Basically it boils down to putting some gigantic sound-absorbing mats towards the ceiling. The 9:30 Club did something similar when they moved in. Primus (whose sound emphasizes bass) in 1993 would have been awful, much like the Beastie Boys were. Too much reverberation and even with a packed house the bodies can't absorb it all. I won't say the Aragon is perfect, but it's such a dramatic improvement that regular concert-goers in Chicago noticed the changes immediately. I am a huge fan of the old theaters...the Warfield in SF, the Aragon and Riviera in Chicago, etc. There's a lot of character and even though the acoustics aren't always pristine, it's still more interesting than a hockey rink or something like that. Even Kim Deal commented on how cool it was to play a venue that had so much character. My favorite thing about the Aragon though is the day care center on the first floor :-) I wonder how the kids managed to nap when the Pixies were sound checking through "Tame".
