Constitution Hall

[hutch]

Pixies were great there last time!...

But the venue is just not a MUSIC venue.. its not meant for shows... Seth should build a midsize concert hall and stop cheapskating it by renting DAR...

[HoyaSaxa03]

But the venue is just not a MUSIC venue.. its not meant for shows... Seth should build a midsize concert hall and stop cheapskating it by renting DAR...

DAR has been a music venue ever since it opened and refused to allow black performers on stage for the first thirty years or so ... maybe it's not a ROCK MUSIC venue, but it's certainly a MUSIC venue ...

[kosmo vinyl]

Pixies were great there last time!...

But the venue is just not a MUSIC venue.. its not meant for shows... Seth should build a midsize concert hall and stop cheapskating it by renting DAR...

Why?  He has access to use Merriweather for five plus months out of the year.  A just how many mid-size events get booked in these parts, certainly not enough to justify the building of a venue which would sit empty most of the time.

[kosmo vinyl]

Also it's a shame Seth can't get a sweetheart deal from some local county government in order to build a larger club in a revitalized town center area.  Or for that matter be able to book shows at the Warner Theater...

[set1914]

Warner is a Live Nation venue.

As for Constitution Hall every show I seen there has been a good time. They also pour a good cocktail there.

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Also it's a shame Seth can't get a sweetheart deal from some local county government in order to build a larger club in a revitalized town center area. 

No it's not. Monopolies are bad, and the Hurwitz one has lasted long enough.

[hutch]

Pixies were great there last time!...

But the venue is just not a MUSIC venue.. its not meant for shows... Seth should build a midsize concert hall and stop cheapskating it by renting DAR...

Why?  He has access to use Merriweather for five plus months out of the year.  A just how many mid-size events get booked in these parts, certainly not enough to justify the building of a venue which would sit empty most of the time.

Huh?

The 930 sells out more shows than not! Its too small for the shows its booking.. I'm not saying he needs to build a venue as big as DAR but most definitely a 2000-2500 capacity place..

Merriweather is way too big and way too far..

Look, if Seth doesn't want to build another venue because he can rent out DAR then thats his business.. Likewise its my business not to attend shows in a sub-standard venue.

Also, I think anyone can see- anyone who looks at the DC market that it is missing a venue with capacity between say a 930 Club and a Patriot Center.. I am not going to include a theater with stagehand costs such as the Warner.. its simply not a viable place to host more than the very ocassional rock concert.. So right now we have DAR filling that gap.. But I dont' think I'm crazy to think the place sucks for rock shows (not just sound..)

Of course that gap is going to be filled by the Live Nation Fillmore all the way out in Silver SPring.. thats a shame and a lost opportunity by Seth.. and he knows that its a lost opportunity and a threat which is why he's doing everything he can to stop it (not much he can do).. If he'd been a bit more proactive he would have gotten on the good foot and built it himself in DC.. instead he's left to challenge someone else trying to do it.. THe argument that he's doing this for the DC consumer or the SIlver Spring or Montgomery county taxpayer does not stand up to the slightest scrutiny..

at least thats the way I see it.. So many bands that are playing the 930 are just too big for it at this point... we see bands faced with a choice of doing multiple nights at the 930 to satisfy demand, booking at DAR which I do not believe they want to do or having to go elsewhere...And DAR is often too big

[xneverwherex]

Cry me a river! So you have to go to a Live Nation venue Fillmore presents in Silver Spring. At least its another option to see more bands and just a hop, skip and jump away on the metro.

Im in NYC - and Id easily go 35-40 mins to Park Slope to see a band at The Bell House or easily go to Williamsburg to see a band. Why is it so asinine to actually get off your ass and go somewhere to see a band.

What kind of music fan are you anyway? To expect someone to be in your neighborhood all the time is foolish. For me - Id rather they never book bands at Roseland and T5 no matter how close they are to me. Theres better venues and if it takes an hour, so be it. Read a book.

But I guess Sweetcell, IxpBk, myself and a few others are the exception who will go wherever we have to, to see great music.

[gaaaaaaaaah]

Basically...this and the Richmond/baltimore rant proves that Hutch is a shitty douche of a music fan.

[hutch]

ANd onwards and upwards we go..

I'll go to the LN venue but I prefer IMP. IMP is a much better company from the top down.. does things better..I actually have great admiration for Seth and I think we're very lucky to have IMP to face up to the LN juggernaut.

They're not perfect but they are better than Live Nation soon to be Live Nation Ticket Master..

I wasn't trying to cry a river.. I go see a ton of shows in different places..And if its someone I really want to see I will go to Richmond or New York or Chicago never mind Silver Spring! I happen to live here since 1993 and I love this town and just want our music scene to continue to develop and improve.

It would be good for DC to have a mid size music venue that was better (and smaller) than DAR.. This is not a position unique to me. I think the DC City Council actually has the same postion. Most of my friends will not go to DAR shows much like they won't go to Nissan.. Evidently a really big music fan will go to see the band she/he wants to see anywhere...and they will likely enjoy the show.. DOes not mean they would not enjoy it more in a better venue.

I didn't realize this was a controversial position and am sorry to have offended anyone. Perhaps I'll reconsider posting so as to not earn your enmity and insults. I also didn't realize that this thread had been opened merely to collect posts by boardies praising the venue for its wonderful acoustics et al.

[bearman🐻]

Just because most of the shows sell out at the 9:30 doesn't mean that they could sell out much more than the 1200 capacity. In reality, how many times do any of us get totally shut out of a show at the 9:30? If you really want to get in, there's ALWAYS a way. Does anyone remember the days of the old 9:30 Club? Now THAT was a harder ticket to get, especially if it was a pretty big band playing. And that's when Seth started doing more and more shows at WUST (what is now 9:30 for those of you that weren't in DC at the time). Sure, DC could use a really good venue in the 3,000-4,500 capacity, but that's not the sort of venue that you could fill night after night. I think the 9:30 Club is right for what the supply/demand is for most concerts in this area.

By the way...anyone know the capacity for Bender Arena at AU? It's been a while since that's been used for a show, right? Same thing with the Smith Center at GWU.

[sweetcell]

By the way...anyone know the capacity for Bender Arena at AU? It's been a while since that's been used for a show, right? Same thing with the Smith Center at GWU.

last Bender show that i'm aware of was snow patrol/ok go/SSPU in march 2007.  i'd guestimate capacity to be in the 4,000 range.

edit: almost - according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bender_Arena, "Bender Arena has a 6,000 person capacity for concerts."

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

All I have to say on the subject is if natural Silver Spring shows are lost to DAR, I will boycott like you can't believe!

[kosmo vinyl]

I'm providing fair warning...  If you have something to say about Constitution Hall, then post it in this thread or risk it being deleted from another thread, especially the Just Announced thread.  I'll say it again, the regulars around here have heard all the complaints before, but if you must continue to beat that dead horse, post them them in this thread, on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc.

[Relaxer]

Constitution Hall? More like Constitution Hell! More like Constipation Hole! More like...