Showbox SoDo

I just found out that the show my wife and I had planned to go to has been moved from the Showbox at the market to the Showbox Sodo… My heart sank and I feel like I have been kicked in the gut. This is probably the WORST venue in Seattle, by far!
1) The acoustics are that of a large gymnasium. It echoes and bounces around the place. Just look at the pics. That should tell you how it sounds.
2) If you are 5’9″ tall or shorter you won’t be able to see anything.
3) The bar/​drinks have a lot to be desired. Kind of expensive and taste like they have been watering down their booze.
4) Getting a taxi after a show is a joke. Very poor public transportation as well in that part of town.
5) No hotels close by. So one of your party will not be drinking or partying with the rest.
6) Parking is very very tough to find and if you do find a lot to park in it’s $$$
Those are just a few of the neg’s. I would now like to list the positives…
And there you have it. There are none.
I can’t believe the people that like this place. That must have been their first show ’cause if they have been to ANY other venues they would agree with what I am saying.
My wife and I will be canceling our hotel room and have to eat the tickets.
The place sucks. Plain and simple.
But don’t take my word for it. Read the next few reviews and decide for yourself.
Thanks for reading this and I hope that good music is in your future. Just not here.

Good enough venue for shows. Some of the staff could be nicer though, and security could be improved.

I hate how all the good R&B /​Rap artist are booked here. The venue is small for General Admission in my opinion. It always gets super packed and it gets way too hot in there. No Air Conditioning which is horrible. I have been here to 3 different concerts and I am not a fan of Showbox SODO, I refuse to go back.
*** FOR MY LADIES OUT THERE
You cannot wear heels or boots because your feet will hurt not even half way through the night because the floors are concrete

What a disappointment. As a former sound engineer, venue entertainment manager and event planner, it was easy to see this place has been designed to do one thing: pack in as many people as possible with no thought to their actual enjoyment. The only type of act I would probably enjoy in this place, would be EDM, as long as it had no stage presence. Any other act should be seen only if you are willing to pay the extra for VIP section.
The stage is too low for how very long the venue floor is. At about 40 – 50 feet from the stage, you will lose the ability to see anything worth seeing. Unless you’re taller than 6′, you’re screwed. The first 50 – 75 feet of the main floor is all-​ages. The back 100′-150′ is split into thin thirds. The far right is the entrance thoroughfare and merch booths; the center is a fenced/​barricaded over-​21 zone; the left is a raised platform VIP area with about 15 – 20 tables. Notably, the over-​21 zone forces you to enter from the front, and the area is tapered there too, so if you were hoping for a good spot to stand at the front of the beer garden an lean on the barricade, think again… there’s only room for 3 – 4 people to do that before you’d be asked to move back due to blocking the walkway. There is a second bar with tables and chairs, raised even higher than the floor VIP section, but it’s recessed a good 30+ feet; so you can only view the stage if you are right against the railing; and guess what… all those railing spots are sold as VIP too.
All this boils down to one major issue, unless you are willing to pay for VIP (and lucky enough to get in before VIP sells out) or be in the mosh-​pit area… you will likely not be able to see the band you just paid 40 – 60 dollars per ticket to see. We went to see Postmodern Jukebox there last night and staff had to continually tell bar patrons to get down off of chairs as people became as creative as possible to get a glance of the stage. I also saw people trying to hang on the outside of the stairs to the raised bar, attempting to sit or stand up higher on the barricades between the «zones». We left even before the mid-​performance break with many others. People were outside milling about, discussing how the music was great, but no one could see anything.
The sound mix was pretty good, though it took them a song or two, to dial it in. During the first song we could barely hear any vocals. Of course the sound mix only matters on the main floor; there are no reinforcement speakers in the raised bar, so it sounds crappy and quieter… you can actually carry on a conversation there without yelling, which really isn’t a positive in this case.
We didn’t try the food, because it looked like terrible, typical festival food; just crappy burgers and fries.

So, I’ve seen many shows in many venues around the states and I dont think I’d pay 40 – 50 dollars for a show I can’t see; squeezed into a GA one-​level floor like this place makes you to be.
I’ve paid 13 dollars for a similar showing of 30 Seconds to Mars in NV but the stage was raised much higher and the floor was not as ‘long’, the show I saw ‘sold out’ as to accommodate the correct number of people to enjoy it without feeling totally sardined.
Anyways, I wish I could have seen what was going on, on stage at this performance, but unless you were in the VIP or squeezed into the direct central/​front of the stage you saw very little, if anything. I don’t think I’d see a show here again until the layout they have changes for the better. I like the Seattle location much better, at least there is teared seats/​tables in the back for 21+.

Biggest dump I have ever been in. Staff was angry and rude! I would never come back because you cannot even exit the venue without guff. Hey guys, we pay your wages and we’re kind so calm down.

Consistently the worst live music venue in Seattle. Inconvenient to get to/​park. They oversell it, so getting around inside is a hassle. There’s always some issue with inept security — lines are long, scanners don’t work, etc. The venue itself is basically a concrete drinking barn with bad sound and terrible sight lines.
I go once every couple years and each time am reminded what a crappy, crappy place it is.

Well, let me just jump on the negative review bandwagon here. I wasn’t impressed with this venue. I didn’t HATE it, but…
We arrived early to snag a seat in the bar. The food was pretty horrible. Their homemade chips didn’t taste homemade and were gross. Don’t get them. Who effs up chips?! My salad was pretty good, but my fiancé’s burger was nasty. The beer selection was absolutely dreadful.
The acoustics in the lounge were also horrible. We couldn’t understand a thing the singers said/​sang. We finally went down to the general admission area and the sound was slightly better down there. No seating down there obviously.
The ventilation sucks. The other reviewers are correct. It was stuffy and hot. Meh.
I didn’t hate the bathroom situation. It was fine.
The service and security was also not rude as other reviewers mentioned. I received good service.
The sound, ventilation, drink options, and terrible food make this a venue I will think twice before visiting again.

I’m getting old. I used to love being shoulder to shoulder with sweaty, smelly and screaming fans. I used to love the push and shove, and jumping up just high enough to catch some cool air. I’ve gotten old, though :/
Cons:
This place is filled to capacity. By that, I mean you may want to consider getting there 1 – 2 hours ahead of time to stand in line for 2 – 3 hours in order to get a good spot. Otherwise, you’re standing 2 – 3 blocks in a line outside for 30 – 45 minutes with no guarantee you’ll get anywhere near the stage, if that’s what you’re into.
Once you’re in, whether you make your way to the beer garden behind the standing room in front of the stage, bar to the far right or just in front of the speakers by the stage 5 feet from the band’s face… you’re going to get sweated on by people who apparently hate showering, brushing their teeth and wiping, and it will smell terrible. I mean someone-​decided-​to-​fart-​in-​a-​hot-​room-​full-​of-​people-​and-​no-​one-​thought-​to-​open-​a-​window terrible.
That aside, this venue gives one the ability to mosh, shove, kick and thrash about like a prepubescent dork with poor motor skills.
Due to previous reviews, I didn’t use the venue’s bathroom or eat here, so that’s probably why there are 3 stars to begin with (both are allegedly legendarily atrocious). In fact, I didn’t utilize any of the amenities offered, with the exception of standing for 4 hours straight, so please keep in mind that my review is slightly biased due to avoiding other’s mistakes.
Pros:
The audio system is ace (incredibly clear and loud). For better or worse, you can hear the singer’s voice and every instrument clearly. That is RARE with relatively small venues. Most of the time, the audio or instruments are either too low or too high. This is the 4^th star, in fact, because I went to hear good music, and I caught every word and sound.
The staff are interesting. As you enter, your ticket is scanned and immediately discarded in the trash. Forget memorabilia or having your favorite band member sign it. Its gone. Forever. However, the bouncers who watch the crowd are courteous enough. They monitor everything carefully and don’t intrude too much. Crowd surfing is permitted (just don’t try and jump onto the stage. Those days are gone, and I’m glad I didn’t miss them!), because you’ll be sternly gripped by your arm and escorted back to the crowd of smelly people where you belong!
During the concert, the bouncers opened bottles of water, and asked the greedy guzzlers in the front row to take a little and pass the bottle back. I’ve never seen that before, and think its wonderful they care about guests remaining hydrated.
If you stick around after the show, roadies will toss set lists, drum sticks and picks towards the crowd AND a bouncer just might hand you your own bottle of water (that you don’t have to share!).
Another plus is that there’s ample parking North, South, East and West of the venue, so if you’re a single female and want to be close OR need more exercise and want to take extra steps, the options are there. Average of $ 7.55 per lot, and street parking is free after 8 (I think)!
Overall, it’s a great venue, but you’ve been warned. Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re getting into after this review, then come back and give 2 stars. Its worth more than that, in my opinion.
On a personal note, I finally got to attend my first Coheed and Cambria concert (because Warped Tour doesn’t count) since first listening to IKSSE:3 in 2006!

I’ve been to more than 20 events at the Showbox SoDo, and can say without reservation that it is one of my absolute favorite venues in Seattle. The sound quality has yet to disappoint, the bartenders are friendly and know what they’re doing, and the staff in general does pretty well taking care of business.
Most recently, at the Big Gigantic show on October 2^nd, my friend and I were waiting for our ride, and were some of the last people out of the building. We stood outside the door waiting, and before closing the gate the security guard, Aaron, went out of his way to check on us and make sure we were getting wherever we needed to safely. I cannot tell you with words how impressed we were with their staff that night, going above and beyond.

I live in SoCal – more specifically the LA area. We have a large EDM scene here and also have plenty of venues and clubs that holds little to large events. I was in Seattle for the weekend with some friends and I was lucky enough to attend the Tritonal, Cash Cash, & Party Favor show backstage (the only reason why I’m giving this place an extra star). 5 star show, 2 star venue.
I arrived a little late because I was dropped off at the wrong ShowBox and there was a small line of people to get in. I went to the ticket-​booth and picked up my VIP wristbands and was escorted to go through the back way. The security briefly checked my belongings and I walked up the stairs and before I knew it, I was backstage and Tritonal was right in front of me. I was SO HAPPY I wanted to cry but obvi I had to keep my composure.
The ventilation of the venue sucked. It was ridiculously hot backstage and the guys only had 2 small fans on the floor keeping them cool. I couldn’t have even imagined how hot the floor was until I had to walk through the crowd to get my ID checked/​arm stamped and I felt so bad for everyone on the floor. It was stuffy, sweaty, and small. Everyone was packed in the venue and they definitely oversold the show.
From a backstage POV, I loved the experience even though it was hot as tits. It was nice to see the show from a different perspective and how the artists really love their fans. There’s a lot of technical work that occurs behind the scenes and I was lucky enough to experience that. Tritonal & Cash Cash were standing next to me several times but I was too shy to say hi (didn’t want to be a groupie either). The guys were friendly and did acknowledge me though + smiled. I had the opportunity to meet them after but I thought I was going to throw up so… I missed out on that opportunity :(

I have only been here twice: My first time was for the NetEase PAX After Party with Steve Aoki and my second time was last night for Cash Cash and Tritonal. Overall not the best venue to host a show with big DJs but it’s just one of few venues Seattle has to offer unfortunately. The line to get into the venue was very long but it actually went by really fast! Security only checks your bag and wallet you have on hand. For Steve Aoki, surprisingly, a lot of people weren’t there. Probably because it was only by admission from PAX badges. They even added a mat on the ground to anticipate the cakes he was gonna throw, which was interesting. However for a bigger show like Cash Cash and Tritonal, it got too crowded everywhere, lines are ridiculously long, and the ventilation is poor. There was so much body heat that it all condensed to the ceiling and dripped on everyone again. Gross! The shows are great though, pretty cool visuals and light shows. As much as I wouldn’t wanna make this my top choice to watch a show, if I like them enough then I’ll go. I’m coming here next time for Yellow Claw, which will probably cause more mayhem but I am excited regardless lol. We’ll see if my review changes or not.

When thinking of how I would review this venue, I had to really stop and think… «Let’s be fair here». My first experience was no doubt a bad one, but I’m going to try to look past that for this review.
I recently attended Cash Cash and Tritonal’s Untouchable tour stop here. The DJs were great naturally, but To sum the venue experience up in a word, I must say «Disappointing». Very much so actually. This is most certainly not a place designed for a Rave of this magnitude, or really any get-​up-​and-​dance type of event. Best suited for seated events no doubt.
Location −5÷5
Excellent and very convenient location. No doubt the most redeeming quality of this venue. It is located just 5 minutes south of the Seattle Ferries in the SoDo area. About 3 blocks south of Safeco Baseball Field.
The Venue ²⁄₅
When I first walked in, two things went through my mind immediately: «The architecture looks great» and «this place is way too small». The warehouse features nice brick walls with a trendy wooden roof which screamed «prepare for an underwhelming lack of effects, with no pyrotechnics», and this proved to be very true. The ceiling was also quite low and features ZERO added effect lights. Basically, any lights you saw, came from the stage directly and that was it.
The sound quality was a little below average, as to be expected with a warehouse.
The stage was not elevated very high and the floor had no slant. Ventilation was minimal and felt very suffocating.
Cleanliness ¹⁄₅
Now for my BIGGEST gripe: The bathrooms
The event no doubt went over maximum capacity. The only two bathrooms in this place are only accessible through a single narrow staircase leading into a single door. This MUST be improved if they are to ever attempt something this big again. It was a ten minute wait just to get up the stairs, let alone use the bathroom. Because of this, some people ended up barfing on the floor.
Lastly, the pipes along the ceiling were leaking Heavily. By the end of the night, all of them were. I found this very sketchy and disgusting to be frank.
Security: ³⁄₅
Guards were respectful mostly. They had ID checkers at both bars. The event was over capacity and posed a definite fire hazard with only 3 exits in sight.
The Bar: ²⁄₅ The venue features two bar areas and a small VIP area (which I would suggest taking if you go to a big show here). One bar is off to the side and elevated. This is where the whole single staircase to the bathroom comes into play. This one is quite nice and had good seats and tables, but was out of view of the show.
The other was the back half of the warehouse fenced off with a bar at the end. That’s it. Not even an inch of elevation to see over the massive crowd ahead of you.
Summary: if your event says «no seating», Don’t go here. You will regret it.
This place was clearly designed for calmer events. Maybe a jazz show or stand up comedy. It has no business dabbling in the realm of concerts.
Alternatives would be the Neptune theater, an excellent music venue. Or for you fellow ravers out there: Foundation night club.

Special event space, as in especially awful. I attended a special event last week at Showbox Sodo. The place is dressed up all pretty, the bands were awesome, the event coordinators did a beautiful job pulling the event together. But there were so many things wrong with this venue and the catering by Wolfgang Puck.
Facilities: for a space that holds that many people, one bathroom is completely insufficient for all the guests and Showbox staff.
Drinks/​bartender: Complete gross out, fruit flies in my drink. I ordered a drink with bitters and tonic water. The bartender shook out the bitters into the glass, there was some brown chunky stuff flying into the glass. I thought it was sediment in the bitters at first, but no. The brown stuff had wings, I stopped counting after 3 flies because that can no longer be explained as an accidental fly in my drink, that’s outright negligence. The bitters must’ve been chock full of fruit flies for there to be that many flies in the small amount of bitters in a drink. What kind of inept bartender can’t put away their bottles properly so that flies don’t get in? Isn’t that common sense?
Food: the event was catered by Wolfgang Puck. There were several buffets set up throughout the space. It would’ve been fine if people were allowed to get food that was already sitting out, but apparently that’s not how Wolfgang Puck does things. One of the managers held the line for 30 minutes while the food already on the buffet wilted under the heat lamps and staff slowly brought out more dishes. If you’re going to hold the line, you better make sure you have a coordinated system so that the food can come out in as little time as possible. The food that did eventually get put out was really pedestrian. If I was the client who’s paying for the event, I’d be extremely displeased.
Service: Servers were very good at clearing tables and they were so pleasant, but the inevitable dropped food was left on the floor all over and not cleaned up for a long time. I slipped a bunch of times on dropped food. Another thing that was really odd was that we watched servers eat from the buffet line. I’m not against the servers helping themselves to the leftovers once the food is taken back to the kitchen, I’m not even against a family owned restaurant staff having staff dinner in the dining room if the restaurant is not busy. But catering staff eating off the buffet line during the event is pretty weird.
I plan yearly events for my company, so I’m fairly experienced at working with caterers. I’ve also worked at restaurants in the past. It’s not an easy job, but there are some standards to be expected. Those standards are very low for Wolfgang Puck catering.

Was here for the Miguel concert last week. Fuckin dope. I’m HELLA DISAPPOINTED in myself. So I was 3″ from rubbing my hand down his sweaty 6 pack. 3 INCHES FOLKS. That was my ultimate goal. I have a thing for 6 packs. That’s all I really wanted. Just a nice downward motion with nothing but sweat between us. Yaaaaas. But them groupie Bitchez… eh.
*rolls eyes*
Oh well, I have other 6 packs to touch so… until next time…
The venue was cool. Sound was great. I like the no seating thing. You really get to bond and dance with the hardcores, drunkies, or crazies. Oh… that’s most of Seattle. Lol. Ah can’t forget the geeks. Raaaght.
*looks to the side, then down*
Anyways it was dope. Parking wasn’t that bad. I’d go again… to feel on sweaty six packs… mmm.
Hey, HEY! DON’T JUDGE ME!

