease with the landlord (Ghazi Harb of LaLuna restaurant fame). It's the first business I've ever owned, and my wife and I are excited to take on the endeavour.

Back in December 2005 the Casbah liquor license (owned at the time by a company called Casbah Live Inc. a company that myself nor my wife were owners, directors or presidents of -- we were simply staff and consultants) expired.

Upon it's expiry, it was negotiated between my company, and the landlord to make a business ownership change and tenant change. To address Esau (a renewal of the liqour license did not happen because the former business owner had no intention of renewing).

Presently the new company awaits the delivery of it's newly applied liquor license for the space. Often companies hire license consultants to manage the application for you (which is the case here). Our consultant informed us that licenses usually take 2-4 weeks to put through, based on his experience doing them for clients.

That being said, he gave us the confident OK to move forward with expecting Casbah to be up and operating come February 2006. Hence the bookings of February dates.

Unfortunately, a curve-ball has been thrown at the company that our license consultant did not anticipate. The result is that the license could not be issued in time for the February bookings, and likely won't be issued until the end of this month.

Hopefully this explains to a degree why January shows intended for Casbah (all shows that had been confirmed & booked PRIOR to when the former liquor license expired in December) had either been moved, re-scheduled or cancelled altogether. This will also be the case for shows in the first half of February as well, now that we know more about the climate of our license application.

The fact some sort of general information release was not sent here about this situation comes down to a few reasons.

1) the number of "Jam/Funk/World Music" type shows that were booked in Casbah for Jan/Feb were almost non-existent so clarifying the venue changes for shows not associated with this board really didnt make much sense.

2) with the ownership change and the situation with inspections and license applications I'll be honest that I really haven't been spending alot of time in front of a computer to hit up message-boards with information on the club's status. After-all, message boards are only a small part of my promotional and publicity campaign.

In short, sending a note to this board didn't rate nearly as high as the other items placed in front of me during this business transition.

As far as addressing those with pint concerns. Well here's my explanation:

1) being the 'booking guy' it really wasn't my call on matters such as glass sizes. And to be honest, I'm not a big beer drinker, and so this specific point about the glass size wasn't even something I was aware of until very recently when a friend mentioned it. (I find it upsetting that so much energy is spent complaining about a business' "issues" yet so few ever find the interest to voice them to those with the power to change or address those issues unless they do it on a public message board.

2) As far as using the logic of comparing the domestic bottle price and the draft glass price with the volume of liquid, well I'm sorry that doesn't hold up considering NONE of the Casbah taps under the old ownership were for domestic beer. They were all premium and import beers.

3) The third point I think should be made (although it's not nearly as key a point as the others & arguably a stretch excuse)...NO WHERE did the club advertise that they sold pints. The 'pint' has become a word that is not only used in reference to the volume measurement, but also used as the term when referring to a glass of draft in general. Yes, the club's draft glasses are lesser than a pint by a small amount, but MANY places use the same glasses used at Casbah (Rude Native being the place where the glasses at Casbah were specifically acquired from originally).

The topic involving the 'pint' at Casbah hopefully will be less of an issue for those that have this issue when they see a change in glassware upon the opening with the new ownership (namely me).

Addressing the sound at Casbah...

The topic of sound quality in the clubs in Hamilton has become the most amusing topic of all over the past 2 years of my booking career.

It has definitely been brought to my attention from some people specifically on this message board that they feel the PA/club/soundman combination makes for a sound that is TOO LOUD for their ears.

The thing is, there are many many more people that compliment me on the sound quality of the Casbah. In fact numerous artists a part of the 'jam-community' have voiced to me their preference for Casbah over the other clubs when it comes to sound. People that you love and respect that I will not name here.

My point is, sound is an opinion thing. And you are entitled to it. Some people think other clubs in Hamilton sound better, but others yet again also feel other clubs sound terrible in comparison to Casbah. It's all subjective.

As far as a business owner's perspective, I am left to receive all the feedback I get about sound, and assess if I need to make a change or not. My own ears don't feel Casbah is too loud. My own ears tell me I like the sound in the room. In addition, the number of people that have complimented the club on its sound trumps the number of complainers of the sound by a wopping margin. Marco, I don't imagine I'll see you at the club, but again you're entitled to your own opinion and choices.

In general, the part that frustrates me involves the entire concept of message boards. There is all too often so much energy spent on the negative on the internet boards. And as a business owner you are left to decide "Do I spend extra time out of my day to respond/defend/correct/explain to people the truths, or do I let it role of my shoulders and keep doing what I'm doing, because so far it's been successful?" I feel the answer to this is, a little of column A and a little from column B.

Hope to see you out there in the club upon re-opening.

Bests

Brodie

Edited February 7, 2006 by Guest
Spelling make

[whiteymuseum]

As far as ticket price complaints go, I'm not sure what to tell you. It's not like I lie about the prices.

I mean, I've gone to every competitive live club in this city and experienced a cover price that was different than I was informed it would be.

There's all sorts of factors that can cause that.

In general, Casbah shows are $5, $8, $10 or more.

RARELY are shows $6, $7 or $9.

As far as Jam-bands that play the club, here generally are what the prices have been...

Fat Cats - $8 at the door, reduced to $5 when the intermission comes, or if you arrive during set #2.

Burt Neilson Band - there have been a few combinations, $8 adv $10 drs, $10 at the door (no advance ticket) and $10 adv $12 drs.

[Alexis]

I have paid 15 bucks to see the burt boys before at the Casbah...

[whiteymuseum]

I have paid 15 bucks to see the burt boys before at the Casbah...

During my time as promoter, or could it have been prior to me being here? I can't find a contract in my files for a $15 show.

[whiteymuseum]

If you attended a $15 show involving Burt that could been one of two scenarios under my time as booker/promoter...

1) when BNB opened for Matt Mays & El Torpedo. That show as $15 at the door.

2) once BNB played a late show, before an early 7pm singer-songwriter CD Release where it was $10 for the early show, $10 for the late show OR $15 for both shows combined as a $5 discount.

[bradm]

When the advance price is different from the price at the door, is that info printed on the posters (or in print ads) for the show*? Most of the shows I go to here in Ottawa have a door price only (and no advance tickets), so it's not a situation I face that often, but I wonder if people who been hit with a higher price at the door than they were expecting might have the difference due to advance vs. at-the-door.

Aloha,

Brad

* And known by the staff who may have to field questions over the phone.

[whiteymuseum]

At Casbah I have a show listings booklet pinned by the telephone with details about ticket prices, door prices and set orders.

On posters, not 100% of posters list cover/ticket prices, but some do. I don't think ANY club has prices on 100% of their posters. That again happens for numerous reasons.