I've been to A LOT of concerts at Showbox SoDo. And it's an okay venue. It's most certainly not the best venue I can think of, but there are certainly far, far worse places. They staff are just fine, especially considering the amount of drunk, sweaty, cranky people they deal with. If you are close to the stage its a nice place to catch a show visually, because well... you get CLOSE. It is not a huge venue. I've definitely been to places with better acoustics, though they are not terrible either. Haven't been here in a while, as I'm not currently living in the area. But I have been here more than a few times. Would definitely catch a show here again. read more

Me? I love the Showbox SODO. But that's mainly because whoever books their shows does a great job. I get to see many of my favorite artists there. The venue itself has got it's ups and downs: Big space. Concrete floors (meh, I like hardwood). Good pours on mixed drinks, and not TOO expensive. Craptastic sound system. Bathrooms that I'm not scared of using. Overall, pretty alright in my books - though I wish there was something they could do about the sound. It always sounds like a speaker is blown. read more

99.9 Rock Girl Gala night Concert was awesome but OMG! Hard to breathe! One door in and out, giant warehouse filled with sweat and heat. You have to expect that at a rock concert and I would go here again but only if the band was one of those "I have to see them before I die". I don't really understand the layout of the bar. Walls with windows on them? Kind of different and confining but I guess I can understand for shows that are 18+ with a bar. If they even have shows like that, I don't really know. read more

I took a very short trip to Seattle this week for the sole purpose of going to see two different shows; the first was Foals at Showbox at the Market, and the second was Cut Copy at this venue. Before I went, I read the reviews here on Yelp and was kind of dreading the venue by the time I got there. I was pleasantly surprised by the venue. I got there about 15 minutes after doors and got in right away. It wasn't as big as I was expecting it to be, and the drinking "corral" was spacious and had a better view than I was expecting. I nabbed a spot right at the front of the 21+ area. The view wasn't too bad, probably no worse than the view anyone else had in there from anywhere besides the very front row. It was a sold out show, so there were a TON of people, and I could definitely see the problems of no clearly defined walking paths. People got a bit cranky about that. The folks I was standing near were super nice, though and even held my good spot so I could grab another drink between bands. I really didn't find anything awful about this venue. It was a great show with a great crowd and I enjoyed the venue more than I expected to! read more

Bartenders serve stiff ass drinks. The tequila shots I took were huge. Our out of town guest had a great time and liked the venue too. Saw Girl Talk there and the show rocked. Place is huge, well laid out, and the bar/restaurant is good too. read more

I've only been here twice, and each time was a different location within the building. Once was on the smaller bar side. Most recently, Ian and I saw GirlTalk there on the bigger, more venue-y like side. Well organized would be an understatement. Showbox really does know its shit and I'm glad for it. We only had to park a few blocks away to avoid the pay parking lots, which I really do not trust at all. The sound was very good, and we had no problems seeing and hearing the awesomeness that is Girl Talk. read more

Aight, here's the run down. Probably one of the friendlier concert venues I've ever been to. Came here to see James Bay one day, and totally had the mind set of encountering venue service similar to that of Boston. AKA, Boston venue bouncers/staff tend to be total douches in most situations. We only had one encounter where this one staff member was kind of aggressive. Everyone was taking photos and videos and he decided to single out my friend and slapped her hand to tell her to stop recording. lul Otherwise, the staff was handing out COLD water bottles to front row folks. Perhaps as a gesture to say thank you to most people who waited hours to get in the front. But lemme tell you know how my friend and I managed to stand front row, and had we known, probably didn't have to wait that long. Doors opened at around 7:30 and we got there around 4:45ish because we wanted to get in there early to atleast be able to see. As we were waiting in line, one of the venue staff went down the line and asked if anyone was 21+. In essence, if you were 21+, you got access to the venue bar, which then gave you earlier access to the actual concert floor. The draw here is to get the 21+ folks to buy drinks, and in return you get to find a good place to stand right in the front since they open the doors for you at 7:20pm as opposed to the 7:30pm. TL;DR: We drank and napped at the venue before the show. read more

Saw Death Cab for Cutie here on their random surprise concert a few weeks ago! I came for the music and nothing else, so I didnt try the food or experience the bar. I like that its on the smaller side, more intimate this way. The entire concert was will call because the show was last minute, yet the line moved awesomely fast so that was nice! Sound was a little FUNK-y and the even Death Cab kept looking at the sound engineers to alter things, to turn up/down certain instruments or mics. Kinda ridiculous for a MUSIC venue to be off on the sound. But really, the place worked. Parking is...well, oh my gosh, I think Showbox SoDo is in a CITY. That means, street parking and overpriced lots. You should expect it, I did, didnt have an issue because I knew I'd be walking. read more

