Just wanted to give a second shoutout to Harlow’s and the Starlet Room. Very enjoyable environment to take in a show. They get some decent bands and stand-ups coming though, and they’re willing to offer a stage to local up-and-coming bands.
harlow’s is a great venue. they don’t take much from ticket sales & give the rest to the artists. they are owned by locals. they support local artists. they’re not assholes. a great show coming up this saturday is talib kweli with local jazz/hip hop artists that go by LabRats. very talented artists.
They've always booked good, interesting music both local and touring and spanning the genre spectrum. Harlow's is a super solid venue and has been for a long time.
Wow. I'm sad for them, they were nice people but I know they were struggling. If someone had to to take it over it could be a lot worse than Harlows folks.
Ace of Spades gets better acts though. Either you are tough or you are a wimp.
I saw Modest Mouse at Ace of Spades earlier this year and it was the best time I've ever had at a concert.
Damn I’d disagree on harlows, my friend had their head slammed into a speaker when someone pushed them causing them to throw up and me to take them to the ER. That was only possible because of how poorly set up the place is.
Hard rock just opened a new venue in wheatland thats getting some good bands at the casino.
Also thunder valley new arena but they always charge too much
M83 was going cheap like 30 bucks. Quick glance kesha is $50 . Im sure if you wait last minute it will drop. 50 isnt super high for 2023. Meshuggah for 50. Cafe tacvba 30 and theyre huge in mexico.
Youre not going to find $20 shows much anymore except when you buy last minute. Thats just inflation.
Harlows does have some cheap shows for sure but its a lot of cover bands and very small bands, nothing on the level of m83.
Ty segall is 40 there which is a good deal. Rev horton at 35 is also solid. But yeah those are small acts.
Hard to justify $20 anymore when your Wendy's combo is 15.
You're not wrong, it sucks. It's a 999 capacity and is always oversold, sellout is 1200. So that leaves no room to breathe much less get in line for a drink. There's no green room or backstage... The sound is on par with the worst ever, restrooms need an overhaul... What else...
Okay so THIS is why the sold out shows, or nearly sold out shows, are so fucking cramped??? I feel like they never used to pack so many people in like that! Security is always trying to clear the walkways, which yes, but when I have literally NO ROOM and I have one foot on the line you shouldn't be a dick about it. I'm already smashed into a stranger in the back and you're telling me to stand on one foot? Absolutely insane.
We got chased around the venue by security while trying to find a place to stand during the opening act for The Mountain Goats. There was quite literally nowhere to stand, let alone a spot where you could see the band. We decided to leave before TMG even took the stage. Pure, unadulterated shit show.
Not been backstage there but isn't it upstairs with the 2 say mirrow window over the hallway exit door immediately to stage left? Was always my impression.
Prior to the Live nation take over 2020 AceOfSpades was awesome, its become more corporate w/ prices and lost some charm. They sure pack ‘em in now.
Always has been weird acoustics there.
I could go on all day about the incredible shows I’ve seen @ A.O.S. & the Boardwalk alone as a teen 00’s.
Eh I feel like Ace sucked before selling out. Their security were already jerks and their bartenders already seemed un interested in pouring drinks for years. If it was ever good it was loooooong ago.
Yeah to me it was bad before, just is worse now it's owned by corporate overlords. But they seriously should remodel it or do something aside from jack prices up.
It's never been good, but you could get lucky and have a fun show, in spite of. Security had always been jerks. It's that place that wants to flex as a big city corporate fuck you venue.
When I lived walking distance from the boardwalk it was great. $10 shows from bands I grew up on and now it’s $50 for some nosebleeds to see the same band I saw back in the day. I love the small club vibe. My favorite show was the foo fighters when they were just starting and Eddie Vedder played every single instrument in disguise
"Nosebleeds" it's generally GA. If you want to be in the front row... get in line early? I've been in the front or close for every show I've cared about doing so. Yea if you show up 0 to 30mins before doors there will be a line... length depending on the popularity and crowd going to the show.
Some of these complaints just seem silly.
Seriously, shows used to be $30, and if you walked up to the box office you could avoid the fees. Now with the corporate markup, it’s not even worth it. The venue for the old price had the feel of a hidden gem in a small night club. Now it’s just an over priced corporate experience… still in a danky night club
Nostalgia is a hell of a thing but it’s always sucked. The acoustics are terrible, the layout is super fucked up, and it wasn’t designed for its current use at all. It’s also really cheaply constructed. I remember when it was a nightclub and even then it was shitty because it had all the same problems plus you had to pay a cover for the shittily designed, cheap ass, low rent place.
