Second-tier live venues

Readers of The Set List know that I find most of my action in the top-tier live venues. By top-tier, I mean clubs whose primary purpose is live music and whose bookings show some visible music IQ. But I'm open to others off that obvious path. Some B-listers, like AKA Lounge and Screamers, are actually pretty good places to see a show. But sometimes, you get reminded why a particular place doesn't bill itself as a live venue. That was my reality last night at Slingapour's. Vox Palma escaped me this time but I caught Daylight District (more on that in next week's column) and a bit of The A-Team (an above-average '80s cover band). But context affects everything. And this place blows for live music, at least it did last night. The people were all wrong. What a fit of endurance. The room's setup is good but you just can't paint over the built-in clientele.