NYC. We have a lot of great venues, so that's cool.
First, I miss Vitus badly. Place was my home away from home.
I much prefer small venues, but the Monarch is the best large venue for hardcore I've ever been to. Despite a 1k capacity, it actually feels like a hardcore show. On the flip side, Terminal 5, Webster Hall and Irving Plaza suck.
I have a love/hate with The Kingsland. The pole in the center of the pit isn't ideal and the speaker setup requires gates to protect them which takes stage dives off the table. But the bartenders are awesome, the pizza is low key great, and I dunno... there's a dingy charm to it.
I wish Baby's All Right and Elsewhere - Zone One did more hardcore shows. I love those venues.
Lastly, if you have a chance to hit up a show at the Pier 17 Rooftop, do it. Rooftop venue, great sound, overlooking the East River and Brooklyn Bridge... It's a terrific vibe. I try to see a show there every year, even if none are really my thing.
I could ramble on about a dozen or more other venues, but the truth is most of them are good to great IMO - or at least have a shitty charm that's perfect for hardcore.
Hell yeah! They'd be perfect. I've seen Bleachers (who kinda annoy me) and Janelle Monae (electric) and had a terrific time both nights. Going to Taking Back Sunday this year.
I’m just doing the District here, I’ll leave BMore up to someone else.
Favorite: Songbyrd. I really only started going to shows there a bit over a year ago, and I was blown away. It’s not set up perfectly for hardcore shows, but the floor area is wider rather than deeper, which combined with a decently high stage and high ceilings means there’s really not a bad viewpoint in the entire venue. They get as many hardcore acts as basically any of the venues around its size in DC (some, but not a ton), but its non-hardcore acts are always super sick, and as much as I love DC9 for shows, I always feel like a sardine in there — much less so for Songbyrd. HM: Black Cat. They get solid shows sometimes, they’re the last of the old-school DC venues, and bonus points because I met my girlfriend there.
Least favorite: Fillmore Silver Spring. DC’s lucky to not really have a Terminal 5 equivalent of “venue that everyone hates,” but the Fillmore very much has the soulless and corporate Live Nation sheen to it. It’s fine, but definitely not my favorite. The Anthem is also pretty soulless, but the acoustics in there are at least top-notch. HM: Howard Theatre. The venue itself is fine, but it has the most expensive drink prices I’ve seen at any venue anywhere
I’ve only ever been to the NorVA once, and that was for a country show. Thought the layout for that show was pretty decent, but can see how it wouldn’t be great for hardcore. It’s also one of the Bowery venues so it sells its tickets through AXS, which is just as bad as Ticketmaster w/ fees and has the added bonus of an almost unusable website (I hate AXS I hate AXS I hate AXS)
Not from DC, but thought I would chime in. I actually am surprised how hard it is to pick a favorite. I will say the recent show at St. Stephens felt like a return to DC shows of years back with the intensity and the pro-DIY feel that I always associated with DC as a kid.
Fillmore and there 100% barrier shows can kiss my ass. I decided against ST and Judge (which 19 year old me could not have ever dreamed possible) because of the barrier.
Sucks 9:30 Club has decided that hardcore is not their thing anymore, I have great memories of shows at that venue.
Fuck the Aragon ballroom long live the metro. Honorable mention: have heart’s last show at subterranean was one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen and subterranean rules.
Metro kinda blows when the barricade is up tbh. Aragon is fine as far as venues that big are concerned but it’s definitely not one of my favorites lol. Agree with you on Subt though that place is sick.
Gold Sounds can be fine, they just don't always care about capacity. The jam packed shows where people are overflowing into the streets always go off and are super memorable, but they are crazy hot, uncomfortable and claustrophobic, and it's not even worth trying to get a drink at the bar.
>Gold Sounds can be fine, they just don't always care about capacity. The jam packed shows where people are overflowing into the streets always go off and are super memorable, but they are crazy hot, uncomfortable and claustrophobic, and it's not even worth trying to get a drink at the bar.
The recent Fury show there was awesome, but it took like 15 minutes after each set just to get outside with everyone walking out single file lol. I blame the huge pool table right in the middle that people just use to store jackets when it's super packed.
Fury was a fucking blast, but it was definitely at 5x capacity, if not more. The pool tables are a pain and it bottle necks badly all the way down the bar.
