For a second, I thought you meant Ian McKay, and I was all like fugazi?!?
The Anthem
I want to echo the parking question. There is a big underground garage, right?
Hmm well at least 2 members of fugazi are playing tonight, heh (the messthetics)
Hey Seth…
Thanks for the preview tonight. Nice to chat with you before we went in.
Some feedback below, both good and constructive.
Good:
-Staff are great. The 930 hospitality training program for staff that work at any of your venues continues its path of success.
-Food is tasty and nice partnering with Red Apron to support another local business.
-Tons of water fountains and water bottle filling stations. YAY!
-Venue is attractive. We all loved the cymbals display.
-Venue is very accessible to the mobility challenged.
Needs improvement:
-Crowd control is non existent. There should have been line dividers set up. This only had probably 2000 people who were all pretty easy going. Thursday is a going to be a shitshow with 6000 people who are not going to be so easy going. Businesses are gonna be pissed when no one can get in their store because there are 3 snacked around lines in front of their doors.
-Sound kinda bounces. Maybe that will be mitigated with a completely full venue but to me it seemed way obvious tonight.
-You need something by the food to show which order number is ready-like one of those deli "no serving" thingies. It was a total clusterfuck of hangry people waiting 40 minutes and your poor staff trying to yell out numbers in a super loud venue.
-Sensors on the automatic soap and water dispensers in the bathroom are a total pain in the ass. All my friends had the same experience and other in the restrooms were bitching as well. I couldn't even get the soap to come out of 3 dispensers.
-Food containers look not to be compostable. My friend is a crazy environmentalist and wasn't pleased to see plastic being used to hold her shrimp. Talk to Sweetgreen and see what company they used for their compostable containers.
Thanks for the preview tonight. Nice to chat with you before we went in.
Some feedback below, both good and constructive.
Good:
-Staff are great. The 930 hospitality training program for staff that work at any of your venues continues its path of success.
-Food is tasty and nice partnering with Red Apron to support another local business.
-Tons of water fountains and water bottle filling stations. YAY!
-Venue is attractive. We all loved the cymbals display.
-Venue is very accessible to the mobility challenged.
Needs improvement:
-Crowd control is non existent. There should have been line dividers set up. This only had probably 2000 people who were all pretty easy going. Thursday is a going to be a shitshow with 6000 people who are not going to be so easy going. Businesses are gonna be pissed when no one can get in their store because there are 3 snacked around lines in front of their doors.
-Sound kinda bounces. Maybe that will be mitigated with a completely full venue but to me it seemed way obvious tonight.
-You need something by the food to show which order number is ready-like one of those deli "no serving" thingies. It was a total clusterfuck of hangry people waiting 40 minutes and your poor staff trying to yell out numbers in a super loud venue.
-Sensors on the automatic soap and water dispensers in the bathroom are a total pain in the ass. All my friends had the same experience and other in the restrooms were bitching as well. I couldn't even get the soap to come out of 3 dispensers.
-Food containers look not to be compostable. My friend is a crazy environmentalist and wasn't pleased to see plastic being used to hold her shrimp. Talk to Sweetgreen and see what company they used for their compostable containers.
great time tonight, got to say hi to seth, boilen, canty and hang with some iconic boardies.
the venue is beautiful and huge, a giant playground.
that cymbal display is jaw-dropping.
minor issues will be resolved, we know.
thank you seth, we share your pride and joy.
the venue is beautiful and huge, a giant playground.
that cymbal display is jaw-dropping.
minor issues will be resolved, we know.
thank you seth, we share your pride and joy.
Overall, an excellent, but expensive night! Full recap tomorrow.
DotTheEyes wrote:
I want to echo the parking question. There is a big underground garage, right?
Yes, and plenty of spaces tonight.
lily1 wrote:
Hey Seth…
Thanks for the preview tonight. Nice to chat with you before we went in.
Some feedback below, both good and constructive.
Good:
-Staff are great. The 930 hospitality training program for staff that work at any of your venues continues its path of success.
-Food is tasty and nice partnering with Red Apron to support another local business.
-Tons of water fountains and water bottle filling stations. YAY!
-Venue is attractive. We all loved the cymbals display.
-Venue is very accessible to the mobility challenged.
Needs improvement:
-Crowd control is non existent. There should have been line dividers set up. This only had probably 2000 people who were all pretty easy going. Thursday is a going to be a shitshow with 6000 people who are not going to be so easy going. Businesses are gonna be pissed when no one can get in their store because there are 3 snacked around lines in front of their doors.
-Sound kinda bounces. Maybe that will be mitigated with a completely full venue but to me it seemed way obvious tonight.
-You need something by the food to show which order number is ready-like one of those deli "no serving" thingies. It was a total clusterfuck of hangry people waiting 40 minutes and your poor staff trying to yell out numbers in a super loud venue.
-Sensors on the automatic soap and water dispensers in the bathroom are a total pain in the ass. All my friends had the same experience and other in the restrooms were bitching as well. I couldn't even get the soap to come out of 3 dispensers.
