In short: not as good as the other Showbox. Extended version: We went to see a friend's band at Showbox SODO a couple nights ago. I was kinda excited cause I'd never been to this location. Well turns out I was actually here a long time ago when it was the Fenix (we saw the Deftones and it was not a good show). Anyways, we found street parking, not very close but free and with about 100% less driving around than if we'd been downtown. We arrived two hours after the doors opened, so there wasn't much of a line. Security and the woman at the ticket booth were relatively friendly. We headed in and needed to get backstage to meet up with my friend. First we went to the wrong side of the stage and the guy kindly pointed us in the right direction, and then the guy on the other side was pretty nice as well. Though this isn't super relevant to the typical experience I must mention that the backstage area is awesome! Definitely the nicest backstage area I've ever been in, and my very worldly and well traveled friends said it made their top 10 backstage list! Spacious and clean instead of cramped and stinky/dirty. Someone made a great decision with the light blue paint and huge leather (?) couches. Anyways, we watched part of the set from stage and then headed out to the crowd. I could actually see the stage, which is not always the case for me at shows since I'm 5'2" and apparently shrinking (says the thing at the doctor's office). However, the lights were blinding and it was so loud I had to put my fingers in my ears towards the end. So that was unpleasant. We didn't go to the bar, but I must note that the way it's corralled off with metal fencing is just plain bizarre. Showbox at the Market has much better seating and bar options. It looks like there's also a bar/restaurant next door but we didn't check it out. Between the two Showboxes, the downtown location tends to book the shows I'm interested in, so I doubt I'll be back in SODO unless there's a group I'm absolutely dying to see. read more

In all fairness- the bartending staff was very friendly and the show I saw was excellent. However- Extremely rude security staff after the show I saw recently. At the end of the show- I had a ticket to get my coat and was told I had to go out the back entrance and wall all the way around to the front entrance to get my coat. Also, I had to give my leatherman before show to a security guard. He said I can get back from him at the end of the show. At the end of the show, he said you have to get from lost and found tomorrow. Tomorrow came and they were closed for renovation. Nice to know if you have to take the bus to get there. I went back the next time they were open and they said they couldn't find it. They took my name and number in case they found it. I will not ever see a show here again, ever! This really put a bad taste in my mouth. read more

I'm not sorry... this venue SUCKS! I've been to 4 or 5 shows here and the acoustics, well, they don't exist! The sound is shitty, period. I've sat 3rd row for Metallica at Madison Square Garden and my ears DID NOT ring after. My ears are ringing right now after the Hold Steady show (great band!) There is no reason to go to this place. Drive to Portland or Vancouver or wait until next time your favorite band comes to town and see then someplace else, just not here. read more

When I see that a band I love is rolling through town and that they are playing at ShoSodo a little piece of me dies. Just way too big of an atmosphere, I dont know what is going on with the acoustics but the sound is terrible, they charge an arm and a leg for a really crappy experience. Ive seen plenty of shows here, the last one I went to was H20/Dropkick Murphys. I swore never to return. read more

3 1/2 stars for the venue. Saw Bad Religion here the other evening and well, after 30 years those guys kick ass. But this is a review of the SoDo. Not the show... Layout is different, but alright. Cute brick building, windows only covering half of the bar area? I don't get that. Bathroom's that were big enough so there never was a line (When I went). I wanna say the staff here was nice -- I didn't meet anyone from the bar tenders to the security guys who were not friendly. The stage area was closed off til seven, but they have their "side" bar open early so you are not standing out in the freezing cold waiting to get in. Awesome that. $6.50 for a whiskey sour though? Not so awesome. Only crappy beers (miller, 2 types of bud) on tap?! Not so awesome either. The stage area itself is basic. Not huge but I have certainly been in smaller places. 2nd bar in the back. I stayed in the drinking corral, not wanting to be part of the pit for the night. Who's complaining about not seeing? I was right behind the sound boards and that extra space provided the perfect room for me to see everything and from a good distance. read more