I'm not sure why this place has bad reviews but then again, I'm not a Seattle resident so I cabbed it here with a friend and we can't compare it to the Showbox Market venue. My friend is a huge Airborne Toxic fan so we caught a show at the SoDo last month and we enjoyed the experience (after having a few cocktails/beers across the street). Initially I thought it was kind of odd that there is a dedicated 21+ drinking area so we weren't able to elbow our way closer to the stage with drinks in hand although at the same time, the 21+ space is on an elevated platform so we were able to catch a relatively good view of the band. This is highly valued by short people such as myself. There was barely a line for the restrooms, I was able to identify several accessible EXIT signs (a plus for those who occassionally worry over potential stampedes) and for those wishing to sit down and attempt to have a conversation while still enjoying the music, there is an enclosed bar with glass windows. read more

I have been here for a couple shows but the one that sticks out in my mind was the Phoenix show way back in January of 2010. I came with a group of friends and was immediately enthused to at least see that there was plenty of standing room. The bar area was elevated from the rest of the venue for easy viewing (albeit with much more limited space) and reasonably priced drinks. The show was fantastic and Phoenix was great, many of their tracks were much better live than the studio recordings. However, my grievances were with the venue itself being so large. The main viewing area is quite flat for being that size. That really puts a damper on the show as you are constantly clamoring and jockeying for the best viewing positions which was next to impossible at times. I can only imagine how little the people in the rear actually saw of Phoenix compared with us up in the pit. It was also disappointing to find out that the drinks we bought at the bar could only be drank in that area making our dreaded journey back to the pit that much less entertaining. I would highly recommend coming to your show early in order to assure the best possible viewing area or just watching from the bar which again, involves arriving extra early to get a seat. read more

Want to give a big shout-out to the ticket staff at Showbox last night for the Kayzo show. I foolishly bought a fake ticket, but the staff was able to provide me with a free new ticket after a short wait. This was my first time at this venue, and I have to say the sound quality, bar space, and prices are all fantastic in my opinion. Looking forward to coming back for more shows! read more

Based on the reviews here, I thought I was in for a miserable experience at a recent show. But, all things considered, the wife and I had a pretty good time. However, a lot of little things chipped away at the night. On the plus side, service was friendly, food prices were decent, and the chicken was good. Suspiciously good. Also, I really liked the design of the venue itself. It reminds me of going to a VFW hall or Elk Lodge to see an underground punk group. Now for the negative. As soon as we walked in the door, we presented our tickets and were asked for IDs. No problem, I had them both in my wallet because we wanted to minimize what we were carrying. The security guy working hassled us for a few minutes about having our IDs on our person at all times. We were like "Ok, whatevs," but his peskiness kind of killed my wife's buzz. Waitresses were kind of scarce, even though we arrived over an hour and a half early, and the place was about a third full. Last, but not least, more than a few of the empty tables we passed were dirty, again when we had just arrived. Overall, this is a decent place to see a show, but everything here is done better elsewhere is Seattle. read more

I've been to two shows here. Both were amazing concerts! The venue is great for the high energy shows (no pesky chairs and nonsense in the way). The bar is well stocked and there is a place to sit and enjoy your drink (if you can snag a spot), but you really want to be out enjoying the music! I've never had a problem with the staff...but then again I don't try and start shit with people that can ruin my good time. The people checking bags and such are always nice (I always try and crack jokes about full cavity searches though). All in all I would totally go to another show here for sure! If you get the chance you should too! Have fun, and rock hard my yelpers! read more

As far as the venue itself, beautiful. Not the warehouse I was expecting, but a nice, open, all wood interior structure, nice bars, and the staff was exceptionally nice and helpful. The downside, sound quality and acoustics. Just saw letlive., Killswitch Engage, and Rise Against and could barely separate the different sounds alot of the time. Killswitch KILLED it though, but I was really hoping to get a better sound, especially since I have been getting into letlive. and don't know alot of their stuff. Very hard to make out what was going on with them. I will try to catch shows at other venues, but will go back if I have to. read more

I just recently went to a concert here and Ive been to concerts here in the past but this time I was very disappointed. When the first band played I assumed I couldn't hear the singer because he was singing quietly but later realized that the speaker on one side of the room wasn't picking up the mic and it continued on like this for all three bands. I give them three stars because there have no problems in the past but this one kind of made this special night hard to enjoy. read more

