The Mercury Lounge

Incredible atmosphere! Walked in randomly on a Friday night, got to see three awesome bands perform in an intimate space with great sound and ambience, as well as friendly people! Just keep doing more of it, nothing to ask for!

Dope little indie venue that holds about 200. Mostly standing room only, but awesome, intimate place to see live music! Great acoustics and sound system as well!

If you like smaller, intimate venues than this is the place for you. Drinks were very fairly priced and they had a lot of options. A HUGE plus is the coat check - something you don’t find all too often when going out nowadays. Would definitely go back to this venue! Had an absolutely blast.

Great space. Only thing is I’ve been here twice and the beer is either flat or tastes metallic like they don’t maintain their taps. For $20 a beer I expect more.

Band was great. Bar had 8 or 10 percent credit card charge above cash price and they did not accept cash when I offered. Bartender was dismissive on the matter. Will take my group elsewhere in future.

A fun, small venue. We went to see The Greenstreets there. Fun show.

Got a few drinks. Cash price $50 but card price $55. 10% credit card fee?? And bartender said they don’t take cash! Asked both the bartender and gentlemen at front desk but neither seemed to care. Go elsewhere!

Venue has good lighting and sound, but is very small. I didn't particularly like walking down a narrow area to enter the music venue. It's a cute spot for small shows, but can get pretty uncomfortable for sold out shows. Band pictured is Modernlove. Cheers.

Incredible atmosphere! Walked in randomly on a Friday night, got to see three awesome bands perform in an intimate space with great sound and ambience, as well as friendly people! Just keep doing more of it, nothing to ask for!

Dope little indie venue that holds about 200. Mostly standing room only, but awesome, intimate place to see live music! Great acoustics and sound system as well!

If you like smaller, intimate venues than this is the place for you. Drinks were very fairly priced and they had a lot of options. A HUGE plus is the coat check - something you don’t find all too often when going out nowadays. Would definitely go back to this venue! Had an absolutely blast.

Great space. Only thing is I’ve been here twice and the beer is either flat or tastes metallic like they don’t maintain their taps. For $20 a beer I expect more.

Band was great. Bar had 8 or 10 percent credit card charge above cash price and they did not accept cash when I offered. Bartender was dismissive on the matter. Will take my group elsewhere in future.

A fun, small venue. We went to see The Greenstreets there. Fun show.

Got a few drinks. Cash price $50 but card price $55. 10% credit card fee?? And bartender said they don’t take cash! Asked both the bartender and gentlemen at front desk but neither seemed to care. Go elsewhere!

Venue has good lighting and sound, but is very small. I didn't particularly like walking down a narrow area to enter the music venue. It's a cute spot for small shows, but can get pretty uncomfortable for sold out shows. Band pictured is Modernlove. Cheers.

Small and intimate venue. Very nice and organized staff. Bartender was really kind and recommend some bands to check out. Great drink specials and combos. Line to get it was long but moved very quickly.

I came here to see Devin Kennedy and enjoyed every minute of the show! Got in quickly with no wait. It's the perfect venue for intimate concerts - standing room only with some sofas on both side walls. However, it was a bit hard to see the artist since everyone was similar in height to me. The sound quality was excellent (well-balanced and not too loud), tickets were affordable, and the bar service was friendly. An overall enjoyable experience.

My family traveled from Connecticut to see a concert at the Mercury Lounge. What an experience! This intimate little gem of a space might be my new favorite place to see a concert. It's like getting to see your favorite musician perform in your living room! The tickets were supremely affordable. The sound quality was excellent. The fun factor with the other people in attendance was high! Oh, and there is ample street parking in the neighborhood. The only thing I wasn't super keen about was that the bathrooms are fully gender neutral, meaning there are people of all genders in the same bathroom simultaneously. As a woman, I was in there with two boozed up young men and I wasn't fully comfortable if I'm being honest.

