Sonar is no more

[K8teebug]

Sometimes, the griminess of a venue like Sonar is fitting.

And yep, the food at Golden West is good. Still yet to see a show there.

The food is good, but the servers there have always been so rude! I have yet to see a show there too. 

[DeathFromAbove1979]

No big loss with Sonar going.  It has to be the second nastiest, filthiest, dirty, and all around worst venue I have been in (nation which used to be in DC tops that list and it closed as well).  I'm making no judgement on the owners and staff of the club, just the place itself sucked goats.

Really? I think Ottobar is way fucking shitter than Sonar. It's no 930, but I didn't have a problem with the place at all. Saw some awesome shows there. I always thought the stage was a little weird and it was kind of hard to see if you couldn't get right directly in front of the stage. Had a ton of fun times. Thought the shows had dropped off and I definitely lost a lot of interest when they stopped doing Taxlo parties there.

I have never been to Ottobar so I can not speak to that comparison.

Yeah, that's why you think Sonar is shitty then hahaha Ottobar is a dive bar with a big open floor and tiny stage. Nothing at all wrong with it, I love that place. The upstairs lounge area is nice and open too. Pool tables, nice bar, couches.

That's a bummer though, right around the corner Bourbon Street closed as well. Weird that 2 big venues so close to each other would close within a few months of each other... Are there any plans for either of those spaces? Bourbon Street was fucking gargantuan!

[killsaly]

Sometimes, the griminess of a venue like Sonar is fitting.

Exactly.  Added to its charm.

Im definitely in the Ottobar love camp.  Every show I have seen there was great, from Mates of State to Dope Body and everything in between. 

Same with Sonar.  Taxlo was cool.  The Spank Rock Christmas parties were great (I know U St does them as well, but i just cant see them being as fun with a non Baltimore crowd) and I even was able to catch the Decemberists there right before their meteoric rise to Merriweather and beyond.

(plus its the only place I have ever seen Bonde do Role, which was PHENOMENAL)

[StoneTheCrow]

The food is good, but the servers there have always been so rude! I have yet to see a show there too. 

That's their rep but I have never had anything but good service there.

Bourbon Street was a horrible set up, in my opinion.  Long and thin, like the Black Cat used to be.  Plus they seemed more focused on their "Girls Gone Wild" crap than booking good bands. 

[atomicfront]

Sometimes, the griminess of a venue like Sonar is fitting.

And yep, the food at Golden West is good. Still yet to see a show there.

The food is good, but the servers there have always been so rude! I have yet to see a show there too. 

Jenn of Wye Oak was my server a couple of times.  I haven't had a rude server yet in the 15 times or so I have been there. 

[showlistdc]

The food is good, but the servers there have always been so rude! I have yet to see a show there too. 

Well, when they've got a show going on, they take down and move all the tables, so you just order food right at the bar.  Never had a bad experience with a bartender there.

[showlistdc]

That's a bummer though, right around the corner Bourbon Street closed as well. Weird that 2 big venues so close to each other would close within a few months of each other... Are there any plans for either of those spaces? Bourbon Street was fucking gargantuan!

Almost a year, actually-- Bourbon Street shut down in September of last year.

It seemed like most of their staff at the time (and all of their remaining shows) moved to Baltimore SoundStage, which was new at the time, right next door to Rams Head Live.

[RatBastard]

No big loss with Sonar going.  It has to be the second nastiest, filthiest, dirty, and all around worst venue I have been in (nation which used to be in DC tops that list and it closed as well).  I'm making no judgement on the owners and staff of the club, just the place itself sucked goats.

Really? I think Ottobar is way fucking shitter than Sonar. It's no 930, but I didn't have a problem with the place at all. Saw some awesome shows there. I always thought the stage was a little weird and it was kind of hard to see if you couldn't get right directly in front of the stage. Had a ton of fun times. Thought the shows had dropped off and I definitely lost a lot of interest when they stopped doing Taxlo parties there.

I have never been to Ottobar so I can not speak to that comparison.

