SOMA

This place really weirds me out. It’s an all ages venue so there are usually lots of high schoolers and pre-​teens. It’s very hard to tell what kind of concert you are going to because there are so many people from all different ages and backgrounds for any given show.
I’ve seen a few random shows here like Augustana, Milky Chance, and The Wombats. Each time the crowd had a large amount of kids under 18 without their parents. The majority of them were wasted and it was awkward being around that. They do not serve alcohol inside, which causes everyone to get hammered before the show.
I’ve seen minors with barely any clothing on and body parts slipping out, lots of tears outside because people weren’t allowed in, and lots of fights because of the class of people.
Other than the weird crowds that come, the sound at the venue is pretty good, but the room is standing only and it is all flat. It is hard to see if you are not within the first 10 rows.
If it was a 21 and up venue I would feel a lot more comfortable there. Also, if they slope the floor a little bit, it would make a huge difference. Until then, I will be at the Belly Up for all my small venue concerts!

I’ve seen Mac Miller, Chance the Rapper, Action Bronson, T. Mills, Sammy Adams, ONE OK ROCK, Sleeping With Sirens, and Neck Deep here. Had fun a fun experience each time!

SOMA is one of the best venues I’ve ever been to and that’s what keeps me coming here again and again for amazing live music from a variety of local and national artists!
I’ve been coming to SOMA since I was a teen back then it was their old location where I remember seeing Blink-​182 & Unwritten Law rock the stage for a night of awesome music!
Now a days they rock an even more amazing venue that used to be a movie theater with this they created a gigantic main stage area where they combined all the rooms into one huge general admission area where you have plenty of space to move around even when it’s a packed house!
They also have a smaller side stage area in the back that serves for a great area for the smaller shows as it’s just the right size to pack everyone in for a great time of rocking moshing and dancing!
This venue never lets me down on sound quality either I’ve seen soooo many amazing shows here over the years and all of them have sounded amazing and left me in high spirits throughout the night and beyond!
The staff who works here have always been super amazing and really nice about anything and everything you could possibly need help with which truly makes for one of the reasons why this venue continues to thrive over it’s many years in existence.
They have an awesome backstage area which is upstairs and pretty much the entire area that used to be the projection booths it has several different rooms for the different bands to hangout and do their thing in as well as a easy way to get to the huge stage area.
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of shows here like Rise Against, Propagandhi, [Sub] [Hum] [Ans], Rehab, NOFX, Anti-​Flag, Bouncing Souls, Rx Bandits, The Casualties, Mustard Plug, Slayer, Pennywise, Good Riddance, Authority Zero, TheLine, A Global Threat, The Skank Agents, Strike Anywhere, Swindle, Bad Religion, Guttermouth, 1208, Pepper, Agent 51, Against Me!, Mad Caddies and many others that I can’t think of right now but each time has been an awesome experience and one that I won’t forget!
One of the best parts of this venue is its all ages so it provides a positive environment for youth to come and enjoy some live music so bring the grommets!
They have a snack bar with some candy and sodas and that’s about it so if your looking for booze you won’t find it here but that’s ok because the show you came here will be soo amazing that you will forget all about it!
Since they don’t serve food here you might want to stop somewhere before getting here I might suggest the awesomeness that is Phil’s BBQ down the street where you can eat your meat!
They have a box office that’s open during shows and sometimes during the week if you plan on coming to a show here that’s not a huge one that’s going to sell out you might wanna stop by and pick up some tickets to save you from getting those annoying service fees!
Overall SOMA rocks for keeping the scene alive and for supporting the awesome local and national bands that play here I’m sure it won’t be long before I make another trip to SOMA for some awesome live music and just an all around radical concert every time!
SEE YOU IN THE PIT!

This is my first time going to a concert at SOMA, and it was alright.
My friend bought a ticket from someone and wasn’t allowed to come in because his name didn’t match the name on the ticket.
I mean, people resell their tickets on stubhub and other websites all the time. It’s pretty unfair that he and a handful of people couldn’t enjoy the concert.
Also, this place has no air whatsoever. They opened the side door and placed two big fans to help ventilate the area.

First time seeing a show at this venue and I was very skeptical after reading the reviews. But honestly I think it was a great little hole in the wall for a show. It’s all standing space and pretty small for the most part. It’s an all ages venue and no booze. Had a issue with the guy checking the tickets and told us that the name on the ticket needs to match your ID… which was frustrating because I had purchased the tickets on stub hub! So had to talk to a lady and she let us in. Other than that nothing too special, you get what you pay for. Enjoy!