i was there when Showbox was Premier. i was one of the promoters to assist in "grand opening" the place. the venue is beautiful, spacious and divided quite well. one small stage for the lounge area, a space for a beer garden on the main concourse and the huge stage where you can see from every angle of the venue. simply well-designed. this place hosted everything from club events, after parties, concerts and fashion shows. i like that it has the room and capability to transform to whatever it need be. the bartenders here are always on point. the staff has been consistently well-trained. sure, back in the day... there were many shoot outs, robberies and fights... but that was not the venue's problem. it was the strange mix of crowds. renamed and hosting many concerts now- i returned here after a few years of living in NYC. the concert halls in New York can be extravagant to straight up hole in the wall. it's hard to compare Showbox to others... but i will say that the SoDo's location is better and parking is better managed. read more

The WORST venue ever! We ended up going to the bathroom by the bar, the staff made us walk around to the front, THRU the crowd to get back in! What a joke! Whats the purpose of have a restroom by the bar! All the staff is a bunch wanna be "powerful" dudes and dont know how to run a venue! Save you time and money! AVOID! read more

PARENTS: THE "ALL AGES" SHOWS ARE A MESS!! There was such an obscene amount of second-hand pot smoke at the Logic concert that one of my son's friend passed out twice and had to go home early, my son ended up in the ER, and their two other friends ended up quite high as well. They're all 14 and 15 years old. I went to the Logic concert in Portland with my son and friends of his last year and while there was certainly the occasional whiff of pot here and there, it was NOTHING like what it was at the Showbox SODO!!! In Portland they were very clear and open about the rules and about watching out for all the patrons, young and older. I understand, especially now that pot is legal in Washington, that it would be difficult to stop all the underage consumption of pot in any venue. But even if they can't control all the edibles people are bringing in, why can't they control the pot that's being smoked?! Practically every cigarette being smoked in Seattle is being smoked outside and often a good distance from a door, and yet the whole inside of Showbox SODO was one billowing cloud of pot smoke?! How is that acceptable? On my two trips back to pick kids up before the concert was over, I spoke with the EMTs who helped both my son and his friend and they said they were having to help MANY kids that night, not just them. And there was a young man on a stretcher having seizures and being taken away in an ambulance as I was taking my son to the ER. [The EMT's said that young man came from "down the block," as though he hadn't been at the show but really, with kids going in and out both the front doors and back doors, did they really know that?]. My son loves music and I want him to have a place where he can go and enjoy it with his friends before he's 21. We'll still look for venues where that can happen but the Showbox SODO is definitely NO LONGER ON THE LIST!!! They need to either figure out how to host an actual all ages show or stop hosting them altogether. read more

There are worse places in Seattle to see a show, but not by a lot. I hate going to the SoDo and only do so if it's a band if I've been wanting to see for awhile. The sound is awful--always too loud, always distorted and never in a way that's intended. I average a concert a week--me hating this place has a little merit. I'd give it a 1 star, but I'm saving that for Wa-Mu. read more

