Sonar is no more

[Sir HC]

So, as of Sunday it is permently closed. 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/music/midnight-sun-blog/bal-music-venue-sonar-closes-for-good,0,6892626.story

[K8teebug]

Too bad.  Went to some really great shows there.

[showlistdc]

(psst, I posted this a couple of days ago on the 'just announced' thread!)

[sweetcell]

folks might have missed this in the "dropping like flies" discussion of the demise of sonar:
 

sonar was a front for a pot-smuggling ring?

Feds Name-Drop Baltimore?s Sonar Nightclub in New Pot-Conspiracy Indictment
http://blogs.citypaper.com/index.php/2012/05/feds-name-drop-baltimores-sonar-nightclub-in-new-pot-conspiracy-indictment/

"They also are accused of laun­der­ing money together by wiring pot-dealing pro­ceeds to ?pur­chase sound equip­ment for Sonar? in July 2007." - sweet!

[killsaly]

Too bad.

I also saw some great shows there.

[bearman🐻]

Good riddance. Crummy venue. Saw decent shows that could have been much better in another club. Bands didn't really enjoy performing there either.

[StoneTheCrow]

I saw a few good ones there well. I have to think that something will take its place eventually.

Hope Ottobar can stay afloat.

[showlistdc]

I will miss some things about Sonar (the flexibility of having three stages, the awesome sandwich shop down the road, etc.), but the venue got more and more difficult over the years-- adding the parking meters across the street a year ago was really annoying (glad there was the free upstairs garage).

Also wasn't a huge fan of the fact that they seemed to be a largely pay-to-play venue for locals.

[James Ford]

The important thing to me...

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

[showlistdc]

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

Well they moved Summer Slaughter from Sonar to Richmond, so who knows.

[Vas Deferens]

DC will get more metal shows for sure.

The important thing to me...

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

[James Ford]

Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.

DC will get more metal shows for sure.

The important thing to me...

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

[showlistdc]

DC will get more metal shows for sure.

OK, at what venue?  Empire (formerly Jaxx) seems to be booking a lot more metalcore and hip-hop nowadays.  Jay still does the occasional booking there, but it's not the metal venue that it used to be before he sold it.  Kreator and Morbid Angel are both playing the Howard Theatre, but I don't see that venue becoming a regular metal tour stop.  9:30 doesn't get a lot of metal, nor does the Black Cat or Velvet Lounge-- sure, there are some, but not a lot.  There are tons of DIY spaces (Asefu's, RAS hall, St Stephen's, etc. - mostly booked by Chris Moore from Magrudergrind and by Simon from Midnight Eye) that have sprung up when the Corpse Fortress closed, but those don't book the same kinds of shows that went to Sonar.

vs. Baltimore, which gets metal shows at the Ottobar, the Sidebar, Baltimore SoundStage, etc.  

I guess time will tell, but I'm just curious which DC venues you see absorbing the metal shows that used to stop in Baltimore.

[Jaguar]

Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.

DC will get more metal shows for sure.

The important thing to me...

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

I hear your sarcasm loud and clear. 

Trust me, South Baltimore will make sure they get their Metal, even if they have to put it on in a Heavy Metal Parking Lot! Not my scene in the very least but there are just way too many fans in the lower regions (mostly Southsides and Remington) for these people to let them all pass by their own territory.

[Vas Deferens]

I sure hope Ottobar and Golden West gets them. Sidebar doesn't book quality metal, unfortunately.