The Machine Shop

Recently was there to see Scott Stapp. Nice intimate venue, and the bartenders were first class. Always anxious to serve and always with a smile. I tipped them well. However, I can not say the same for the bouncers. At some point during the first half of the show, one particular «bouncer» decided to join the crowd and enjoy the show instead of standing against the wall with the rest of the bouncers. He was literally standing there watching the show and singing the songs (no joke), and not doing his job. Although I find this unprofessional, normally I wouldn’t have a problem with that, except he decided to park his over 6 ft tall frame directly in front of my 5ft tall wife. My wife and I had been in that spot (among other people, too) for almost 3 hours before Scott Stapp went on stage. When my wife confronted him, he shrugged her off and said, «I’ve been here all night.» Big lie, we watched him squeeze his way to that spot seconds before. He then continued to ignore her plea to move. I then approached another bouncer about the issue — who seemed receptive at first — but then did nothing after realizing it was his buddy.
This was my third time at this venue, but I will NEVER return. I don’t care if Jesus Christ himself is there to perform. Did I mention that we spend a lot of money there? Apparently some of the staff does not care.

A great place to see your favorite bands UP CLOSE! I just wish there was more places to lean or sit as I can’t last a whole show on my feet within close proximity to everyone else at the venue. The Machine Shop brings in great bands at a great price and continues to put on A+ shows each time I go!

This is one place that almost defines flint, it’s a place that everyone in michigan has to go to at least once and people from around the world come to for unique concerts, the biggest bands pay their dues by coming here and it’s where a lot of them get their starts and breaks
It’s not particularly big and that’s part of the appeal, you’ll likely never get closer to a band than when they play here making every performance a stand out memory
There have been several music videos shot here so don’t be surprised to find yourself in one
On top of all that they have contests and events outside of music with some regularity and even between bands sometimes
This is the place to hang out any time they have anything going on

The Machine Shop rocks!
The owner obviously gets what proper sound is — as the place has great acoustics!
It is clean (for a bar) and the staff hustles. Double can beers are 6.75 so decently priced.
Overall the atmosphere is what you look for when you go see a band. Pop Evil and Theory of a Deadman were both great here!
We have been about 6 times and enjoyed each show. Yes it is in a grey neighborhood but we never incur any problems.

Great place to catch a concert. Very small (room for about 450 standing room). very loud but that’s what you go for right! 24oz can of beer was $ 6.75 so not too over priced. Can’t wait to go back

I went on Friday night. The venue itself is cool, but the bouncers are COMPLETE DICKS. Don’t know who to politely ask someone to throw their drink out or move out of the way. They forcefully do it physically like they are above the law or something. They constantly swear and yell. Just a bunch of angry old dudes trying too hard to keep order.

WOW!!! People watching galore!!! I thought there was good watchin’ at Pine Knob… This place is in a very seedy neighborhood… but I never felt unsafe, just lots of strip clubs and stuff — lol!!! Back to the venue… There are about 3 tables on the main floor area and then several in the back. If you want to be close to the stage, standing room only… I had no complaints about the sound — it was all good… Bartenders were great — able to make anything and at a fairly decent price. The bathroom was a bit questionable, but I didn’t get a disease or anything… ;) I’d see another show here if the price was right…

This place is amazing! It’s a lot of your favorite bands at a very intimate level. I always have a blast here. The crowd the atmosphere it’s so much fun. There is one thing it is very loud there. The floor is vibrating right underneath your feet. So if you don’t like realllly loud music Id suggest go somewhere else. Personally I totally enjoy it!

Love this place. They always have an awesome concert going on. I can’t count how many times I’ve been there. Great security, good people and good drinks. everyone should go here at least once!

Another fun night at the Shop

I have been up to The Machine Shop about 6 times in the last 4 years. I am SO GLAD they got rid of those germ-​infested couches and chairs!
It’s a great venue to see your favorite B-​list band. The crowd is livily, and drinks aren’t too bad, though it’s still a rip off for a bar on Strip Club row. There are a few fights and parking can be hell, but worth it when they have someone you really want to see.