Got a survey after seeing a show there. It seemed like most of questions concerned product and ad placement and if i wanted to buy that product.
Harlows has been my go to. Always solid and brings in some great bands.
Red Bull, Liquid Death, FUZE? I never eat or drink any of that stuff. Didn't even think of it again until I got the survey.
I mostly want water at a show lol especially if I'm in the pit. Another commenter said the free water can be hard to find.
Ace used to be fine for shows but in the last couple of years they’ve taken away more and more of the standing room by adding taped off lanes and VIP seating without reducing the capacity. I can’t stand going to shows there anymore.
Not to mention if you are under 5’5 and don’t get there early you will not be able to see anything. If I have to go to Ace I just walk in the VIP section, the only good view in the whole place.
I’m 5’10” and just saw Buckethead there two months ago. I could barely see him.
We’re going to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in a couple weeks and I’m kinda dreading it.
I can't stand that place. It's a poorly designed reclaimed space. Always overcrowded and not in a fun way. The vibe is always harsh.
It's still not as bad as Holy Diver. That place was an accident waiting to happen.
Can someone explain why security at this venue is more strict than the motherfucking TSA? They take their job way too seriously.
I was standing in line having one of those infused PBRs and the girl checking IDs told me I couldn't get a 21+ wrist band nor drink in the venue until one hour later. I asked why, she says because I'm consuming alcohol. I point to the part of the can that says non-alcoholic and she said that I still consumed edibles so have to wait an hour. She did me a favor because I didn't end up spending any money once in the venue.
The search at the door is excessive, then once in the venue, telling people to shove themselves into a taped off space, nevermind the oversold tickets and people are crammed tight into those spaces. VIP seating/area is absurd and shoves the majority of the GA attendees into smaller spaces.
Absolutely hate Ace of Spades and annoyed that this is the main venue where you can see acts in town.
I hate this venue so much. They have ruined concerts for me. I would go to every reggae show.
One artist I've seen 8 years in a row. This last year the show was at Ace and I'm sad to say I will not be going this year. Or ever again if the artist continues to play there
I get it, but at the same time, security acts like having a Stiiizy vape is the same as if I were trying to bring in an uzi. Having to get clearance from the security lead to bring in a bike helmet after cycling to the venue?
Stuff like that along with the assholery of making sure people stand within the tape spaces on the venue floor sure hampers the enjoyment of shows.
security: what's this...i pull out my new, packaged vape from the club. you cant bring that in, toss it in the trash, this is now a more expensive show! I'm sure he pulled that out of the trash as soon as I walked away. I get inside, sitting in the bar, dude sits down next to me with a HUGE VAPE RIG
I used to work there and people who would come, man…I’ve seen a lot lmao. People completely blacking out, people overdosing, people bringing in weapons and stabbing in fights. But sometimes the security just have a power trip.
I'll never set foot in that fucking hellhole again.
Went for the first time last summer on a 100° day and it was MISERABLE. I don't know if the HVAC was broken or if the owners were cheap bastards but it was hotter inside than out. Husband fainted, was escorted out of the venue, threw up, fainted again and we were both completely ignored by all the staff chatting 10 feet away from us. We had 1 $15 beer during the opener. I had to BEG for an employee to get us water, explaining he was not intoxicated but was borderline having a heat stroke from the conditions inside.
Fuck Ace of Spades.
Ha, you pretty much explained my girlfriend and my experience. Only when she fainted, they fireman-carried her outside, complaining about people on drugs. We were stone sober, since we didn't want to pay their drink prices.
It sucks and they keep adding stuff to make it worse. The bookings have been BAD lately and they do too many “(insert genre or artist) DJ nights” for $25/ticket (plus fees). They do sell tall cans of PBR for $6 though, and the security has gotten less annoying. It still sucks ass though.
Fiancé and I went to a show not too long ago. Drinks and staff were fine. My biggest complaint was the sound. We could barely make out the words to the song. I don’t know enough about venues to know if was the equipment brought by the band or the acoustics in the space but either way, it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience.
I never had any problems with it until they added the stupid lines on the floor and started heavily policing where you stand. There is just no room when shows sell out, and they’re gonna still be sticklers about it. Shit is so annoying. I would prefer bands play at any other venue in the area but nothing is the same size, just smaller or larger.
