|
Showing posts with label Venue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venue. Show all posts
Monday, November 25, 2013
Venue Guide
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Wait... what?
While the details are slow to reveal themselves, keep an eye to the RadGoat page, which is working to keep all of the shows booked throughout January and February alive. The shows aren't going to be cancelled, just relocated
.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Adios, Funhouse
October 31, 2012
Bye
bye, Funhouse; you were good, but I'm certain the condos that replace you will
be great. The Funhouse is still looking for a place to
re-spawn, and I hope they find a good spot, but this is it for now: the final
night of the Funhouse. Fitting, I
suppose: if you're going to have a final bash at the place with the big scary
clown on the marquee, it may as well be on Halloween.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
The Mars Bar
For the record: the food at Cafe Venus is pretty good. They have traditional bar food as well as a lot of vegetarian/vegan options.The venue itself is fairly small and intimate, with a mid-size stage (much improved from the first time we played here) and a solid PA (appropriate for the size of the venue). Bands split the door, and there are tables across from the stage for merch.
Not unlike the 2 Bit's Monday Metal Madness, the Mars Bar is currently hosting RadGoat Fridays, which is hosted by ubik.s Michelle, and has been building up Mars Bar Fridays as a punk and metal event night in town. Saturdays are being booked by Daswasup GIG, setting up a more garage-style night, and giving the Mars Bar a solid lineup.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Why would you play this place?
Well... I rarely do this, but as an addendum to my original write-up of Fuel, it's probably worth noting that I've undersold how poorly this place treats, represents, and reproduces the sound of bands.
The stand-out problem is still the bad, bad sound... but my initial complaint was something I assumed was the sound guy's preference: running everything through the mains. Now it's obvious the people running sound at Fuel are just incompetent. A goth/industrial show went spectacularly wrong, as the programmed drums/sequenced synths weren't put through the sound system... so the audience basically had a night where one of the main elements of the music was completely missing.
The bands fought and argued and contested the inability of the sound guy to make the show audible, but musicians aren't a priority at Fuel, and aren't taken seriously. How much respect do bands get? Well... they weren't allowed to start playing until the football game was over, so the flat screen TVs are much more important than the bands.
Though the show started late-- don't be ridiculous: you simply cannot turn off the TVs when football is on-- all the bands did get to play... because, when half of your music can't be heard by anyone, it's not a big deal when the musicians storm off the stage. It keeps the sets short, and you're not missing anything.
Actually, you'd miss less if you just never went to Fuel. Bands shouldn't play there. People who want to see bands should see them somewhere else. With so many other venues in Seattle, why should shows (bands or audience) ever have to deal with Fuel?
Leave this place to flat screen televisions broadcasting The Big Game.
The stand-out problem is still the bad, bad sound... but my initial complaint was something I assumed was the sound guy's preference: running everything through the mains. Now it's obvious the people running sound at Fuel are just incompetent. A goth/industrial show went spectacularly wrong, as the programmed drums/sequenced synths weren't put through the sound system... so the audience basically had a night where one of the main elements of the music was completely missing.
The bands fought and argued and contested the inability of the sound guy to make the show audible, but musicians aren't a priority at Fuel, and aren't taken seriously. How much respect do bands get? Well... they weren't allowed to start playing until the football game was over, so the flat screen TVs are much more important than the bands.
Though the show started late-- don't be ridiculous: you simply cannot turn off the TVs when football is on-- all the bands did get to play... because, when half of your music can't be heard by anyone, it's not a big deal when the musicians storm off the stage. It keeps the sets short, and you're not missing anything.
Actually, you'd miss less if you just never went to Fuel. Bands shouldn't play there. People who want to see bands should see them somewhere else. With so many other venues in Seattle, why should shows (bands or audience) ever have to deal with Fuel?
Leave this place to flat screen televisions broadcasting The Big Game.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
The Highline
or The Funhouse-- lots of space for backlining, large drum kits, and most stage setups that a medium-level band could muster. An elevator is available to shuttle heavier gear to the second floor venue without lugging equipment up stairs. The monitors, floor wedges up front and a stand-alone for the drummer, are quality, and the PA system can more than fill the space. In a fairly large space like this, whether or not the cabs are mic'd depends on how loud the amps are, the sound guy, and the balance off stage. The sound in the crowd is usually pretty good (it does tend toward reverby, arena-style drums... but that's a personal preference thing) and it is one of the darker clubs in town.Bands get two complimentary pitchers for the night and are paid a cut of the door; shows are usually between $5 and $7, and a large crowd in a space this side will compensate a band well. There's table space along the wall between the stage and sound booth that can provide plenty of merch real estate, if needed (if not, on-deck bands will often have their gear there-- ask your booker or sound engineer about merchandise space.)
