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Sonar is no more

K8teebug
Joined: August 03, 2004 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4126
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 02:13 PM UTC #
Too bad.  Went to some really great shows there.
showlistdc
Joined: January 27, 2012 at 03:46 PM UTC
Posts: 758
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 02:27 PM UTC #
(psst, I posted this a couple of days ago on the 'just announced' thread!)
sweetcell
Joined: July 18, 2006 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 22608
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 02:45 PM UTC #
folks might have missed this in the "dropping like flies" discussion of the demise of sonar:

sweetcell wrote:
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
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 03:10 PM UTC #
Too bad.

I also saw some great shows there.
bunnyman
Joined: November 19, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 5542
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 03:43 PM UTC #
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
Joined: January 05, 2006 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 2297
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:05 PM UTC #
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
Joined: January 27, 2012 at 03:46 PM UTC
Posts: 758
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:10 PM UTC #
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
Joined: July 22, 2009 at 09:02 PM UTC
Posts: 5620
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:12 PM UTC #
The important thing to me…

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?
showlistdc
Joined: January 27, 2012 at 03:46 PM UTC
Posts: 758
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:13 PM UTC #
James wrote:
Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?

Well they moved Summer Slaughter from Sonar to Richmond, so who knows.
brokensocscene
Joined: December 12, 2005 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 9016
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:23 PM UTC #
DC will get more metal shows for sure.

James wrote:
The important thing to me…

Does this mean DC will get more good shows and Baltimore less?
James Ford
Joined: July 22, 2009 at 09:02 PM UTC
Posts: 5620
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:31 PM UTC #
Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.

Vas wrote:
DC will get more metal shows for sure.

James wrote:
The important thing to me…

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

showlistdc
Joined: January 27, 2012 at 03:46 PM UTC
Posts: 758
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:37 PM UTC #
Vas wrote:
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
Joined: October 28, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 3869
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 05:54 PM UTC #
James wrote:
Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.

Vas wrote:
DC will get more metal shows for sure.

James wrote:
The important thing to me…

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




I hear your sarcasm loud and clear.  ;D ;D ;D

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.
brokensocscene
Joined: December 12, 2005 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 9016
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 06:03 PM UTC #
I sure hope Ottobar and Golden West gets them. Sidebar doesn't book quality metal, unfortunately.
notme
Joined: September 30, 2009 at 10:52 PM UTC
Posts: 249
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 06:20 PM UTC #
sounds like goldenvoice in ca
MindCage
Joined: May 14, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1282
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 06:33 PM UTC #
James wrote:
Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.



Except JAXX is no longer there. It's now called Empire, with new owners, etc. :)
MindCage
Joined: May 14, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 1282
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 06:35 PM UTC #
bearman wrote:
Good riddance. Crummy venue. Saw decent shows that could have been much better in another club. Bands didn't really enjoy performing there either.


I played there 3 times (All different bands) on the club side and enjoyed every time we played.  The first time was the best since it was still owned by Lonnie Fisher and had that club's shit together.

showlistdc
Joined: January 27, 2012 at 03:46 PM UTC
Posts: 758
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 07:07 PM UTC #
MindCage wrote:
James wrote:
Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.



Except JAXX is no longer there. It's now called Empire, with new owners, etc. :)


I thought that was common knowledge at this point!  For those who weren't aware, I wrote an article about Jay's sale of Jaxx to Outerloop last year.
James Ford
Joined: July 22, 2009 at 09:02 PM UTC
Posts: 5620
Re: Sonar is no more July 11, 2012 at 07:09 PM UTC #
I'm willing to bet that 99% of people in the DC area don't know. Or care.

showlistdc wrote:
MindCage wrote:
James wrote:
Great! JAXX is within walking distance of my house.



Except JAXX is no longer there. It's now called Empire, with new owners, etc. :)


I thought that was common knowledge at this point!  For those who weren't aware, I wrote an article about Jay's sale of Jaxx to Outerloop last year.
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