Sub-Mission Art Space

Obviously this will be a bad review. The interesting part is that there was NOTHING redeeming about SUB/​Mission. A rare occurrence.
Went to this venue (really more of a tiny warehouse looking art space) to see a band play (for full disclosure, it was my boyfriend’s band). They hadn’t checked the place out because they were playing here as a favor to another band. The lady charging the $ 5 cover fee seemed very out of it (drunk/​high) and next to her was a guy who was trying very hard to be menacing. Think Bane from the Batman & Robin movie; it was a great impression.
Besides the straight of the bat creepy vibe, there are no ins and outs. They do have a back porch, but why do they need to hold patrons hostage. I’m just likelier to straight up leave early and spend less money on their watered down drinks. Regarding the back porch, Bane FOLLOWS you there and stares at you the whole time.
The band starts playing and the amount of reverb was incredible. I am used to loud shows, but I thought I was about to lose my hearing. 20 minutes into my boyfriend’s set they just cut them short even though they had the most fans in venue. After reading reviews in here it appears that it is not uncommon for them to do that. The next band got on and a few minutes in asks the sound guy to put down the reverb «there is none» «oh…WOW». I had to leave at that point because my ears felt like they were bleeding so I didn’t get to see most of the second and none for the third band.
I didn’t witness this as I was gone but at the end of the night it was time to pay out. I think it went 50% of ticket sales for the venue, and then the bands would split the other 50%. The two local bands agreed that the touring band (from Texas I think?) should take all the money for gas/​traveling and such. Sound guy goes «Actually, if you don’t mind we’ll take more for ourselves too then because we need it» «No, we’ll take the money. We need it to get to our next show» «Yeah, but if we don’t get the money we’ll have to close down. If you don’t get the money you’ll just run out of gas.» I’m baffled by the way these people do business.
Cherry on the top: as everyone was packing up, allegedly sound guy goes «hurry the fuck up, I’m trying to get out of here.» Maybe that’s why he cuts bands short… he’s just a guy trying to get out so he can have a good time.
Seriously, first time saying «I wish I could give this place a zero.»

Went here for a concert. No sound technician apparently means bump everything to 11. Got tinnitus and couldn’t sleep for a year. Wear earplugs if you go here.

Absolutely the worst place I have ever seen a band. I came out to see my friends band play with a bunch of other friends and they only let them play 4 songs… none of them knew why. What band plays 4 songs at a show?
Secondly, what is up with Wolverine? I am trying to enjoy these 4 songs and this ‘bouncer’ guy is constantly walking back and forth throughout the set, flinging the doors open like he is on major patrol when everyone is just standing around trying to enjoy themselves. Come on. He is so distracting and is a filling the room with his negative energy.
I can handle the grime, the dirty bathrooms, the trash everywhere, but I can’t stand the fact that they are an art space but they treat the local musical artists like a bunch of hoodlum kids who they need to kick out as soon as possible.
I would never see a show here again, and I know my friends band will never play there again.

why it stank? every bouncer rude n ugly as f. Someone had two Joyce manor records at the ponk show that’s silly u guys probably let them in for free because you would probably let ms. manor in for free

Most of the complainers about this place are people from bands that have played here and have some complaint re how their were treated. I have seen a bunch of bands here and they generally are not really bands that you would want to hear.
Yes, it is a grimey dirty small club with crappy acoustics and the bouncers can be rude sometime. However, as live music contracts and dies and there are fewer and fewer places that have it, you just have to expect and accept that if you want to go see some crappy rock, rap or other dying genre music, it is not going to be in a nice place unless the act is a big act and it is a place like the Fillmore.
For what it is, It is pretty good. I have had some fun here at times.

I came here for an art show and band showcase. I expected a nicer venue with better lighting and nicer walls. I expected a greater art show. The bands were decent for what it was worth. It’s a small venue with a stage that bands can play at if they are low-​key. The club was dingy and on Mission instead of Valencia.

Saw Stephen Brodsky/​Noah Landis/​Giants Apes here last night I loved everything about the venue. I was expexting a disaster from all these Unilocal reviews. Bouncer and bartender were both very friendly. Lame about no ins and outs but oh well.
Plenty of beer options and mixed drinks. Decent PA.
This place isn’t fancy, it’s just a room, (maybe 100 – 120 person capacity) with a small bar. I ‘d definitely return.

What a joke–
I was on a bill playing Sat night at midnight. When we got to the venue we were told they were CLOSING at midnight and we were going on an hour early and our set was cut in half. All the bands had been screwed in this fashion. So all the people we had coming and all the promoting we did was for nothing, as the place would be closed when our guests arrived to see us.
Plus the place does ZERO promotion of its own, can’t even be bothered to put up a legible sign. The owner/​manager or whatever just felt like changing things at the last minute and had no qualms about ruining everyone’s night. WHY would people stick around (or even come in) when the band they came for had already played and left?
Total amateur hour, the venue itself it a big, undecorated room with no acoustic dampening, the «bar» is a small countertop that couldn’t handle a packed house even if they wanted to, and the «smoking area» was padlocked shut halfway through the night because. .. they felt like it I guess.
SF bands– AVOID Sub-​Mission. It is run by fools who don’t give a damn about local music and have no clue how to run a club.