BEWARE OF Showbox SoDo!!!! I had a horrific experience at Showbox SoDo tonight!!!! I had to leave the J.I.D. concert, and I've been crying as I type this... I have been to the Showbox SODO several times and I won't be returning. *Just a disclaimer, I'm from the deep South, where is racism is extremely overt and sadly, very much a normalized part of everyday life. Consequently, bigoted, discriminatory behavior, for the most part, doesn't particularly phase me because it is a reality I had to deal with growing up. However, that was not the case tonight.* While I am aware that racism manifests itself in other parts of the United States (and of course, the entire world), I wasn't expecting to have such an overtly discriminatory experience in a city that claims to be so "progressive." BULLSHIT LOL. Obviously, this perspective of mine was derived from a place of naiveté, but I'm glad that I had this experience to enlighten me. Here's what happened: I bought a ticket for the J.I.D. concert at the ShowBox. I went through security and I walked to the bar area to meet my friend. I met my friend in the bar area, and we began talking. A bouncer approached me and told me to show him my wristband because I didn't do it before I walked in. I didn't realize I hadn't shown him my wristband I showed him my wristband. This was about the third time someone had asked me to show my wristband, so I said to my friend in an annoyed tone, "Why are they so aggressive about showing the wristbands? This is like the third time I have shown it." Then, the first bouncer came back with another bouncer and he said to show him my wristband with a flashlight in his hand. I told him that I had already shown my wristband to the first bouncer. The first bouncer said that I "covered my hand" when I showed him my wristband. I had been holding my hands in front of me and I didn't change that position when I showed him my wristband the first time, so I think he interpreted it as me "resisting". I'm honestly still confused what exactly made him bring the other bouncer over. At this point, I was really uncomfortable. I'm not a confrontational person and this situation escalated from 0 to 100 for no reason. The second bouncer kept saying "show me your wristband, show me your wristband," with his flashlight and I honestly froze. I didn't say anything and I didn't know what to say because I was intimidated and they were freaking me out. They very aggressively said, "Stop ignoring us, show me your wristband. I wanted to say something, but I was still frozen. Then told me "let's go" and they forced me to follow them outside. Once we were outside I said, "I don't understand, I didn't say anything. I didn't say anything." They said, "You should have shown us your wristband," even though I already had. Then I said that they made me really uncomfortable and that I didn't know what to say to two men that were clearly "much larger than me". Then they said that wasn't "fair" because they were really "nice" when they asked and I didn't comply, which completely invalidated my perspective of the situation. Then I said, "You really freaked me out/scared me and I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to say the wrong thing so I was just quiet. I didn't say anything." I just kept repeating "I didn't say anything." as tears formed in my eyes. Then one of the bouncers laughed in my face, cut off my wristband said for me to "have a nice day". I'll admit that I wasn't completely innocent in this scenario. I should have spoken up, but I was unnecessarily humiliated, targeted, and held to a ridiculous standard for the sake of "security". I know that all attendees at the Showbox SoDo aren't treated this way. I objectively recognize that bouncers have to do their jobs, but escalating this scenario to this level is ludicrous and self-aggrandizing on their parts. Because I didn't show my wristband EXACTLY in the manner they wanted to, and because I didn't say EXACTLY what they wanted tried to intimidate me and it worked. However, when I was scared and didn't say anything, they said that I "wasn't scared" as if they knew how I felt. Two men ganging up on a woman is not okay. Two men telling a woman how she felt is not okay. I am deeply disturbed by what went down tonight and with a heavy heart, I am still trying to make sense of all that happened. It only takes one person to remind of you of your "place" and I haven't felt this small in a really long time. It breaks my heart to know that the ShowBox condones this kind of pernicious behavior and I genuinely hope this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future. read more

I'm always a little bummed out when I find out a band I want to see is playing here. I've only been here twice. I feel like the stage isnt high enough to really see the band play when you're on the floor behind people. Why not elevate it a bit?? I saw Gogol Bordello here last year and, while they were AMAZING, I had to stand on my tip-toes and lean against a barricade to get a slight glimpse (I'm not short, either). I saw Thrice here a few months back and in the bar, they charged me $22 for two beers! Pretty ridiculous. I'd much rather go to the Showbox at the Market, thanks. read more

