Super roomy! Parking wasn't bad at all. Bathroom were also clean and up to par, overall 5/5 in my opinion read more

Showbox SoDo - The crowd and stage! - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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First time at the SoDo location and we really liked it, great space, good feel and staff was nice. Parking is not too bad around either as long as there is no game going on. Acoustics were a bit off, but that could be the band too. read more

Not a big fan of this venue. Sure, we saw an amazing show there (Phoenix!) But the segregation of drinkers and non-drinkers is just downright weird. You have a few options to choose from: a) Drink and watch the show from the back half of the venue and not be able to see the band you paid to see b) Not drink and deal with all the drunks crashing into you when they rush the stage to hear the one radio hit that they came for c) Take turns running back to get a drink to slam while your friend 'holds' your spot up front Yeah, none of these options are all that great. And did I mention the sound is kinda sucky as well? Two stars for the coat check being in a convenient spot and for the relatively friendly staff working the show. read more

Showbox SoDo - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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What a shitty venue. Unfortunately this is the venue many bands go to if they're not quite big enough to fill a stadium. Here is the awfulness you should be prepared for (because lets me honest, if you really want to see the band you don't' have a choice): - If you're short, like me, you can't see anything unless you're upfront - When it's cold and you're in the front the draft is horrible. Thats because it's just one big warehouse with a stage. The back of the stage is like a garage door. And it gets opened and closed when bands switch -The staff can be a bit rude -It's in SoDo. So even living downtown, I have to take some kind of transportation to get here. Parking is pretty bad. The bus is sketchy. And it's always a mess when calling a cab or an Uber because that is what everyone else is doing. -Acoustics suck -Sound is shitty The one thing I do love about thi venue is that they tend to let people in the bar first and I can count on spending exactly $6 for my one beer while I wait. Which is fantastic for an over 21 front row addict like myself read more

Showbox SoDo - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I had to create an account to give a positive review because I didnt have the negative experience some other reviewers had. We had vip tickets and there were three lines: lounge, vip, general admission. Staff was outside and available to ask questions and even walked along the other lines to ask if anyone had vip tickets to ensure they were in the correct line. Everyone had to go through metal detectors and place items in trays to help ensure safety. No issue there. We were let inside at the correct time (vip entry was 15min early), had plenty of time to pick up vip packages, purchase merchandise, and get a spot up front. Lounge guests and general admission guests weren't allowed on the floor early as some reviewers experienced with other shows. No bad smells (until later when someone seemed to have passed some gas during the show...it happens), the floor is as clean, the sound was great. Exiting the show was quick and easy as well. Oh...and there's an $8 park king lot at key bank a couple blocks south where there are at least some security cameras. Saw no broken glass in that lot either. read more

Fantastic venue. Saw Maren Morris last weekend - my wife and I sat in ADA-seating due to a health condition - I'm always nervous the first time in a place like this, needing to use ADA services, because some places just don't care. Showbox did. Less than two minutes after our tickets were scanned, we had been walked directly to our seats, given the names of two different people who could help us if we needed anything during the show, and had a great view of the stage. The drinks were good, the food was what you expect from a place like this (serviceable), the acoustics are great. Most important to me is that they took the time to care about their customers read more

Showbox SoDo - Excuse my crappy phone zoom. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I feel like the crowd is always different depending on the music. Came here for the Epik High (k-hip-hop/rap/pop group) tour and the whole crowd was pretty tame. Bunch of spazzy asian fangirl and boys. With that being said, the acoustics aren't TOO crappy. Obviously closer to stage (which I was in the midsection) kind of makes things sound better. There is bar food to the left, if you wanted to be there. Some people mentioned the temperature rise... I barely felt it. At that night it felt like there was good ventilation. With that being said, if you are short, wear heels or something or come early to get into the front. The floor is flat unless you're in the FAR back (like near the entrance). The stage isn't elevated enough for average height people. If your favourite artist is here, obviously all this doesn't matter, just go!!! I didn't have any problems with the bouncers, but some of the guys are rude. Like not threatening rude, just why-is-this-my-job-I'm-taking-it-out-on-you rude. read more

