Warehouse Live

Warehouse Live has two different venues– the Ballroom and the Studio. The Studio is probably half the size of the ballroom. I went to see Mayhem, Watain, and Rotting Christ about two months ago in the Ballroom. There’s a side railing on the left where you can stand; I believe that’s where you buy drinks and such. There’s a bar on the left and right side of the room. As soon as you enter the Ballroom, there’s the merchandise where you can buy cool band stuff. I’d rate the Ballroom 4 stars only because I prefer bit smaller venues where I can get closer to the band. Overall, it was really nice. Great venue. The Studio, which I had just visited two days ago on New Year’s Day to see Leftover Crack, only has one bar and there’s a short hallway leading you to the place. I’m not a huge fan of secondhand cigarette smoke, so just a heads up there is going to be people who smoke right in front of the doors. This is common at pretty much every venue, but the smoke was more concentrated. The merchandise table is on the left wall when you enter, and there’s a small bench connected to the wall at the back of the room. The stage has no barriers, which is almost always a great thing. :) I crowdsurfed for the first time; it was super exhilarating. The only downside is that since there were no barriers, people obviously want to get closer to the band. With that in mind, people are going to be super pushy and try to get in the front. I had to put my left leg on the stage to keep my balance, for if I didn’t I would have gotten severely bruised. Hell, this probably wouldn’t be the case for most people because everyone there was around 20+, despite it was an all ages event. I’m only 16 and 5’1, so I’m not very strong and pretty fragile. I left with only 3 bruises but they weren’t bad. If you plan to wear pins on your backpacks or battlevests, I strong advise you leave them at home where they won’t get lost. Five of my 7 pins got lost. I saw 2 shoes on the floor. Aside from all this craziness, this was one of the best venues I’ve ever been too. So intimate and memorable. Not to mention Brad Logan gave me a slice of pizza. That’s not something you get to experience everyday! You can meet the members afterwards if you’re willing to waiting 15 – 30 mins more. Five stars for the Studio.

Great, intimate venue for bands and events! I love this place. The last four times I have attended concerts have been wonderful. It’s still one of Houston’s best kept secrets for a live music attraction.
The venue in itself has a maximum capacity of 2500, smaller than most live music/​concert venues in Houston. They have two bars that are located in the main stage area, a smaller area called the Green Room with a separate bar, and a studio area, as well. The set up for concerts here is usually general admission and standing room only.
I found the drink prices during the shows have been fairly reasonable as compared to others in the area. The venue doesn’t serve food, so don’t come to the shows hungry. The sound and lighting has improved over the course of the last year or so, thus I’m do not understand the previous reviews and comments regarding the sound system. I attended a heavy metal concert here this past weekend, and the sound and lighting were excellent.
Parking was even more reasonable.
If you come early and when the doors open, usually an hour before the concert, off street parking options are avaykabit. Otherwise, the parking lots around the area are usually at $ 5 – 7 per car.

This venue is great! I always enjoy coming here and listening to good music. The bar staff is usually very cordial however the female bartender tonite, 28 November, was crass and condescending. It’s unfortunate how one individual can taint your experience

I don’t really like this venue, because I feel like I CAN NEVER SEE ANYTHING. I’ve been to my share of venues, but I literally don’t know what the problem is. Maybe it’s the height of the actual stage? Another reviewer said it may be because of the lighting. I dunno, but I’m also always able to make it really close to the front row. Maybe I need to stand in the back? I have no idea, but that has always annoyed me about this venue. Also, the sound quality isn’t as great as other venues. I mean, come on, Walter’s downtown is a tiny tiny venue, but they still have their sound check in order. I’ve seen Bruno Mars, KONGOS, Empire of the Sun here to name a few. I’ve just never really liked this venue.

2 of the stage of the Houston Whatever Fest are located here. Makes sense since the music festival takes up the street blocks from here to the BBVA stadium. There’s one bigger stage you first see when you enter in and then a smaller stage next door. It definitely has a small, intimate feeling when seeing a show in either room and the small room has limited seating in the very back near the stage tech. This place also has a full bar inside. There area sure looks seedy at night but there were police in and around the area since there’s a festival going on so I felt safe that time walk back to my car at night.

Parked a block away for $ 15 for the SG Blackheart Burlesque show (fantastic set — great time and beautiful women!).
The venue is a bit small and, for the show I attended, most of the floor was a reserved seated area.
The general admission bar had two taps: Bud-​something and it-was-mediocre-so-I-don’t-remember-the-name going for $ 6.50 a cup. The bathroom wasn’t very clean, but there were enough stalls to pick and choose from. A thumbs up for no smoking inside the venue.