The Lady Vader and I were here tonight to catch the Social Distortion concert. In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out the following things: -The Dark Side loves Social D -Apparently Chuck Biscuits lives here in town, and as a result was on skins for tonight's concert, which greatly biases any review I could make because the band is always slamming just a little bit better with him and -Did I mention the Dark Side is really fond of Social D? I see a lot of hate for the building itself, and I can't say as though I would disagree with any of those assessments. The acoustics inside aren't very good, the whole "drinking prison" irritates me to no end (I mean really, you have this little area where the liquor has to stay, and it's crowded as hell. This is not a winning combination), and there's absolutely no seating to speak of in the stage area. I get that in the movies you NEVER see me sit down unless I'm piloting something or in the process of faking my own death, but you know what? It's hard on my heels to carry all this outfit weight - sometimes I like a seat. I know this makes me sound old, but I am old, damnit! Didn't you see the opening credits? "LONG TIME AGO....galaxy far, far away". I'm too old for general admission. So why the 4? Well, for one, turns out Mike Ness in his geriatric years can still out-rock almost anyone, so that helps. And since Lady Vader and I had what amounted to front row, there was no trying to gooseneck to see the stage. Security was also spot-on throughout the night and some of the best-handled I've ever seen at a punk concert. Special kudos to "shaved head guy with short goatee who worked the side of the stage with Brent Harding" for his very generous usage of getting water to those of us up in the front as well as occasionally dousing us so we didn't melt. I was concerned going in that I was going to have to kill a good 2 or 3 hundred people just to be able to make my way to a drink. There's also the fact that, due to the fact that we were both pinned to the gate separating the floor and the stage, that we had no opportunity to make it to the bar to find out if the drinks were indeed overpriced as others alluded. And while the Lady Vader is exceptionally short, I am blessed with the gift of height. And since we were up front, she had an unobstructed view of the stage since there was nobody in front of her, I had one since only she was in front of me, and all that had to happen in order to maintain it was to Force Choke anyone who tried to push either of us out of the way in order to get to the rail. Simple stuff. Thus, we didn't have the issue of not being able to see the stage. In short, I'm giving the concert itself a 4 (docking it a point because the 2 opening acts sucked wrinkly shriveled up Yoda genetalia), the venue a 2, and the staff a clean 4, but I'm going to bump it all the way up to a 5 because they didn't chase away the hilariously amusing homeless guy who was loitering at the will call window before the doors opened. 4 Deathstars. Oh, and one side note: Parents, if you can't afford or find a babysitter for your 5-12 year old kid, don't be such a complete waste of carbon as to take them to a PUNK ROCK CONCERT just because you want to see a band. Seriously, I counted about half a dozen kids that were still in elementary school. For a concert that didn't start till 8, didn't let out until after midnight, and featured a band that is notorious for drawing crowds that love to mosh. What kind of foolheaded idiots are you guys for taking young kids to that sort of a scene? I'd have Force Choked all your asses if not for the fact that last time I did that, the state made me build an orphanage out of spare parts for the Deathstar and one of those pieces happened to be the vent cover that my idiot kid shot the damn missile into that ultimately destroyed the thing. And I'm a little surprised the staff let these people in. read more

Saw Dethklok here. Door man told me not too much. We had been drinking across the street, so I guess he had somewhat of a point, but I mean....it's a dethklok show, so I figured binge drinking was somewhat in order. The place was packed... [adult swim] did a great p.r. job in promoting the fictional metal band. This being an all-ages pop-culture heavy show, and it being at the showbox sodo meant: 1) Non-metal Scene Kids 2) Non-Metal Old People (Read: Me) 3) The Metal 4) The Metal With A Sense Of Humor 5) Kids Of Non-Metal Old People 6) Crap Sound But anyways... It was a goood show and all, and my old lady sprung for the tickets, for which I love her. I really wish Brandon Smalls would do a touring Home Movies Film Festival. This venue is alright if you can deal with the box shaped layout and bad acoustics. read more

I didn't have any problems with lines, or the bouncers/staff, or anything like that. But as a venue for listening to music, this is pretty much the worst place I've ever been. It's nothing more than a warehouse, a big giant rectangular box with a bare concrete floor. There were a handful of chairs which were camped the moment the doors opened - we saw a guy with a cane beg the manager to get a chair out for him (which he did eventually do). By the end of the show we had been standing on hard concreted for over 4 hours. The acoustics are crap so they turn up the speakers way loud. I will not be going here again. I would have to really, really love a band to be willing to put up with this place. read more