Showbox SoDo - Epik High! 6.02.15 - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Oh Showbox, how I dislike the venue itself, but still keep on going if there is a big DJ or artist coming. Why, just because of the convenient location and the fact that tickets are cheaper than shows that are the Tacoma Dome or Wamu Theater. If there's ever a big DJ or artist performing, you are warned that it will literally feels like a tropical rain forest. I'm not even kidding, I thought somebody was secretly being obnoxious and flinging water at random people including me, but to find it, the water is sprinkling from the ceiling from everybody's sweat that the poorly ventilated facility collected. My curly hair turned straight within a minute of being inside. Restroom lines may take a couple million years and it will be sticky icky when you made your way to advance your spot to the oh mighty front where you are finally having the honor of waiting inside the restroom itself. With that being said, I will still come back because as long as you are not deep in the crowd and don't need to continuously use the restrooms, you can still have the funnest time with good music and great friends! read more

Showbox SoDo - Pax 2015 after party with Steve Aoki. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A great big warehouse with decent sound. No money wasted on extra frills--I like that, keeps your ticket price under control. It's a big barn with a concrete floor. Minimally functional in the right way, that. You walk in at the far corner of the live room. There's a bar to your left cordoned off by lightweight metal cattle fencing, fronted by the mix board. Stand near the mix board if you can, as with any show, if you want to hear the sound the closest to how the sound guys designed it. Past that, on the far left wall, is another bar area, and a grotty little pair of bathrooms. Well, I assume the women's is as grotty as the men's. I want to wash my boots just from walking on the floor in the men's. Also shoved out to the far walls are the merch tables and of course the stage. There's a basic house light rack, and a good house PA system. There's plenty of room for the band. Shows have generally sounded good here, despite the total lack of acoustics considered in design and construction. The concrete floors can tire out your feet during a long show, and the bouncers, naturally, dance right up to the line of acceptable surliness. But overall a solid place to see a medium-sized show. read more

I didn't really know what to think after reading all of the negative reviews of this place, but I was pleasantly surprised. This review is for the Billy Idol concert 10-26-12. First off, I was HIGHLY IMPRESSED with the security staff. There were a few idiots causing problems in the crowd and the security guards INSTANTLY took care of the problem. They were scanning the crowds constantly for trouble makers and dealt with them swiftly and accordingly. A lot of people here have talked about how the security guards act like a holes. Well, guess what, if you had to deal with obnoxious, entitled drunks you probably would be in a bad mood too. The bottom line is they are there to make sure the place is safe for the rest of us who want to enjoy a show and dont need to be falling down puking drunk to do so. I appreciated them. They were gruff but seriously, do you want some pansy ass sweet talking dude wearing ballet tights to take care of any problems??????Um no. They did a great job and I am sure are underpaid and obviously unappreciated. Secondly, they had more than enough bartenders and we got our drinks very quickly. They were strong too. BUT THEY WERE PRICEY. 16.00 for a small vodka cran and tequila with muddled lime/club soda. YIKES. Not even top shelf booze either. Lastly, the sound was perfect for me. We were in second row and I loved the sound and felt it was clear without issues others have spoken about. Only negative is that the floor is not sloped and it is mosh pit type of area. Cold concrete and all (aching feet after 2 1/2 hours) SOOOOO, if you are stuck behind anyone taller than you - you are screwed. Which, of course, with my luck I was stuck behind someone 6'4. ugh. Had to maneuver a bit and then I was fine. I would definitely go to Showbox sodo again, if it was the right concert. BILLY IDOL WAS AMAZING AS ALWAYS. read more

If you are shorter than 5'6" you will not see the stage unless you are right up front. I ended up watching it through some jerks phone or just looking at the backs of people. Sound was great, but I would rather turn up a stereo at home. Other venues have more levels and aren't so deep and narrow for the audience space with such a low stage. read more

Been here twice for Hawaiian reggae artists. Awesome to have experienced seeing the reggae artists live, but the venue SUCKS! 1. Be careful with hustlers in the parking lot. Had this dude pretend he was a parking lot attendant and got me for $20. Yup, my fault, but that's how it be there. 2. The venue has terrible sound quality. All bass that sounds like it's coming out of the trunk of a rattling car. The people singing sound muffled. Don't take your kids here. People smoke weed everywhere in there. The service, it's just a bunch of people with attitudes. No food, but there's usually a hot dog stand a block away that you can grab and go while you're in line waiting to get in. Might want to pre-game before you go in. I paid $36 for two drinks, and $5.50! for a bottle of water. People spill drinks everywhere and the floor gets sticky after a while. And it gets SUPER crowded - like elbow to elbow type of crowd. I don't plan to ever go here again. Not worth the experience or price. read more