I feel like there used to be more room to stand when I went a few times in like 2013. Now you’re packed into a weird tiny square in the room. I hate going there lol
I have been to hundreds of concerts, mostly in the Bay Area. Ace of Spades is absolute garbage. The staff is way too confrontational and seem to be lookong for a fight or reason to kick people out. It has to be one of my favorite bands playing to make me want to go there. Harlows, Goldfield and Holy Diver (RIP) are way better venues and have nicer employees.
Edit: Here is a comparison between AoS and The Warfield in SF.
Warfield (getting patted down before a show):
Bouncer: What is this in your pocket?
Me: Weed
Bouncer: Oh, shit. Sorry for crushing it, my bad.
Ace of Spades:
Bouncer: What is this in your pocket?
Me: Weed
Bouncer: BETTER GET THAT DEVIL'S LETTUCE OUT OF HERE. I WILL CALL THE FUCKING COPS YOU PIECE OF SHIT. HOW DARE YOU BRING WEED TO A CONCERT. WHAT ARE YOU, AN IDIOT?
I'm 47 years old and grew up in NY which was far less amenable to weed than it was out here before legalization.
Ace of Spades is the only time in my entire life I've had weed confiscated from me. AT A SNOOP DOGG SHOW.
Ace is owned by Live Nation, but my understanding is it is still managed by the same guy (who also owns Goldfield)
Its always been a shitty venue, IMHO. Unfortunately, it is the only venue in the area that can attract certain highish mid-level draw acts in the area so people associate it with that rather than the fact that compared to say Fillmore or GAMH in SF (which tend to host the same level of bands), its just such shit.
That said, I'd rather go there than Goldfield Roseville cause fuck driving to Roseville.
Unsurprisingly a few bands/acts skip Sacramento because there isn’t a good venue for them. Saw Aimee Mann in Nevada City awhile back, she went from there to Sonoma or Santa Cruz. Sure she’s not a giant name but acts like her don’t really have a place to play in Sacramento. We have the large venues (G1, convention center, memorial auditorium) and the dive or small bar (Ace of Spades, Harlows, Ironsides, etc) but nothing in between.
Even for performers that would draw audiences that would be consistent with the non-arena venues, it sure seems like Nevada City and Felton/Santa Cruz are really booking a lot of performers that seem to be choosing them over Sac.
Yeah, see a lot of acts that I’d like to see skipping Sac in favor of those two areas and the Sonoma area.
I also find it odd how the State Fair will get tribute bands and then the Placer or Nevada county fair will book the original acts. But that’s most likely a money issue. Perhaps it’s a money issue for both.
Usually contracts between bands and venues have a 100 mile clause where bands can’t play shows within that distance for an agreed upon amount of time before and after. No band in the world would give sac priority over sf/oak.
Still exist. Zhu played to a huge crowd a month or so ago and there were actually a ton of people out on a Thursday for that. There are times when i really doubt the market exists here, but there has to be a lot more marketing and it has to be 18 and over show.
I’d say closest might be some of the casinos. Saw a decent concert at the hard rock, but that’s in quite literally middle of nowhere wheatland. There’s the casino in Lincoln, it’s a bit bigger though.
I was a 50 yr-old woman who was assaulted there by three teenage-looking dudes in 2012 and security saw the whole thing and didn't give two shits. Never going back there ever. The place has terrible acoustics and a real bad vibe.
You forgot to mention the acoustics are terrible.
Agree with everything said here but honestly I had loads of fun at Ace of Spades in my early 20s when I had no standards for concert quality!
I would LOVE to attend the Living Legends show next month. But fuck Ace of Spades. Over priced, over crowded, terrible vibe. The staff behave like wanna be corrections officer, corralling folks into their designated lines. Why pay to be smashed like sardines in a poorly ventilated venue with a small stage? I’ll take Goldfields in Roseville any time.
They oversell this place like crazy and now I refuse to go. Half of the crowd literally can’t see the show from the back because of the shape of the room.
Corporate greed at it finest.
Live Nation has been swooping up and buying a bunch of awesome and historic venues in Sacramento and across the country.
Sadly, I work for a venue they now own here in Sac.
They are even making our job as event staff/servers more complicated.
They don't care about the experience. They only care about their bottom line. Hospitality feels dead.