Went last night for the Roger Daltrey show. I think he might have been there. Also, Eddie Vedder was rumored to have been on stage. It's hard to tell, though, because I couldn't see anything. Occasionally I gleaned a look a the disembodied head of Roger or the drummer, but that was pretty much it. The really kicker was that they have flat screens around the place, and there was no video feed on them. But, wait. Maybe I was one random short person in the crowd. No, my friend, I saw at least 200 people in the same situation as myself (having trouble viewing in one area, I moved to the other side of the venue). We were all quite frustrated. Surely we could have just muscled our way up to the front? Actually, I was near the mixing position, and the sound was terrible there. I feared moving closer. Maybe I'm just some sort of audio snob? Perhaps...but the sound was horrible. Seriously, if the main act is Roger Daltrey, and the focus is him, you probably should get his vocal mic set up correctly. When it rings all night, even when he is talking, there is a problem. When he can't hear himself or the band in the monitors, there is a problem. When he stops the show BECAUSE OF THAT...wait for it...yes, there is a problem. When you give him in-ear monitors, and it is still giving him trouble after 5 songs, and the vocal mic in the PA is STILL RINGING...well, yeah. (Does this sound like a Jeff Foxworthy routine?) While we're at it, let's talk about the opening band. I understand that they do not get the same attention as the headliner. Hey, fine, whatever. But if you could at least work on the vocals so we can hear them out in the crowd, that would be great. Seriously, I'm not asking for much (I think), but hearing what the guys are saying, especially between songs, would be helpful. I think they were selling CDs. They might have been happy to be there. It's really all just speculations, since all I could hear was something akin to Charlie Brown's teacher. Out of curiousity, I myspace'd them later. Turns out: they're rather talented and sound great with their harmonizing vocals. Couldn't tell you that from the show, though. The bar is probably quite nice. I didn't go in there. The space is quite big, but not well tuned. If my options to see the band are: Go into the bar and see things from behind a wall of glass. Pray the guy in front of me sways a little tot he left at the same time the guy in front of him sways to the right at the same time the dude in front of him puts down the camera. Muscle my way to the front where I will be deafened by the crappy sound of the opening band OR the crappy sound of the headliner. ...then no thanks. Not even for the Stones, not for The Who, not for anyone else on this planet. Oh, as for the long lines out front and all? I didn't mind. I was just happy that I was going to get to see the show. Then I didn't *see* the show. So, what is the lesson to take away from this? Go to the Showbox Sodo if: You are one of only 100 people going to the concert. It's not a concert, but some other charity event that doesn't involve cramming 1100 people into a space. You bring earplugs or are not interested in hearing the band. You like to stand in a bar and watch things through a sheet of glass. You enjoy looking at the back of people's shirts or watching a show through the crappy camera phone someone else is holding in front of you. You really hate you're ears and think that they deserve punishment. You are 13' tall. You are there for the booze. read more

I have seen M.I.A and Common/Nerd at the Showbox SoDo, and while both of those shows were well worth seeing, I am in no hurry to return. I would venture to say that I kind of hate the SoDo version of the showbox. It is huge, which is the reason they have shows there--they can sell a lot more tickets. The drinks aren't great, which I can get over, because I am there to see the show, but still. The saving grace of this location is that it is about a block away from Krispy Kreme, so you can pop in for a doughnut before getting in a long line, then being alternately unable to see the performer onstage, or getting trampled by people who are, like you, desperately trying to squeeze closer to the stage. read more

Just saw Arch Enemy here.. amazing venue. Wide open. Great sound. Very clean. Staff was kind and helpful. The security kept giving free water to the crowd to cool us down and keep us safe.. love it here! read more