I went here recently for a concert and I was astonished at how strange and unaccommodating the staff was. I happened to forget my ID in the jacket that I wasn't wearing for the concert. When I first arrived I was having a decent time with my friends, and they decided to get a drink. I decided to stand outside of the barrier because I still wanted to talk to them. I am quite aware that the alcohol laws in Seattle are strict, (I worked in a bar for 4 years) so even though I am in my thirties, I didn't take a sip of any of their drinks or go in the alcohol area. While having a conversation with my friends, I realized that there was a security guard (I assume that is what they were because they were wearing a sweatshirt that said "STAFF") behind them had come closer to watch me- I assume he was making sure I wasn't drinking. I brushed it off, but was unnerved at the way he was staring at me while I spoke to my friends. My friends finished their drinks and joined me outside, which was fine until we stepped outside to get some air. When I attempted to get back in, the person at the door asked for a wristband. I didn't have one because I had forgotten my ID, and they refused to let me inside. I tried to pull up my ticket, but I got pretty upset since I had walked out SECONDS earlier and I am sure the person at the door recognized me. They had looked at me as I walked out. I was upset and stayed outside, and waited for my friend to come back out to join me. I got back inside and tried to enjoy the concert, but I felt uneasy. While I was walking to the bathroom, I noticed that the view of the show was decent, so I took a 4 second video (I have the video on my phone, so I know exactly how long it was.) The security guard next to the bathroom rudely told me to move, even though my friend was the only person behind me. I moved on and used the bathroom, then returned to the concert. I noticed my friend standing 2 feet away from the same security guard and they said nothing to him. Later, I saw that same security guard taking a video of the show. It was so upsetting to see how rudely they treated me and how they seemed to ignore everyone else. I never write reviews, but I felt like the atmosphere almost ruined the show for me. Luckily the band was good, but I have never been treated so poorly as a guest at an establishment AND I have worked in customer service for 10 years. I've tried to shrug it off, but I thought I might say something- maybe something had happened earlier in the day that made the employees upset, but to be treated so rudely by 3 employees at the same establishment was so shocking that I feel that I have to say something. read more

First of all, the floor is flat. So people standing behind can't really see anything especially when everybody have theirs phones up:) And there is not a VIP area, so the VIP don't worth it at all, unless you are able to stand for 5 straight hours and not moving at all so you can keep your spot close read more

You know, it's not the greatest venue, but it's not the worse, that's for sure. I just am more biased to liking them b/c I won free tickets to Big Sean this past year. I was pretty pumped. I have been here for many shows including: Jack's Mannequin, Lauryn Hill & Big Sean. Hmm... sweaty armpits all night sounds about right, especially if you're an Asian girl who stands 5'2'' and every one else is 5'8'' and above. LOL. Yes, Parking sucks butttt. But it's good that there is street parking. The box office is tiny but rather helpful. Hmm... what else to say? It's cement, ( I think) so your feet will hurt like hell unless you're wearing GREAT and comfy shoes... Their VIP section... I wasn't in it, but I noticed and watched as it was first come first serve, and it's not the greatest angle to watch from the bar to the stage. It's at a weird angle... Hmm.. annoying teeny boppers come to the all ages shows... which sucks ass... They give a normal pat down...to keep things safe... but uhm, I just go here because they hold a lot of my favorite artists here... so take it or leave it. It's a venue. read more

Rescinding my previous review. Tonight, at a show I've been anxiously awaiting and pre-paid way in advance, I was physically assaulted by another patron, who was allowed to stay the entire night with no repercussions. Although the staff "did what they could "...it's absolutely BS that a man twice my size can body check me and be allowed to watch the show from a spot that he won't allow anyone else into. Who assaulted me again without any repercussions once I took a photo of him. Unfortunately SPD didn't show up in time and this A$$hole got away with a positive experience of Showbox SoDo and a Seether show I've been desperate to see for years. I've been a Showbox fan for years and seen so many shows, but this was absolutely BS! read more

