Music: From Jimmy's to the South End?

A reader left a helpful comment at an older post called "Cold Stamford: No Love for the Music?"

"There is music but it is under the radar...like the singer at Ocean 211 on Saturdays, Jazz band at Tonic on Thursdays, Funk at Chez Jean Pierre on Wednesdays, Summertime band at the Crab Shell..."

First of all, I really appreciate the live music tips. I need to follow up on them more aggressively. I've been lazy and/or out of town.

"Funk at Chez Jean-Pierre?" my husband said. "I can't picture that." Well, I can't either, but I'm desperate. My thought: "Damn, have you seen the prices at Ocean 211? I'll just order a drink." And, where is Tonic? I googled it with no luck.

Second, Grapes are playing at Jimmy's this Friday. I'm in town, so I believe I'll be there. I don't think I've seen Grapes perform, but Charlie, one of the vocalists and guitar players, used to be in Bravo Avocado, a band I liked a lot.

Third, the reader looked to the future: "...I'll agree that there is certainly not one or two clubs booking serious bands. There is room a club like that in all these abandoned warehouses, LI Sound side of the train station, but so far it's all antiques and scrap metal. Some one should put a club where "Go Vertical" used to be..."

Amen. Who do we know that can do this? I read an article about a couple who opened an art gallery in that area. Gentrification... Stamford's SoHo... is it possible? It is possible that this wealthy-ass area will have a place that hip young adults can hang out? Young or youngish, or older; I just mean people who want to dance and listen to music, music other than a (n admittedly good) DJ at Hula Hanks.

Finally, I'd like to have some musician friends. Many of my college friends were musicians, so it's ingrained in my head that I should know people who play live music. This area makes it hard, but I'm still looking. I've actually got a friend who writes her own jazzy, sultry music, and I'm trying to get her to sing at an open mic and let me do backup vocals.