Last night I went to go see Rancid and the Transplants. I will return again tonight to see the same bands. Upon growing up and see many, many bands in many kinds of venues I had slight apprehension going to see a punk show, as I'm not a kid anymore and walking out of a venue with blood on my shirt, a pounding headache from getting kick by a crowd surfer and clothes drenched in sweat is and was never really that fun. This venue is NOTHING like that. I walked in and was pleased to see how spacious it truly is. This seems to be the kind of place that really has their customer in mind. Even towards the end of the night with a fairly packed house, you could still feel like you had your own space without getting stepped. The sound was pretty awesome and top notch, bathrooms cleans, good staff that was buzzing around everywhere to keep people safe and our bartender was the older guy with a white beard that was just super friendly and warm. For those who are 21+ and do not wish to stand, there is a really nice second bar/seating area that looks like it should be in a casino or something swanky like that. They even serve food! This place is nice. Whatever reservations you may have, put them to bed because this (and the other showbox venue) is not our typical sweaty room with a struggling sound system. To give you an idea, there were young (like 8 years old) kids seeing their first show that night, there were punks in the pit, but then again there was also a bar area to stand and feel apart of the show, as well as an elevated second bar area to sit at for those who want to enjoy the show but may be tired from work, older, on crutches or just plain waiting to enjoy the show at their own table with the own friends and away from everyone else. Go see a show here. They succeed because they built a venue that has options. Older people shy away from smaller venues because they do not accommodate. The showbox venues do, and that is why I will always support them. One side note, upon trying to meet the band at the end of the night, even the staff at the back door by the buses were super cool and super effective without being harsh or aggressive. The caliber of employees seems to be dead on from buying my tickets 3 days ago at the box office in downtown to last night at midnight waiting to meet the band around back. read more

Reading the previous reviews, I'm glad I am not alone in this. At the same time, it is also a shame, how an immature/unprofessional behavior of some staff, can ruin the BIG night for you. Long story short, I was at Showbox SoDo with a few friends to see one of my all time favorite artists, Steven Wilson. We were kind of close to the stage. I had to take a leak at some point, so I went upstairs. I was having a great time until one of the staff, who was guarding the stairs, became aggressive, and attacked me on my way back to the floor. He suddenly grabbed my hand without a notice and yelled at me "YOU WILL NOT USE YOUR PHONE HERE AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND??? " I was shocked and stressed by this behavior and simply replied "WTF Dude!?"Then he became more physical , started to push me in the chest so hard that I almost fell on the ground, yelling at me "YOU GOT A PROBLEM?? YOU GOT A PROBLEM?" Although I specifically asked him not to touch me several times, he continued to attack me, hitting me in the chest and making everyone around us panic. Apparently he was trying to lead me out of the venue by the most aggressive way possible. My friends noticed the chaos in the middle of the show and came for help and that was when he finally gave up and left. We were so traumatized that we could not enjoy the rest of the show. I was angry, stressed out and emotional and had to leave the venue even before the intermission, so did my friends. We all then went to a bar nearby, and washed down the trauma with some nice cold IPA, which was actually the best part of the night :) Anyway, I think you got the point. This probably will be the last time I attend Showbos SoDo and I REALLY wish management could do something about this mess, simply because no one deserves to be treated with this level of aggression. read more

Came here once to see Slash. Great show, horrible venue. Sound quality is horrible and the security were ruder than at the market location. Sight lines are horrible. I am short and even then I can survive with other sight lines. Honestly for harder shows, I do not want to be right up front for safety but there are no other sight line options. Bathrooms need a good cleaning. I can't nor do I want to imagine what the men's one is like. What I don't understand is why did someone as established as Slash play here rather than the Market location? Isn't this venue reserved for up and coming bands that just had radio play and making their name? Was Slash not good enough for the better venue or was it management just catering to the type of fans? read more

The Showbox SoDo is definitely one of my preferred venues to see large shows in Seattle. The venue is basically a large open space, so it's not the most elaborate venue in the world, but it gets the job done. The sound is always great and there is plenty of room for good visuals to be set up on large screens or on the walls. They offer cans of Rolling Rock and Kokanee at decent prices too, so it's not a bad way to offset your ticket cost for the show. read more