Showbox SoDo - The group supporting the abusive man. Obviously all being ignorant b/c he beat the teeth out of old lady meth head. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Get ready for over priced drinks and random people touching you! But what do you expect from any venue? lol Its a way of a community coming together to listen to something we all have in common. (and thats the love of cats. oh and music but a bit of a blend of both. [Its called coexisting you animal. Dave.. I know your reading this o.o] So lets strap our guitars and tune our drum heads and crowd surf into this review! (ah .-. see what I did there? I'm hilarious *crickets even stop making noise and its dead silent*) Atmosphere: The SoDo is actually spacious and is divided in three sections: The floor which is the front to see the stage. (Where skin to skin contact is bound to happen, unless your Jake Gyllenhaal in Bubble Boy where you have a bubble protecting you from any sort of contact, but suddenly you become the life of the floor and the people pass you around like a cheap bong [like back in the day in my parents basement where we thought we were smoking weed but it was literally just grass but no-one knew what weed looked like but wanted to act like we were cool and thinking back you realized that some of that rolled up grass had dog shit-zu in it. God I wanted to be so cool back then, what was I thinking? stay in school kids] that everyone is taking a hit in) In the floor it seems well ventilated and doesn't feel so constricting. (but a good tip is to wear sandals in the pit, a little pro tip ;D, only for hardcore people that want to never know what walking is like after a show or for the rest of your life.) The second section is the 21 and over floor section. (Which is the equivalent of watching illegal animal fighting in cheap stand up seats with a drink in your hand. [The animal fighting is watching the crowd just go crazy while listening to Brittney Spears, playing "hit me baby one more time" which almost becomes an anthem to just start the crowd up.] Get ready to stand on a floor thats so sticky from over spilled drinks (God Kevin, just get your stuff together, she doesn't like you or your music, your getting friend-zone and the fact that she's just spilling her beer and flirting with the guy next to you is plain site that you need to get out of this "sticky" situation [*drum joke sound in the background followed by crickets*] and go back to school) and roll your ankle on plastic cups on the floor. (Who throws plastic cups on the floor? o.o I will find you and stab you with a knife that has been created and sharpened with the plastic cups you threw on the ground and throw you in the garbage. [Flipping dolphins, you're not being clever and you look like a DB with that pop collar and backwards hat]) The third section is the lounge bar on the left side, which is kinda nice cuz you get to see the artist on stage at eye level (all the while watching everyone thats not 21 and judging them in there fashion trends [while you wear overalls with your denim jacket, pants and shirt]) and the floor is still sticky. Who keeps doing this? is this the theme of the bar scene o.o (or maybe if you're drunk to keep you from not falling down... that sounds like a big conspiracy act... omg I'm breaking the internet or just myself from the delusion of not eating and loads amounts of caffeine in the morning.) Sound/Security: The SoDo does have exceptional well sound. (no longer do you have to leave a show with your ears bleeding and praying to have the ability to hear for the next week, while having an office job where you have to listen to people complain about how they can't understand the insurance they bought cuz they were too dumb to read everything in the form cuz they came to the seminar hung over from the previous night and decided to sign up for it) Compare to other venues this is actually an amazingly place to listen to music. (I have been to places where you only get this lovely chalkboard screeching, cats being strangled and cans being banged sound coming from the speakers due to complications of the technicians [wow sounds like the album. Nailed it.. not.]) Security is on point and they try to pass you through the door efficiently and in a professional matter. I've actually never had a problem with the security here in which is actually why this place (Besides the sticky and over priced drinks [which in my opinion just go out, buy a bottle and take some shots with the homeless community in the back of the building and pre funk! by the way James o.o you're the coolest toothless homeless person in Seattle and by god thanks for the life advise! Your like a houseless Buddha with a rocking beard!] is great place to listen to music in a controlled safe environment. Conclusion: This is actually one of the better places for music, with an amazing sound and a long list of amazing artist playing here,I would definitely recommend this place if your favorite Artist/band is playing here. (Just bring anti slip shoes .o. and prefunk before hand and your rock solid! oh and leave some food/cash for James!) read more

