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Friday, August 10, 2012
The Rat & Raven
The venue portion of the building is cordoned off from the rest by a heavy curtain and whoever's working the door: you can enter the bar & grill without paying to see the band, but once you're through the curtain, it's a different space entirely. The stage area is dark, moody and theatrical. The main floor is wide open; booths start about halfway back.The stage is fairly large, too, with enough space for backlining of cabs, and a lot of room to set up (it could easily fit a 5-piece rock band with a large drum kit, or The Fabulous Downey Brothers at their most elaborate). There is a loading door by the stage, so gear can be carried in without going through the bar area.
Booking and sound are handled by the same folks who run The Comet; they're currently upgrading the sound system, but there's nothing particularly lacking with the PA they have now. The loudspeakers are solid in the crowd, and the sound on stage, both from the monitors and the general acoustics of the stage itself, is really quite good.Bands get paid from the door (and band members get drink tickets), but the space and staff are sort of "rented" for the night, generally for around $100. Check what's expected when booking and promote with that in mind: if you play to four people, the other bands, and a ton of guest list spots, you will be paying for the privilege at the end of the night.
Finally, it bears mentioning that the curtain between the venue space and the bar proper really separates two worlds. The bar area and upstairs game room have the style (and clientele) of the building's previous incarnation as The Irish Emigrant, which more closely fits the stereotype of "University District bar."
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