-Food containers look not to be compostable. My friend is a crazy environmentalist and wasn't pleased to see plastic being used to hold her shrimp. Talk to Sweetgreen and see what company they used for their compostable containers.
Seconded on the food delivery and soap sensors. Also there was no service from Sprint, more towers or Wi-Fi would help.
fun night at soft1
got to say hey to seth, chat with rich and also with ian mackaye (who seth called a "pussy" earlier in the night).
venue is large, and new, and shiny.
it is a deadzone for cell service,but the free wifi worked great.
the food service was spotty, but ultimately was okay.
parked on the street, but was kind of dicey - illegal due to temporary no parking restrictions.
Bands were good, enjoyed Bat Fangs the most.
Staph was friendly.
There are water fountains but no water pitchers at the bars…
Thanks VasD for the ticket!
got to say hey to seth, chat with rich and also with ian mackaye (who seth called a "pussy" earlier in the night).
venue is large, and new, and shiny.
it is a deadzone for cell service,but the free wifi worked great.
the food service was spotty, but ultimately was okay.
parked on the street, but was kind of dicey - illegal due to temporary no parking restrictions.
Bands were good, enjoyed Bat Fangs the most.
Staph was friendly.
There are water fountains but no water pitchers at the bars…
Thanks VasD for the ticket!
I had a good time. The place had a great look and great sound. the music was lovely.
I am glad I am not going on Thursday to the Foos though, I am betting it will be a big mess at the Wharf. Good luck to all who attend!
Those soap dispensers were indeed terrible and really did not work. Maybe put in old school ones with no sensors!
I am glad I am not going on Thursday to the Foos though, I am betting it will be a big mess at the Wharf. Good luck to all who attend!
Those soap dispensers were indeed terrible and really did not work. Maybe put in old school ones with no sensors!
we were not able to connect to the wireless.
i had either 1 or 2 bars of service with verizon depending on where i stood in the venue. my friends on ATT had no service at all.
i had either 1 or 2 bars of service with verizon depending on where i stood in the venue. my friends on ATT had no service at all.
I had a nice time at the soft opening. I ran into a ton of people that I know from different parts of life. The line was huge when I got there but it moved pretty fast to get in. The wharf is no where near ready. My friends paid $25 to park in the garage but I've got a trick that I think will keep parking free and easy (at least until they catch on and change the parking rules). My friends who didn't know the area and tried to use google maps/uber got lost because the address wasn't recognized.
Soap dispensers didn't work for me and I heard that there were problems with the lights in the ladies restroom. I like the balcony but can't imagine it won't be loud for the apartments around it. Sound was great for me on the floor. It was kind of loud and bass heavy upstairs when we checked it out at the end but things had already started to thin out by then. There are a couple of the seats with obstructed (the ones in the corners) by rails when you are sitting.
My friends who really wanted to eat ended up leaving early rather than dealing with the food system. (They did appreciate the prospect of a vegan hot dog though).
Beer selection had some local stuff, which was nice, but not a lot that was interesting.
Soap dispensers didn't work for me and I heard that there were problems with the lights in the ladies restroom. I like the balcony but can't imagine it won't be loud for the apartments around it. Sound was great for me on the floor. It was kind of loud and bass heavy upstairs when we checked it out at the end but things had already started to thin out by then. There are a couple of the seats with obstructed (the ones in the corners) by rails when you are sitting.
My friends who really wanted to eat ended up leaving early rather than dealing with the food system. (They did appreciate the prospect of a vegan hot dog though).
Beer selection had some local stuff, which was nice, but not a lot that was interesting.
Not that soap dispensers don't define my concert-going experience, but let's not lose sight of the fact that this is a phenomenal venue. The place is massive but feels as intimate as the 9:30 Club somehow. The sound was excellent–as good as anywhere I've been, which is a feat given the size. It's a beautiful space with nice lighting, furnishings, the cymbal sculpture, stairs–I even dug the pixellated stage curtains. Another great feature is an outdoor balcony on the second floor that looks out onto the waterfront. Somehow, the sound from the stage doesn't bleed out to the balcony, so it's probably going to be a hit with people who aren't into loud opening acts or just need a breather from a band. There are bars everywhere and plenty of bartenders so the lines moved quickly (and if there was a line, it was easy enough to find another bar that was open). I think the DC area is pretty spoiled for all the great and interesting music venues we have. But this really stands out as perhaps the best venue of its size anywhere in the country.
All three bands were excellent, but the second one (Bat Fangs, I think) were my favorite. All thee bands played music of a similar sound, so it will be interesting to hear what other types of bands sound like on that stage (e.g., horn sections, acoustic acts). I'm looking forward to going back!
All three bands were excellent, but the second one (Bat Fangs, I think) were my favorite. All thee bands played music of a similar sound, so it will be interesting to hear what other types of bands sound like on that stage (e.g., horn sections, acoustic acts). I'm looking forward to going back!
Was the show as amazing and incredible that Julian said it was going to be?
;D
;D
Hasn't really been part of anyone's comments yet so I'll presume the answer is "no, but it was fine".
How late did people stay?
How late did people stay?