Addendum:
The Highline is really expanding as a venue, bringing in wider varieties of acts and bigger, national touring bands. This is fantastic, but if you're playing a show here, advertise the hell out of it. A lot of pretty big bands have had too small a turnout because no one knew they were playing.
Also, a variety of acts changes the crowd a bit, and while sludge and doom crowds don't move around too much, putting an energetic punk rock crowd on the polished hardwood floors in front of The Highline stage can be tricky. After that floor is soaked with beer and sweat, no one can walk across it without sliding around. Slamming is almost impossible-- it's like trying to mosh on ice.
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."
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Beer Metal Summer Camp
Music starts on Friday, and a ton of bands flood the stage. It's out in the woods, so the stage is a naturally elevated riser under a small covering. The PA meets its paces, but it's definitely the kind of gear you'd take camping... which works for the aesthetic, because everyone sounds a little different out in the open air without the walls of a club reflecting sound around the room.
It's the woods, so everything comes off a generator... which just got an upgrade, and a band would be hard pressed to strain it (and this from a guy in a band with two power guzzling bass amps/bass cabs). A couple 100w Marshalls aren't going to make a dent.
No matter the announced line-up, bands (or members of bands) will be arriving late due to work schedules, complications, and traveling a couple hours out of Seattle. Generally, you step into the spot where you're needed; the prime spots are between when the party kicks into high gear (probably around sunset) and when the attendees have started to pass out.
The event is basically camaraderie-fueled: no one's getting paid, and everyone's just hanging out. There will be tons of bands that run a wide spectrum of tastes (though the word “metal” is in the name, the line-ups have never been exclusively metal), and for a few days, a large crowd of people exist within campfire culture, and they do it with an abundance of joy.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
El Corazon
but there's more "the club is the way it is" acceptance balancing the hate than anything resembling love) to see what I mean.Longstanding reputation aside, I want to make clear that my most recent El Corazon experience was extremely positive. I was impressed by how well the show was handled, how professionally the sound crew adapted to and handled trouble, and there were no problems with the people working the door or security. It was a hardcore punk show, too, and I was distinctly impressed that El Corazon had taken measures to overturn its reputation.
The reputation was well earned. The last time we played El Corazon was the worst we've ever been treated by a venue (door, sound, stage... the whole staff treated the bands and the audience like shit... though the club's owners were not on site, or even in town, at the time), the sound off the stage has a spotty reputation, and a lot of Seattlites celebrated when the gang members got fired from the club's security staff.
Currently, these issues seem to have been handled. The main stage and stage area is fairly large, and this is a club that often serves up mosh pit-friendly music (though I've seen everything from German electonica act Haujobb to space surf Man... Or Astro Man? there). There is a large floor in front of the stage and a raised second level if you want to drink your beer without getting hit.
The sound seems to depend on the band. Though the stage area is basically a rectangular concrete box, and some bands sound washed out in the space, NoMeansNo sounds better at El Corazon than in any other venue in this city... I have no idea why. My recent visits to the club have sounded pretty good, but I don't know if they have new people running sound, new gear, if there's been acoustic treatment.
From the stage, this is a mic'd cabs and drums kind of place. The space is large and cavernous enough to require the club's formidable sound system, and the large stage, with lots of space between members, necessitates a strong monitor mix. The large stage allows for bands to backline, which is normal at a venue this size, which cuts down on setup time, but an opening band can end up pushed pretty far forward if they're supporting a headliner with an elaborate stage setup.
Drink tickets (or booker-supplied-beers, or the like) seem dependent on who's putting on the show, and some shows are All Ages/Bar with ID, which also plays a role. Several large booking companies set up shows at El Corazon, so a lot of the particulars shift depending on who's in charge on any given night. I imagine the band's cut of the door and guarantees are similarly linked to the booker, but I haven't played here often enough to be specific.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Kraken
the faces behind the bar and at the door haven't changed... but the people we saw at The Galway now own The Kraken, which is a big change in some ways, but most of the bands' (and patrons') experience will remain the same.There's a change in the tap list-- The Kraken is not attempting to be an Irish pub-- and they've expanded the role of the kitchen, but the real change is that no one can take this bar away from the people who love it... it is now theirs.