Good and the bad: The place is great for intimate concerts. What's bad is the customer service. The staff and the bouncers def hate what they do and they'll show you. If it weren't for the concerts and I was just looking for a bar the staff would turn me away immediately, I would suggest getting them and to get a more friendly and professional staff. Stay clear from them and you'll have a good time.

Might be nice if the bouncer in the AC/DC shirt didn't aggressively scream at people for attempting to finish their cup of water on the way out of a show.

Oh hi random fun filled lounge. This is a tiny tiny place in NY. There's a very short and narrow front space for NYC priced beer. There's am extremely tiny merch stand and band area to set up outside the stage. Once they open the doors in back, you've got enough standing room for maybe 250 people and it goes right up to the stage. Literally people would climb up and stage dive back into the crowd. No security. One SINGER dove into the crowd. I went up on stage at the end for a set list. The bar gave me a pen for autographs. So: 5 stars for ambiance 5 stars for restrooms - no lines and faucets had cold water on tap No comment on alcohol prices Didn't like the use of seizure inducing LED flashing Really short on room that isn't venue standing space verdict: I'll come here for any band I know or wanna know, but I'll be prepared for how tight it's gonna feel.

The iconic Mercury Lounge, located on the Lower East Side, is known as an intimate, no frills rock-n-roll venue. Its reputation precedes it, as the club that launched The Strokes and has hosted acts in their youthful days such as Radiohead, Chris Martin (Coldplay), Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lana del Rey, and many others. We're from Austin, where clubs like this also make a difference in the music scene. So yeah, we put this club high on our must-visit list while in NY, and we were not disappointed. When you enter, there's a merch and ticket section to the right and a full bar along the entire left side, with bar stools if you want to perch and drink. Restrooms are on the right and are typical for NY: small. The club is typical of a rock-n-roll club, dark and a bit divey, which reflects the genre perfectly. So don't go in expecting something posh. The staff was friendly and welcoming. Drinks are typical for NY, not cheap. Nothing is cheap in NY. The music happens through the double doors at the back of the front section. It's an intimate setting because it has a capacity of 250, standing room only, and the stage is raised so you can see well. The sound and lighting system is top-notch, and you will want earplugs if it's a rock show (and it probably will be). There are a few booths along the sides of the wall in the concert section, but you won't be able to see anything from them with everyone standing. Patrons 18+ are welcome, unless otherwise noted. They do card and mark hands for under 21. You can and probably should buy advance sale tickets online through their website, which leads you to Ticketmaster and adds some fees, but their prices aren't bad to begin with ($10 for the shows we saw), and it sold out several days in advance. If you love rock-n-roll, just do it.

Came here for a friends show and it was awesome. The venue is nice and clean and the staff is awesome. They have metal detectors, so Security it taken serious. The drinks were made well, not watered down. The place was packed for two shows. Overall the experience was good.

If the band's shite, go hang out at the bar. Every time I've ever been here for a show, bar crowd is great. Bartenders are always super attentive and sweet.

I came here for a 6PM concert on a weeknight. This is a small venue and once the doors open at 6PM, the line goes down rather quickly. Since there is a bar once you go inside, you are given a wristband to show the staff that you can order alcohol. You are also stamped on your hand after showing your ticket. I did not order any alcohol, but saw the menu had mostly beer and mixed drinks with beer in them. There is also a water dispenser and cups on the side, so you can drink it after the concert, but you cannot leave the venue with it -- I tried and the bouncer shook his head and pointed me back in. There are gendered bathrooms in the bar area as well. The venue is a section in the back of the bar separated by double doors. It is a small area with a few cushioned seats on the side, but most of the venue is for standing in the middle. It is a nice place to have a more intimate experience with an act/artist. Although understandably it is a bit of a struggle for shorter people out there like me.

This old venue is still alive and well with the sounds of music! It's amazing how these small music spaces create an intimate moment with musicians who perform here. I came to see a local Nashville band, Arlie, here! For people who are on the comp list (guest list), it's very easy for the staff to find your name and verify that you have comp tickets. Otherwise, you can sometimes buy tickets at the door if not sold out. This venue does several shows a night: an early show starting at 6pm, and late show starting at 9:30, and a late show that starts around midnight! The room is intimate with the outer walls lined with sofas. But with how good the music is, you'll want to stand by the stage! The acoustics are fantastic - the sound engineers properly mix the music to be loud yet balanced and not hurting one's ears.

