The Refuge

Great place to hear local music I enjoy the extra area to lounge in and still hear the music is a nice venue and has a pretty good variety of music

As someone who is active in the local music scene, I consider this to be a fairly good venue. They host a variety of different shows from touring acts to locals and from heavy metal to indie/​alternative. It’s a medium-​sized venue with a modest capacity for 300 people. The biggest draw for me is the coffee house set-​up which provides a nice atmosphere that gives shows their intimate feel, but of course, there is plenty of room for moshing when it comes to heavy shows.
The venue is run by a Christian youth ministry, which means = No booze or drugs. They do however, have a snack bar that sells sodas, candy, chips, and popcorn. You can even go next door to Frank’s Pizza and bring in a box of pizza to enjoy, which is cool. The staff/​crowd is chill and easy to get along with, so long as you don’t act rude or get too rough in the mosh pits.
The only negative that stands out is the sound quality. This is a common complaint amongst bands and locals alike, and this is partly due to the building’s poor acoustics. Then again, we’re talking about a venue that is in a shopping center, so you can’t expect anything too sophisticated. Nevertheless, this is the only thing that keeps me from giving it 5 stars.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoy going to this venue, and if it wasn’t a far drive from me (I live in Newport News), I would likely go here on a regular basis to check out some of the cool new bands that play there, and maybe even attend their worship services on Sunday evenings. If you’re new to the music scene, The Refuge is a nice comfortable place to start.

It’s not necessarily a large venue, so the shows are somewhat intimate. They have a lounge area on one side as this seems to be a hang out spot for a church or something when they are not having shows. The reason I am giving it three stars is because of these things:
1 — The sound quality is lacking. I understand its a small venue, but there is really nothing spectacular about the acoustics in this place.
2 — There is no alcohol or smoking. I myself am not a smoker, but i know most people who go to the shows that they cater to here are.
3 — No re-​entry. I understand this but the fact that there is no alcohol allowed kind of makes it a pain in the ass. Pre-​game.
4 — It was a little down-​trodden when I went due to the crowd not showing much respect for the band playing. I now some bands aren’t good, but at least they are trying.
I will go here again in the future. I love local music!