Poor acoustics at the show I went to. I don't know enough about mixing sound to suggest whether the issues they are having have to do with the room, speakers, guys at the soundboard, or a combination of all of the above but I had a difficult time hearing the artists through all of echo and distortion. Being able to watch the show from the bar was nice, but you need to get there early and hold your seat if you want to see the performers. Otherwise, plan to spend extra to sit in the mostly often empty VIP seated area. read more

My two cents is the stage sight lines are very poor. Even for a taller person. When this place is at or near capacity you are garunteed a miserable time. Floor is level. Stage is low. 2 bars and 1 restroom. Go there, only if you HAVE to. Good luck. read more

My friend and I attended the MO concert on January 29, 2019. We were grabbed, pushed, and told to "get out" by a couple when they were upset that we took "their space." I previously saw other people standing next to them and looked white as them, and that couple and their friends did not yell and harass them as they did to us, which was why we did not think they would feel threatened by us standing next to them. This occured approximately a yard from the bathroom entrance where your security guards were standing by. None of your staff intervened until my friend went up them and reported the situation.  However the security guard, who was assigned to us, handled the situation unprofessionally. She did not check with us how traumatized we were and not listen to our whole story.  In addition, she spoke more friendlier tone to the couple than us, making us feel discriminated.  She escorted the male perpetrator outside to talk to him about the situation but left us with no instructions.  Because we were very traumatized and felt ostracized by your staff, we decided to leave the concert.  Upon the entrance door, we overheard the male perpetrator telling your staff that he "didn't mean to" harass us.  I was very offended by his dismissal statement and responded back from afar stating that he meant his actions. How can a person say he "didn't mean it" when he is twice as big and taller than me and grabbed me and my friend while yelling at us to "get out?" While his partner pushed me and yelled at us, he did nothing to stop the situation from escalating.  However in response to my rebuttal to the male perpetrator, your staff turned around and aggressively yelled, "I was talking to him, not you!" Feeling appauled by her behavior, I told her that we're leaving. She responded, "Good, leave!"  This is the most unprofessional service I have ever received.  My friend and I did not feel safe and your staff failed to make us feel safe.  We will not come back to this venue and share this experience to our communities.  You should be aware of the level of discrimination and hate crime happening in Seattle and have better training for your staff to address any level of harassment. read more

GWARx3 and Danzig, four of the best shows i've ever been to, happend right here. AMAZING!! Do not dress up as Sleazy p Martini at a GWAR show! People will buy you drink, after drink, after drink, etc. Until you find yourself outside kicked out just as GWAR is coming on stage. Bad times. read more

This review is for the food only! Showbox SODO started serving lunch in the past couple months, and I've had the pizza a couple times. The pizza is really good - obviously made by somebody who knows what they're doing. Excellent, hand-tossed crust spread out super thin gives the outer edges a crisp, almost cracker-like crunch, but the inside of the pizza stays soft and fold-able. The tomato sauce is nice and tangy, but not too sweet, which compliments the crust nicely. Throw on some of your favorite toppings (the meatballs are perfect size and delicious, and of course pepperoni is a no brainer!), and you are good to go! Come in for lunch - it's pretty quiet and they're very fast. read more

Showbox SoDo - Delicious pizza! - Music Venues Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I saw KT Tunstall here on Nov 2, 2010. I had seen all of the negative reviews of the place here on Yelp, so I was prepared for a bad experience. It turned out to be quite the opposite. Partially, this may be attributed to something that the negative reviews don't really allude to: The Showbox SODO is TWO connected venues, not one. (Maybe the walls are removable to make one giant one, when they want to.) There IS a venue with the small, closed off bar,etc... that generates all of the complaints. However, there is also a venue that is a big open space, with a bar along the street wall and the stage backing the opposite wall. There is a raised platform with tables and chairs, which I assume constituted the VIP section, and there was a handful of tables and chairs on the main floor alongside the VIP section. This other space is where the KT Tunstall concert was staged. Unlike the bad reviews below this one, the bar had an unobstructed view of the stage. The VIP section, being raised up a good three or four feet, also had the advantage of being able to see over the heads of the crowd on the floor, in addition to seating. Short people might take note of that. The control booth was in the middle of the floor. In a truly packed house, that would have the crowd surrounding it. The venue IS a standing-only venue (except VIP) and so you have to take that into account when you buy tickets. If your height could be an issue as far as seeing the show, then this might not be the venue that you want. If what you care most about is dancing and listening, then being in a big crowd who are all doing the same is a plus instead of a minus. That's really what it comes down to with a place like the Showbox SODO. What kind of experience do you want for your money? Do you want to see everything and have breathing room around you and sit when you like? Better wait to see the act in a stadium environment. Do you want to dance, wave your hands, sing along, feel the energy of the crowd? Then this is more up your alley. I can't comment about other reviewers' experience with the staff. The night in question, I found them all courteous and good-humored. Maybe they succumb to the pressure on the nights when the crowd is spilling out the door. My experience was completely positive. The drinks are expensive, but strong. After two margaritas (with a reasonable time spacing between them) my head was spinning. heh. I've had the jumbo margaritas at Azteca for about the same price that did NOT give me that strong a reaction, so take that as you will. I was standing under the speaker stack the whole show, so I'm not really in a position to judge the quality of the sound. Too close to the source. It sounded fine where I was, and I was not sick afterwards from the bass vibrating my innards or deaf afterwards from the sound level. Again, no complaints here. Overall, my experinece was a positive one and I would attend a show here again. read more

