no, you heard him right. i think he wants it to be a real rock show, and not a sit down at tables and eat rock show, which could be why he switched venues from Joe's Pub to Highline. It's bigger, and has the potential for a good party if the floor becomes GA.
as for paying to play, he probably wasn't kidding. most smaller artists (not saying Connie is, just saying in general) have to play a club/bar/etc. to let them play. So i'm sure he got a cut of the ticket sales but probably not a big cut. As Connie mentioned, the Goo Goo Dolls started out doing that, and look at them now!
"Sometimes on the strip, the dreams you come in with, ain't the dreams you leave with" ~Rock of Ages
"I'm a butterfly, trivial and small, and in the greater scheme of things, I don't mean much at all." ~The Story of My Life
"Forget Regret, or life is yours to miss." ~Rent