First time at Warehouse Live, saw Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque last night with my boyfriend — the lighting was awful. It was almost like the lights were positioned to display the audience, not the performers. There were several points where we just couldn’t see what was going on — I have been to many, many shows & I know the lights occasionally shine on the crowd, but this was just ridiculous.
Maybe it was just a bad night for whoever set up the lights, or maybe it was supposed to be like that per the performers. Who knows.
I am definitely hesitant to come back to see anyone else here though.

The Warehouse Live is Houston’s live hip-​hop music capital. Usually all the rappers that aren’t big enough to go to the Toyota Center come to the Warehouse. Acts such as Drake and Kendrick Lamar played at the Warehouse before they got really big. But the warehouse goes beyond hip hop especially on weekdays. A lot of reggae, actually. But this is particularly centered on urban music.
The venue is not that big, but they manage to fit a few thousands of people here. I’ve seen Bun B, Kirko Bangz, Travis Scott, Slim Thug. Just remember the big concerts get packed. They have a bad with alcohol, but when it gets packed, good luck getting from the bar to back where you were standing at. Of course, though, you have the VIP alternative if you don’t mind spending extra.
Of course, the Warehouse is located in the EaDo district, which is quickly becoming a diverse party scene. Packing a soccer stadium, food park, the warehouse, and the Old Chinatown is kind of funny. So it gives you the diverse party feel. But back on topic, the lines can be somewhat especially for big events, and once you’re in, you’re in, so make sure you bring everything you need with you.

Warehouse Live is my favorite concert venue in Houston and coincidentally 2 blocks from my place. They always have great acts. Security can be a pain, but they don’t take away from the experience.
I’ve seen a variety of performers here –The Internet, Allen Stone, Kendrick Lamar and Mos Def just to name a few. For bigger acts, early arrival is suggested as the line starts as early as 6am the day of.
Warehouse is a standing-​only venue, so keep that in mind. If you are in the back, chances are you’re going to be in a crowd and hot. If you have to leave for any reason, you’re going to lose your spot if you don’t know how to bogart. When my favorite artists tour, I pray that they go to Warehouse because it’s truly a great place to hear live music.

Cool looking venue. I saw this group call The Internet perform (def check them out!!) they were great live and crowd was nice.
The only downside was the drinks! My friends and I all had different drinks from two separate bartenders and all of them tasted bad :(
My friends beer was warm, my double shot of vodka with sprite tasted like sprite alone and my friends vodka & cranberry tasted watered down as well. I’m actually not very picky about drinks but we really didn’t enjoy these drinks which, again, we ordered from different bartenders. It was a busy night but I don’t believe the drinks should’ve suffered because of that. I would come to this venue again for a concert but I’d probably check out the bar across the street beforehand.

I like this place! Only thing I hate is finding a parking spot and it’s kinda in a bad location ! The bathrooms are gross tho !

Decent venue but nothing special. Most of the parking in the area is overpriced, but you can find free or cheaper parking not to far away. I’ve been here a few times and the experience can be quite different depending on what’s going on so it’s kinda hard to review such a place.

I like Warehouse. I’ve performed comedy there but there is no longer an open mic night. I wish they would bring that back.
So far good drinks and great concerts. I saw Common this year. It was a small venue but that was perfect to be that close to the stage.

I LOVE live music so it ain’t no secret that I’m an avid concert goer. That being said I’ve have had my share of music venue experiences here in Houston– Warehouse Live being one of them. Located in the East Downtown area, this place not only hosts live concerts but really cool events as well. Laid back. Intimate. Chill. Good views– all descriptions that come to mind when I think of this venue. Add your favorite artist and/​or event to that and your night might end up being kinda dope!
The first time I came to Warehouse Live was for the Arts, Beats, and Lyrics event sponsored by Jack Daniels a couple years or so ago. Super cool event displaying distinct artwork pieces mixed with hip hop music and of course alcohol for the free– thanks Mr. Daniels! Definitely a good look and Warehouse was the perfect spot for such an event. This is just an example of some of the events that are showcased here. As far as live shows, this is a general admission live concert venue which means when you purchase a ticket it will be just that– general admission with no seating. The good thing is if you arrive early enough you can haul ass straight to the front of the stage and literally be all in the mix with a bomb ass view. I was recently here to see D’Angelo (which was an amazing show by the way) and was able to get a spot near the front, right at the center of the stage. Best believe ya girl was on cloud 9 because I was overly hyped to see him and to be that close was just «whew!” — UNREAL!
The tickets will always say doors will open an hour before showtime but more than likely that won’t be the case. They are known to keep you standing outside at least 30 minutes before the show starts so be prepared to be one of many lined up waiting to get in. Being that this is a venue with no seating, know that you will be standing throughout the entire show once you make it inside. PSA for all my ladies– leave those heels in the closet boo and opt for some cute flats instead, okay? Trust me on this! The floor is made of concrete and even with my cute strappy flat sandals, after a couple hours my feet were still like «girl bye, sit down!». I can only imagine what standing in heels would’ve been like. Definitely a no-​go so save yourself the pain and thank me later.
When the doors open it will be freezing inside, but don’t fret– as more people crowd in, the freezing becomes bearable. Lord knows I hate to be hot, so this definitely earns Warehouse an extra star in my book. The restrooms are very clean. They usually have an attendant on site in the ladies room. The bar area is a decent size and my experiences with the drinks have been great so far. During my recent visit, the bar tender did a great job mixing my drink as I had a good little buzz going before the man of the hour (D’Angelo) hit the stage. Yaaaas honey, get me right! Parking shouldn’t be an issue, as there are plenty of lots surrounding the venue that you can park at within walking distance. Just make sure you bring cash! I paid $ 10.00 to park at a lot right across from Warehouse. Pay, park, and go– piece of cake! So yeah, I’m a fan of Warehouse Live and as long as they continue to have cool events and great artists on their line up, I’m sure I’ll be somewhere in the mix!

