During an interview in a Brooklyn basement before their summer show at The Broadway, Nico Espinosa and Sean Wouters of the Miami-turned-NYC-based garage/alternative rock duo share a few spots they dig for live music, late-night pizza (+beer) parties, Micheladas and more
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The Broadway
NICO: They’ve been having a lot of sick shows. One of the first times we checked it out, we came to watch The Muckers, which is another sick band. Sound is incredible, the vibe is awesome. Right now we’re in the basement and there’s a taco place, and the tacos are sick. So can’t complain.
SEAN: Sick spot.
NICO: The sounds upstairs sounds great, too. We were soundchecking earlier, so we’re super excited for tonight. Should be a crazy-loud set from every band.
We have a tendency… People always tell us, “Y’all are really loud.” We put a caption on our Instagram just to always bring ear plugs.
1272 Broadway, (347) 365-9861, facebook.com/TheBroadwayNYC
Captain Dan’s “Good Time” Tavern
NICO: I know my favorite spot—it’s literally like two blocks from my house—is Captain Dan’s. That spot is sick. They have awesome food…good drinks…
SEAN: The Micheladas are on point.
NICO: The Micheladas are on point, which is always a plus for a bar for me. If you have a good Michelada, you’re gonna find me there. That’s my spot, always.
[What makes a good Michelada?]
NICO: A good balance of Clamato and you have to have the tajin salt rim—that’s crucial. Because some places just give you the salt rim, and it’s not the same.
SEAN: It’s not the same. We’re both Michelada fans.
[Is that the official drink of Deaf Poets?]
NICO: It should be. You know, I had Instagram play Michelada commercials on my feed. It’ll be like, “Clamato…” Fuck, man. Leave me alone, dude. Reading my mind!
SEAN: That hasn’t happened to me yet, but I drink a handful of Micheladas. I love Bloody Marys, but it’s so heavy, like a meal. A Michelada is so much lighter. I love it.
NICO: The size is important too. [Here] they have a good size, a decent size. It tastes really good, it has a good amount of spice. I tally it up and they take a chunk of my money every month. Every month, some of my paycheck goes to Captain Dan’s.
U497 Greene Ave, (718) 975-3887, captdansgoodtimetavern.com
Union Pool
SEAN: That’s actually a venue I really love. I love the vibe. I went there a few times for drinks and they always have random, good-ass bands playing outta nowhere.
NICO: It has a vibe very similar to this place in Miami called Gramps…
You go there, you have five bucks on you, and you just go down the list and see what [beer is] five… no, three or four bucks, so you can tip.
Rocka Rolla
NICO: I love that spot so much. When I first moved up, my friend said, “Yo, we’re gonna go bar-hopping.” He took me and he goes, “Dude, they have $3 chalices here.” It was literally a chalice of beer.
SEAN: It’s medieval!
NICO: You gotta have a good presentation with your drink…
We actually did a video there. We did a fun project with a bunch of friends.
SEAN: We filmed ourselves bar-crawling, bar-hopping.
NICO: We ended up at Rocka Rolla. By the time we got to that place—that was like our fifth bar—it was such a bIur. I remember having a cigar like, “Sean, just have a cigar dude.” Then we light a cigar and we smoked it…
SEAN: I don’t even remember that!
NICO: It got me destroyed. I took an Uber home, ‘cause I’m like, I cannot comprehend what is happening.
SEAN: It’s not even that far, too. It is a walk home, but…
NICO: This is fatality. I was done.
486 Metropolitan Ave
Night of Joy
NICO: That area has really good places. Night of Joy is close by.
SEAN: I was about to say Night of Joy. We’ve [gone for] DJ sets there. Friends and stuff.
NICO: Our friend Jared from The Vacant Lots. He DJs there… well, when he’s in town.
SEAN: I remember we were going there before he started doing the DJ set and it’s such a cool spot.
It has an interesting, really vintage feel to it. You walk in and it’s a really cool area. The drinks are actually really good. And then you come up to this really pretty lit area.
NICO: The roof is chill.
SEAN: It feels fancy but it’s not… I guess that’s the vibe.
NICO: You feel high-class.
SEAN: You’re drinking a PBR in a fancy place, you know.
667 Lorimer Street, nightofjoybar.com
The Charleston
NICO: There’s one spot I love too in Williamsburg called The Charleston. It’s so good…
It was my first birthday in New York City. I went there and had an awesome time, because it was non-stop drinking and pizza constantly. It was just a rotation. My friend’s just like, “Shot! Shot! Shot! Shot!” And every shot you bought, you get a pizza. Anyone that’s visiting, I try to take them.
SEAN: It’s a gathering. Really. You go there, ya know. At the end, you’re wasted and you can have beers and $1 pizzas.
174 Bedford Ave, (718) 599-9599, .charlestonbarbrooklyn.com
Alamo Drafthouse
NICO: I love going to Alamo Drafthouse and The Nighthawk to watch movies. I kinda like The Nighthawk a little bit because it’s not assigned seating so you can show up a little early and take your seats, but Alamo Drafthouse has better food. Way better food…
I used to be baked pretty hard before I’d go to a movie there, so… large coke, large popcorn, maybe get some sliders, maybe get some fries. It’s just straight-up garbage food while you watch a movie and then, next thing you know, the bill comes, you’re like, hoooly shit.
445 Albee Square W 4th floor, (718) 513-2547, drafthouse.com/nyc/theater/downtown-brooklyn
Market Hotel
SEAN: That’s like the most DIY but cool spot. They don’t have a liquor license, so they’re giving free beer in the back….
NICO: Why are you ratting people out, bro?
SEAN: Nah, that’s legal. But it was so sick every time. I went with Jared, a good friend of ours, we saw some good bands there, local shows. The freaking subway is in the background. You can’t get more New York than that experience in terms of a venue. It’s so cool.
NICO: I was fortunate I was able to play that venue a few times. That was one of the venues when I first moved up that I played it, I’m like, holy shit, this feels like I’m in New York City, because exactly what you said—the window and the train going by. It’s a cool spot, you know.
1140 Myrtle Ave, (914) 893-2843, markethotel.org
Carmelo’s
SEAN: Carmelo’s is a cool spot. It’s small but it doesn’t feel small at all because it has a very high ceiling. And there’s a second floor that you hang out and there’s pool tables and you look down at the bar…
Everything’s lit kind of red and orange. It feels like a New Orleans-y kinda vibe. I’ve been there two times now, three times, and it’s been really nice.
1544 Dekalb Ave
Do or Dive
NICO: Around my house is another cool spot called Do or Dive that I go to. One time I got locked out of my apartment and didn’t have a key. We came back from a late-night show. We went to Do or Dive and just spent a few hours there. Hanging out at three in the morning. Awesome, cheap drinks, can’t really complain.
1108 Bedford Ave, (347) 406-8241, doordivebedstuy.com
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*An Astoria resident, Sean also wanted to include Queens Comfort, which isn’t allowed… you know, because it’s in Queens. But we’ll add it down here for good measure.
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Check out Deaf Poets on Spotify, keep up with them on Instagram and find everything else your heart desires at deafpoets.net.
The band is playing one more show before going on what they’ve dubbed an indefinite hiatus. Don’t miss them blasting the roof and/or windows off The Knitting Factory this Wednesday (10/16) with The Minks, The Bobby Lees and zzzWalk. Our boys hit at 8:30, so don’t be late. Details and tickets here.
[This interview has been edited and condensed.]