Yeah, that's why you think Sonar is shitty then hahaha Ottobar is a dive bar with a big open floor and tiny stage. Nothing at all wrong with it, I love that place. The upstairs lounge area is nice and open too. Pool tables, nice bar, couches.

That's a bummer though, right around the corner Bourbon Street closed as well. Weird that 2 big venues so close to each other would close within a few months of each other... Are there any plans for either of those spaces? Bourbon Street was fucking gargantuan!

I never said anything about the Ottobar, let alone that any other venue is shittier than it or the other way around.  IN fact I said I could not speak to the topic of that venue!

[showlistdc]

For those who are trying to figure out where the Sonar shows are moving to, we're keeping a list as updated as we can.

[StoneTheCrow]

Is the Gehenna / Young and in the Way show definitely moving to Ottobar on 8/11?  If so, fuck yeah!

n/m....it's on Y&ITW's facebook page.  Fuck yeah!

[DeathFromAbove1979]

No big loss with Sonar going.  It has to be the second nastiest, filthiest, dirty, and all around worst venue I have been in (nation which used to be in DC tops that list and it closed as well).  I'm making no judgement on the owners and staff of the club, just the place itself sucked goats.

Really? I think Ottobar is way fucking shitter than Sonar. It's no 930, but I didn't have a problem with the place at all. Saw some awesome shows there. I always thought the stage was a little weird and it was kind of hard to see if you couldn't get right directly in front of the stage. Had a ton of fun times. Thought the shows had dropped off and I definitely lost a lot of interest when they stopped doing Taxlo parties there.

I have never been to Ottobar so I can not speak to that comparison.

Yeah, that's why you think Sonar is shitty then hahaha Ottobar is a dive bar with a big open floor and tiny stage. Nothing at all wrong with it, I love that place. The upstairs lounge area is nice and open too. Pool tables, nice bar, couches.

That's a bummer though, right around the corner Bourbon Street closed as well. Weird that 2 big venues so close to each other would close within a few months of each other... Are there any plans for either of those spaces? Bourbon Street was fucking gargantuan!

I never said anything about the Ottobar, let alone that any other venue is shittier than it or the other way around.  IN fact I said I could not speak to the topic of that venue!

Oh no, I completely understood. Sonar was a king's palace compared to Ottobar hahaha Sonar will be missed though. I haven't been out to the Soundstage, anyone been there?

[showlistdc]

Oh no, I completely understood. Sonar was a king's palace compared to Ottobar hahaha Sonar will be missed though. I haven't been out to the Soundstage, anyone been there?

Yup.  It's fine.  Feels very NEW.  They have decent food too (including a vegan sandwich).  A little pricey.  Also, they validate parking, which is a big help in that neighborhood.

[killsaly]

From Sonars Facebook Page:

I just want to let everyone know that I will at some point be telling this whole story but right now I am being advised to hold off. "there's an old saying about not pissing off the alligators until you've crossed the swamp" my Lawyer said that. My situation is very precarious at the moment and I have to be very careful how I handle this for now. But very soon there will come a time when I just have nothing left to lose and I will be getting the whole story out there.

On another note I personal want to thank everyone that has supported Sonar over the years, Thank you. I hope to be bring music and art back to baltimore as soon as possible in some way.

And To all of the people that did damage to Sonar, hurt it over the years, cheated it over the years, to all the companies that did all they could do to bring it down I have one thing to say for now, FUCK YOU. I ask you this, how did Baltimore or music and arts benefit from your attacks of Sonar? This was never just business for me. I got in "the business" because I love music and wanted to do something good for my town and it's people. I believe and live my life based on Karma. I know I did all that I did for the right reasons. I take away from this experience many great memories and the knowledge that I participated in a wonderful and helpful experiment of freedom and expression.
Can the haters say the same, you know who you are!

More to come soon

[killsaly]

http://citypaper.com/news/sonar-set-for-new-owners-1.1352581

Oh yeah! I love Sonar!

[Got Haggis?]

That city paper article makes the people trying to buy it sound super sketchy