930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: redsock on June 27, 2003, 11:42:00 am
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Hopefully I'm not gonna get shot for posting this on the board, the secrecy behind this place is weird, but has anyone ever been to the House of Secrets? Some band mates of my girlfriend are playing there and we are going to see them, much to my chagrin. I have heard nothing but sketchy details of this place, with things as mundane as a video-game room, to innuendo of far far worse. Personally, I don't care, I'm a big boy, but I'm going with my girlfriend, and I want to be sure this place will be ok for her. She's tough, but I don't really want us to walk int some sort of freak-show unprepared. It seems like some serious performers have played there....
Anyone been?
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An Irreverent Look At the DC Bar Scene
by Senate staffers Emily, Liz and Robyn
THIS WEEK: HOUSE OF SECRETS
(4th and U Streets, DC)
We have been to clubs, we have been to lounges, we have been to dive bars, and we have been to strip clubs. Frankly, we thought we had seen every level of sketch in DC...until we arrived at the House of Secrets.
The House of Secrets is in a residential neighborhood in an area of the city that none of us would recommend visiting alone. This was the last kind of place that Liz and Emily thought of going last Saturday night, but we were persuaded by the enthusiasm of Emily's roommate Jason. We walked into the house and paid the steep entrance fee of $25 (once you pay this, all of the alcohol is free). The House is lighted by dim red bulbs and is decorated in a style that immediately made us feel like we had landed in the middle of a frat party gone terribly wrong. All of the different rooms in the house have different themes (use your imagination and we are sure you can think of what some of these themes are....). The first floor consists of a few different rooms with bars in each of them, and, while there was a dance floor, no one seemed to be using it.
Note: When applicable, all of our ratings below are on a 0-5 scale (0 being the worst, 5 being the best).
Age Factor :
2 - Aside from the man wandering around shaking people's hands who owned the house (Emily's roommate hit it off with this guy), most the people were young.
Hill Networking Opportunities:
0 - Ha. Do we even have to comment on this?
Hook-Up Factor:
1 - Nope, not much here. Although there were quite a few doors in the house that were locked, so perhaps it was simply not as apparent.
Crowd Diversity:
5 - Just about any type of person you can think of was here on Saturday. From the preppies to people highly enjoying a chess game upstairs to men and women who seemed deeply committed to the reggae room.
Sketch Factor:
On a scale of 0-5, we give this place a 10.
The Bottom Line:
If you venture into this neighborhood, be prepared. Ladies, take a guy with you. Seriously. Liz and Emily pretty much clung to Jason all night (not that he seemed to mind) but it was more to make ourselves feel more comfortable than for his enjoyment. Jason insists that the other times he has visited this particular establishment it has been much less seedy and more fun, however Liz and I were not feeling that vibe, so we are sticking to our own sketchy experience. The House of Secrets is only open on Saturday nights.
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Thanks Rhett, I actually found that review before, which is one of the reasons I posted. It seems like if you want to find debauchery, you can pretty easily, but if you don't, its not gonna come find you. Still...I'm not so sure...
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Redsock -- I've been meaning to check this place out as a few friends of mine have gone. They said it was a pretty wild time. Perhaps I will see you there sometime.
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Originally posted by redsock:
Hopefully I'm not gonna get shot for posting this on the board, the secrecy behind this place is weird, but has anyone ever been to the House of Secrets?
Can't be that much of a secret if three senate interns are reviewing it for Hillzoo and rating its hook-up factor.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by redsock:
Hopefully I'm not gonna get shot for posting this on the board, the secrecy behind this place is weird, but has anyone ever been to the House of Secrets?
Can't be that much of a secret if three senate interns are reviewing it for Hillzoo and rating its hook-up factor. [/b]
Well, if you do a yahoo search, that review, along with it being mentioned on a few band sites, including the Sneeks, who I'm going to see, are about all there is. Its not easy to keep that limited a profile on the web nowadays. and I can't find anyone who will admit to ever going there, but everyone has heard at least a little about it. Mostly the seedy, sketchy part.
