Ethan Dornfeld
“A New Concert Venue on Long Island”
A new concert venue with a killer lineup has come to Long Island. The Paramount Theater, (formerly the IMAC theater) located on New York Avenue in Huntington, opened on September 30th with new owners and a fresh vibe. Walking into the Paramount for my first concert at this venue on November 22nd, I was excited by the design, sound system, and space. The theater is also easily accessible by train giving it another advantage to anyone living out East.
When I entered the Paramount for the Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto concert, I was hooked by the graffiti spray painted at the entrance and later found out that area graffiti artists designed the front and also spray painted graffiti on the bathroom walls and ceilings. Along the walls of the stairs leading to the main floor, lyrics from Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs were copied onto the walls. After climbing these stairs, I walked into the expansive main floor which is a general admission standing room only area which was large and had unobstructed views of the stage. Because of the space, it was much less of a struggle to hold down a spot in the front, unlike at other venues, where you are crammed together. If you just want to chill out and see a show or you need a break from standing, there is a seating area upstairs with great views. The acoustics are awesome and, according to Subi, the sound quality is “sick no matter where you are.”
There is no food at the Paramount since the owners of the theater want people to give business to restaurants in the area and there are plenty of choices in Huntington. Free cups of ice water are provided outside the standing room only area but if you go to the inside bar for water, be warned, you will pay $4.00 a bottle. There is a huge parking lot a few minutes away from the theater; you can also take the train to Huntington and the Paramount provides a shuttle to and from the train station.
After seeing Reel Big Fish and Streetlight Manifesto perform three times this year at three different venues, the Paramount stands out. With a horn section needing to be distinguished from heavy breakdowns and reggae riffs, I have never heard ska sound so superb in concert before I went to the Paramount. The standing room is also so wide that every ska head could skank (a dance performed to ska music involving kicking your legs and moving your arms) to Reel Big Fish and Streetlight without being in the circle. The venue has a really cool modern industrial setting and holds good vibes of people coming out for a good time. And with the lineup, the Paramount will save me many trips to the city, when bands come to New York.
Upcoming events include (with more to be announced):
DEVO- December 17
Paramount Comedy Series- December 23
Taking Back Sunday- December 27
Pitbull- December 30
The Paramount Rockin Eve- December 31
Fuel- January 27
Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes- February 10
Tesla- February 15
Allstar Weekend- February 17
Matt Nathason- March 1
Children of Bodom- March 2
Dropkick Murphys- March 11
Visit www.paramountny.com and click on shows for the calendar. You will “be impressed” with the Paramount.