Saw INTERPOL here in January 2011. Besides the show being absolutely stellar, I have to commend the Showbox Sodo as a venue. Having never been there before, I was curious as to what the experience would be like. Fantastic. Love the tunnel-like-warehouse feel of the area, and the bar lining one of the walls is a very cool place to chill before a concert begins, or to hang out in if you want to take a break from your show. The sound was great, the stage was a bit small, but didn't take much away from the overall experience. I also wish there were more exits for the post-show crowds. Everyone mobbing to the opposite side from the stage to get out to the street was a bit nauseating and slow. Overall, awesome experience and can't wait to see another show here. read more

Very rude staff. Rude manning the entrance. Rude manning the restrooms. never thought staff could ruin an event for me until tonight. Will not return. read more

Place is alittle small, but the artists that go there make up for it, the staff does their job and everything seems to go smoothly, can't wait for Igor kreed to be there, hopefully you guys accept more big artists from other country's!!! read more

If I wanted to pay $100 to get into a club I would've went to a club. It's simple, but instead I wasted $100 on two tickets not to see Ashanti and Ja Rule after 3 hours of waiting. Time lost, I wanted an enjoyable night but left miserable and disappointed in what the manager of the showbox said "all concerts are like this." I beg to differ since I've been to several concerts over this year and 3 previous concerts at the Showbox. Needless to say my expectations from past events were a complete let down. The manager Aaron said that I could get a refund through my point of purchase so now I have to argue with AXS who sponsored the event to attempt to get reimbursed. Wish me luck! Word of advice to those throwing a concert, don't keep announcing the main event will be coming out in 5 minutes several times over a few hours getting our hopes up. It's such a waste. read more

This venue is not good sound-wise. Really crummy actually. The Showbox at the market is superb. The only advantage is less bums to deal with here than near the market. Volume is the problem- I will not go to another show here read more

The event organized itself was great, I just wish the organizers chose a venue with more respectful staff. My boyfriend was kicked out of the bar area even though he didn't purchase a single drink from the bar yet. The bar tender said he was too drunk (causing no disruptions) while everyone else in our group was allowed to purchase drinks. The bouncer outside of the bar area agreed he wasn't too intoxicated but he had to follow orders. Later on in the evening a security woman grabbed me by the wrist. After apologizing to her, she told me "get the fuck out of my fucking venue" (while I was already walking out). Using unnecessary derogatory language that promotes tension and frustration is not the way for staff (or people in a position of authority) to diffuse any situation, especially if the event attendee is already cooperating and doing as you ask. After driving down 3 hours from Canada to attend this show, it was the community of Hardstyle lovers that made this experience worth it. The headliner even came out to sign my shirt! If you are looking to host an event here, please reconsider another a venue with more professional security. read more

Most of the staff I encountered here were rude. When I showed the guard my ID to get into the bar, he looked at it for about 5 minutes and called someone over. He checked my friend's ID for a couple seconds and said she was good even though her's was a vertical ID and mine was horizontal so I don't understand why that one was more convincing than mine. Another guy took it and came back to me and said "well unfortunately, this is a fake ID...." When in fact, it is my legitimate, government issued drivers license. Then he proceeded to take it toward the garbage can where I thought he was going to throw it away. I told him it wasn't fake, so he said he would get a UV light which for some reason no one had. Him and two other people didn't know where to find one so I stood by waiting for about 15 minutes for them to find one. When they finally got it, he used the light to inspect it for another couple minutes and finally told me it was good. No apology or anything! They treated me like a criminal and were so disrespectful to me and then never apologized after being proven wrong. Then when I got in, I asked the bartender if he noticed anything wrong with it to make him think it was fake and he said no, it looked legit... These guys should not be working here. It ruined my experience for a little while because I was shocked that I was accused of something I didn't do. Also, the staff didn't seem to know what they were doing when it came to managing the lines. They are very disorganized and disrespectful based off of my experience, but at least the performance was great. read more