My band was one of 6 bands lined up to play a show on 5÷4÷13 and we all got dropped from the bill with less than a week’s notice! The lack of professionalism from that one action is atrocious, and from the other reviews I have read, it seems that we have become another one of their «victims». Sucky.

Reminiscent of The Smell, sub/​mission is a corridor of a space. It has a lot of potential to be a great space for touring bands. The space looks like its held together with tape and sharpie characters on the walls and the sound board is perched in a nook above the bar. Staff is extremely unfriendly and rude. Seems like amateur hour to me. If the space had better ventilation and a more professional staff with a «friendly demeanor» (shit, lie to me if you have to) I could see sub/​mission soaring. Regardless, a great place to see a band if you don’t mind sweating a lot.

Sub-​Mission could really be something special — however it continues to fail on all counts. My band has played here three times over the years, and each time the experience has been negative. From not getting paid (at all), to terrible sound issues, to having our set inexplicably cut short, to general bad vibes from the staff, and overall disorganization and lack of event management.
San Francisco needs all ages venues, but Sub-​Mission continues to have an extremely negative reputation amongst bands in the local scene. I’m talking about pay-​to-​play, no comped drinks, running the front door like a gulag, and again a staff that acts like they would rather be anywhere else, and that they’re doing YOU a favor, even though you’re the one bringing in the fans and the customer base. It’s really shocking that they haven’t been shut down, as their liquor license seems suspect as well. Overall, a lack professionalism and a truly slip shod operation.
Did I mention the huge pile of bags full of trash and recycling in the back? WTF?

Oh geez, how does this place have four stars? It failed on all accounts of what it was supposed to be. We could barely see the bands when they were playing, because they were lit only by the Godzilla vs. King-​Kong movie projected on the screen behind them. The sound wasn’t great either, but I guess it’s cool that the sound guy sits in the suspended truck above the bar.
The bar ran out of whiskey, which was coming out of a plastic bottle anyways, so maybe I dodged a bullet with that one. All the liquors looked cheap, actually, and everything was strewn about, and the bar looked grimy. There are no ins and outs, but we were so desperate for a drink we pretended we were going next door for the ATM (cash only, arg), and ran across the street to Southpaw to desperately down some whiskey. But plot twist and contrary to other reviews, the bouncers/​girl at the door were super nice to us!

Venue would be good if their baboon/​circus freak/​wolverine wanna-​be bouncer would back the fuck off of people.
The «security» at this venue has ruined every show I’ve ever seen here.
I’d rather eat a donkey’s dick then deal with their shit head bouncers.

Went here for a show… got there early and we were kinda turned away kinda turned toward the restaurant in the adjacent space
the chips there were awsome and they were served with a sort of chipotle aeoli which was really good… drings were reasonable…
show starts and people start getting down, got super hot… throwing elbows checks I was winded and soaked in a few minutes…
had to leave early to get on bart but thats my bad…
all around swell time, cool people, cool tunes Im going back soon…

What a great little spot this is. The drinks are reasonably priced and there is always something going on in SUBmission, whether it’s the regular bands or the awesome open Improv night, where anyone of any experience can go to do some free improv. Love this place.

This is literally my favorite venue in the whole city! I love the genuine and authentic atmosphere. I’ve seen epic performances here and had some of the best nights of my life. If you havn’t been here before, buy some ear plugs from the bartender as the acoustics are pretty harsh

I just attended a friend’s book release here, and it was awesome. Open space, lots of art, chill vibe and atmosphere. Not sure what renting out these spaces looks like, but this is one of the better SF venues I’ve seen.

I love this venue! It has the intimate feel of a smaller city show, but it gets pretty packed. Some great bands have played here. The security guy is super nice and friendly. There’s even a little outdoor area to catch some fresh air in between bands.

I dig this place– so there’s the stars. More to the point– this mssg goes out to Richard C. F**K you ya li’l punk. What gives you the right to trash the bathroom ‘coz you have a wee beef w/​an underpaid bartender? It’s little shits like you that ruin an evening for everyone, ya selfish little pr**k.

All age! That venue is a elephant craphole.
GOOD: ugh i dont know
BAD: Bathroom smells hella bad. The bartender was a total BITCH. I bought a 12oz PBR can for $ 2. Gave her $ 10 and she gave me $ 2 back like WTF. Worst customer service ever in fact this place treat customers like dogs.
After that happen I thrashed that bathroom by throwing a new roll toliet paper and soap bottle in the toliet. Never ever going to that pig pen again even if my friends are playing there. NO MORE PLAYING IN SUBMISSION. Play in a different venue guys… Submission never gave your band free beer anyway.