Neumos Crystalballreading Room

Neumo's is decorated in what can only be called an "evil clown" motif. I'm not sure what that has to do with indie rock, but there you are. It's a small place, and during sold-out shows it can be just short of impossible to move around the main floor. Sight lines are not great for those under five-foot-five, and the balcony fills up fast, so arrive early. The environment (of slightly tipsy Capitol Hill pubcrawlers) can feel a little artificial, and some evenings is downright depressing. All this aside, the venue has lots of good qualities: their calendar is consistently filled with (mostly) interesting new acts, and features occasional visits from influential rock veterans. The security guys are alert and no-nonsense and seem to keep obnoxious drunks in check. Tickets tend to be much cheaper than events at The Showbox. Worth several visits. more

I was reading someone else's comments about this place, and I have to agree that every time I go in there, it smells kinda weird, and there is so much humidity, I am suprised a thunderstorm doesn't break out. Beyond that, the sound here is decent, and if you want to see out of the mainstream acts that aren't big enough for the Paramount or Showbox, its either here or El Corazon. Either way, if its an all ages show, forget about drinking beer and watching the bands at the same time...whoever came up with that??? (putting the bar away from the show area) I know, I know...all ages, but I thought that was what the vera project was for ;) more

I've been getting pretty tired of Neumo's, so much that I won't go there unless it's absolutely necessary. It's hot, over-crowded, and it smells like fish sticks. I haven't felt comfortable at a show there in at least a few months. Sometimes I'm down to get sweaty and gross and packed into a venue with a bunch of smelly folks, but it doesn't happen often. I think there's a lot of us who like to enjoy rock&roll music in a venue that doesn't rememble a large bag of popcorn chicken. more

Although I've only been here a few times, it seemed like a pretty good place to see a show. Usually it's sort of a mid-sized venue with a fairly sizable area in front of the stage, but occasionally (like when I saw Hood play there) they only open the small half, so you see the band play in a very small area at the top of the stairs... more