The Kraken on Facebook
Sunday, April 8, 2012
The Funhouse
a new stage and sound system that make the place a real joy to play... seriously, that is a good stage to be on. It's a medium-sized club, but big enough some fairly big touring acts (I saw Kylesa a here a little while back), and it'll usually have a pretty large show on a Friday or Saturday night.The club treats the bands well-- backstage is a large hang-out room, often with an iced tub of beers (well, that or drink tickets)-- and the stage monitors are in good shape. Depending on who's running sound on any given day, the mix both on stage and in the crowd can be top notch.Of course, sound guys come and go, but the staff at The Funhouse is pretty much excellent; the people at the door and behind the bar are some of the best in town.
Mondays are dollar beer days, which brings up another point: this is a place to grab a drink, even if you're not there on a show night. Sitting beside the EMP and Seattle Center, this was our bar of choice when finding an escape from the grounds of Bumbershoot. There's a side door to patio, with a basketball court, providing a reprieve for both smokers and people dodging the awful band on an otherwise awesome line-up. On non show days, the bartenders are usually providing better music (for free!) than the internet jukebox, and there are some pretty decent drink specials. All in all, a pretty great bar for bands, show attendees, and general bar patrons.
If I'm gushing, it's probably because the recent proposal to raze this place has brought my love for it into sharp focus. There are a number of strategies to save the Funhouse (in a building dating back to the 30s, it could be considered a historical building; it could also be proven relevant as an active component of Seattle culture that brings in performers from around the world), but I encourage people to keep abreast of the situation. The Save the Funhouse page on Facebook is probably the most complete and current source for this kind of information.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Josephine
 |
| Serious lack of photos of The Josephine without a band in the forefront. I'm using ubik. because I know we don't mind |
With that out of the way, there are shows at The Josephine constantly (and not just on weekends). Converted from an old theater, there's no formal stage, but there is a large “stage area,” and a much more coherent and powerful sound system than a few clubs I could mention. Shows at The Josephine tend to have a scrappy, personal energy that comes from playing a party mixed with the more traditional club trappings that come from bigger clubs: bigger bands, capable staff, and good sound.
If I'm a little sketchy on the details, it's mostly because... well, The Josephine lives in a grey area between a venue, a private residence, and a practice space. I have no idea what rules apply to this place, and I don't want to cause them any problems.
The Josephine calendar at Blogspot
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Blue Moon
styles of music on the Blue Moon stage, the shows will always have a back bench of grizzled old timers who (in my experience) responded well, once, to a band that sounded kind of like Hendrix.My introduction to the Blue Moon was back when they had free shows... and that's a couple years gone now. Currently, it's usually $5 at the door, which is reasonable, but I do miss having a reliable free venue in town. The bar used to be cash-only back in the free show days, but has evolved to take credit/debit cards, which is an appreciated update for anyone wanting to start a tab at the beginning of their night.
The stage is decent, but the PA can't keep up with a loud band; turning up the vocals usually mean splatty distortion on the house speakers, and the monitor situation is just this side of a disaster. My best experiences with seeing bands at The Blue Moon are instrumental groups... maybe a little kick drum on the PA, but the sound is always better if the house doesn't have to cover vocals. The sound guy's disdain for the bands who play there used to be the main component of the Blue Moon's MySpace blog... but no one uses MySpace anymore.
The Blue Moon on Wordpress
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Fuel
The biggest problem I see with Fuel is that the sound is pretty bad. It wouldn't be hard to fix, and maybe they'll adjust their attitude toward live music sometime in the future, but for now... terrible sound. I say “attitude” because it's not a problem with the equipment; their gear is fine. The problem is that they make everything go through the PA. A guitarist with a massive Marshall stack, who could fill Fuel will sound without being mic'd, will be asked to turn down... way down... running so quiet he wouldn't be heard over the drums. This monsterous-but-now-quiet rig will then be heard by the audience through an SM-57 microphone (which has kind of a honky, midrangey sound), the mixing board (which will be further EQ'd to the sound man's taste), and to the PA speakers (which have their own sound, as well), so the guitarist doesn't sound much like himself. Every instrument in the band will be treated this way, so that you can see a show at Fuel and, even though a 5-piece group is live in front of you, you'll be hearing two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals all mashed together and coming out of the same club PA speakers.
but for now... terrible sound. I say “attitude” because it's not a problem with the equipment; their gear is fine. The problem is that they make everything go through the PA. A guitarist with a massive Marshall stack, who could fill Fuel will sound without being mic'd, will be asked to turn down... way down... running so quiet he wouldn't be heard over the drums. This monsterous-but-now-quiet rig will then be heard by the audience through an SM-57 microphone (which has kind of a honky, midrangey sound), the mixing board (which will be further EQ'd to the sound man's taste), and to the PA speakers (which have their own sound, as well), so the guitarist doesn't sound much like himself. Every instrument in the band will be treated this way, so that you can see a show at Fuel and, even though a 5-piece group is live in front of you, you'll be hearing two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals all mashed together and coming out of the same club PA speakers.