Showbox SoDo - By the holy gods of pop punk let's commence! .-. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Showbox SoDo is a spacious venue with an upstairs that has a nice vibe while the downstairs looks more like a warehouse. I used to frequent this place during its Club Premier days. So far I have came here to see NERD & Common, Les Nubians, Dead Prez & Lauryn Hill. Right off the bat, I can tell you that Showbox SODO does not have the best sound system out there. I still think this place is better suited for club events since that is what it originally was. Parking is horrible as well so I highly recommend on carpooling or taking a cab if that's a reasonable option. Aside from that, I had a different experience each time I came here for concerts. With NERD and Common, it was very crowded and hard to maneuver to the bathrooms. I hate how there is only ONE set of bathrooms, which is on the left side of the stage. After that experience, I vowed to not drink liquids during concerts that involve the main stage. When I attended to see Les Nubian (which I won free tickets through Yelp =D) it was a more intimate concert, which was only in the lounge area. I love this set up because there were options to sit down and eat (they have good pizzas here btw) or you can stand and dance away WITHOUT having your view being blocked. As for Dead Prez and Lauryn Hill, it was an interesting set up because both the lounge and main stage were in use for this concert. My friend and I were originally planning to hang out in the lounge area but we missed the cutoff of the line and were sent to the all-ages line. I think it was a blessing in disguise because my friends that were in that area texted us that the sound in that area sucked because of the windows. On the other hand, I also wish I was in that area because Lauryn Hill is notoriously known for being "fashionably" late so standing for 5 plus hours near rowdy people is not a lovely feeling. To sum it all up, I would only go here if I was either a big fan of the musician performing here OR if I know in advance that the set up will be in the lounge like Les Nubian's show. read more

Caught Clutch and Sevendust here and it was a great show. This is a nice venue. Plenty of parking nearby and they open up the lounge early for 21 and over so you can have a beer and relax before the show. They have a nice long, full service bar and also do some fried bar food. They have a second large bar in the main part of the venue. We had a few beers and some wine and they were $8 each which is more than a normal bar but certainly not outrageous. You can watch the show from the lounge if you can get one of the tables facing the main venue. There's also reserved tables in the main venue that are elevated and should have a great view. The floor is standing room only and it's a pretty large area with some slightly elevated areas on the right side. The stage setup is really nice. I'm not sure how much of the lighting rig is permanent but the show I saw was really lit well and the sound was superb. I was really impressed. The bathrooms are large and clean and despite some of the other reviews here, the staff was super friendly. I would definitely check out another show here. We had a great time. read more

I'm getting old. I used to love being shoulder to shoulder with sweaty, smelly and screaming fans. I used to love the push and shove, and jumping up just high enough to catch some cool air. I've gotten old, though :/ Cons: This place is filled to capacity. By that, I mean you may want to consider getting there 1-2 hours ahead of time to stand in line for 2-3 hours in order to get a good spot. Otherwise, you're standing 2-3 blocks in a line outside for 30-45 minutes with no guarantee you'll get anywhere near the stage, if that's what you're into. Once you're in, whether you make your way to the beer garden behind the standing room in front of the stage, bar to the far right or just in front of the speakers by the stage 5 feet from the band's face.....you're going to get sweated on by people who apparently hate showering, brushing their teeth and wiping, and it will smell terrible. I mean someone-decided-to-fart-in-a-hot-room-full-of-people-and-no-one-thought-to-open-a-window terrible. That aside, this venue gives one the ability to mosh, shove, kick and thrash about like a prepubescent dork with poor motor skills. Due to previous reviews, I didn't use the venue's bathroom or eat here, so that's probably why there are 3 stars to begin with (both are allegedly legendarily atrocious). In fact, I didn't utilize any of the amenities offered, with the exception of standing for 4 hours straight, so please keep in mind that my review is slightly biased due to avoiding other's mistakes. Pros: The audio system is ace (incredibly clear and loud). For better or worse, you can hear the singer's voice and every instrument clearly. That is RARE with relatively small venues. Most of the time, the audio or instruments are either too low or too high. This is the 4th star, in fact, because I went to hear good music, and I caught every word and sound. The staff are interesting. As you enter, your ticket is scanned and immediately discarded in the trash. Forget memorabilia or having your favorite band member sign it. Its gone. Forever. However, the bouncers who watch the crowd are courteous enough. They monitor everything carefully and don't intrude too much. Crowd surfing is permitted (just don't try and jump onto the stage. Those days are gone, and I'm glad I didn't miss them!), because you'll be sternly gripped by your arm and escorted back to the crowd of smelly people where you belong! During the concert, the bouncers opened bottles of water, and asked the greedy guzzlers in the front row to take a little and pass the bottle back. I've never seen that before, and think its wonderful they care about guests remaining hydrated. If you stick around after the show, roadies will toss set lists, drum sticks and picks towards the crowd AND a bouncer just might hand you your own bottle of water (that you don't have to share!). Another plus is that there's ample parking North, South, East and West of the venue, so if you're a single female and want to be close OR need more exercise and want to take extra steps, the options are there. Average of $7.55 per lot, and street parking is free after 8 (I think)! Overall, it's a great venue, but you've been warned. Don't act like you don't know what you're getting into after this review, then come back and give 2 stars. Its worth more than that, in my opinion.. On a personal note, I finally got to attend my first Coheed and Cambria concert (because Warped Tour doesn't count) since first listening to IKSSE:3 in 2006!! read more