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Originally posted by thirsty moore:
Redsock -- I've been meaning to check this place out as a few friends of mine have gone. They said it was a pretty wild time. Perhaps I will see you there sometime.
Pretty wild time eh? Not sure that makes me feel comfortable. Thoguh $25 all you can drink yould make for a pretty wild time for plenty of olks i know...regardless of the other entertainment options.
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Redsock, you must go now and come back and give us a full report. In detail! Take notes if you have to. We want to know it all, be it good or bad.
God, as many times as I've driven by there I've never noticed anything going on other than a few seedy locals minding their own business.
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Keep it a secret Redsock....
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Originally posted by thirsty moore:
Keep it a secret Redsock....
Yeah, don't let every new Hill intern from the Mid-west know about it!
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Originally posted by thirsty moore:
Keep it a secret Redsock....
You know Thirsty, if I didn't know better, I'd think you might have a lot to say about it already....
Certainly our curiosity makes both me and my girl want to go, but definetly in the look but don't touch kinda way.
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Okay, then PM me all the lurid details. I won't share them with Thirsty; I promise. :p
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Is this one of those places that French libertines would hang out at?
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Originally posted by Jaguär:
Okay, then PM me all the lurid details. I won't share them with Thirsty; I promise. :p
share them with me!! woo!
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I hate hill people.
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Even the artist formally known as or is it back to Prince now has after parties at the HoS. :) There was a monthly Friday party that was going on there not too long ago called XOXO which was pretty wild...
MindCage
Mindless Faith (http://www.mindlessfaith.com)
Deep6 Productions (http://www.deep6.com)
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Originally posted by saco:
I hate hill people.
You hate them because they are bothered by sketchy seeming situations, or because they talk about things they shouldn't? I hate Hill people too, but thats cause their often full of themselves.
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Well part of it is for ironic effect, since I work on the hill. But that was my point exactly, they are too full of themselves.
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Originally posted by saco:
I hate hill people.
Stay away from West Virginia.
*ducks as Sparks gets ready to throw something*
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Originally posted by jadetree:
Originally posted by saco:
I hate hill people.
Stay away from West Virginia.
*ducks as Sparks gets ready to throw something* [/b]
Hey now,don't get me started : )
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Originally posted by saco:
I hate hill people.
yeah, driving around in their fancy jeeps. they think they're such hot shots...
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i'm actually due to go there Saturday, much to my surprise- coincidentally, i received a phone invite as i started reading this thread. depending on my condition i'll try to post a full review upon my return saturday night.
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So is it invite only?
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Originally posted by thirsty moore:
So is it invite only?
I don't believe it is. It seems like they do something every saturday night. But depending on the band playing or the the theme, you can get some pretty different populations.
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Originally posted by Medic:
i'm actually due to go there Saturday, much to my surprise- coincidentally, i received a phone invite as i started reading this thread. depending on my condition i'll try to post a full review upon my return saturday night.
if you dont, we may have to kill you :D
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Medic do you want me to give you a ride in my fancy jeep? We can pick up Wendy too.
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Originally posted by paige:
Originally posted by Medic:
i'm actually due to go there Saturday, much to my surprise- coincidentally, i received a phone invite as i started reading this thread. depending on my condition i'll try to post a full review upon my return saturday night.
if you dont, we may have to kill you :D [/b]
since I started the thread, and went on Saturday, I guess I should at least tell you that the place itself, is quite sketchy. And the neighborhood not so good. Some guys I know got bothered by whom they described as some "crack-heads" at 4 in the morning. But the people there on saturday were pretty young, and were there for the band...so I'm not sure what you could expect from a different crowd. $25 is steep (f-ing band forgot to put me on the list) but if you are planning on drinking, its certainly an experience. I'd go back if I had a reason too.