The Machine Shop Concert Lounge is one of the few good remaining reasons to make the trip to Flint. If you’re into rock shows, that is. I was beyond excited to see one of my newer favorite bands passing through town (Psychostick) a few weeks ago and the admission for 21+ was ONLY $ 5!!! Unbelievable. And that’s that 3 other bands played along with them that night.
I initially checked out their website and was surprised to see fairly recognizable names in the rock, metal, etc. world set to play at TMS as other reviewers had indicated. Depending on the band, tickets can run from $ 5 up to $ 30 or so. Although, I couldn’t see readily paying $ 30 to see a band at a place like the Machine Shop unless there was some amazing artist I liked making a once in a lifetime appearance. But kudos to TMS for their band booking variety. I like that Flint is a little bit closer to us than Detroit which makes it nice for me to be able to catch more shows now that I know a place like the Machine Shop exists. We tried to hit the Torch Bar
in the area before the show, but could not experience that part of the trip because there was nowhere to sit. Ended up at Wize Guys Pizza again
.
The venue is medium-​sized, has high ceilings and offers the opportunity for good views of the stage from many vantage points around the club. The guy who served us at the bar was amiable enough and seemed more friendly than the aging blond female bartender on duty. The drink prices were pretty okay. Drafts in 12 oz. plastic cups were $ 4 and we had 2 $ 4 shots which were Meh. We stuck with the drafts after the shots. They had no more than 4 or 5 selections on tap, 2 of which were Woodchuck (pretty funny and unusual to me for a rock club, don’t personally like it, but the SO does) and Guinness (I stuck with that). They also had those mega tall cans of Budweiser products (I think I saw someone with a Coors too) that usually sell for $ 8 minimum at sports arenas these days and the Royal Oak Theatre. The were $ 6 (or so) at the Machine Shop. Not bad.
The sound was pretty good for the first few bands, but kinda went to crap when Psychostick came on. I can usually find the music in the noise and screaming/​shouting, but it was just more noise. I didn’t even stay for Psychostick’s full set because of that. When the sound was good, it sucked me in as a fan for the very entertaining Detroit band Downtown Brown (more loud, funky humorcore).
The crowd at TMS for this show was surprisingly not as young as I’d expected. Definitely lots of tattoos, biker/​metal gear, piercings, etc. There was actually a small crowd of very vanilla looking guys that looked to be from the suburbs. My man is more of a Collective Soul/​Jason Mraz guy who was hot to buy the Sade’s last CD when it came out last year (just to give you an idea), so I am glad it was not a rowdy scene. Otherwise it would be hard to drag him with me to see such entertainment in the future had we encountered as much there. Oh, and you definitely come to here for the music, because the cute, young chicks en masse (tattooed eye candy or otherwise) don’t exist here.
The layout of the place consists of open space by the front of the stage and a surprising amount of high top tables in the middle to sit and watch the band and a little open space between the high tops and the sound engineer area. Then behind that I believe are more high tops and space for merch tables. The overall atmosphere at the Machine Shop was cool, calm and collected. So much so that I was starting to become a little disappointed in the Flint, MI crowd. At least when the bands were playing. I wanted to see a good mosh pit develop. The crowd got it together for Psychostick, thank goodness. I was up by the stage at that point and got shoved a few times which made me giddy. :-) I would have to say it was a decent sized moshpit that was full of energy, but also had to be the friendliest one I have ever seen (considering I’ve seen individuals use chains to hit others in moshpits in NYC back in the day). Here at TMS people were duly thrown about, but if you fell someone readily picked you right back up and those in the throes were generally polite to people they fell into that were just standing there watching the show.
The bathrooms at TMS are cool to semi-​scary (why is it that females have the capacity to clog a toilet like no other?). Lots of band stickers, mini-​posters for umpcoming shows (even on the mirrors) and writing everywhere (bring your sharpie). There is one toilet in a ‘closet’ with no light above that was tricky to use. I’m a weirdo that happens to like bathrooms with character (high or low end). This one fit the bill for the place it was in.
The Machine Shop is definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the rock/​metal genre. Oh, cash only at the bar/​ATM on site.

Went there once to see David Allen Coe. Was the only dude in the place not affiliated with an MC. These two super tall chicks came in and this little drunk dude walks up to me and says, «Those are some big bitches.» They were pretty big.

Machine shop ROCKS!
Great staff, great music, good drink prices. It could only get better if they had food or a coat check! ;)

I love the Machine Shop. Besides Harpos, its the only Metal and Hard Rock venue in the Detroit area. It gets an extra star for having a private free parking lot, unlike Harpos… Plus you get the same caliber band here as Harpos but at a venue that’s easily a third the size. You really can’t pick a bad spot to watch a band in the bar. Its a really up-​close, intimate feel.
Every time I go to the Machine Shop the bands seem to have fun. They often even hang out with the crowd after their set. Some examples of band’s I’ve seen here are Evans Blue, Smile Empty Soul, Saliva, Trust Company, and more. They have national headliners playing here several times a week.
The décor is awesome, it really looks like and probably once was a machine shop. They have an awesome logo and offer lot of clothing and memorabilia. Their clothing is catered to the heavy metal body type, which is nice for me haha. It’s the typical metal scene, either really long or shaved hair cuts, black t-​shirts, jeans, bobbing heads, and plenty devil horns (or sign of the horns). Beer prices were typical concert venue prices and were nothing special if I remember correctly. The staff were pretty friendly as well.
One thing I like about metal crowds is that they aren’t afraid to move around. I’ve gone to several shows at the Crofoot/​Magic Stick and let’s just say the indie hipsters really put the «gazing» into shoegazing. But moshing is prevalent at the Machine Shop and I find it fun to do once in a while.
Like most things in Michigan, I would go to the Machine Shop more often if it wasn’t over an hour away. Still, it is a really fun night out.
—Note: get there early because the Machine Shop’s parking lot can fill up on busier nights and you’ll have to park further down the street and walk which can be a bit scary at night. But I’ve never had a problem, safety-​wise.

This is the only place to go in Flint as far as I am concerned. Nuff said!

Psst… psst…guess what? REAL bands come to this place? Yes! This little place in Flint! Famous bands, like you see on TV and stuff! Don’t tell anyone I told you.

Small venue, decent drink prices, always has Banana101.5 radio station doing broadcasts here, advertises like crazy all over town, hosts big name (national) acts with preference for the rock/​alternative/​metal genres, LOUD, mixed crowd (but mostly the younger 18−30ish). They often have «low dough» shows, where you can get tickets to GOOD national acts for $ 5… others are in the $ 18 range. fairly reasonable I’d say. I have seen better venues so I was going to rate it a 3, but unlike other venues they do bring in the best acts, so that earns them an extra brownie point for a total of 4 stars. head banging devil horns optional.