The other reviews pretty much say it all. While the venue is nice, the staff usually isn't. But can we blame them? They deal with sweaty, drunk fans all night long. It's tough though - I've worked in customer service and everyone's life is easier when people are nice. So while I'm here trying to catch a fun show, please be nice and don't treat me like the crazed fan that I'm not. In fact, last night I was here for a corporate event. Everyone was dressed up, no one was rowdy, and yet the bouncers and staff still hated everyone that came through the door. Maybe the owners of the venues ought to consider offering a monthly massage package to their staff - they gotta relax a little! read more

This venue is amazing. Great sound quality, multiple bars, lots of space, no line for the restroom. A little tough to find parking but we eventually found a good spot. Highly recommend! read more

Apparently I aged about 30 years overnight. One day I'm drinking until 5 a.m. and then the next, I'm a tired, cranky, old fart. What happened? I rather randomly came here with some friends for a concert. They had planned on going, someone couldn't make it, they had an extra ticket, I went. I didn't even know who the band was, but whatever. The main act didn't even start until 10 which was a bit of a surprise. This was when my old man tendencies came in.... 10 is my bedtime, and I need my sleep. The whole waking up at 5:30 makes it hard to stay up late..... Once we got inside the venue (yeah, we were some of those morons that waited in line about 20 minutes because we didn't know there was a 21+ entrance with a much shorter line) all I could think about was how loud it was. Yes, I was one of those tools wearing ear plugs. What can I say, I want to hear when I'm 30. About half an hour after arriving I was telling my friend how much my back hurt. I guess standing on concrete makes me feel pain. Whatever, I'm old, I'm lame and I'm old. I'm just glad my friend felt the exact same way. Anywho, the venue is okay. The sound wasn't great, but it wasn't necessarily bad. The venue is actually huge. You would never guess it was as big as it is looking at it from the outside. They have a generous sized 21+ area on the main floor with a bar and then another, separate bar area. I ended up spending a fair amount of time there since there were chairs and it wasn't as loud (yes, I'm lame). The thing that knocks this place down to 2 stars are the drinks. They're pretty expensive. $9.00 Jager Bombs NINE freakin' dollars. While that's not that expensive, they don't even use Red Bull. They use the knock-off stuff, which doesn't cut it. $9.00 and they don't even use the good stuff? Grrrrr. Oh, and this has nothing to do with the star rating (after all, it's not a venue's fault they have rude, pushy, trashy patrons) but expect the world's most impolite people. They will step on your feet, elbow you and push you out of their way. Just a warning. I hope this whole phase of me being cranky, creaky and sleepy goes away soon. I don't want to be old.... :( read more

I'm new to Seattle and loving the music scene here. However, my last couple of visits to Showbox SoDo the staff was rude and demeaning. Really puts a damper on my excitement for the show and experience at the venue. They do book great acts so it's hard to say no, I just wish they would treat their patrons with some courtesy and respect. read more

AVOID THIS TERRIBLE VENUE AT ALL COST!! Save your money and time. I was harassed by security here, I came all the way from San Diego for a show to kicked out for pointing at the security 5 min into the event. His breath smelled so much like alcohol, I'm pretty sure he was wasted. He then grabbed my arm and dragged me as if I did something which I didn't the pussy security thought I flipped him off when I was pointing his direction but my sleeve concealed my hand. At this point explaining to him was useless, speaking to their unprofessional manager became even more useless. After being kicked out for no reason and singled out. I was so upset I was crying. I've never been treated so terrible in my life by people working at a venue. If there was a way to report this to authorities I would it was beyond wrong !!! Please shut this place down and fire all the useless, rude, scumbags that work there. read more