Went to the late show last night and saw Rebounder and Lovejoy. Great venue for a concert. Small room so no matter where you are, you're close to the performers. Sound was loud like a rock show should be, but not painful or overpowering for the room. Well balanced sound...two thumbs up on that front!!! Both bands were great and the staff members were professional, accommodating, and did a good job managing the very excited crowd. We'd been in line for a long time pre-show and my daughter desperately had to use the restroom. The staff members made this accommodation for us even though the entry time for our show was still more than 30 minutes away. They let her enter and then come back out and rejoin us. She remarked at how nice everyone was to her inside. Thanks Mercury staff for a great night!

Super intimate venue. Grungy and simple in the best possible way. If you have an artist you love and want to see them in a more personal setting, this is the venue for you.

Great space for an intimate concert, bar was decent (typical NYC prices though)...people were cool, never had a problem there.

Nice vibe, bartender was good..$10 tap beer kind of high but it's the city. Band that played "Ten Ton Mojo", was awesome

This is one of the first reviews I've ever done... so you know it's bad. I bought a shot for me and my friend. There was a piece of plastic in it and it got stuck in my throat! I had to throw it up because it was stuck and when I went to tell the bartender, he took it from my hand and threw it away!!? "There's nothing I can do about it" he didn't offer a refund, another shot, an apology or even give me more than 10 seconds. I wanted to keep the plastic to show the owner but it's already lost in the trash. I want to sue but I don't really know how and considering my evidence it trashed I assume I can't. Anyway terrible over all!! Make sure you watch what you drink ):

Recently went to an event here. The bands were great. The lounge is nothing fancy but the acoustics are good and plenty of Sfax ding room for the crowd. There is a bar area separate from the stage -- which I liked. The bathrooms are subpar but typical of these venues. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Drinks were good and reasonably priced for NYC. The inside is all black with a few seats on the sides against the wall. I know that Doesn't sound great but it looks good against the lights on of the stage when the band is playing. Come check out a show if you're in the city

Extremely disappointing experience. My partner isn't from the US and presented two forms of valid ID last night, but the bouncer denied their entry because "both looked fake". No scanning was done. Your bouncer is obviously extremely incompetent at his job - and seems like many other reviewers agree. Honestly don't feel comfortable going back.

This place is really a dump. I went to see a friend of mine's brother play there and it was really small and run down. There are many much better ventures in Tulsa. Try Maggie's in Jenks or Blackbird on Pearl.

Not a huge venue, so you'll have a great view wherever. Staff is cool, drinks are strong. Can't complain. A must-visit for music enthusiasts.

Bar area was a little cramped but the stage area was pretty good. We were very close to the stage and the sound was great.

Very quaint, intimate, performance venue. I came here last week to see Lion Babe in person. It is mostly open space with a few couches on the side. I have no complaints, but I think they could use a couple more places to sit- specifically for folks that may have trouble standing for long periods of time. I know they sell drinks but I think a place like this should also sell snacks/finger foods. Wings, fries, etc would be great especially for the earlier shows. Besides that, I had a great time!

Good sound but poor stage you can't see a thing unless you are very close to the front. They also are very strict about times, which leads to short sets. It's like a combo of the downsides of a small bar with the corporate vibes of a big place. One of the city's lamer venues. See bands you like elsewhere if you can.

