As has been said, Pianos sports two floors' worth of drinkspace. I don't know why you'd want to kill too much time on the ground level - though it may be where they keep the hard liquor and bar kitchen - because I've only passed through it on my way to the back stairs.

The bar's second floor is where you want to find yourself if you're in it for anything worth remembering - velvet couches worn to a hilt, cheap-enough Brooklyn Lager and warm whispers of sceneless conversation over an ever-changing roster of live music.

''Nametag Jay'' does something to organize the place and keeps the acts diverse. I've caught two-man acoustic nineties alternative cover duos (Soul Asylum, Oasis), 8-bit shoegaze (The Depreciation Guild) and - of course - the legendary 1200.

The Scientist is a cut above the neighborhood laptop DJ and carries Tuesday nights through with a full set of Hip-Hop, Funk and whateverthefuck he feels like playing. My advice: start at Paladar (across the street) on college-income Mojitos during their happy hour, and trickle in around 10.