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$25 can buy me a case of Sierra...a good 6 months supply of beer...
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I think I'm a little too out of that crowd by now. Though I go to lots of shows, my mid-thirties colors show when it comes to hipster after-hours places like this. Would never have known about if not for the board. And certainly if I don't know, none of my friends would as I'm the organizer/information meister.
Am I missing anything else really cool in DC?
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Originally posted by bags:
I think I'm a little too out of that crowd by now. Though I go to lots of shows, my mid-thirties colors show when it comes to hipster after-hours places like this. Would never have known about if not for the board. And certainly if I don't know, none of my friends would as I'm the organizer/information meister.
Am I missing anything else really cool in DC?
I was unaware until Markie and Lulu informed me, but apparently Georgetown is really cool.
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Originally posted by jadetree:
I was unaware until Markie and Lulu informed me, but apparently Georgetown is really cool.
hell yeah!! there be a piano bar down there.
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You crazy jokesters!! Yeah, and I hear you can't beat the vibe up at Dave & Busters!!
:p
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All of the cool people go to Chi Cha Lounge. I was supposed to meet someone there one time, but they wouldn't let me in because I had a tank top on. I pointed out the the bouncer that the girl he was flirting with also had a tank top on, and he said, "That's different" I said, "Why, because hers is white and mine in black? What are you, a tank top racist?" I proceeded to punch him in the face repeatedly until he was bawling, but I decided to go elsewhere anyway. But from what I'm told, all of the cool people go there.
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If you've never been to Jay's in Arlington, well, then you are missing out.
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
All of the cool people go to Chi Cha Lounge. I was supposed to meet someone there one time, but they wouldn't let me in because I had a tank top on. I pointed out the the bouncer that the girl he was flirting with also had a tank top on, and he said, "That's different" I said, "Why, because hers is white and mine in black? What are you, a tank top racist?" I proceeded to punch him in the face repeatedly until he was bawling, but I decided to go elsewhere anyway. But from what I'm told, all of the cool people go there.
Unless the bouncer was a mime or a seven-year-old, I find that story suspect....
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Originally posted by bags:
Am I missing anything else really cool in DC?
not bloody likely
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Originally posted by redsock:
If you've never been to Jay's in Arlington, well, then you are missing out.
I've never been to Arlington, let alone Jay's.
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I don't understand the "I've never been to Arlington" mentality when they've got the best music club in the DC area.
I guess it's the equivalent of someone in Manhattan saying, "I've never been to Brooklyn."
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I didnt know the 930 club was in Arlington....
Rhett you are such an ungracious guest.
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The 9:30 Club books mostly mainstream acts that have achieved at least a moderate amount of success. Big minus in my book. It's also such a big place that there's really not that much intimacy like there is in places like Iota, Galaxy Hut, Fletcher's etc, none of which are locatd in DC proper.
The 9:30 is a great place to see successful, mainstream rock and roll (and other genres) acts, but it's really not the place to catch anything that's on the cutting edge.
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There's this place called the Four Ps...
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you need to specify and say the clarendon/courthouse area. that i'll agree with. even as a faithful dc resident for 10 years, i'll venture out to iota/gua rapo/galaxy hut/minhs/el pollo ric, etc. good stuff to be found in those 'hoods, if you can overlook the yuppified pottery barn/whole foods market area.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I don't understand the "I've never been to Arlington" mentality when they've got the best music club in the DC area.
I guess it's the equivalent of someone in Manhattan saying, "I've never been to Brooklyn."
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
The 9:30 Club books mostly mainstream acts that have achieved at least a moderate amount of success.
I dont see it that way.... I have seen plenty of bands there who were not that succesful.....
Hell even the strokes supported Doves before MTV had heard of either band.
But you prefer iota because the genre of music that they book.....
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I prefer Iota for the genre AND the club.