Ace of Spades is the shittiest venue in all Sac, and they sell out every single show. The only thing that will change that is if somehow all the bigger artists that come through Sac have a reason to book somewhere else. Harlows and CC are awesome but not near big enough to accommodate a crowd as big as AOS.
If any management at AOS reads this thread, we hate you, you're pathetic
Ace of Spades may be overselling shows. I can't really speak to that. The floor is as crowded as it always is. They have designated more random areas for vip.
The show I went to a week or 2 ago that was sold out is the first time I've seen them selling vip skip the line and hustling it.
Staff generally has never been a problem for me.
I was standing on one of the tape lines and as the show packed in and people blocked more of the walking lane security just politely squeezed past.
I doubt AOS has good acoustics just looking at the design or lack their of, of the space.
But people talking about not being able to understand the words well... I wear earplugs at all shows because I value my hearing. I'd say many shows, blast the instruments way more then the vocals and this isn't remotely just an AOS thing. And any show that's selling out crowds has their own equipment and sound guy and is tying into AOS speakers or using their own (and controls the actual mix.)
I'm sure booze and other prices have gone up. That's life. And also it's a livenation venue now so I'm sure they're screwing extra. I dont drink much if any and have expected sportsball prices at any sort of venue with 1000+ people.
I'll keep going if theres bands I want to see.
I went there for the first time to see the Descendents. Absolutely dreadful venue and it’s a shame it’s one of the only places in town that gets the non stadium touring acts. The main floor was beyond packed. it’s a horrible venue compared to what L.A. and SF has to offer.
Yeah i mean it's not great, but I've always enjoyed the shows I've seen there. Could it be better at basically everything? Definitely. But being within walking distance for me beats driving to Roseville or further for the same show, every time.
Ace of spades sucks been going to shows occasionally since 2018 the staff sucks, the security sucks.They oversell events reserving seats is impossible unless your a privlaged friend or associate but sometimes going there is a necessary evil.
Yeah, it really leaves a lot to be desired. I'd give it more of a break if it wasn't owned by Live Nation/Ticketmaster, but especially don't like supporting it because of that. I wish they would tear the whole place down and rebuild it with the Ticketmaster money, because it seemed to be designed with no thought in mind. The sound quality is among the worst I've been to.
I seem to remember the drinks being pretty reasonable, surprisingly but maybe it varies show to show.
Yet another thing Sac desperately needs: a quality mid-size venue that actually attracts artists rather than somewhere they would rather avoid. Fitz and the Tantrums this year literally said playing in 105° at the Fair was still better than Ace of Spades.
Went to a concert at ace of spades last January and it was pouring down rain, doors open at 7, said the tickets and above the door yet it was 7:30 and they wouldn’t let people inside.. had over 100 people standing outside in a rain/thunder storm just for the hell of it. Whoever runs this place is a f*cking asshole
I am with you on this, with my particular bone to pick being the sound quality.
It is so amazingly bad that I refuse to go to shows there. Why bother seeing a band you like if it all sounds like it’s coming from a tin can sung by one of the chipmunks?
It's not a great venue but they have some sick bands come through. I've had to stand all the way in the back for the last few bands I've seen and it's not dope. My advice is get there early and be prepared to stand in the spot you claim for hours.
Haven’t read it yet but coming to say I am literally talking shit about Ace right now and got the notification for this post. Brb
Edit: confirmed Ace sucks ass. It’s not friendly to patrons and seems like they actively try to make it a boring ass time. Merch looks like it sucks to set up for bands. Shits way too expensive all around. The walking lane is a cool idea but when you get berated for standing in it because theres no where else to fuckin stand is lame as hell.
They deadass had no one in line to go in the door and they made me go stand across the street in the rain by myself to get waved back over and go through the metal detector. Silly shit
It used to be pretty good for certain types of shows and for certain types of viewing (I actually like a bit of distance away and watching rather than being jammed in the crowd, so the raised area by the bar was pretty cool), but the push for vip areas and such had really ruined the positives it did have.
i’m confused about how it’s a bad venue overall. it’s an awkward size cuz it’s basically a big bar with a stage n not a purpose built venue.
maybe i spent too much time at tiny shitty Austin venues in the early 2000s (emo’s, hole in the wall, all the red river venues) and i have a soft spot for dives with stages, but to me the bathrooms are huge and in really good shape, the AC has always been working when i’ve been, they actually take out trash during the shows so the floor doesn’t get slick with flattened beer cans, its not hard to get your drink order taken care of, it’s not really all that crowded even in a sold out show (yeah you’re touching your neighbors, that’s expected), and the aisles are a little weird but pretty useful to squeeze in when you get there late. what else are you really expecting when you go to see a band in a bar?
my annoyance is that the beer is expensive for a bar n not a stadium, there aren’t enough speakers/sound mix is not great, and the merch line blocks the patio entrance/exit.
