The 443 Social Club & Lounge (formerly The Listening Room at 443) — Local services in City of Syracuse

OPEN MIC REVIEW: I've been here three times: once to see a friend at an open mic, and two other times to play at the open mic myself. I've had a mixed experience here. I stopped in to see a friend play last minute and was casually dressed in pajama pants. They weren't dirty or ripped, but I get it: they're pajama pants. The owner made three separate comments to me about how "there's not a dress code, but next time you come here don't wear those." Seemed kinda rude, in my opinion. The first open mic I came to, I showed up shortly after they opened the sign-ups (6:30) and put myself in the middle of the list. I didn't get to play until 9 and as luck would have it, they cut the performances to 2 songs once it got to me. Irritated by the week before, I showed up early the next week to ensure a good spot, spoke with the sound engineer about hooking up my backing track for my performance, and he said it wouldn't be an issue. As the guy before me came off stage, I complimented him on his set. He started a conversation and after about 20 seconds of listening I realized I would have to cut him off so I could set up for my set. The host then started reprimanding me through the mic for being late (at the MOST a minute late), the sound engineer could not properly hook up my backing track (it came out mono instead of stereo and it was wayyy too quiet) as he was being pressured by the host to get things moving, and then the host passive aggressively said to the audience "Now if you're up to play, make sure you're ready to play, etc etc", which was, of course, intended for me. I can't speak on the food or drink, but if you're coming here for an open mic, you may want to think twice. I've been to a lot of open mics and understand you need to respect the time of other performers, but they need to figure out how they want to format their open mics so that the performers don't feel hurried on...

The Listening Room has an interior that is small and great. Yes, it looks like a perfect living room in a spacious Adirondack cabin, and yet that living room has a small living room space just for your friends and you. One could say that the space is all about the stage, and yet the bar corner makes a great place to kick back, drink wine and nibble on charcuterie. You'll want to drink coffee during the day at one of the comfy couches, and yet, you'll imagine what can be made to happen on the stage, with an amazingly complete set of stage lights, operated from a iPad. Think of opening up your own Shakespeare Company? You could do that at the Listening Room. Notice the cove ceilings, the better to host the acoustic open mike nights in a space with good acoustics. This gem on Burnet Avenue echoes the nearby pub in the Mello Velo bike shop not so very far away. And I was on the interstate going home in a flash thanks to the...

Welcoming, comfortable cafe and bar. A very pleasant surprise, especially in Syracuse! I'd expect a place like this in a bigger city; it's really a gem here. Cozy and trendy music venue focusing on the listening experience - definitely a step above the average coffee shop or bar in terms of music quality, with a sound tech who's actually paying attention and tweaking the mix as appropriate. In terms of food, it's a small menu, but every dish I've tried is very tasty. Bar focuses on quality (especially wine, rye & bourbon) rather than quantity, but is well stocked with all the basics. Seating is a mix of small tables, bar, and retro couches....