It was a wonderful show and Peter and Chris sounded just great and funny and rest of the band was perfect. My wife and I watched most of the show, but eventually had to take off (mostly due to babysitting issues back home in NY), but also because of all the smoking in the crowd. There were a particular couple of people in the front who were chain smoking so much that I had to get out of there. I don't remember that from when the dB's played there last time a couple of months ago. Chris even made a comment about it. I guess NJ has different rules than NY. It's funny how something you'd just take for granted a couple of years ago becomes so offensive and just plain weird a few years, and law changes, later. I don't mean to be harsh--10 or 15 years ago I probably would have been standing there smoking--and drinking--myself. But now, three kids later and “working for somebody else,” it just makes hanging out in a smoke filled club in the middle of the week with a long drive home, harder. Even if it means missing out on a few minutes of great music by two members of your favorite band ever.

Wanted to mention that they also played Chris's "Something Came Over Me."

As for Maxwell's and smoking:
--Most importantly, New Jersey's anti-smoking regulations will go into effect on April 15. So, pay your taxes, and then come back to Maxwell's! Of course, New Jersey is only the 11th state to enact such legislation, so smoke-filled clubs are a fact of life for tons of rock fans and all touring bands.

--When I moved to Hoboken 12 years ago, Maxwell's back room (where bands play) was famously smoke-free. There was a change of ownership about a decade back that turned Maxwell's into a cigar-friendly microbrewery, featuring generic bar bands. The "forces of good" reclaimed Maxwell's, but I think allowing smoking in the back room was a business decision.

--I do remember a Freedy Johnston show at Maxwell's a few years back that was smoke-free at Freedy's insistence.

As far as I'm concerned, I will do my best to never again play any venues as smoky as Maxwell's was that night. I was blindsided by it--in Chapel Hill it's all nonsmoking where I play--otherwise I would have asked the owner to make it so for the night. That was awful.