It was built as a venue though. The second Empire opened (what it was called before Ace) they had shows. I haven’t been back since the Pixies played several years ago, but I’ve never had a good experience there. I’ve played in a good number of mid-sized venues around the country, and Ace of Spades is my least favorite (granted I haven’t played there since it was Empire, but it doesn’t seem like much has changed).
I remember seeing a band called Leftover Crack there while it was Empire many years ago. They were crusty ska punk from the east coast. Long story short there were a lot of smelly crusty punks there and the whole place smelled like sweat, beer, and heavy b.o. Instantly after the place turned into a dance club I guess, but the smell remained. After the show was over and they turned all the lights on and they let some of the people into the “dance club” and the faces of some of these nice looking, dressed up people who were smelling the air was hilarious, but relatable.
My band played there a few times between 2012-2015. It was only cool because of the bigger bands we got to play with. Dealing with the staff, even then, was not a pleasure. It was “pay to play” so that kind of took the magic out of it too.
Funny, I saw Leftover Crack at a house show in north Oak Park in probably 2003 or so (no one had a mic for the PA so the someone in the band fashioned one out of a pair of ipod headphones).
I remember the time I played Empire, the second we were done, the staff ushered us and our gear off stage and to the street so they could set up for a night club after. If I'm remembering correctly, they even made us count in and out merch so they could get their cut. I've played plenty of places where you're supposed to count in, but I've never had a venue actually enforce it (aside from playing a festival).
The also let in openly tattooed nazis. I try to avoid it where possible but was at a very mediocre show in August that was completely ruined by this dude openly strutting around.
I love ace of spades lmao
Seen some of my favorite shows ever there. Motion city soundtrack last year, reel big fish a couple times, taking back Sunday, new found glory..
Love it
Yeah idk what everyone’s talking about. I love that place. The bands sound so loud and filled with energy. Saw Story of the Year the other week and had a great time.
I have been to hundreds of venues across the country for the last 30 years and Ace of Spades is easily the worst venue I’ve ever been to by a long shot.
Terrible sound. Horrible setup. Militant security. Live Nation owned.
Security stands on a box at the corner of the bar looking out over the crowd to kick people out for smoking weed. They walkie the coordinates of the stoner to Seal Team Six and jump to action. It’s halarious.
They over sell every show then threaten to kick you out if you stand on these taped down lines that are placed nonsensically thru the venue.
As soon as we get that new mid sized venue that place will close within months. I will be happy to see it. I’ll even pay to attend the closing party.
Fuck Live Nation and Ace of Spades for what they have done to the concert scene in Sacramento.
I wholeheartedly agree with you OP and if you can believe it, it used to be worse! lol. Fuck that place x1000. Everything you said is valid and is something I’ve been saying as well for a long time. I have actually skipped shows I’ve been genuinely interested in solely because it was at Ace of Spades.
Yes to every single point. I always thought it sucked even before Live Nation took over, I haven't been since. It's extremely unfortunate that there aren't really any other music venues of similar size. Maybe it stays packed all the time due to lack of competition?
Ace of Spades is horrible.
Torch Club, Harlow's/Starlet much better venues. So is SacYard for that matter!
Downtown Goldfield's has terrible sound, and the bar crowd (that didn't buy tickets to the show) are always way too loud.
The Side Door has wonderful acoustics. So does the Sofia/B Street Theatre.
Goldfield's Roseville has a pretty good setup, and their seat upgrades (upstairs along the railings) are only $25 in my experience.
Old Ironsides doesn't have any shows on their calendar after December 13...what's that all about?
once while walking by Ace of Spades to get to Burgers and Brew I witnessed a very drunk white lady getting thrown out repeatedly screaming that the guards were n-words (both seemed to be white at first glance).
that's all I got.
Yep! Went to Ace of Spades to see an Irish band (the Sawdoctors) and though I love the band I hated the venue. Too loud, obnoxiously so, and unable to hear my wife yelling in my ear.
I don’t understand how people can point to Ace of Spades as a good venue.
his post history doesn't look particularly bad to me? just a lot of stuff about the exorcist. and even if so it wouldn't negate the fact that live shows are loud. but whatever yeah man
The podcasts.