What a disappointment. As a former sound engineer, venue entertainment manager and event planner, it was easy to see this place has been designed to do one thing: pack in as many people as possible with no thought to their actual enjoyment. The only type of act I would probably enjoy in this place, would be EDM, as long as it had no stage presence. Any other act should be seen only if you are willing to pay the extra for VIP section. The stage is too low for how very long the venue floor is. At about 40-50 feet from the stage, you will lose the ability to see anything worth seeing. Unless you're taller than 6', you're screwed. The first 50-75 feet of the main floor is all-ages. The back 100'-150' is split into thin thirds. The far right is the entrance thoroughfare and merch booths; the center is a fenced/barricaded over-21 zone; the left is a raised platform VIP area with about 15-20 tables. Notably, the over-21 zone forces you to enter from the front, and the area is tapered there too, so if you were hoping for a good spot to stand at the front of the beer garden an lean on the barricade, think again...there's only room for 3-4 people to do that before you'd be asked to move back due to blocking the walkway. There is a second bar with tables and chairs, raised even higher than the floor VIP section, but it's recessed a good 30+ feet; so you can only view the stage if you are right against the railing; and guess what...all those railing spots are sold as VIP too. All this boils down to one major issue, unless you are willing to pay for VIP (and lucky enough to get in before VIP sells out) or be in the mosh-pit area...you will likely not be able to see the band you just paid 40-60 dollars per ticket to see. We went to see Postmodern Jukebox there last night and staff had to continually tell bar patrons to get down off of chairs as people became as creative as possible to get a glance of the stage. I also saw people trying to hang on the outside of the stairs to the raised bar, attempting to sit or stand up higher on the barricades between the "zones". We left even before the mid-performance break with many others. People were outside milling about, discussing how the music was great, but no one could see anything. The sound mix was pretty good, though it took them a song or two, to dial it in. During the first song we could barely hear any vocals. Of course the sound mix only matters on the main floor; there are no reinforcement speakers in the raised bar, so it sounds crappy and quieter...you can actually carry on a conversation there without yelling, which really isn't a positive in this case. We didn't try the food, because it looked like terrible, typical festival food; just crappy burgers and fries. read more

I had been avid supporter of Showbox Sodo and have been to many concerts here over the years. However, at the Blue October show, I have never been treated worse by employees. I asked the cost check guy if there were any upgrades because I wanted to surprise my mom and he rudely replied with "that's what I meant when I said sold out". I had also tried to get upgrades for a day before and the day of and had no response from the ticket office or the email posted online. The bartender was also very stand offish. I have never experienced this before and I just hope that next time I am at the showbox that this doesn't happen again. It extremely frustrating when I am not receiving the same amount of respect and tone that I give. I reached out to them via their website and not an apology or acknowledgment whatsoever. read more

We went to the Showbox at the Market on New Year's Eve and here's my review. I just put this on Trip Advisor. If you enjoy going to a venue where the headliner band plays after four poor quality (almost comedic) bands, where the drinks are too expensive and the bathrooms are so bad that it feels like walking in a sewer and gingerly walking around puddles of liquid everywhere, then go to the Showbox! The bathroom ran out of toilet paper with the line going a mile out the door. We were giving hunks of paper towels to the next person in line. One lady called me a saint. We were there on New Y eve 2020. We thought we were going to hear 70's rock music. The sound was the worst! It was so loud it was grossly distorted and none of the vocalists could be heard at all. Most tried screaming over the drums and guitars, their faces contorted and stressed. It was comical and I laughed. To compensate, vocalist mics were cranked up and then all you heard was overly reverbed screeching...no clear words. Like banshees from the netherworld. The headliner band was entertaining but they too were drowned out by the tidal wave of distortion. My heart leaped when one band started playing a Sound Garden song ...yeah...the mangled version of 'Black Hole Sun'. Apparently there is no regard for a tasteful mix on the sound board. All the vocalists sounded like they were singing/hollaring through a hurricane. We've been to the Showbox in the past and the sound balance was sooo much better. I think our days there are done and if my rock band ever performs there, we will not be using their engineer. It's a shame this historic venue has become a dump. read more

