After attending the Elvis Costello show Friday night, which served as the grand opening of the new Paramount Theater in Huntington, I can tell you the new venue is as impressive as advance word made it out to be. The club’s design strikes just the right balance between rock club grit and urban sophistication, with exposed bricks and beams that give it an industrial feel, but slickly designed bar and seating areas upstairs make it feel upscale at the same time.

Don't be fooled by the word theater in the name here, because the main floor "orchestra" area is all general admission, which means you'll stand. But Friday night, even though the show was sold out, there was still plenty of room to move around and dance. Elvis put on a great show and really rocked the place. My one complaint was with the sound and that may not have been the club's fault. Unfortunately the instruments lacked definition in the mix and were obliterated by a bottom end that was a distorted rumble (and not in a good way). But, Friday nights audience was clearly having a good time and exited the theater with big smiles.

Overall, the Paramount is a very cool space with a welcoming staff and a killer lineup of upcoming acts. I foresee a long and successful run for this exciting new Long Island venue.

Long Island has had its share of legendary rock clubs and in a story about the Paramount last week, the Long Island Press did a nice job of covering the history of live rock and roll on Long Island. Take a walk down memory lane and read the article here.