I would have much preferred seeing Steve Earle, Wilco, the Jayhawks, Old 97's, Kasey Chambers, and other successful alt-country bands that I've seen at the 9:30 club in the much smaller Iota.
And Lily, what's so wrong with Whole Foods? I'd much rather shop there than the shitty Safeway in my neighborhood.
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I really look at DC/Alexandria/Arllington as one and the same. The actual land mass that DC proper encompasses is very small, so why not include those other places? Separating DC from ARlington is like separating Manhattan from Brooklyn.
Originally posted by lily1:
you need to specify and say the clarendon/courthouse area. that i'll agree with. even as a faithful dc resident for 10 years, i'll venture out to iota/gua rapo/galaxy hut/minhs/el pollo ric, etc. good stuff to be found in those 'hoods, if you can overlook the yuppified pottery barn/whole foods market area.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I don't understand the "I've never been to Arlington" mentality when they've got the best music club in the DC area.
I guess it's the equivalent of someone in Manhattan saying, "I've never been to Brooklyn."
[/b]
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I really look at DC/Alexandria/Arllington as one and the same. The actual land mass that DC proper encompasses is very small, so why not include those other places? Separating DC from ARlington is like separating Manhattan from Brooklyn.
Yep, just like NW DC and NE/SW/SE DC. It's one and the same my friend.
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I prefer Iota for the genre AND the club.
I would have much preferred seeing Steve Earle, Wilco, the Jayhawks, Old 97's, Kasey Chambers, and other successful alt-country bands that I've seen at the 9:30 club in the much smaller Iota.
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Yep sure, most people would prefer seeing a band in a small as venue as possible, but wiyhout 930 you probably wouldnt get to see those bands play in DC. (or the majority of shite britpop I love so much.)
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Medic do you want me to give you a ride in my fancy jeep? We can pick up Wendy too.
DAMN YOU SACO!!!!!! um actually it may not be to bad of an idea- afterwards we'll come back and have that Luau!
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I would have much preferred seeing Steve Earle, Wilco, the Jayhawks, Old 97's, Kasey Chambers, and other successful alt-country bands that I've seen at the 9:30 club in the much smaller Iota.
Well sure, and I wish I'd seen Foo Fighters on their last tour there as well. You have to be realistic -- bands have to play in a venue befitting their fan base. As much as I'd love to see my favorite bands in tiny venues, that would leave a lot of other fans on the street.
Iota has some drawbacks -- that huge, huge column in the middle of the room that makes a quarter of the place shitty for viewing, and the fact that they don't pre-sell tickets. It's a pain in the ass to pack myself in there at 8:30 to see a band that comes on at 11:00.
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Hi
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Originally posted by lily1:
you need to specify and say the clarendon/courthouse area. that i'll agree with. even as a faithful dc resident for 10 years, i'll venture out to iota/gua rapo/galaxy hut/minhs/el pollo ric, etc. good stuff to be found in those 'hoods, if you can overlook the yuppified pottery barn/whole foods market area.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I don't understand the "I've never been to Arlington" mentality when they've got the best music club in the DC area.
I guess it's the equivalent of someone in Manhattan saying, "I've never been to Brooklyn."
[/b]
exactly!! besides there are plenty of yuppies in dc... northern va - especially arlington - has some great restaurants, it has the metro and the small venues like the ones you mentioned are great for seeing bands that we all love but dont always come to larger venues. sometimes it can be easier to get to arlington than to another place within dc, it's that easy ;)
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Originally posted by paige:
exactly!! besides there are plenty of yuppies in dc... northern va - especially arlington - has some great restaurants, it has the metro and the small venues like the ones you mentioned are great for seeing bands that we all love but dont always come to larger venues. sometimes it can be easier to get to arlington than to another place within dc, it's that easy ;)
Paige, we're breaking up. I just can't continue this long distance relationship. Northern Vagina is just too far from Cleveland (Park).