Holy Top Hats Batman!?!?!? I finally made it to the Red Party---goth night for the NY lover's of the dark side at the Mercury Lounge. I have been meaning to make my way out of the cave and into it's allure. It wasn't until I heard Bootblacks was playing at midnight that I finally decided it would be the magical night. I arrived a little earlier than my friends at like 11:30. The drinks here are super pricey...if you want anything that doesn't taste like water. A crafty IPA was $8. Ouch. The show was only $10 but it's also only one band at midnight. When I walked in it was a mixture of older goths, Alien Sex Fiend goths, Ren Faire goths, role playing game goths, ol' Dracula goths...the cool punk goths did not arrive until like 2 songs in of the show. I will admit I enjoyed the dj for the evening with the Sisters of Mercy theme! Rawr! There was tons of dancing room. People might be a little too touchy...almost like a strange goth prom. I literally saw one guy push me..yikes. Not into that whole mean flirting. The Bootblacks annihilated the show. They are the local fun, gothy punk band that I can't enough of. I thought the lighting was spot on and the sound was great. I liked that the entrance is the bar area and then the bar room opens up for the stage and dance floor. I will definitely return to get my gothy dance fix!

I don't usually write reviews but after last night I thought I'd jot down my experience! I went to see a friend perform live with her band and after the performance I was using the men's room. The lovely bouncer decided it was his new job to leave the front door and berate me for waiting in line to the men's room, repeatedly telling me to use the women's room behind me. For the record I'm just a guy with long hair and while I sometimes receive funny looks this was far beyond anything else that has happened to me. I will literally never come back. Goofy ass establishment with staff that aren't afraid to make their patrons feel like shit !!!

Small venue that allows small stand up concerts. Upon entering, is a bar that leads to the stage room where there are limited seating available on the sides. The restrooms are located across from the bar table and have two stalls. It is a tight space, but they have air conditioning. Mercury lounge only allows 18+ to enter and people who are 21+ gets a wristband as well as a stamp on their hand which allows them to buy alcoholic drinks.

Great sounding music venue in NYC and bar in the Lower East Side. I have performed there several times.

Went for a concert and the staff was so nice! They were helpful and welcoming even though we were a large group!

Do not waste your time at this place. Number one is the staff, specifically the bouncers. They are very abusive towards women, will belittle you and are disgustingly crude. They randomly throw people out because they feel like it. Second the music itself is mediocre at best. The promoted monthly 'party' is a waste of money and they don't play what they advertise. The dj is always drunk and acts like a fool. There are better places out there where you don't have to deal with all the garbage this place offers.

A great dive space to hear local bands. And friendly bartenders. What's more to like?

This is what happens when you start phoning in your Yelp reviews. Copy/Paste Text Message Reviews: ::I had 3 heavy-handed double rum & cokes. So after the equivalent of 6 drinks I'm loose.:: ::God. Did you have fun?:: ::They put on a good show. I'm mixed about the venue though.:: ::Why?:: ::No consistent coat check, big gaps in the music lineup. I've gotten used to and spoiled by Rockwood I guess. It's probably not fair to compare the two until I know if Mercury Lounge is supposed to be a real music venue or just a bar with a really large back room. And that's my whole review. Word for word!:: ::Lol!:: Don't judge me. They're better than my Forensic Facebook Reviews.

Incredible atmosphere, tucked away next to Kat's Deli.. how could you go wrong? Stayed at hotel Indigo right around the corner. I can't wait to see another show here!

Tops my list of smaller, wonderfully intimate music venues in Manhattan. They consistently procure great bands (IMO) and tickets are always nominally priced for the caliber of music experience you're sure to have here. There's a divey bar up front and a cozy performance space/stage through a set of double doors in the back. Especially if it's a sold out show, be prepared to get chummy with your fellow concert goers. My only issue with this place, as is the case with most smallish venues, is that there's no box office/will call. Be sure to give your friends their tickets ahead of time so you can just meet them inside.

Came in over the weekend for a Lighthouse and the Whaler show. Tickets for this show were cheap, 10 bucks online. Will call was painless - just told the door guy our names and checked off the list, and walked right in. There's a bar right at the entrance and you walk past that to get into the main area. First thing you'll notice is that the venue is fairly small - good in that there's really no bad place to be and you get an up close view of the stage. It does get cramped and can get a bit warm. Get there early if you want to be right at the front. All in all a small, intimate venue that's a great place to catch your favorite bands up close.