Listening from the floor, I could always hear what the drummer and singer were doing, but the guitars and basses were anyone's guess...
This is made more frustrating because Fuel isn't really built to be a venue: there's room for roughly ten people in front of the stage, but most of this fairly small sports bar's real estate is optimized for sitting at tables, watching sports on the TVs and eating Buffalo wings. If ten people do stand in front of the stage, they will be continually jostled by patrons making their way to the bathrooms. I'd forgive most of this if the musicians were allowed to turn up-- seriously, in a club this small, there's no need to mic the guitars and basses, and the whole affair would sound much, much better.
Fuel's Yelp reviews are fairly telling-- glowing reviews from people who want pitchers and shots before the game and bikini contests. The only mention of live shows is a 1-star review from a fire dancer who booked a show she wasn't allowed to play (there are no mentions of bands at the time of this writing.) Live music really isn't something Fuel puts a lot of effort into, and therefore, isn't very good at.
Fuel's Yelp reviews are fairly telling-- glowing reviews from people who want pitchers and shots before the game and bikini contests. The only mention of live shows is a 1-star review from a fire dancer who booked a show she wasn't allowed to play (there are no mentions of bands at the time of this writing.) Live music really isn't something Fuel puts a lot of effort into, and therefore, isn't very good at.
The club is located in Pioneer Square, which is not my favorite part of Seattle. On weekends, Pioneer Square fits a frat boy cliche that would be comical if it wasn't so frighteningly accurate. At bar time, these eight square blocks or so are awash in short sleeve button-ups and cargo shorts chasing the tiniest dresses possible too drunk to walk in their 6-inch heels. I'm not exaggerating-- Pioneer Square is the only place I've ever seen people having sex on the hood of a car (it wasn't hot.)
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot is an annual Seattle music festival, taking place roughly at the base of the Space Needle in the Seattle Center. A collection of indoor and outdoor performance spaces, 
Bumbershoot is a fairly big deal in Seattle, attracting crowds from all the outlying areas and bringing in not just downtown music types, scenesters, and enthusiasts, but also lots of suburban families. It's a big event, but it's also a family event.
Bumbershoot is a fairly big deal in Seattle, attracting crowds from all the outlying areas and bringing in not just downtown music types, scenesters, and enthusiasts, but also lots of suburban families. It's a big event, but it's also a family event.
There are a variety of stages at Bumbershoot, so sound varies from place to place as you switch from open air stages to concert halls to theaters. Most of the spaces are large, and everything comes through the PA-- all the drums are mic'd (and often pretty reverb-laden), so boomy and cavernous is the general mix personality.
There is also a “No Moshing, No Stage Diving” policy that makes sense when you're standing next to someone's 85 lb. grandmother during a punk show, but it was so viciously enforced that the line of kids being escorted through the crowd and out the door seemed endless. I can't tell if they were all part of some previous pit, but I definitely saw docile, unoffending kids pulled from right in front of me... we can file that under “not too cool.”
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Comet
The Comet is just off Broadway, in the Pike & Pine corridor, on Capitol Hill... so every trend that blows up in this town is likely to blow through here first. 
Unlike Neumo's across the street, it's small enough for local acts of any size and style to show up, and since The Comet is in the center of Seattle's “hip” neighborhood, every new, cool thing is bound to show up here (remember the 15 minutes Electroclash held the world in sway?)
Unlike Neumo's across the street, it's small enough for local acts of any size and style to show up, and since The Comet is in the center of Seattle's “hip” neighborhood, every new, cool thing is bound to show up here (remember the 15 minutes Electroclash held the world in sway?)
That said, The Comet is comfortable, low-key, and kind of divey. The hip and the cool show up and wander through, sure, but the club itself is incredibly unpretentious and accommodating-- almost everything shows up on the Comet stage. This is a club that will book Americana, metal, folk, or garage rock... catch them on a Sunday and you might find a light poppy afternoon show followed by a blasting hardcore show at night. The Comet doesn't discriminate.
The club's advanced a bit as a local venue-- when I first knew the place, bands set up on the floor, separated from the audience by a pair of monitor wedges and force of will. Fairly recently, they've built a stage (with a removable center section-- for loading gear beyond the stage into the back room) and changed the layout. The new stage is a little small, and kind of bouncy, but it's a nice change.