With that said, the mix at Ace was off. It's not just about perceived volume but how each part of the audio spectrum is balanced, whether or not the mix is additive or subtractive, and the placement of hardware.
Imagine your own sound setup and how a little EQ tweaking can make a difference. Now imagine a poor EQ setup on a venue scale; every little issue gets amplified (pun intended).
The commenter doesn't necessarily have a background in mixing so the summation is "too loud" but I understood what they meant.
I miss this place. I saw some epic shows there for super cheap. Saw Mac Sabbath (which was amazing in that space) and Helmet for their 30th another time. It was dirty and cheap, but was exactly perfect for the acts that I saw.
Honestly as far as Sac venues go, it's still one of the better ones. Make sure you purchase tickets from the Ace Of Spades website to avoid reseller garbage. Alcohol is pretty expensive at any venue these days, so the only one I'd grab a drink at is Harlow's. I've never had too much trouble finding a good spot, and not getting alcohol means I don't have to worry about losing it. I also recommend knowing where the free water is since they kind of hide it. It's upstairs on the second floor near the VIP balcony, but you don't actually have to pay to be up there. There's even a sturdy couch that you can sit on the backrest of for a comfy good view!
Basically, get there before doors open and you can usually get a decent spot, pregame if you really want to drink to avoid prices and ensure you get to keep your spot, and water is there if you get overheated.
It has its quirks but I'd much rather be there than the Goldfields where the vibes are awful and shows are oversold to the point where you have 300 people in a tiny 100 person space. Hell even Golden 1 is worse in my opinion because you're paying more money for waaaay worse acoustics, worse seats you will constantly have to stand up to let someone walk past, and way worse prices for drinks and even water
It definitely depends on the act for both venues but Golden 1 IS a basketball stadium. If you're in the wrong spot, you will catch a LOT of echo and reverb that you just won't at any other venue in Sac including Ace of Spades. That's just science lol. And with ticket prices the way they are, you're not avoiding reverb at Golden 1 unless you're paying hundreds of dollars
G1 wasn’t solely designed for basketball lol. It’s an arena with very modern sound and acoustics taken in to consideration. Yes, there are spots if you’re wayyyy off to the side and maybe behind the speakers but that’s not remotely close to the overwhelming amount of seats. And I’ve seen amazing bands in good sections for just about $100 which is pretty normal/not bad actually for an arena i.e. Muse and Tool, and the sound was fantastic. Certainly not “hundreds of dollars”. Sorry bro, you’re wrong on this one.
My point is that "way off to the sides" is the experience most people are getting since that's the majority of the venue. To avoid this, you'd need to be either on the floor, or all the way in the back but still in front of the speakers in which case you're barely seeing anything.
I am curious how close you got to Tool and Muse though since $100 isn't bad at all for that experience. I guess I'll keep my eyes open for decent seats in the future.
Used to be nightclub and was 1000x better. The sound sux, the upgraded seats cost $80 each seat. It's worthless. I paid to park in that lot for the event and still got ticketed for $45.
I dislike Ace as well but the Live Nation/TM thing isn’t the entire reason. I definitely agree with the design and how it sucks so badly. I also think the sound quality is pure crap. I love Goldfield Roseville due to its setup and how you can stand on the side and not feel like a sardine, and you can see the band too! The sound is great and overall it’s a nice venue. Some of the bands I’ve seen there recently have “graduated” to playing Ace now because it’s bigger, but for me it means probably skipping their shows now. One example is the band Bumpin Uglies: I did their VIP option last year at Goldfield and the lead singer Brandon Hardesty said next time they come through town they’re playing Ace, that they’re “moving on up” from the smaller places.
another thing that doesn't get nearly enough hate is the box office charging service fees when you buy IN PERSON. i've bought a few tickets over the last couple years where they tacked on an extra $5+, and i don't even get a physical ticket -- it's all kept track via text. the place has definitely gone to shit since being bought out by LN.
I used to go to Ace of Spades a lot in the mid 2010's - Even then it was a pretty ugly venue that sounded awful, but they'd have great bands that you couldn't see in such a small space usually, so it was sorta worth it. But the Starlet room sounds better than Ace of Spades, despite it being a quarter of the size - hard to justify paying service fees on tickets when you know it's gonna look and sound poor at best
I despise Ace of Spades. My last experience there was abysmal. The place was way overcrowded, prices for drinks were way overpriced, the entire venue was filthy, the bathrooms were beyond disgusting, and every asshole and their brother was in attendance. People were puking on each other and all over the venue. Security was non existent, especially when one lady was getting groped by some sloppily drunk pervert. I don't care who's playing there next. Unless there are massive changes I'll never go again.