I have always passed by this place but I never knew it was called Mercury Lounge. I came here this past Friday to watch NO SECOND TROY ---- CHECK THEM OUT!!!! They were playing along with Hello Nurse and Tuff Love. J1 and I came here to meet with my other friends that were already there. Upon seeing my friends, I can already see that K, C, A, and J2 were already pretty toasted! A always makes fun of me because I always get myself retard-ly wasted by drinking Patron. But since I didn't have my Patron drinking buddy that night - I only had one shot of Patron and a cocktail. I didn't want to drink anymore since the bartender just wasn't much of a mixologist. Hell, anybody can be a bartender if all you have to do is pour beer. I would give this place ONE star for the limited selection of drinks. The bartender doesn't have her own specialty and nor did she suggest any good cocktails for me. I told her I like fruity drinks - she's like well what do you want? I am like if I knew what I wanted I would not have asked for her suggestion or her specialty. I wish I could do beer, but I am not a beer drinking kind of girl. Life would be a lot simpler if I was. I told her what flavors I do like, but she didn't even tweak it to make taste good for me. (Why do I have to tell her how to do her job?) So the drink she managed to make for me tasted like straight up alcohol - so yes, one patron and one cocktail was good enough for a light weight like me. A, K, C, and J2, and J1 - we ended up going in to see who was playing on stage. I am not sure who was playing, but seriously there were 11 guys on stage playing some beats and some random dude was recording them. Whoever was playing - I am not sure if it was a real band or what, but they all looked confused and had no business being on stage. Finally, NO SECOND TROY plays --- I would give them 5 stars!!! They freaking rock - me loves them!!!! We're jamming, we're having fun, and we're dancing all over the place - right in front of the freaking stage. I am having a blast with my friends and I totally do not care about how I appear to outsiders. K - crazy, hyped up, and drunk girl - she was working the floor and just jumping around. Again, I am having a total blast and I totally owe it to K and A. But then suddenly, I see this girl (who I recognized since I have seen her at other No Second Troy gigs!) PUSH K, and gave her a crazy dirty look. OH HELL TO THE MUTHAF***ING NO DID SHE JUST PUSH HER! I AM ALL ABOUT RESPECT AND THAT WAS A NO, NO! K was so drunk, it didn't even click to her or to anyone except me. I am not one to instigate but this girl has no business pushing anyone. Me: Why are you going to let that girl push you? K: What, who pushed me? Me: I point to the brunette girl in the black dress. You need to tell her what's up! Don't be letting people push you like that! I WASN'T TRYING TO START A FIGHT BUT YOU JUST DON'T PUSH PEOPLE. You can say, EXCUSE ME! K goes up to the girl and asked her if there was a problem. The girl lies and says she's with the media and she's trying to write a story on No Second Troy. What a freaking liar! Because if she was working in the media industry - she could get fired and sued for her action. BULLSH*T - I am just super duper happy that she didn't push me because it would've of been over! Again, it's all about RESPECT! After NST stops playing, it was Hello Nurse turn to play. Hello Nurse lead singer came up to us and told us to give them the same energy as we did for NST. I didn't think we were bothering anyone but apparently K really annoyed this chick. She even went up to the lead singer of NST- Jeff to tell him her situation. She didn't even realize that Jeff is my friend and my friends came to support them because they do like NST's music. It's like dude - chill because IT'S NOT THAT SERIOUS!!!!! It's all about supporting NST and having fun! Besides that whole drama rama - I still had fun because of A and K!!!!!

One of the best places to see a show in NYC. The music space is a decent-sized open room at the end of the bar. There is limited seating around the wall, so if you don't want to stand, arrive early! Sound is fantastic and the space is intimate enough that you never feel too far from the performers. Drink prices are reasonable and the Ladies bathroom is clean. I can't give Mercury Lounge 5 stars, as much as I would like to, because every time I have been there, the bouncers were extremely rude and aggressive (trust me, I am well past 21 and clearly am not carrying weapons) and the person selling/verifying tickets wasn't much better, even for shows where there wasn't a single other person waiting to get in. Make sure you have your ticket up on your phone and your ID out at least a block away - perhaps they will simply be cold.