Currently, The Comet is one of my favorite places to play-- it's a wide-open sort of place, with a lot going on pretty much any time you wander past. I like passing by the Comet when sound's coming through the walls (or sometimes, open windows) and hearing what's going on... if it's something great, pay the door, go in, and stick around.
Currently, The Comet is one of my favorite places to play-- it's a wide-open sort of place, with a lot going on pretty much any time you wander past. I like passing by the Comet when sound's coming through the walls (or sometimes, open windows) and hearing what's going on... if it's something great, pay the door, go in, and stick around.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Chop Suey
The Chop Suey is a fairly big place, a bit off Capitol Hill's main stretch. It's not a huge club, but it's got more floor space, a bigger stage, and a more formidable PA system than the smaller bars around town. 
It's also very wide reaching: Chop Suey will host hip hop one night, indie rock the next, and metal the night after-- this is not a place that builds its identity around one certain type of music.
It's also very wide reaching: Chop Suey will host hip hop one night, indie rock the next, and metal the night after-- this is not a place that builds its identity around one certain type of music.
The sound at the Chop Suey is pretty damn good. It's not unusual for two sound guys to be working (one for the house mix, one working the band's monitor mix), the stage has floor wedge monitors and a big, upright monitor beside the drum kit, so it's one of the easier places to play and hear all your bandmates. Bands get drink tickets and the bar sometimes (not always) has Hoegaarden on tap; if you want me to go to a club, the easiest way to get me there is to tell me they serve Hoegaarden.
There's a spot back by the mixing desk for bands to set up a merch counter, and a number of dark nooks and crannies at the back of the club for people to retreat from the dance floor. For bigger shows, the back room is open, making a large lounge area available separate from the bar and stage.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The Galway Arms
unstable for dollar beers ($4 pitchers). Their recent remodel has improved their PA and the flow of traffic through the bar on busy show nights, but the vibe in the place remains friendly and low-key.The Galway lives at the top of University Way, up by Ravenna-- if you're familiar with the University District (or avoid the U-Dist because of sports bars, frat boys, and kids who've just turned 21), the Galway is far enough north of the distasteful facets of U life for those things not to be a problem. The Galway is an even keel punk bar that doesn't suffer fools lightly... them looking for fights are quickly ejected (and quietly, too. I've never seen a punch thrown in there.) I don't want to make it sound like an exclusive club, either-- going in on a non show night, you're as likely to hear bluegrass or Ween as punk on the sound system.
Personally, I usually go on show nights, and the Galway tends to be pretty punk and/or metal with their live shows, though that's also not an exclusive thing-- you'll still find variety here if you check their listings. The stage is fairly small and the PA is run off a mixing board behind the band, so you'll be setting your levels yourself, but the intimacy of the club (and overall enthusiasm of a Galway crowd) make it one of the most fun places in Seattle to play.
The Galway Arms is also one of the few clubs I've seen bring in walk-in traffic during shows. I always thought that kind of behavior would be more prevalent, but lots of people walk in off the street, put down their $5, and wander into a Galway show even though they have no idea who's playing... and it's not the same people from show to show. That's pretty damn cool.
The Galway Arms is now The Kraken
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
The White Rabbit
door at the High Dive. They do have rock shows at the White Rabbit, though the stage is a bit small.The place seems built for a slightly classier crowd-- the lighting is low and enhanced by candles and the drinks aren't what you'd call cheap, and a pair of single occupant unisex bathrooms don't exactly invite a crowd to have a wild and boozy time... but there's an open air back patio, and the place itself seems pleasant enough.
Even visiting on a Wednesday, I was kind of shocked at the unrestrained toolbox outside. People have complained about how "Fremont sucks now" for as long as I've lived in Seattle, but I don't recall the main drag of this neighborhood crawling with meatheads looking for fights before. I remember Fremont as being more middle-aged and hippieish... but it seems to have become a destination for a more dude-brah crowd. I didn't see that one coming.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The 2 Bit Saloon
and a continuing Metal Mondays makes the 2 Bit Saloon a solid destination on Monday nights...With two separate rooms, the bar is split off from the stage area, and while it's not what you'd call isolated, the bar stools are pretty well populated by regulars even on show nights. A side door from the stage/show area leads out to a patio for smoking and a gate for bands to load gear in and out. The show room is fairly small, comfortable, and fills up pretty easily-- for the size of the space, the sound system can easily keep up with volume coming off the stage.
In my opinion, the 2 Bit is a pretty great little bar-- the staff is easy to get along with, the drinks aren't too expensive, and the shows usually run around $5.00.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)