The Baggot Inn
82 W. 3rd Street at Sullivan, Manhattan
Sitting smack dab in the midst of Greenwich Village’s
once-famous (now largely annoying) NYU music club scene, this old gem of a bar
wears its legacy on its black wood walls—Irish beer signs hang alongside photos
of mostly bygone jazz greats.
Despite its touristy locale, you can still get a
bottle of beer for three bucks, and usually find a place to sit.
Wednesday nights are home to the Bluegrass and Good Times Jam Session, hosted by badge-wearing, dobro-slinging Sheriff Uncle Bob. (Is it me, or are there a lot of Uncles in this town?) Admission is free, and, in traditional bluegrass-gathering style, there’s no featured act or stage show—just a crowd of a dozen or so walk-in pickers, pluckers, fiddlers, and blowers, all hovered around a big table in the back room, calling out keys, jumping into standards, and doing their best to keep up with each other. By 11 pm, the place is usually packed. Sometimes a second, smaller faction of players forms near the front door, which, depending on where you’re sitting, can make for some confusing listening, but does nothing to detract from the night’s free-wheeling, democratic atmosphere. A rule of thumb at bluegrass jams: The biggest, meanest-looking guys always have the sweetest voices.
phone: 212-477-0622