WALKEASY Saturday, November 12th 10pm-4am Loreley Lounge (downstairs) Written by Keith C. Smith Photographed by Jowy Romano

Usually, I’m not much of a drinker, but put me in front of an open bar and I turn into an alcoholic. So, when I heard that there was an open bar at the Loreley Lounge (with no cover), I was there.

DJ Sonny Ray

The Lorely (downstairs of Walkeasy on 7 Rivington St.) has an intimate atmosphere. Couches are arranged in “U” shapes, making conversation easy. And fortunately most of the people present the night I attended were interesting, because the place itself has the ambience of an unfinished basement.

Keith C. Smith (far right), aided by the free beer,
starts to make new friends.

The free beer, provided by Jever, tasted a little better than what I expected from a free beer. I was able to get a buzz off on only two bottles and it sure did loosen everyone up for mingling.

Keith Continues to Make New Friends	New Friend

DJ Sonny Ray, an eight-year veteran spinster, provided the music. This was a monthly visit for the disk jockey, but his first since the lounge added a new light and sound system. Sonny took full advantage of the equipment, spinning 70s-80s old wave with a little hip-hop thrown in for good measure.

If you want to sample what Sonny Ray plays, go to www.eastvillageradio.com for his weekly podcast. Some fans of the podcast visited the lounge to talk with the DJ. They told me that he always responds to their requests.

Just When You Thought You Had Seen Enough of Keith	Keith Gets Rid of His Free Beer

Despite the rough appearance of the Lorely Lounge, the people I met were fun and made the night pass quickly. New friends and free beer, now that’s a deal worth a return visit