Mercury Lounge is one of those places I've passed many times but never given a second thought. It just sort of became lost in the piles of bars, pubs and eateries in lower Manhattan. However one of my favorite artists was playing here so I made the trip down to check it out. Mercury Lounge is sort of misnamed in that not many people can really "lounge" in the place. The front section is a bar, with a narrow corridor leading to the performance room in the back. The two are separated by walls and a door to keep the sound contained. Across from the bar are the rest rooms. The bar is typical, lots of dark wood, average range of liquor. The night I went they only had one red wine (again, typical). The back room is larger and has a small bar off to the side. There are also seats (this is where the lounging can occur) against the walls. The middle is left open for standing room only. The stage isn't high up and if you get there ahead of time you can be close enough to the stage to get a good view. The sound system was good and the lighting was good enough to see the stage while keeping the audience area dark. My main complaint is that it was around 60 degrees outside (in April) but inside everyone was sweating up a storm. I felt two blasts of A/C then nothing, as if the A/C decided it couldn't handle us and went to go get a drink instead. It was very strange. I'd go to Mercury again if an artist I liked was playing there but otherwise I don't feel compelled to go back any time soon.

Terrific venue for live music. Who knows maybe you'll hear an up-and-coming band that makes it big and you can say... I hear them play at the Mercury Lounge. p.s. Great location too for area restaurants to catch a great meal before the show. Be well and stay curious, Lipstick Warriors

I've NEVER written a bad review before but the bouncer is next level horrible lmfao (at least the one I had, I'm not sure if there's multiple that work there). I feel bad ratting this guy out as I don't know what he's got going on and I've learned my lesson about bringing potentially iffy items into venues. It was my b for sure in a lot of ways and I don't want to fully blame the guy. Maybe he was just having a really really bad day. So like take it with a grain of salt. But basically, I had an item from my purse that got confiscated and was told upfront that I'd be given it back at the end of the night. Keep this in mind. I never had trouble with it getting confiscated at venues before as it complies with the nyc regulations for it as far as I know (contrary to what he was insisting) but maybe i was just lucky those times and I understand some places are really strict and he's just doing his job so I willingly complied and didn't put up a fuss not thinking much of it. What do I know. When the end of the night came, he refused to give it back to me. He talked down to me and my friend and tried to force us out of the building. When we tried to explain our side in a bit of a panicked and assertive but pretty civil manner (at least compared to how he was talking to us) and that we were told it would be given back, he started calling my friend "sassy," asked me if my "daddy brought me there" (I am an ADULT WOMAN LOL), and more. those are just some of the highlights like the things he was spewing at us were crazy. It honestly did feel quite misogynistic bc let's be real u would never say those things to a man. I refused to leave as it is a very valuable and sentimental item to me and eventually got it back but he would not give it up easily, yelling at me and speaking to me in literally what sounded like riddles lmao like this man was not making sense. He sounded like someone experiencing a bad mental health episode. He was clearly on some sort of manic power trip and making everyone else there, including the OTHER EMPLOYEES very uncomfortable. The employees were very sweet and apologetic about it and were really the only redeeming part of the situation. I understand that being a bit commanding can come with the job of being a bouncer but what I experienced was straight up unprofessional and just weird. I really feel like that guy should explore other avenues of employment LMAO and potentially seek psychiatric help. I saw some other reviews complaining about him so I'm glad it's not just me. I honestly don't think I'd come to this venue again after that, so that's why I wanted to say something about it. I cannot think of another time where I was treated that horribly by a staff somewhere

One of my favorite spots in LES... i love an intimate venue to watch live music, and its typically pretty safe to pop in here on any given night for a good show! Drinks are reasonably priced for an NYC bar, about $10 each. The bar is small and the bathrooms are always pretty gross. I wish they didn't have a DJ on Saturday nights and more live music, however that's personal preference and not a reflection of the review, just a heads up for anyone looking to see a live band. Overall i frequent this place when in the city and definitely recommend popping in if you're in the area!!