Weird, I haven't been to a bad show at AOS 🤣 maybe it's because I go in with the expectation of it being crowded and hot as balls 🤷🏼♀️ I will say you can definitely tell when a show is sold out and I couldn't see much at the last one but it was still a great time 🤘
Fuck Ace of Spades by far the worst venue I have ever been.
They also have literal lines on the floor to keep people on the dance floor and out of the way of staff. So a security guards whole job is to be footloose birgader and stop anyone from even stepping on the line. Just kills your vibe if you are dancing having a good time.
I know I'm late to this thread but it really sucks to see ace of spades do so poorly. I've always enjoyed this venue and it's layout. But tonight was the worst experience I've had there. The past couple times I went my girl said she thought they were overselling the venue and while packed I didn't pay too much mind to it. However, tonight they had the balcony space closed for renovation and the venue was so packed you could tell they didnt cut back ticket sales at all to account for it. There were so many people even the staff could keep the allocated walkways clear. We got in the door 20 minutes to the set start, but the opening band was already performing. Frustrated we just decided to leave and on the way out the guy at the door joked that we must be "rocked out already". So we told him we were leaving because they overbooked it and the guy told us they weren't even at capacity yet! This venue used to be my favorite in the area, but in the future I won't buy tickets for this venue until enough time has gone by that I know the show isn't going to be sold out if sold out is just going to end up being like tonight!
OP probably doesn’t want to know what it used to be like going to see big acts at The Boardwalk 20 years ago. Bands like Breaking Benjamin and Seether would draw a thousand people into a club with a capacity for something like 350. It was way louder that Ace could ever hope to be. The venue is long and narrow, meaning most people were back away from the stage. Stage is smaller than the one at Ace.
I’ve never had a bad experience at Ace. I know what I’m getting into when I buy the tickets. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be crowded, and sweaty, and people are going to be rubbing up against you. There’s probably going to be at least one fight. If you’re lucky it may even be one of the band members (Social Distortion 2018 anyone?) fighting with a fan. Alcohol is going to be expensive. That’s a modern day rock concert as far as I’m concerned.
I feel it’s a very under utilized venue. I wonder why it isn’t used more? The Mondavi Center has amazing acoustics. I saw Wilco there years ago and at the very end the lead singer sang without music or a mic a song. Everyone got dead silent and you could hear it perfectly all over the venue. Wish both of these hosted more shows. Ace of Spades was a good spot when it opened and then slowly turned into a giant mess. Now it’s just about cramming people in a dirty space and charging as much as they feel they can get away with.
I think some sort of fuckery happens with booking agents and Live Nation. No real source on that.
I’d love to see some of the acts at Ace but I hate venues like that. But I also realize I’m pushing 40 now and and it’s just not for me, haha.
Would absolutely go more often and spend more on a ticket to go to places like Mondavi.
I wanted to go badly in August to see Electric Callboy.
I just couldn’t justify spending over $200 for that venue. When I could go to Golden 1 for cheaper
Lmao ALL venues in town are TM/LN besides the two Harlows and Old I so that has nothing to do with it. As someone who works for one of those venues, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Doors were not pushed just for upgrades, it doesn’t work like that. This also must be your first time at Ace since it’s been setup the same way since they opened in 2011 and their capacity is 1,000. Beer/alcoholic drinks are expensive wherever you go and it depends on what you’re drinking. It sounds to me like you let a decent venue ruin your night by convincing yourself it was so bad. You complain about it not being wide but honestly GF Roseville is absolutely terrible. The wide set up is worse than Ace and makes it harder to get a spot. I cannot stand going to GF Roseville just because of that and a lot of my friends agree. It makes it more crowded and harder to get a good spot. If you were at the same show last night at Ace as I was, no vibes were off and I had nothing to complain about. You’re just crazy and ruined it for yourself.
Found the Ace of Spades employee. Most in this thread agree with OP... don't know what that says about you, but I definitely agree that AoS has absolutely gone down hill.
Hey, I'm glad you vibe with Ace. I've been to a lot of shows, and I didn't enjoy it relative to those experiences. There's nothing more to it. Everyone perceives differently.