Showbox SoDo sucks! There is no doubt that they book some of the best acts, but on the other hand they are not invested locally if not only for the profits of the California corporates'. Maybe if they cared more about the people that made and make them...the bands, past and present...the people that buy tickets and wait two hours to get in to a glorified environment where you stand back holding a shitty drink; 'Finally'...then watch people pretend to go to the bathroom and sneak into roped off areas invading the space of those that paid far too much for their overpriced tickets. What a joke. read more

Went to see Lucha VaVoom last night. Won't be going to this place again. Minimal seating, like maybe 5% of the people there have a seat. So most of the crowd is left to stand on concrete floors for over 4 hours, counting the time outside waiting to get in. This also meant that unless you are pretty tall you won't be able to see anything. read more

WHY is the sound now worse than when it was the Premier? I swear, the closer I got to the stage, the worse and worse it got. Please guys, DO SOMETHING. Otherwise I really like this venue and would love to see more shows here, but the very idea makes me cringe. read more

Cool space and good acoustics. Decent bar but typical Seattle prices. Nice size venue. You can really see the band and feel the music.

This spot has gone through many incarnations in the past few years... The Showbox brings in some hot acts at this second location. The floor area is fairly large, and it's easier to wiggle up to the front here than at some other venues. The bar area is separate and has its own small stage. Before the Showbox got this place, I went to the Seattle Erotic Arts Festival here and there were people running around dressed up like leather bondage ponies. read more

Worst acoustics I have ever been subjected to at a live show. Yet another venue that thinks the bass drum should overpower all other sounds. Even with ear plugs, sound was only slightly tolerable. You get corralled like cattle if you want to drink. If you want to pee, you can't bring your drink to the bathroom because they're "all ages" bathrooms. Do you really think I'm going to share this Budweiser that you just charged me $10 for? When you come out of the bathroom, you have to show a stamp or ID again to the doofus at the door just to get back into the drinking area. If showbox is so worried about underage consumption, either install more bathrooms or make the venue 21+. Will not return. read more

It wasn't a bad experience but it wasn't amazing. The tickets that we got listed and opening band and then the main one we went to see. When we got there we found out that there was an extra opening band for the opening band then the main event was no where near starting.... awesome. The line for the bar was wrapping around to make it quite a wait for an over priced drink. seriously.... almost $30 for two shots of tequila and 2 waters.... next time I go I'm drinking in the parking lot and then going in because this shit isn't worth it. read more

Not a terrible place to see a show but not great either. The Showbox Market is 1,000 times better. The area for the 21 and over folks is a little odd. I don't like being crammed in the back of this warehouse type venue. The big bar to the side is pretty decent but again, the entire set up is just odd. I thought the sound system was good and I could see the stage no matter where I was. I personally like smaller venues that are all 21 and over but this wasn't so bad. read more

I suppose this could be a good place for "up and comers" who can't quite fill larger venues. . . but you'll have to tolerate: at least an hour wait on food no matter when you order; incredibly sticky floors (don't wear your good shoes or open toed ones. . . ); the obnoxiously rude male bartender (white dude, long scraggly hair, receding hairline, skinny) who is obviously very angry he has to work for a living; and the crushing crowds of people who are constantly pushing up against you - AT.ALL.TIMES. - once the venue fills. I definitely got the impression there is no cap on amount of people they allow in - God forbid there's ever a fire alarm because a lot of folks would get completely crushed in the stampede. I CAN compliment them on the cleanliness of their bathrooms though (at least the women's was clean). So. . yeah. . we won't be returning to this location for ANYTHING, I don't care who's playing there. read more

Consistently the worst live music venue in Seattle. Inconvenient to get to/park. They oversell it, so getting around inside is a hassle. There's always some issue with inept security - lines are long, scanners don't work, etc. The venue itself is basically a concrete drinking barn with bad sound and terrible sight lines. I go once every couple years and each time am reminded what a crappy, crappy place it is. read more

Biggest dump I have ever been in. Staff was angry and rude! I would never come back because you cannot even exit the venue without guff. Hey guys, we pay your wages and we're kind so calm down. read more