Showbox SoDo - COHEED AND CAMBRIA!!! (Take notice of the beautiful lighting). - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

As far as a concert venue goes, SoDo is pretty good. Acoustics aren't bad, although not great either, and there is a lot of space. I do wish that the bar area had more of head-on view of the stage than a side one, but that's just me being picky. The fact that you can sit in the bar and not miss any of the show is a huge plus. All in all a solid venue and good place to catch a show. The food here is okay. Small selection of typical appetizer fare, some sandwiches, and chicken strips. I had the chicken strips which were rather tasty and crispy. They were accompanied by steak fries. Nothing special but they could have been way worse for being just bar food. We also tried the fried zucchini which was delicious. A couple of other things to note are that parking is street and pay lot in a rundown area. Decoration on the interior is also sparse. You can also save up to about $15/ticket by purchasing directly from the box office so I recommend doing that. Overall, not my favorite venue in Seattle but not the worst either. read more

Showbox SoDo - Fried zucchini. - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Not sure why this location has such low ratings. I've been here a number of times for shows. Parking is nearby if you get there at a reasonable time for a reasonable price. The last show I went to was for 3LAU, and I parked right next to the Showbox and paid less than $5 at the meter. WOOHOO! There are two entrances. One entrance is where you can enter into the bar that's on the left of the venue. They'll scan your ticket and stamp your wrist. The other entrance is for 18 and up folks. It's nice that they have two entrances. There are two bar sections. Each section is pretty roomy with plenty of bartenders who are very friendly and attentive, may I add! The venue quickly got filled, and everyone was having a fun time! There are plenty of stalls in the women's restroom, but of course with that many people, there will still be a line, BUT, the line will go very quickly. I don't think I've even been in a potty line that went that quickly. That HAS to be a record! Now, I believe, it just depends what kind of shows are being held that day, that will determine the crowd. Times are different- generation wise. Don't let that generation gap kill your vibe at a show you want to see. Whether you're 25 and younger and 35 or older, it shouldn't matter. Everyone is supposed to be there to have a nice time because you share the same interest at that venue. read more

A solid venue for a larger crowd than the showbox downtown. My first show here was Glitch Mob show and it fit a large crowd. The drink section was close enough to the stage that you could have a good view while enjoying your drink which was nice. Drinks were a bit speedy but about average for a venue in Seattle. Everywhere I went had good sound and it made for a great show. read more

Tiny venue but I saw my favorite band there Well worth the price imp. If you want to drink go across the street drinks are at least $1-2 cheaper a glass. read more

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Facility changed attendance rules for Angels and Airwaves concert 10.03.2021 to allow those who took covid shots only, not allowing those with negative covid tests as well, then would not respond nor give us a refund in a timely manner. If you change the rules after the fact, then you have to honor refunds. read more

Be prepared to stand throughout a concert. Something like 1000 general admission with nowhere to sit. 100 or so reserved seating tables so get tickets early if that's what you want. The stage could be higher. Many people standing on the flat warehouse-like floor never see the performers. The sound was good. read more

