Last weekend, The Monkees tour came through the metro area, and Karen and I, along with Tommy and Lindsay, saw the show at the Paramount in Huntington NY. More about the show in a bit, but I wanted to comment on how this venue has become such a popular spot in just a short time. 
Formerly the Inter Media Arts Center, the Paramount is now a very cool performance center, which can accommodate acts of all types and sizes. For example, here are some of artists who are scheduled to appear here in the near future:
Joan Rivers
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Ted Nugent
The Go-Go's
Trace Adkins
Steely Dan
Smash Mouth, Uncle Kracker, & Blues Traveler (all on one night!)
In the past, they've also had ZZ Top, Bill Cosby, Buddy Guy, Marshall Tucker, 
Southside Johnny
Courtney Love
Peter Frampton (whose "Frampton Comes Alive" album was mostly recorded at the old Long Island Arena in Commack - particularly the single "Show Me The Way")
The Blues Brothers
Don McLean & Judy Collins
Avril Lavigne
Dennis Miller
Clifford, The Big Red Dog
Well, by now you get the idea; amazingly varied acts, something for almost everyone, from comedy to jazz, to blues, to rock, to children's shows. And somehow, the place feels 'right' for each of these acts. There's amazing energy for the loud rock shows, great lighting and follow spot work for the solo acts, and flexible seating that can be set up for any sort of presentation, including a boxing ring! There are also several full service bars and stands that sell munchies located throughout the building, so the lines for refreshments never seem to reach the uncomfortably long size that you see elsewhere.
Which, I suspect, is why this place has become so popular in a relatively short amount of time. It seems to me that a lot of these acts would have, in the past at least, made stops over at the old Westbury Music Fair - or whatever they're calling it these days - which is a great spot to see a show, due to the relatively small size of the place, and the unique revolving stage. However, Westbury seems to attract an older, more sedate crowd, which I think, doesn't always play well with the acts who appear there. I'm sure that the 'old guard', Sinatra, Rivers, Anka, etc., love the polite crowds, who settle in to those nice, soft, comfy seats and don't leave them until it's time, as Jay Black says, 'to run to the diner for a bagel' towards the end of the show. But, as far as energy goes, ehhh, not so much.
Which brings me back to The Monkees. Karen and I saw them in 2012 at the Paramount, last year at Westbury, and last weekend, again at the Paramount. And honestly, the atmosphere at the Paramount was a lot better for this type of show. You could really feel the energy in the crowd at the Paramount - especially so two years ago when Mike appeared for the first time - but at Westbury, I'd call it 'polite enthusiasm', and not so much screaming and cheering. So I wonder if this is one of the reasons we're seeing less shows at Westbury, and seeing acts performing more at places like the Paramount, or the Capital Theatre up in Port Chester, or the Tarrytown Music Hall. All I know is when the guys hit the stage last Sunday, it was electric, and they really fed off the crowd, they did a phenomenal show, and as Karen said, boy, they sure did seem to genuinely be having a good time on stage; and that came across the footlights out into the audience. So, for those who couldn't get there, here's a video of "Pleasant Valley Sunday", the show's finale, that was posted on YouTube by someone who was at the show: