So tonight, Katie and I went to see Florence + The Machine play at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.  After finding little or no information about it when we searched, and whatever we did find was all over the place, I have put together a beginner’s guide to enjoying a gig at this theater:

First of all, make sure you really like the band you are planning on seeing.  I knew about three F+TM songs, and the amount of effort that was required to attend, far out-weighed my desire to see them.

Second, and quite importantly, this is A DRY VENUE.  Yes.  You read that right.  Keep this in mind if you’re planning on having a big one afterwards.

Next, decide whether you want to drive or not.  As neither of us has a car in New York, public transport was our only option.  You have to take the Long Island Rail Road to a place called Freeport.  These trains run about every 30 minutes from Penn Station.  Tickets will cost you $US16.50 for an off-peak return (weekends are always off-peak).  Purchasing the tickets is simple and can be done from any of the ticket machines near the LIRR platforms in Penn Station.  Freeport will generally be the 7th stop on the Babylon bound train and it should take you around 46-48 minutes give or take.  Once you arrive at Freeport, take the stairs down to the middle of the road side and follow the signs for the N88 bus service.  This is direct to Nikon at Jones Beach Theater and costs $US2.25.  You must use your Metrocard (the one you use for all New York Subways) for the bus, which is great as I had brought a 7 day unlimited ride card and this worked perfectly.
The bus will take around 15 minutes to arrive at the stadium gates, and will pick you up from the same spot after the show finishes.