I came here for the Miguel concert on August 23, 2015. I thought it was a cool venue. Not big, but definitely not as small as I was expecting. The stage is at a good height for even shorter people like myself. I was standing in the middle to the back of the crowd and could still see him perform most of the time! The sound quality was also pretty decent, but then again, Miguel is also just an amazing live performer!
There’s a nice space on the side for the bar where you can sit and grab drinks and food before the show and even stay during the performances. I think it’s a great space to be for people who don’t enjoy breathing down necks and rubbing sweaty extremities together!
There’s also a bar on the opposite side of the stage that I think only serves beer. In addition to these two bars, there is also some space near the entrance that was nice and cluster-​free with a nice lit up brick wall for those #selfiezzz!
We took an Über here which was totally unnecessary considering it was a Sunday aka free street parking. There are also several lots around the venue that were relatively cheap, I think the most I saw was a $ 10 flat rate. But there was also no Mariners game going on which I think would definitely affect parking options if there was. Just some things to think about before deciding on your means of transportation!

I saw Jane’s Addiction here, and it was my first experience with the venue. I was extremely disappointed to say the least. The architecture is unique and reminds me of a modern warehouse, but the sound quality is horrible; especially if you’re sitting in the rear of the venue which I happened to be. There doesn’t seem to be any speakers in the back of the venue and there was so much noise from all the people sitting in the lounge area that it made it hard to hear the music. The ADA section is as far back in the venue as it could possibly be which makes it a challenge for anyone sitting back there because visibility of the stage is poor, especially if people who area seated in the VIP section decide to stand. This was clearly not well planned on the venue’s behalf! The only benefit to the location of the ADA section is that it’s located next to the wheelchair ramp, but the restrooms are located at the opposite end of the venue and anyone trying to navigate through the crowd is going to have a tough time.
Something else I found odd is that the lights weren’t completely dimmed once the band took the stage. At most venues the house lights are completely dimmed when the band takes the stage, but that wasn’t the case here. The lights above the VIP section and the lounge remained on throughout the show, so that was a little distracting.
The lounge offers about a dozen menu items ranging from appetizers to sandwiches and salads, and they’re reasonably priced. The lounge opens two hours before doors, so arriving early is a great way to grab a table to watch the show. There is also a VIP section with a decent view of the stage and ticket holders can upgrade to VIP for $ 25 per ticket.
There is a mixture of street parking if you get there early enough or various nearby lots for a flat fee.

I feel like the crowd is always different depending on the music. Came here for the Epik High (k-​hip-​hop/​rap/​pop group) tour and the whole crowd was pretty tame. Bunch of spazzy asian fangirl and boys.
With that being said, the acoustics aren’t TOO crappy. Obviously closer to stage (which I was in the midsection) kind of makes things sound better. There is bar food to the left, if you wanted to be there. Some people mentioned the temperature rise… I barely felt it. At that night it felt like there was good ventilation.
With that being said, if you are short, wear heels or something or come early to get into the front. The floor is flat unless you’re in the FAR back (like near the entrance). The stage isn’t elevated enough for average height people.
If your favourite artist is here, obviously all this doesn’t matter, just go!!!
I didn’t have any problems with the bouncers, but some of the guys are rude. Like not threatening rude, just why-is-this-my-job-I’m-taking-it-out-on-you rude.

Oh Showbox, how I dislike the venue itself, but still keep on going if there is a big DJ or artist coming. Why, just because of the convenient location and the fact that tickets are cheaper than shows that are the Tacoma Dome or Wamu Theater. If there’s ever a big DJ or artist performing, you are warned that it will literally feels like a tropical rain forest. I’m not even kidding, I thought somebody was secretly being obnoxious and flinging water at random people including me, but to find it, the water is sprinkling from the ceiling from everybody’s sweat that the poorly ventilated facility collected. My curly hair turned straight within a minute of being inside.
Restroom lines may take a couple million years and it will be sticky icky when you made your way to advance your spot to the oh mighty front where you are finally having the honor of waiting inside the restroom itself. With that being said, I will still come back because as long as you are not deep in the crowd and don’t need to continuously use the restrooms, you can still have the funnest time with good music and great friends!

Tiny venue but I saw my favorite band there
Well worth the price imp. If you want to drink go across the street drinks are at least $ 1 – 2 cheaper a glass.