Somewhere
between a biker bar and a college hangout,
the dark Checkpoint Charlie's only seems intimidating
-- an effect that's helped by the hard rock
sounds usually blaring from the stage. It's
easy to overlook straight rock with all the
other New Orleans sounds around, but this would
be the place to start trying to find it. R&B
and blues sneak into the mix as well.
A full
bar, food, and pool tables help soften the
ambience for the easily intimidated, and it's
open 24 hours, making it a less touristy place
for a quick drink during the day. Plus, there's
a coin laundry, so a dusty traveler can clean
up while enjoying the music.
And right across
the street is a fire station known for its
hunky firemen, who on sultry nights sit outside
and admire the views. Admire them right back.
The Scene
Much like its namesake, Checkpoint
Charlie serves as a boundary
marker for the small, chic
Frenchmen Street scene in the
Faubourg Marigny. It offers
a typical bar layout: small
stage, pool tables, an elevated
area from which to hang out
and peep the band, spacious
bar. Slumming Frenchmen Street
hipsters, aspiring rockers,
seasoned bohemian and biker
types and unwary tourists make
The Draw
Unlike most of the other Frenchmen
clubs, the bill of fare here
leans mostly toward local rock
bands aspiring to be the next
Better Than Ezra, along with
quirky avant-garde combos that
mix jazz, funk and Tom Waits-style
boho attitude. The standard-issue
bar food, coin-operated laundry
facilities and lack of a cover
charge are perfect for barflies
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