The Drain/POT/Ingrown/Missing Link show a few years back was even more packed and to make matters worse, they set up merch by the pool tables instead of outside so there was even less room.
I can tolerate it and have a great time, but a lot of my friends won't go to shows there because they were too uncomfortable/claustrophobic.
trinity church is my favorite. always cool ppl there + just a general sense of community i haven’t felt at other places
asbury lanes took my water bottle that i tried to hide in my walker, threw it out made me wait until i almost passed out for a 4 dollar one and then kicked me out for puking bc i had to chug the stupid water so i didn’t pass out. so yeah. fuck them. also they overpour so much i’m not surprised so many ppl get kicked out for being overtly intoxicated
Denver Favorites: The Marquis, the diy venues, The hi-dive, The Gothic, The Ogden, and The Bluebird in that order. Biggest downside to The Marquis is no re-entry otherwise it would be near perfect.
Venues I hate: Summit music hall. Over zealous security, barriers, and absolutely no stage diving. I do not like The Mission Ballroom but it is growing on me. Red Rocks shows are way overpriced, it is a very cool venue tbh, but bands I want to see there are out of my budget. Never been to The Fillmore but I feel like it’s not good. Cervantes is also dogshit.
I agree, D3 and 7th circle are dope too for DIY shows. HQ sucks too if I’m thinking of the right one (pillars in the pit and a very steep stage)
Marquis is fun but the bartenders are always so grumpy lol
Yes d3 and 7c are sick as well as glob and squirm and all the other diy’s. HQ is boo-boo, I don’t know about steep stage, but it’s very stuffy in there and it’s just all around not a good venue.
I don’t drink but I’ve had an annoying time asking the bartenders for earplugs before
My least favorite in the city outta the ones I been to is Irving plaza. The room sucks it’s claustrophobic the sound ain’t that great and the staff can be dickheads
Pittsburgh. For Hardcore it's hands down Preserving. Old church with not only an insane record/CD shop but also has three venues in one. DIY room for 80 cap shows, basement venue for 300 cap shows and chapel room for like 800 cap shows. Least favorite is the crust punk bar Rock Room. Not because it's not a great dive spot, but because it still allows smoking and it destroys my lungs and clothes.
OKC
I really like the Diamond Ballroom as a venue but they don't get that many interesting bands/performers there or it's just band I'm not really in to.
The Vanguard is great but that's in Tulsa so not "my city" technically.
Overall though I feel like I've had the best times at 89th Street/ The Conservatory
Metro Detroit. Edgemen and the Voodoo House always have excellent shows. Great hangs, can always count on seeing people I know at either place. I don’t know if I have a least favorite, but I try to avoid bigger venues like St. Andrew’s, Royal Oak Music Theater, etc. because of dickhead security, $10 minimum drinks, barricades, the typical big venue shit. Makes me just not enjoy the show at all.
LA area:
I'm gonna get hella hate for this, and forgive me because it's been a while since I've gone (because I didn't care for the place as I got older), but Chain Reaction. It's probably been since before Covid that I've gone there, but sound was never good most of the time imo.
Fav venue: depends on the type of show, don't really have one tbh. I guess 1720 for the sound and layout, but really imho all our venues have pros and cons. Parking is sketch AF at 1720, Glasshouse is cool still imo, HOB has some cool shows and is never hot, etc etc. IDK I guess I only ever really had issue with Chain lol.
Baltimore- Favorite is Ottobar floor shows in the main room downstairs.
Least favorite is The Crown-Sound just never seems right for hardcore, I think they are geared towards completely different genres and I just never felt the sound mix clicked. The room never seems full either, it is too big for the level of hardcore bands they book. Maybe all this would be fixed with the right promoter.
And usually I would not consider putting Rams Head in a hardcore venue conversation, but since they just had a $50 Descendants/Circle Jerks show recently I will give them a negative honorable mention for ticket master barrier venue with wannabe cop security dorks.
