It’s surprising to hear Al’s playing there because it’s primarily a jazz club, leaning a bit toward the fusion end of the music. It has a capacity of 180 and like most jazz venues on the East Coast is a sit-down place so tickets for front and center would mean tables in that area.
That's the type of venue where he played in Minneapolis, too: the Dakota is primarily a jazz club. A couple hundred people tops, tables, etc. I think maybe that's the sort of venue he (or whoever does the booking) thinks is most appropriate. He probably can't sell out the theaters like he plays with Brian's band, and he and his audience don't really fit in the smaller (dirtier, standing-room only) kinds of bars/clubs that younger rock bands play.