This place is disgusting. I'm just going to post my letter to their management and their response right here... Hi there. My name is Connie Owens and I attended an event held by NetEase on Friday, August 28th, 2015. I am writing because I had a few concerns about the VIP section. Right before Steve Aoki was about to come on the stage, two security guards came up to us and said the VIP section was closing. It was confusing because no one else was being told to leave, so something seemed fishy. At this point, we were all sitting down and talking about which songs we wanted Steve Aoki to perform for us. One by one, the security started ripping off our bracelets. One of the security guards even took out his pocket knife and started cutting off our bracelets. He even cut off my best friend's bracelet that she's had since middle school. Then we were all escorted out. I was extremely upset about this because they could have escorted us out calmly and did not apologize for cutting my friend's bracelet. The pocket knife was extremely unnecessary and caused a lot of tension. I talked to the bouncer out front and he said to talk to the individuals that were running the event because they made the decision, not the venue. Now wait a minute here, we were told to leave because the VIP section was closing. So which one was it? Was it NetEase telling us to leave or was the VIP section closing? Regardless of what really happened, we were lied to twice. If NetEase had a problem with us in the VIP section, it would have been more appropriate for someone representing the company tended us. We would have wanted to work something out and take appropriate measures. And instead of having my whole group of friends being kicked out, just the ones that NetEase had a concern with. At this point, I am still not sure on what the problem was because no one thought we deserved an explanation. I understand that NetEase is throwing the event, and they are able to make whatever calls they want because the company rented out the venue, but I would appreciated the benefit of the doubt, and have an explanation. Especially since the purpose of the event was to promote your new games, I would assume your priority would be to take care of all of attendees, as we are potential users. We could easily spread the word on our experience with your company, whether it's positive or negative. There were about ten individuals in my group, so word can spread quickly. I would appreciate some an explanation or something to compensate for the unnecessary tension that was caused. I look forward to your reply and resolution to my concern. Their response... Hi Connie, Thank you so much for the email. Please know that it was not our decision - we were asked by our client, Double A to remove your party from the VIP section only, (not the venue) and because it was their section, we obliged. We do not remove any guests from any VIPsections without express direction and/or consent from the client. I hope you get your answers but I'm afraid that from our perspective, that's all I can give you. Thanks, Libby Who is DOUBLE A???? And what kind of customer service is this? There was no sense of remorse or hint of apology in the management of this place. Disgusting. Never coming back no matter what DJ shows up here. They don't deserve my money. read more

If I could I would give this venue and the staff 0 stars. I am 24 and they had the nerve to say the person on my ID was fake and wasn't me. REALLY? I showed them my social security card (idk why I had it haha but I did) my health insurance card, debit, EVERYTHING, but they still had the nerve to call me annoying and a liar? I even asked them to call the cops inside, and they still called me a liar and kicked me out. F you guys and this venue. Get a better staff preferably people with eyes and a fcking brain. Oh and to that bouncer I was "yelling" at, I'm sorry are we not at a LOUD ASS CONCERT? Sorry I'm not using my inside voice! I also didn't appreciate how they played this stupid little keep away game with my ID. I am NOT going to leave without my REAL ID. Don't play games assholes. Who trains your people? Fire that idiot, and get a new staff! read more

My friends and I went as a group to see Adam Lambert on the 20th here... GOOD GRIEF! If this place were free I wouldn't even re-attend!!! When we arrived, the line was long (as expected) although they wouldn't let us in for two hours even just to use the restrooms! As we waited outside, some of the event staff came over and told the line to move a little, but in an extremely rude manner with crass language. I brushed that off and after the wait was finally over, we waltzed into the mini-warehouse. The venue was extremely barren. The lighting was kind of cool, yet standard and absolutely no seating whatsoever available unless you want to look through a ridiculously tiny window from the back of a "restaurant" (A bar with crappy snacks). Not to mention the fact that since the restaurant is connected to the bar, you must be 21 or over to sit down or even get some water! (Just pray you don't die of dehydration) Oh, and if you'd like to leave and come back in after some fresh air, your wristband won't be enough. -You'll need to go into the bar for a stamp. (Yeah, you have to be 21 to get it.) The entire floor here is flat so there's no way you will ever see anything unless you are taller than the Jolly Green Giant with platform boots on. :P And don't even get me started about the crowd problems! This entire place is PACKED like a smelly sardine can with people farting and groping you. The whole venue is basically a giant mosh pit cramming towards the front like a wave pool. And if you think that you can call over a bouncer/security guard if a fight breaks out near you, you've got a whole 'nother nasty thing comin'! The security staff here will just curse at you and the offending party while sitting on their pretty perches on the stage sides. The bathrooms here are revolting and are tiny a Hell, so don't even bother. -Just take a piss where you stand in the rumpus, belligerent crowd. This place deserves to be condemned like the building next door to it was for asbestos. The whole complex was plastered with "legalize marijuana" posters for God's sake! After your satanic-blasted-fun-sucked-fest, be sure to purchase one of their "nominally priced shirts" at the low, low price of $50! Oh, and one last note? WAYYYY TOO FLIPPING LOUD! This is no regular concert-type loud! Your ears will not even be able to distinguish the difference between sounds. Everything will just end up blending together into a blasting ringing sensation you're blessed if you ever forget! ;) PLEASE, STAY AWAY FROM THIS WRETCHED PLACE! read more