Went there tonight 10÷31÷15. It was a solid line up for a great price $ 16 For Today, Fit For A King, Gideon, Phineas and I can’t remember the openers name but they were decent. It was great to see a positive line up like that. The atmosphere was great. High fives and stage dives!
Okay now onto the venue itself. It has two stages the main stage and side stage. This review is for the side stage. It’s very dated… Well if old plain black walls and shredded drapes hanging from the walls is your thing then I guess this is your cup of tea.
The lighting is sub par for sure. The sound was decent. Not the worst but nowhere what it could be for the money this place brings in. I’m not sure if it’s in house audio tech or if the bands have audio techs but they weren’t very good at mixing it. Levels were off a lot and varied quite a bit every band and almost every song.
The bathrooms… Oh my that’s all I have to say. I’ve used nicer bathrooms in TJ and jail. But they do have toilet seats now. That’s the only upgrade this place has had in over a decade and that’s sad bc this place draws some big bands and big money.
The security at door was okay. Friendly enough while patting you down without getting to friendly. It’s usual all age venue they don’t have female security to pat down the women so of course the females can carry what ever your trying to sneak in for you. That’s a huge liability in my book and huge safety issue. People aren’t stupid they will manipulate the system. Now the security inside were pretty pathetic. I’m speaking from experience. I was a bouncer for over 10 years. Ran an all age venue for 5 of them so I know the scene and kids very well. There’s a way to treat them and the scene. This guy with his cool bandana and super awesome pony tail thought these kids were fun rag dolls to toss around. Does that make you feel good that you toss around 125 pound kids? Running in the pit and shoving people is your idea of a good time? Mind you he never once shoved or pushed any of the guys my size. It was always the little guys. My friend that’s how you end up getting pounced on in the parking lot after the show but your pony tail will save you. So parents watch your kids bc these bouncers are poor excuses for guards. But that kinda reflects the overall vibe this dated place puts out.
It’s pretty sad to see a venue with such potential to be completely run into the ground. There’s money and good tours coming here but it’s very obvious the owner is very cheap and its shows or he’s a complete moron and doesn’t know how to run a venue it’s probably a combo of both. So hire a good manager. Get good security and remodel this dump already. Your sitting on a gold mine but your using it like an outhouse. Oh yeah and it’s hot as hell with no ventilation.
Also since when is it okay for a venue to condone under age smoking. They have a smoking patio but no one monitors it. Couldn’t tell u how many kids I saw smoking.
Advice: clean house and invest in your business and show some pride in yourself.

This is a cramped, little, DRY (as in no alcohol!!), hot venue. It reminds me of an all-​ages venue back home in Ohio that featured hardcore bands and was located in the ‘hood.
The sound and lighting and set-​up at this venue is standing room only and if you can find a good place to stand, preferably by the open doors on the side, you’ll have an enjoyable time. Security is lax and hassle-​free. I would see more bands play here in the future.
Make sure you stop at Modern Times on the way in and have a drink or two or three. You’ll need it to help prepare you for dealing with the young crowd here.

⁵⁄₅ for the band that I came for (Glass Animals) because they were beyond awesome. ¹⁄₅ star for the venue. So that average out to ³⁄₅ star. This place is by far the most humid and unbearably hot venue I’ve been at. There’s a bunch of gum on the floor and even on the wall. The bathroom was god-​awful dirty and the security people were complete assholes

Went to the Milky Chance show on August 3^rd. It was sold out so there was a few hundred people waiting in line upon arrival. It went by fast until we got to the front and they’re only accepting paper tickets — sending everyone with proof on their phone to a new line.
TIP: PRINT YOUR TICKETS. They haven’t invested in the technology to scan your phone.
18+ venue and there’s no re-​entry so if you’re of drinking age and want a buzz be sure to catch one before entering the building. If you have a Monday night show, Chillis next door does $ 5 margaritas.
Beware: This venue gets extremely HOT! They have no A/​C or fans moving air around. The only ventilation comes from their staff keeping the side doors open.

The reviews did scare me a bit, I had no idea what to expect. From what you read, it is a packed, sweltering, mosh pit with people who bite.
I came here Monday night for a Milky Chance/​X Ambassadors concert. Tickets were ~$ 28 — which I find reasonable. We got there about 20 minutes before the concert and found about 200 people in line in front of us. The line moved quickly, and we were inside by the time the concert was set to start. It started about 40 minutes late, which was a bummer. Maybe it was the fact that it was a Monday, or a more laid back crowd but I found there the be no «moshing», no «biting» and room to move. My friend and I posted up by an exit, leaning against the cool brick wall. I highly suggest that! The sound was amazing coming out of the equipment, I was impressed.
The bouncers were friendly to those that were polite but stern to those not following guidelines. At one point a woman looked like she was going to pass out in the crowd and they created a path for her to get to the exit.
Removing a full star for the heat… It was freaking hot in there, it would be nice to have some sort of fans. I can’t imagine what it would be like on an extremely hot night. I bet they get a lot of people passing out.
Also I’m not used to being around so many teens… not necessarily a con but there were a lot of high school aged kids here. Luckily they all pushed to the front, leaving us 20 & 30-something’s in the back with a bit more room.
Overall, it isn’t a terrible venue… It’s just not that comfortable either. A solid 3 star venue since I would go back if they had a good band at a good price.