When Florida punk-rockers Against Me! pulled up to the newly opened Music Hall of Williamsburg on Wednesday morning, they were faced with a dilemma. The venue, which had already postponed its opening night show on Tuesday (Patti Smith, rescheduled for that Thursday), simply wasn’t fit to play in.

“Trust me, we didn’t think it was going to be possible to get it ready by the time we started,” said AM drummer Warren Oakes, standing in a bar down the street one hour before showtime (note: despite several drinks and what looks like a few shots, Oakes left the bar a few minutes before set time, appeared on stage right on cue and bashed out a phenomenal set. Rock’n’roll!). “But, yeah, they seem to have it where they need to be. We’re playing.”

So, warts and all, the Music Hall is ready to roll. Anyone who remembers the space as the scruffy, gymnasium-like Northsix will be in for a shock. The bleacher sets are gone, as is the whole squatter’s vibe that used to permeate the room. In its place: an entirely reconceived space, now taking up three floors and feeling almost… posh. At least, that appears to be the goal. Only time, and massive amounts of construction, will tell.

Inside
Before entering, I ran into Bowery Presents promoter Sarah Weiss outside. “The sound is phenomenal,” she promised. As for the Hall’s readiness, she took a more diplomatic tone. “Let’s put it this way – every time you come back here, you’re bound to see something new.” Fair assessment. When all is said and done, the Music Hall isn’t ready for prime time … yet. Even hours before the show, construction abounded. Temporary walls, plaster and the smell of fresh paint permeated the inside. Issuing a rough guess, the place looks about 70% finished.

But even though it’s far from complete, Brooklyn may now be home to the best music venue in the city. That’s not to take away from the Bowery Ballroom – in fact, the two venues are eerily identical, from the three-floor layout (downstairs lounge, main floor, balcony) to the shape and size of the elevated stage. The ceilings hang a little lower here, but the layout and room partitioning give the space the same relaxed, open vibe. It also shares the Bowery’s sense of vertigo. To enter, you go through one door, walk downstairs, then around a bar, only to go upstairs and take a left. Around the partition, you’ll finally see the stage. And you will see it – it’s elevated enough to provide perfect sightlines from anywhere on the main floor … and certainly more from the balcony.

Crowd/Vibe
Thanks to the placement of the bar space (see below), the Music Hall never felt claustrophobic, even at a sold-out capacity (listed as 550). That made it easy to walk around, not get jostled and even walk straight up to the front of the stage – mosh pit be damned. Oh, and a first for NYC in a while – there was actual stage diving.

Service/Drinks
The Music Hall does its job, offering up the standard $6 beers and slightly higher-priced mixed drinks. However, thanks to the Hall’s ingenious layout, getting a drink isn’t the same hassle that it can be at, say, Irving Plaza (oh, sorry: The Fillmore at Irving Plaza). The three bar spaces are situated away from the crowded floor, either tucked downstairs (a huge oval-shaped bar/lounge that was almost completely empty), in a nook near the exit on the mezzanine, or back behind a partition upstairs. When you want a drink, you’ll pretty much have the bar to yourself…a blessing for both the concertgoers and the bartenders, who were noticeably more relaxed than their busier, grouchier peers (hi, Bowery Ballroom!).

Bottom line
Let me tell you a seemingly unrelated story: I had a friend with a new multi-million dollar apartment that wasn’t quite finished. At some point, she just had to move in and accept it in all of its incomplete, flawed glory. The Music Hall puts off a similar vibe – there’s a feeling that the space was simply too nice to not use, drywall be damned.

Photo by Bryan Bruchman/subinev.com. For a list of upcoming shows at the Music Hall, click here