Not accessibility friendly. I need to sit down because of my temporary disability and they took my bar stool away after I had already ordered a drink at the bar. If you are disabled, stay away from this place. They don't care at all.

When they said small and intimate venue, they were not kidding. I've been waiting for an artist to come to the US to perform (Jordan Rakei), and was delighted when I found out that it was going to be at a smaller venue instead of a larger one. Mercury Lounge is even on the smaller side of small venues. Even if you stand all the way in the back of the room, you'll still be be just a few meters away from the stage. The sound was still impressive, and service was fine. I did notice that there's no backstage for the artists, so that must be pretty uncomfortable for them since they have to walk off the stage and through the crowd to leave. All in all, you'll in for a treat if you're going here for an artist you like.

We ended up here to see one of our fav bands, The Roosevelts. Bouncer or slacker or whatever he was outside was quite rude. Lady taking the cash was as boring and apathetic personality as you've ever encountered. Bartender was attentive and efficient, show was amazing. Just add in a touch of class and excitement about the place from the staff and this could easily become a 4* venue.

While it's a nice venue the bar staff was completely inattentive. One texted on her phone and only looked up to show her partner behind the bar what ever content kept her from doing her job. Later in the evening I tried several times to get her attention and when I finally did she seemed annoyed by my presence. SMH.

Great no-frills tiny music venue that features a ton of up-and-coming acts and international bands. It's basically like your friend's basement as a kid, but turned up to 11. Okay, more like 7. Sound system is okay. The lighting isn't the most versatile. The stage is low and you can really get in there for photos opportuniities (securty doesn't care what you shoot with). Bars outside and inside the music area. Not the best beers, and not the best prices. But par for the course for the area.

I'm a pretty stereotypical asian professional - boring, uptight, clean cut, and rely mostly on Banana Republic and Kenneth Cole to suck the color out of my wardrobe. However, Mercury Lounge reliably can pull the inner hipster/rocker out of even the most humdrum killjoy's such as myself. I dare anyone - from the boring corporate suits to basement dwelling nerds to not have a good time at the Mercury Lounge. Whether it be the consistently good and eclectic line-up of acts and bands, cheap PBR on tap, or the energy of the crowd, this place is fun. It's alive. It's what makes living in New York great.

I've been here a few times to see different shows and the space is your typical dive bar in the front with a big open space to watch the bands perform in the back. It's not really a Lounge situation as there are only a few couches to sit on against the wall, otherwise it's a standing room only space. It's a cool spot to come to for live music, and always has cool bands playing during the week. Would definitely recommend if looking for a place to check out some good music in a smaller venue.

Whoever listed this place as a "dive bar" has never actually been to a dive bar before and should change that about themselves. With that said, Mercury Lounge is just okay. The front area is coat check/merchandise and the bar itself. The bar is nice, the bartenders are friendly, but it's VERY narrow. The bathrooms are also right across from the bar so if your group is standing against the wall, you'll probably hear "excuse me" about 50 times. Bar prices are fair. A mixed drink will run you around $7 but if you're part of the band performing that evening, it's only $4. The one thing I liked above everything else is the fact that there is a door that closes and separates the performance area from the bar. We were there to see a friend's band play so once their set was over, we were able to hang out in the bar area without hearing the horrible other bands that played after them. The performance area is tiny and for someone like me, who hates crowds, it was a bit uncomfortable. I made due, though. There is seating off to the sides but not much. The acoustics weren't that great but it's a small area so that was to be expected. I would definitely give Mercury a try sometime again, however, I wouldn't spend as much time in the bar area. Too many people pass through it so expect to have your drink spilled a few times. The crowd that hangs out here is pretty cool, though. The bartenders also have a heavy hand, which appreciated when you're paying almost 10 bucks for a drink.

My friend's cousin was playing here so I decided ro go with her and two other people to hear them. The band sounded great but the place is small, crowded and there was no place to sit.