I actually like the venue. But I also feel there are many things they could do to make the experience better for patrons. Perhaps they could provide the artists with a card payment system? It seemed pretty ridiculous that Marilyn Manson couldn't accept credit, but the band that opened for him (Butcher Babies) could. Kinda ridiculous. They also need better line-management. They check IDs at the door, then check them AGAIN inside (if it's not a 21+ event). Why not just split people at the front door and coral the 21+ crowd into the bar area, and the under 21 kids elsewhere. Then there need not be a clusterfuck where bouncers are trying to both card AND stamp inside the venue. Just stamp anyone if/when they LEAVE the bar area. Also, it seems that the prices for beverages keep rising there. I'd rather not have to pay exorbitant prices for a watered down rum-drink. :-/ read more

Came here several times times for shows and have been underwhelmed each time. The staff seemed to not want to be there and the place reminded me of an old warehouse. Not that this is bad, but acoustically, I've definitely heard better. Maybe it was just the way the venue was setup (although it was setup the same way all 3 times), the lines for the restroom were crazy. It was nice that they had a fenced off area for the bar area but that seriously took up a good chunk of the dance floor. I think this venue would be good for smaller, private events -- not for big shows. read more

We were there for Engadget Live last week at Showbox SoDo but the event was quite a meh. The venue was relatively small, a regtangular box that you can literally walk around in less than 10 minutes. The showcase of vendors at the event was a meh (this is our second year there but the quality of event/queue management has gone down). There's street parking available, especially if you get there early. However, unless you are going for an event that you are known to be sure as awesome....this place is out of the way (not many good restaurants to hang out at before the show) and the setup of the place is small/a bit boring. read more

It's a small venue. I couldn't believe it was sold out! I did enjoy my time at the SoMo concert; if you could maneuver your way to the front, you'd be just a yard or so away from the stage. The sound system was great up front where the stage was but if you were in the back near the entrance, the sound system wasn't on point. I'm not sure if it was because it was a SoMo concert or what, but the venue seemed unorganized when it came to forming lines for coat checks and taking pics with the opener. I didn't see any SoDo staff protecting the kid or telling anyone to form a line. Also, there was no option online to purchase VIP tickets. The doors were supposed to open at 7pm. They opened at 7:30pm instead because there were VIP meet-and-greets. There was no option online to pay for those nor had they mentioned anything about them. I paid for my tickets two weeks prior to the show. I would've loved to pay more for the meet-and-greet. Oh, well. read more

A lot of the staff are incredibly rude and come off as pretentious. You're not cooler than other people just because you work at the Showbox. Get over yourselves. read more

Good size venue, provided with a couple bars and food service=you know its going to be a great night. I've been here before for a few different concerts (Kaskade, The Script, etc) and every time it has been a great show! It's a big enough venue for the perfect sized generated audience. It can get highly packed at times, but always near the doors is where you can freely walk around without being trampled or pushed. Drinks are regular priced, food is average. Nothing too special about food and drinks, except that you can sit inside, (if you find a seat, or you are VIP). Tip: Never come early to a concert! The lines are ridiculously long, and the main act will never come out until 2 hours later. Only come "on-time" if you really really want to see the pre-acts. Otherwise, skip the long lines, and wait until the real show begins! read more

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It's old-school: just a big open concrete room with a stage on one end and a bar on the other. The sound mix wasn't the best, but I'm not sure if that was the venue's fault. It's a little annoying that the beer garden is as far away from the stage as possible. read more

Love this concert venue, the bar located just side of the stage is perfect. Love love love read more

Showbox SoDo - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Extremely rude staff. I feel bad for suggesting to my friends that we should see a show here. Everyone, from the bartenders to the security staff, was terrible. They didn't even care to check our bags, just said that they "trust us." This could be very dangerous if anyone wanted to hurt the concert goers. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this venjw read more

