Yes the Barrymore has a solid East Side vibe, and decent acoustics but from the patron's point of view it is a pit. The seats are cramped and uncomfortable. The dance area is small and you get the hairy eyeball from the cranky front rowers if you want to groove. I've seen them throw people out for even dancing a foot into the aisle...at John Hiatt! If you end up in the balcony- give it up and go home. Don't even want to mention the bathrooms, dirty taps and awful popcorn. And yes it is in perpetual decline and there seems to be no will to fix it up. Maybe the various east side music fetes should pool their resources and work on that. But my biggest beef of all is the lack of reserved seating. Completely asinine. Why make people wait outside for an hour or more to attend an event. What? Do you think it "builds character"? Sorry, it is just stupid.