Cannery Ballroom is part of a three venue building which includes Mercy Lounge and The High Watt.
I will start by saying that entry into the venue was one of the easiest concert entries I have ever experienced. It starts outside and since there are multiple venues, many times with acts going on at the same time, they ask you outside what venue and then direct you to the line for that particular space. They have several folks at the door to check ID's, COVID status and to scan tickets. They are all friendly and efficient.
When you enter, Cannery Ballroom is to the left. You walk through an open room where the merch tables are usually set up. This did create a back-up of folks as the line grew for merch, which began to block folks who wanted to go straight into the ballroom.
The Ballroom is a large open space with the lights/sound tea set in the back and surrounding by barriers, then to the right of the entry you have a large bar and in the center of the back wall you have the stage! On the site it stated that Cannery Ballroom has standing capacity of 1,000 and honestly, that is terrifying to think about in that space! It is a decent sized space that is laid out quite well, but 1,000 folks seems like a lot of folks in that room! I am sure it happens without issue, but I am not sure if that is the show I want to be at!
There were a few things that I was really impressed with at Cannery Ballroom. They are...
- Bartenders - The Bartenders were not only friendly, but they were efficient! I had the pleasure of visiting two through out the evening and both were on points with everyone. They took multiple orders at one time, rang folks up, rang folks out, made drinks, answered questions and ensured no one went thirsty and did it all with a great attitude!
- View of the stage - Not a bad "seat" in the house! You have a great view to the stage from anywhere in the room. Only thing that would be an issue is if you get stuck behind one the beams in the back or behind that pesky tall person!
- Entry - As mentioned above, the entrance process was super easy, efficient and hassle free!
- Service - From the door folks to the bartenders and random staff wondering around, everyone was super nice and helpful.
On the flip side, the list of things that were less than stellar was short, the only things that really stuck out where the merch table location and the fact that the AC was not running during the show and it was HOT! This is another reason why I would not want to be part of that 1,000 person crowd. It was already hot in the ballroom and I could not imagine a few hundred more folks and the heat generated!
Overall, Cannery Ballroom was a fantastic spot for a concert! We really enjoyed ourselves from entry to exit! We are excited to catch many more shows not only here, but at the two other spots in the building! read more