StoneTheCrow wrote:
Hasn't really been part of anyone's comments yet so I'll presume the answer is "no, but it was fine".
How late did people stay?
The show was fun; very much a tribute to DC's past; but you don't need to go to the anthem to see any of those bands. Seth said that Bob Boilen was the first band to play both 9:30 clubs. To be fair to Julien he only said one of the two nights was amazing and it would be markedly better than the other.
Opened with Bob Boilen's band Danger Painter who I enjoyed. Had kind of a gothic thing going on but it was a huge space for them and a lot of people were talking.
Second band was BatFangs. They have the guitarist from ExHex and a drummer. They had a guest bassist as well. Consensus is that they were the best of the night.
Closing was the Messthetics which was Joe and Brendan from Fugazi plus a guitarist. Totally instrumental. Not bad, but it cleared out by the end.
Kid Congo Powers and Ian Svenonius were DJing at the beginning and the end from the stage.
I saw the whole thing and got to my car by 11:00.
Bat Fangs was really good…I thought…
Pretty awesome night and we in DC are so lucky to have guys like Seth building and running epic venues.
The place is beautiful and looks small for as large as it is.
A few hangups:
On the second and third floors, can't use the men's room if you can't find it. One of the entrance's had an employee standing out front with a flash light, ostensibly to serve as the light for the sign.
The faucets in the mens room barely worked. This is the most irritating feature of the 21st century: Insistence on automatic faucets.
One guy at one of the bars on the first level kept screwing up my beer order. How do you screw up Pacifico?
No beer prices listed anywhere. List your beer prices.
Finally, I know this is the trend, but I don't like the Anthem going to credit card only. Accept cash.
In general the neighborhood needs to improve pedestrian accomodations, like widening the sidewalk and simplifying the crosswalks at 9 and Maine. That part of SW is about to have 10,000 more people down there on a regular basis and the pedestrian infrastructure was built for 1/4 that.
All in all, nice job, thanks for letting us visit!
The place is beautiful and looks small for as large as it is.
A few hangups:
On the second and third floors, can't use the men's room if you can't find it. One of the entrance's had an employee standing out front with a flash light, ostensibly to serve as the light for the sign.
The faucets in the mens room barely worked. This is the most irritating feature of the 21st century: Insistence on automatic faucets.
One guy at one of the bars on the first level kept screwing up my beer order. How do you screw up Pacifico?
No beer prices listed anywhere. List your beer prices.
Finally, I know this is the trend, but I don't like the Anthem going to credit card only. Accept cash.
In general the neighborhood needs to improve pedestrian accomodations, like widening the sidewalk and simplifying the crosswalks at 9 and Maine. That part of SW is about to have 10,000 more people down there on a regular basis and the pedestrian infrastructure was built for 1/4 that.
All in all, nice job, thanks for letting us visit!
An absolutely world-class venue. Reminded me a little bit of the Moody Theater in Austin (where ACL tapes), but hard to draw comparisons.
Plenty of nits, including the food ordering and soap dispensers (it looked like someone just busted one of them open at some point in the evening to try to get to that sweet, sweet hand soap). I really liked the standing-room only section on the second floor behind the seated area, but the small stairs separating the "rows" in that area are not lighted and a real hazard. I have no idea how they're going to process 6,000+ people every night - it took us 45 minutes (from 7 pm to 7:45 pm) to move through the line.
It was really fun to be involved in the opening night.
Plenty of nits, including the food ordering and soap dispensers (it looked like someone just busted one of them open at some point in the evening to try to get to that sweet, sweet hand soap). I really liked the standing-room only section on the second floor behind the seated area, but the small stairs separating the "rows" in that area are not lighted and a real hazard. I have no idea how they're going to process 6,000+ people every night - it took us 45 minutes (from 7 pm to 7:45 pm) to move through the line.
It was really fun to be involved in the opening night.
gavroche wrote:StoneTheCrow wrote:
Hasn't really been part of anyone's comments yet so I'll presume the answer is "no, but it was fine".
How late did people stay?
The show was fun; very much a tribute to DC's past; but you don't need to go to the anthem to see any of those bands. Seth said that Bob Boilen was the first band to play both 9:30 clubs. To be fair to Julien he only said one of the two nights was amazing and it would be markedly better than the other.
Opened with Bob Boilen's band Danger Painter who I enjoyed. Had kind of a gothic thing going on but it was a huge space for them and a lot of people were talking.
Second band was BatFangs. They have the guitarist from ExHex and a drummer. They had a guest bassist as well. Consensus is that they were the best of the night.
Closing was the Messthetics which was Joe and Brendan from Fugazi plus a guitarist. Totally instrumental. Not bad, but it cleared out by the end.
Kid Congo Powers and Ian Svenonius were DJing at the beginning and the end from the stage.
I saw the whole thing and got to my car by 11:00.
Bat Fangs' drummer is Laura from Flesh Wounds (who have backed up Mac from Superchunk on his solo tours)
Stayed to the end as well, 10:45ish.
Tomorrow is confirmed, Andrew WK, and I don't know who else.