Profile

Relocated from its modest former home on Houston Street (now Botanica Bar), this legendary new-music venue now pays the bills with more crowd-pleasing lineups. Sweaty Swedish rock groups and not-too-challenging free-jazz noodlers are more typical picks than John Cage wannabees, but the Knitting Factory’s heart—and its crisp, unmurky sound system—is still in the right place, even as the entertainment sprawls over three floors. The Tap Bar boasts eighteen draft beers. In the basement, the Old Office is a small, relaxed sanctum featuring an unambitious yet decent wine selection. This ain’t no CBGB’s, and the crowd—thirtyish couples in serious glasses alongside High-Fidelity rock geeks and bearded jazz Joes—like it that way, even if Laurie Anderson’s not sharing the bathroom line anymore. — Bruce Bennett