Came here to see PMJ with my daughter. Great intimate venue, SRO sucks but you do what you have to for those bands you want to see! Bar is very small and gets busy quickly!

We were invited to play the Springboard South Music Festival and this was the venue for the main acts. We played twice over the course of the weekend. It’s a bit of a boring layout. Not much creativity. It’s basically a square box with no care for interior design. But more importantly, the sound system is average at best. It’s a good space in terms of capacity however.

I’ve seen tons of metal bands here both in the Studio and the Ballroom. the bands I seen here over the year was Nightwish, Satyricon, Gojira, Danzig, Marduk, Zoraster and Opeth. I’ll break the review in two parts.
First of the Studio, I prefer this venue of the two, it is smaller but there is a seating area which is raised pretty high on top, much better acoustics, and closer bathrooms, with the merch stands nearby. The stage is lower and closer as well so it’s easily as intimate as the smaller venues like the Scout Bar and the former Redroom in the Meridan.
The Ballroom is the larger more upscale of the two. Two bars on each side, much bigger stage. and security between the railings, comparable to the House of Blues without the nazi rules there. The acoustics isn’t as good since it is a legit warehouse with much higher ceilings. However the lighting is amazing and the sound is very listenable, just stay in the center, near the sound guys or front to get the sweet spot of the venue.
The drawbacks, Alcohol isn’t poured as well as Meridan or hell House of blues, I don’t care if I’m being picky but using a mixer to quickly make a Long Island Iced Tea is just cheaping out, this is downtown, I don’t mind paying extra for drinks in midtown, or downtown but if I’m paying just as much as a hip midtown bar ($ 10) for a long island I expect it poured right with four different liqours, I do tip well when I see my drinks done properly. Street Parking is hard to find if you are not there early so consider the validated parking a block or two down so keep an extra $ 20 in case just for that.

Well people, I love music venues that are open with no seats. Why? Because when I come to see a show, I come to get down (cup in one hand and phone in the other). This is a good size venue but not huge. I’ve seen Devin the Dude here and it was pretty awesome! I can’t comment on the bar area because I was catching the beat and riding it to the front of the stage (Ha! That’s how you bogart son!). This may become one of my faves to watch a laid back show.

I’ve been to Warehouse Live twice now. Once for SWS w/​Breathe Carolina (and other bands) and recently for Echosmith on the Honda Civic Tour.
The best thing about Warehouse Live is it’s ample, there is ton of space in the venue. Another plus is that parking is pretty cheap here!

«Backstage at Warehouse in ’09 like is Bun coming?
Fck that, is anyone coming ‘fore I show up there and there’s no one there?
These days, I could probably pack it for like twenty nights if I go in there.»
Even a casual listener of Drake’s music knows about his love for H-​town. He was here for Houston Appreciation Weekend to go back to the venue where it all started, in the city that made his career. Tickets for this event were not for sale; the only way to obtain them was to sign up for a volunteering event. And of course, thousands of people fought for a mere couple hundred spots. J and I enlisted our entire crew in trying to snag a pair of spots, and one friend was clutch enough to succeed.
It’s rewarding to know that you’re surrounded by true fans who earned their tickets, and it makes for an incredible concert when the whole room knows every word to every song.
We waited over an hour to get through the doors, and I will admit that the staff wasn’t equipped to handle the volume. There were only two security guards checking bags and tickets through one small entrance. This should give you an idea how intimate the space is. I was literally in the same room as Drake, making intense eye contact. It’s standing room only, and I’m the worst kind of person who pushes through the crowd to get to the front so I can see the sweat on his face. In my defense, nobody ever gets angry because they can still see over my head. J is almost 6 ft tall though… I may have put a target on his back by dragging him through.
There is NO better way to experience your favorite artist or band (unless you’re claustrophobic). You can actually feel their presence instead of watching the jumbo-​tron.