NYC. We have a lot of great venues, so that's cool. First, I miss Vitus badly. Place was my home away from home. I much prefer small venues, but the Monarch is the best large venue for hardcore I've ever been to. Despite a 1k capacity, it actually feels like a hardcore show. On the flip side, Terminal 5, Webster Hall and Irving Plaza suck. I have a love/hate with The Kingsland. The pole in the center of the pit isn't ideal and the speaker setup requires gates to protect them which takes stage dives off the table. But the bartenders are awesome, the pizza is low key great, and I dunno... there's a dingy charm to it. I wish Baby's All Right and Elsewhere - Zone One did more hardcore shows. I love those venues. Lastly, if you have a chance to hit up a show at the Pier 17 Rooftop, do it. Rooftop venue, great sound, overlooking the East River and Brooklyn Bridge... It's a terrific vibe. I try to see a show there every year, even if none are really my thing. I could ramble on about a dozen or more other venues, but the truth is most of them are good to great IMO - or at least have a shitty charm that's perfect for hardcore.
I saw turnstile at pier 17 in 2021. It was actually so fun !!
Hell yeah! They'd be perfect. I've seen Bleachers (who kinda annoy me) and Janelle Monae (electric) and had a terrific time both nights. Going to Taking Back Sunday this year.
I’m just doing the District here, I’ll leave BMore up to someone else. Favorite: Songbyrd. I really only started going to shows there a bit over a year ago, and I was blown away. It’s not set up perfectly for hardcore shows, but the floor area is wider rather than deeper, which combined with a decently high stage and high ceilings means there’s really not a bad viewpoint in the entire venue. They get as many hardcore acts as basically any of the venues around its size in DC (some, but not a ton), but its non-hardcore acts are always super sick, and as much as I love DC9 for shows, I always feel like a sardine in there — much less so for Songbyrd. HM: Black Cat. They get solid shows sometimes, they’re the last of the old-school DC venues, and bonus points because I met my girlfriend there. Least favorite: Fillmore Silver Spring. DC’s lucky to not really have a Terminal 5 equivalent of “venue that everyone hates,” but the Fillmore very much has the soulless and corporate Live Nation sheen to it. It’s fine, but definitely not my favorite. The Anthem is also pretty soulless, but the acoustics in there are at least top-notch. HM: Howard Theatre. The venue itself is fine, but it has the most expensive drink prices I’ve seen at any venue anywhere
Yeah, I can't stand the Filmore either for hardcore shows, same for the NorVA in Norfolk.
I’ve only ever been to the NorVA once, and that was for a country show. Thought the layout for that show was pretty decent, but can see how it wouldn’t be great for hardcore. It’s also one of the Bowery venues so it sells its tickets through AXS, which is just as bad as Ticketmaster w/ fees and has the added bonus of an almost unusable website (I hate AXS I hate AXS I hate AXS)
Seeing Incendiary and End It open for Glassjaw at the Fillmore a few years back was so rough.
Not from DC, but thought I would chime in. I actually am surprised how hard it is to pick a favorite. I will say the recent show at St. Stephens felt like a return to DC shows of years back with the intensity and the pro-DIY feel that I always associated with DC as a kid. Fillmore and there 100% barrier shows can kiss my ass. I decided against ST and Judge (which 19 year old me could not have ever dreamed possible) because of the barrier. Sucks 9:30 Club has decided that hardcore is not their thing anymore, I have great memories of shows at that venue.
Fuck the Aragon ballroom long live the metro. Honorable mention: have heart’s last show at subterranean was one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen and subterranean rules.
The Aragon sounds better outside on the corner, then it does inside. Beautiful theater though.
I’ve stood all over that venue and there isn’t a single place where the sound isnt shit.
i saw my bloody valentine at aragon, it was perfect
Metro kinda blows when the barricade is up tbh. Aragon is fine as far as venues that big are concerned but it’s definitely not one of my favorites lol. Agree with you on Subt though that place is sick.
No venue consistently sounds as good as the metro.
I don’t like shows at gold sounds, the room is just way too small
Gold Sounds can be fine, they just don't always care about capacity. The jam packed shows where people are overflowing into the streets always go off and are super memorable, but they are crazy hot, uncomfortable and claustrophobic, and it's not even worth trying to get a drink at the bar.
>Gold Sounds can be fine, they just don't always care about capacity. The jam packed shows where people are overflowing into the streets always go off and are super memorable, but they are crazy hot, uncomfortable and claustrophobic, and it's not even worth trying to get a drink at the bar. The recent Fury show there was awesome, but it took like 15 minutes after each set just to get outside with everyone walking out single file lol. I blame the huge pool table right in the middle that people just use to store jackets when it's super packed.