My friend and I were at showbox SODO to see MO (singer) perform. We were on the second floor to buy some drinks and stood next to a couple of white fans, and the lady next to us told us to move away as her husband who is in the bathroom must stand there. I politely told her as this is a public area with no designated spots, we have the right to remain in the area. There were plenty of space and our shoulders were not even close to hers. Her husband came, and they told us to "get away", and i told her no. She put her hand close to my face, covering my vision so I would move. I asked her to please move her hand respectfully, but she would not. So I followed her actions as I wanted to stand up for myself. That is when her husband( 6'2" large white male) pushed me away with his hands. No one intervened and just watched. She ran to the security guard to tell on us, and I followed her to explain the situation. The guard was female,and she would not let me finish my explanation by stopping me when I told her about how the lady put her hand out to cover my face. The guard said "so did she actually touch you" and made it obvious that she was going to dismiss me by telling me that she is not going to do anything unless there was an actual physical touch. I was going to explain about the husband but the guard kept on interrupting me in mid-sentence, yelling at my face "young lady! Did she touch you or not!?" By that time i felt i was discriminated against. So with much difficulty i told her what happened. Then she went over to the white male who touched us. We followed them downstairs to hear his story.She did jot interrupt him at all and was extremely polite to him. He told her that we were quote"bitching" at them. We tried to explain to her that that was not what happened but she yelled at us by saying "young lady"- we told her "you know, we will just leave" and she told us to. The male did not get any consequences whatsoever and went back in. I cannot forget the smirk on their faces and the superiority i saw in their eyes. We felt unsafe and unwelcome. read more

Went to this venue for the first time to see Kali Uchis. The place was nice and clean. I didn't order any drinks from the bar so I can't comment on that section. Overall I had a nice experience, not including the crazy high school girls that also attended the concert. read more

Showbox SoDo is a pretty good venue for general admission, standing-only rock/metal/hip hop shows that cap out at about 1000 fans. Its acoustics are excellent and its sightlines are also really good--a large, well-elevated stage with almost nothing structural to block your view (compared to, say, Studio 7 where there are obstructions galore and you might be forced to look at a column or a rafter rather than the band). Showbox SoDo has a wide open floor that is big enough for people who just want to stand and watch the show and also for the hard-rockin' dudes who want to run into each other over and over again. At the metal shows I've been to here, it's seemed to me that the security staff seems to know how to let said rockers have their fun and vent all of their pent-up middle-class first world aggression, but they are also good about drawing the line on knuckleheads who are trying to take over the floor. There are also two large bar areas with cool bartenders and all manner of the strong drink. From looking at other reviews, it appears the bathrooms are among the nine layers of hell, but I actually haven't had to answer the call here; I suppose a bathroom that faces a constant supply of hundreds of sweaty, buzzed adult mammals over the span of four hours is going to come out on the losing end. Nobody has developed a solution for that, as far as I know, but whoever does invent the self-cleaning bathroom is going to be a zillionaire. read more

It's not that bad of a venue really, if only maybe half of the people showed up. They defiantly over sold the Devils Makes Three show, with bone crushing crowds. The biggest problem though is the bathrooms, everyone has to go up one small flight of stairs, it is virtually impossible. They could easily redesign this venue and put bathrooms on both sides and open the walls to allow more than person to pass at a time. Shouldn't sell beer and not have enough bathrooms. Acoustics aren't great, but just could be the crowds. The security are actually very good, not overbearing but solid when things get a little cray cray. I am to old for this standing room only crap, so I probably would not go back unless it was someone I really really needed to see. read more

****UPDATE 4/7/08******* I have now been to Showbox SoDo for an actual show. With Ben P. as the bar manager, the bar areas are still operating smoothly and efficiently. No problems there. The sound was good, but as another shorty it was hard to appreciate the show from the back bar on the main floor. The part that really threw me off (and caused me to dock this place a star) was when the security guy who had just let fellow Yelper Will L. in with barely a glance at the stamp on his wrist decided to grab my wrist and gander at my stamp for almost a full minute before letting me pass through, saying that he forgot what the stamp looked like for the show. Interesting when he had seen it on Will's wrist not 5 seconds before....****END UPDATE**** Admittedly, I've only been here for three YHHs, but I have to say it gets better everytime...Next test is to go there for an actual show, though either way for me the location is much better than downtown - way more free parking possiblities and a few other non-douche bars in the 'hood. The drinks are made well and made fast by topnotch rockstar bartenders (including a fellow Yelper and one of MY favorites - Benjamin P.), the pizzas are fantastic and there's plenty of space to have a get together with pretty much any size group. Sound checks can be a bit of a downer, but have a few more drinks and you won't even notice.... P.S. Rumor is that in the not-too-distant future, the facility will be upgraded to be more similar to the Showbox at the market, and will be an even better venue for shows! read more