I'm a frequent concert goer in Seattle, and co-author a local music blog. I don't attend shows at Showbox SoDo very often, but have had great experiences at their Market location. Last night I attended the My Bloody Valentine show, which had been moved from the WaMu Theater and was sold out. I have a number of complaints regarding staffing. 1. No where was it posted that no photography was allowed. Since I blog about music in Seattle, I was taking my usual photos with my phone (no flash and as unobtrusively as possible), when my phone was nearly knocked out of my hands by a woman who hit my arm. MBV is one of the loudest bands around, so I couldn't hear or understand what she was yelling at me, but I was very alarmed. She was being consoled by a man and to any outsider it would seem I had possibly deeply offended this woman or knocked her down. Since the audience was very chill and everyone was politely standing and watching the band, I knew that the latter hadn't been possible. I was very confused. I later observed her doing this multiple times to other people who took their phones out to snap a photo (mind you, no flash! People do this at all concerts anywhere.) I saw the "Staff" label on the back of her shirt. Okay, so maybe this woman is on a power trip? It was super weird and I was really bothered. 2. There are a couple sets of exits from the club to the sidewalk out front. At each one stood a burly security/staff person holding one of the 4 doors per set open, and because it's so hot and crowded, folks just head straight for the door that's being held open for them. In every instance, they were stopped and rudely redirected to the closed doors. Very confusing, for one, but also the way it was handled was kind of like "Oh my gosh, what's wrong with you? This door isn't for you to use, go over there." How is anyone supposed to know that? 3. One very cool interaction I witnessed between a patron and a staff member happened outside on the sidewalk. An intoxicated young woman was straggling out into the busy front street, vasilating between staying and going, and a staff member went and corralled her back out of the road. The girl was stumbling around and being rude to the guy, dropped her phone in the street (due to her own drunk clumsiness), asking why he wouldn't let her go over there. He stayed there and kept her out of the street, stating calmly "I don't want you to get run over." Good on you, man. We don't want another incident like we had a couple years out in front of Nectar (drunk driver hit a group of drunk patrons who were in the street, leaving the club). 4. Despite selling $6 Kokanee cans, my bartender was friendly and up beat. Thanks, guy. The venue is a big warehouse. As much as Showbox has tried to make it appealing, what with the large bar area and the new open beams above the floor, it is confusing (you have to go through the temp-gated beer garden on the floor and then all the way back and around to get to the nice elevated bar area; you can't just used the most obvious route up the handicap ramp, because you could potentially enter the empty, expensive, reserved seating area.) And the route to the bathrooms is narrow and easily clogged up between sets. It feels like if there were an emergency and the club was at capacity, people would likely be stampeded, trying to get to the one wall of back exits. The sound isn't particularly good, but if you're going for a band whose best feature is their loudness, this is a fine venue. The issues with the venue layout and sound quality are not enough to turn me away, but when there seems to be a culture of disrespect and thuggish behavior among the staff, and I am treated poorly for no apparent reason, THAT will keep me away. I hope staffing is improved at this venue. read more

This score is for the building itself. The inside is pretty nice for a music venue and it seems to have decent sound quality from my somewhat limited experience with their sound. The bar section has plenty of seating and looks nice as well although I would suspect the tables don't see a lot of love during a show. I've seen a rock show here and I've been here for a tech industry event. The security dudes I've encountered were all cool and helpful... if not a little distracted. Really the only place this venue falls short for me is in regards to parking and their restrooms. The restrooms need to be redone and upgraded to keep up with the rest of the building. Maybe the owners don't want to spend the money on the restrooms when they may get demolished by drunk and destructive Hootie And The Blowfish fans but if you're going to host corporate events here... the lavatories need to step up their game a tad. Really this isn't a bad spot to see a show. I've been to much worse when it comes to live music venues. Showbox needs a few subtle tweaks and it will be an awesome spot to rock out to the latest Avril and Nickleback duet rock ballad. I'm a fan. read more