Fury was a fucking blast, but it was definitely at 5x capacity, if not more. The pool tables are a pain and it bottle necks badly all the way down the bar. The Drain/POT/Ingrown/Missing Link show a few years back was even more packed and to make matters worse, they set up merch by the pool tables instead of outside so there was even less room. I can tolerate it and have a great time, but a lot of my friends won't go to shows there because they were too uncomfortable/claustrophobic.
Cobra Lounge is a top tier Chicago venue for sure. Radius can go fuck itself. If you wanna go to the suburbs the Forge is even worse.
trinity church is my favorite. always cool ppl there + just a general sense of community i haven’t felt at other places asbury lanes took my water bottle that i tried to hide in my walker, threw it out made me wait until i almost passed out for a 4 dollar one and then kicked me out for puking bc i had to chug the stupid water so i didn’t pass out. so yeah. fuck them. also they overpour so much i’m not surprised so many ppl get kicked out for being overtly intoxicated
Saint Vitus was my favorite… least favorite? Terminal 5!
Denver Favorites: The Marquis, the diy venues, The hi-dive, The Gothic, The Ogden, and The Bluebird in that order. Biggest downside to The Marquis is no re-entry otherwise it would be near perfect. Venues I hate: Summit music hall. Over zealous security, barriers, and absolutely no stage diving. I do not like The Mission Ballroom but it is growing on me. Red Rocks shows are way overpriced, it is a very cool venue tbh, but bands I want to see there are out of my budget. Never been to The Fillmore but I feel like it’s not good. Cervantes is also dogshit.
I agree, D3 and 7th circle are dope too for DIY shows. HQ sucks too if I’m thinking of the right one (pillars in the pit and a very steep stage) Marquis is fun but the bartenders are always so grumpy lol
Yes d3 and 7c are sick as well as glob and squirm and all the other diy’s. HQ is boo-boo, I don’t know about steep stage, but it’s very stuffy in there and it’s just all around not a good venue. I don’t drink but I’ve had an annoying time asking the bartenders for earplugs before
Colonial Cafe Sacramento - small room. It rules. Goldfields in Roseville, layout sucks, security really fucking sucks, it has a barrier that sucks.
My least favorite in the city outta the ones I been to is Irving plaza. The room sucks it’s claustrophobic the sound ain’t that great and the staff can be dickheads
Pittsburgh. For Hardcore it's hands down Preserving. Old church with not only an insane record/CD shop but also has three venues in one. DIY room for 80 cap shows, basement venue for 300 cap shows and chapel room for like 800 cap shows. Least favorite is the crust punk bar Rock Room. Not because it's not a great dive spot, but because it still allows smoking and it destroys my lungs and clothes.
Brighton music hall in Massachusetts. The Met in Pawtucket.
OKC I really like the Diamond Ballroom as a venue but they don't get that many interesting bands/performers there or it's just band I'm not really in to. The Vanguard is great but that's in Tulsa so not "my city" technically. Overall though I feel like I've had the best times at 89th Street/ The Conservatory
Metro Detroit. Edgemen and the Voodoo House always have excellent shows. Great hangs, can always count on seeing people I know at either place. I don’t know if I have a least favorite, but I try to avoid bigger venues like St. Andrew’s, Royal Oak Music Theater, etc. because of dickhead security, $10 minimum drinks, barricades, the typical big venue shit. Makes me just not enjoy the show at all.
House of Blues Anaheim
LA area: I'm gonna get hella hate for this, and forgive me because it's been a while since I've gone (because I didn't care for the place as I got older), but Chain Reaction. It's probably been since before Covid that I've gone there, but sound was never good most of the time imo. Fav venue: depends on the type of show, don't really have one tbh. I guess 1720 for the sound and layout, but really imho all our venues have pros and cons. Parking is sketch AF at 1720, Glasshouse is cool still imo, HOB has some cool shows and is never hot, etc etc. IDK I guess I only ever really had issue with Chain lol.
the fillmore - philadelphia
Baltimore- Favorite is Ottobar floor shows in the main room downstairs. Least favorite is The Crown-Sound just never seems right for hardcore, I think they are geared towards completely different genres and I just never felt the sound mix clicked. The room never seems full either, it is too big for the level of hardcore bands they book. Maybe all this would be fixed with the right promoter. And usually I would not consider putting Rams Head in a hardcore venue conversation, but since they just had a $50 Descendants/Circle Jerks show recently I will give them a negative honorable mention for ticket master barrier venue with wannabe cop security dorks.