The Showbox

Reviews 6

DA

David J.

Nestled on the corner opposite Pike Place Market. Lots of great eats only a block away. Went here to see Drive Like Jehu. Settled in at the bar an hour before the show. Drinks are shockingly expensive, and service is decidedly cold and no-nonsense. If you like getting completely hammered, the bouncers dont seem to mind; the place is great for alcoholics with deep pockets like me, and not so great for people who dont like getting their toes stepped on by stumbling drunks. The atmosphere in the venue is very dark, rich, and old-timey, with giant chandeliers, art deco columns, red pendant lights and a hardwood dance floor, like some corner of hell where all the cool cats hang out. Like most venues this size, there isnt much seating, so be prepared to stand the whole time. My only complaint is this; ysee, the PA system is too damn loud. The amplification was pushed well beyond the edge of distortion. I could not pick up any technical detail in the music at all. I could see the musicians fingers dance on their guitars fretboards, but all I could hear was just a solid sheet of noise. *BWAAAAAAAA*. And its a shame, too, because the acoustics in this building are top-notch. The domed ceiling above the dance floor and other architectural features control the reverb very nicely. The crowd around here is very noisy and rowdy, so I suppose if the PA were any lower, you wouldnt be able to hear the music. But on the other hand, they have it so high, I cant even hear myself think. It was just 120 decibels nonstop. My ears are still ringing 24 hours later. Im a hobbyist tracker musician myself, and I have very, very sensitive hearing. Im 26 years old and I can still pick up sounds from between 15 to 18 kHz, like transformer whine from television sets and those whistles only teens are supposed to be able to hear. If I had any advice, it would be to the audio engineers at this place; for the love of god, turn it down a tiny, tiny bit. Profile your EQ a bit to remove sibilant hiss and low-midrange roar. Bring that hotness down. Let the music speak for itself. To be honest, I dont go to very many concerts. I prefer home audio where I set the parameters myself. Is this what people expect out of the experience? Paying good money for permanent hearing damage? Missing out on all the dynamic range and technical guitar playing? Drive Like Jehus "Here Come The Rome Plows" is a beautiful piece of modern composition, with elaborate chord progressions that wouldnt be out of place in an orchestral arrangement. The problem is that the music is, by its very nature, very loud, so when you have the mix set up for quieter pieces, and a super-high-energy band like DLJ plays, what you get is amplification on top of amplification. When it came time for them to play it, I couldnt even hear any of that complexity at all. The sound that came out of the PA was best described as *KSHRRRRRSH*. Those are high-quality, capable loudspeakers. Just grab the knobs and sliders and turn them the eff down. I like the building, I like the decor, I love the acoustics, and the drinks were decent. Just... turn the damn PA down a little tiny bit.

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A

A Private User

This is my least-favorite venue in the entire city. Its just another crappy club that somehow manages to attract big name bands; If you go to the Moore or the Paramount, the ushers may be curt if theyre overworked, but theyre generally polite and always helpful. They are, in a word, professional; so much so that you might not even think about them until you find yourself in a hole like the Showbox, where youre given the third degree by a pack of neck-less thugs for having the audacity to give them money and expect a good show in return. The place seems like its staffed entirely by bouncers, from the actual doormen to the sound techs. Moving on from the horrible staff, the layout is antithetical to both standing comfortably and to moving around; what few chairs there are to be had are in the bars and are jealously guarded by whoever gets there first, and the central area is just a mess. No help for them in Location, as theyre smack in the middle of downtown; parking is either rare or expensive, often both, and its a pretty long walk to anywhere that could be considered "residential". I was trying to be articulate, but screw it, and screw these guys. Wait for the band you like to wise up and pick a better venue. Oh, and they use Ticketmaster.

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JU

Juarez Silva

Tive o aparelho por aproximadamente dois anos funcionando com alguns problemas, que eram resolvidos com as atualizações do mesmo, porém de repente, o sinal se foi e as atualizações deixaram de resolver. Fiz a compra numa loja, situada na galeria Santa Catarina, à rua Voluntários da Pátria, aqui em Porto Alegre. Quando entrei em contato, recebi somente informações de que o problema podia acontecer e que provavelmente o sinal poderia ser restabelecido, só não sabiam quando. Em resumo, entrei numa fria e aproveito para alertar os demais, para que não cometam o mesmo erro que cometi, por que a empresa não se responsabiliza.

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MA

Mark Guzman

This venue is awesome! Ive seen a few shows here (Fabolous in 2013, Anberlin last month) and both shows were great. Although the quality of shows have a lot to do with the group/individual who is performing, this is one of the best venues to watch a concert at. Ive also have never had any issues with the staff, any question I ask has always been very helpful. The bouncers are always at tentative and at their respective spots (front door, near the stage, etc.) so I have no issues with security. I also recently went here on Friday (10/31) for the Risque Halloween party. To be honest, I didnt have high hopes for this event because I wasnt sure if the Showbox was an appropriate venue for throwing a party quite like this. I was wrong. The event was awesome and I highly recommend everyone to go next year when tickets go on sale (tickets were pretty cheap too!). DJ Mack Long was great, they had a nice photo booth to take pictures at and it helps to have two bars open so the lines were not very long. Overall, every time I have gone to the Showbox it has always been a blast.

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AU

Austin Fastidio

If you like Hard Rock Cafe youll like the feel of The Showbox. This place is awesome. Standing room only for less than 2,000 people, so if your favorite band is scheduled to perform here you are gonna want tickets because shows here are personal. I went to the Yellowcard final world tour with Dryjacket, Like Torches, and Seattle locals Acceptance. I had VIP tickets and loved every minute of it. The people who came were awesome to be around, everyone was having fun and enjoying the time we shared with each other and with the bands. The staff are incredible and extremely tolerant despite the constant barrage of crap they surely have to put up with. I dont drink but there were three large bars with sitting areas elevated towards the back of the standing area. The location in downtown Seattle is awesome and the overall experience, at least for me, was once in a lifetime. Yellowcard probably helped with that. Either way, the guys at Showbox are awesome for having them perform there that night

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JO

Johnson Palpatine

Let me start this review stating I dont think everyone will have the same experience as us. Me and my girlfriend arrived close to 6 hours before doors to get front row. While in line you are CONSTANTLY bombarded by homeless people walking by asking for me and often becoming hostile, this is not the Showboxs fault but it still is prevalent in the... "experience". Next, the worst part about this venue is the Green Room. I sincerely think that if you are not 21+, and all members of your party are not 21+, you should not go here. After standing in line for 6 hours, anyone 21+ can get into the Green Room and then front row on the stage at door time, without waiting a single minute. This is completely unfair and absolutely makes no sense. This aspect was a shame because the band was amazing, the lighting at this venue is also very well done and the sound is decent, with bad acoustics. All in all, I most likely will not be coming here again until I am 21, unless they change the policy.

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