Flew in from Oklahoma for the Cat Power show - The Pros: - They have a VIP section (for a reasonable, extra $25 per person). Cost includes your very own reserved table and chairs for the night; so if you want to go down by the stage, or out for a smoke break, no need to worry about losing your seats. That in itself is a HUGE pro. - They serve food (chips, burgers, etc.). Granted, we paid $6 for straight from a bag tortilla chips and salsa/guacamole, but the point is that they have food, which is rare at a music venue. - The staff is responsive and super nice! The Cons: - Paid $20 for 2 Grey Goose vodka tonics - I'm pretty sure their tonic was flat - tasted AWFUL (and it's pretty hard to screw up a vodka tonic). Neither my hubby or I took more than 4 or 5 sips. - The one that matters most: the sound was ATROCIOUS! This is the second time this year we've flown in for a concert (other was Sigur Ros at the Paramount), and even though it's a converted warehouse, still had high hopes - I mean, this is Seattle - surely the venues here have it together for concerts, right? Wrong. Horrible, horrible acoustics - add that to the technical problems Chan was having with her ear mic-thingy and the whole sound was just painfully bad. I very rarely walk out on shows, especially after flying half way across the country to see one - But for the love of god Chan, what were you thinking (I.e. smoking) when you chose those god-awful openers??!?? After being awake for 20+ hours straight and begrudgingly sitting through those (bands would be too positive a spin) "acts", all you had to do was sound okay (Not even good, just asking for okay at that point) - But alas, the Showbox SoDo bested you. We walked out. I love visiting Seattle and will continue coming here for concerts, but I will never again, purchase tickets for a show at the Showbox SoDo. read more

It is amazing that so many people can comment on how rude and unprofessional the security staff is without the owner caring. They all have this elitist personality and treat everyone like animals who come to a show there. If you ask them a question they don't like, they'll throw you out. I have been to tons of high-volume venues and this set of bouncers is the absolutely worst. I don't know if they are trying to be rude to people in hopes that someone will throw a swing at them so they can get in a fight and look tough or what, but it is time for the management to act if they expect their business to survive the next few years. The "manager" who works Tuesday night events is not any friendlier either. read more

Woman at the ticket counter during the day is exceptionally rude. Their credit card machine was down so I sprinted in full buisiness attire to the bank 2 blocks away. Came back at exactly 2pm and she just shut the door on my face with a shrug and a 'sorry.' Guess I won't be going to any shows here. read more

went there last night for Adam Lambert concert. He was Fabulous but the venue was to small. to hot and too crowded. The sound system sucks. And was in the bar for about 5 hours and no seating, even thought there was chairs that were not being used for handicapped area. The waitress sucked. She was unfriendly and never came around. The waitress in training was nice. I dont think the staff was prepared or even thought about how huge Adam's fan base was going to be. Someone fainted, fights occurred and there was about a inch between each person during the show. The show was just to big for this venue.. read more

Uugh. I thought this place would have at least a fingernail of style like the other Showbox in town. Horrible sound in a vacuous venue - in fact it's exactly like some warehouse in some industrial part of anywhere USA. I had no idea this venue sucked so bad. No band has a chance in hell of sounding good here. read more

Horrible venue!! Parents do NOT let your teens come here! No way to see the band you came to see. They overpack people into the room. Crowds are extremely tight-no air-no way in or out. Staff has absolutely no concern for the safety of the audience. No way to enjoy the show, horrible violent crush up front and absolutely no visibility from the middle or back. Don't waste your money on an event here. Unless you are an aggressive shoving, elbowing, asshole, you will be violently squished in a hot smelly mash of people and not be able to see the show. Staff seems to ignore the misery of its patrons. It's too bad because the sound system is decent. WONT be back unless they fix the audience area--bleacher style raised seating. read more

My hubby and I went here for Infected Mushroom in November. I really loved the bar area so we could have a drink and a break in a place that wasn't slammed or the bathroom. I really didn't have issues with the acoustics as others are saying, but maybe it's more noticeable depending on the type of music. read more