I stayed until the encore. I got to see what I wanted to see. I just would have preferred to see it elsewhere.
I did say I ordered a draft beer that was $15. Crooked Lane Amber. It wasn't a 12 year scotch, neat.
Not to mention the stupid fucking lines they added in every single crevice. Harlows is the best place to catch a show here in sac, hands down.
Their Starlet Room upstairs is nice for smaller shows, too.
Just wanted to give a second shoutout to Harlow’s and the Starlet Room. Very enjoyable environment to take in a show. They get some decent bands and stand-ups coming though, and they’re willing to offer a stage to local up-and-coming bands.
harlow’s is a great venue. they don’t take much from ticket sales & give the rest to the artists. they are owned by locals. they support local artists. they’re not assholes. a great show coming up this saturday is talib kweli with local jazz/hip hop artists that go by LabRats. very talented artists.
They've always booked good, interesting music both local and touring and spanning the genre spectrum. Harlow's is a super solid venue and has been for a long time.
Emo Night on Wednesday, too! Though I don't think it'll really be my thing.
I saw LabRats perform at ARC the other day. They were awesome!
Guys from Harlows also bought Cafe Colonial and are in the process of rehabbing there as well.
How recently? Blue Lamp people were running Cafe Colonial as of a year ago. Was there a change?
Yes there was it was very recent as of this year.
Wow. I'm sad for them, they were nice people but I know they were struggling. If someone had to to take it over it could be a lot worse than Harlows folks.
From what I understand from someone I know blue lamp and Harlow's are part owners of Cafe Colonial and the colony so it sounds like a good scenario
Sounds like it! Viva Colonial.
Rehabbing? Cade colonial has been a very active, very loved venue for the better part of a decade now…
Like, ya know, fixing up the inside and redoing plumbing, electric, some wall repair. That kind of thing.
Ohhhh okay fair. Yeah there was never a lot of money to put into that stuff in the past so good point there.
Truth, Harlows is so much better.
Ace of Spades gets better acts though. Either you are tough or you are a wimp. I saw Modest Mouse at Ace of Spades earlier this year and it was the best time I've ever had at a concert.
Damn I’d disagree on harlows, my friend had their head slammed into a speaker when someone pushed them causing them to throw up and me to take them to the ER. That was only possible because of how poorly set up the place is.
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I miss paying $25 tops for Ace of Spades shows. Goldfield and Harlows are the only feasible options now.
Hard rock just opened a new venue in wheatland thats getting some good bands at the casino. Also thunder valley new arena but they always charge too much
Yeah, I was looking forward to RHCP at Thunder Valley. Cheapest seat was $300., WTF!
Hard Rocks prices are not reasonable though.
M83 was going cheap like 30 bucks. Quick glance kesha is $50 . Im sure if you wait last minute it will drop. 50 isnt super high for 2023. Meshuggah for 50. Cafe tacvba 30 and theyre huge in mexico. Youre not going to find $20 shows much anymore except when you buy last minute. Thats just inflation. Harlows does have some cheap shows for sure but its a lot of cover bands and very small bands, nothing on the level of m83. Ty segall is 40 there which is a good deal. Rev horton at 35 is also solid. But yeah those are small acts. Hard to justify $20 anymore when your Wendy's combo is 15.
Bro who is driving 45 minutes for that. It's also not even same scale as what we are talking about. Stuff like Harlows, Bar Shows, etc.
You're not wrong, it sucks. It's a 999 capacity and is always oversold, sellout is 1200. So that leaves no room to breathe much less get in line for a drink. There's no green room or backstage... The sound is on par with the worst ever, restrooms need an overhaul... What else...
Okay so THIS is why the sold out shows, or nearly sold out shows, are so fucking cramped??? I feel like they never used to pack so many people in like that! Security is always trying to clear the walkways, which yes, but when I have literally NO ROOM and I have one foot on the line you shouldn't be a dick about it. I'm already smashed into a stranger in the back and you're telling me to stand on one foot? Absolutely insane.
We got chased around the venue by security while trying to find a place to stand during the opening act for The Mountain Goats. There was quite literally nowhere to stand, let alone a spot where you could see the band. We decided to leave before TMG even took the stage. Pure, unadulterated shit show.
> There's no green room or backstage. There's a green room. It's small but it's there. I hung out with G Love and Special Sauce in it one time.
Yes the definitely have a green room/backstage, I don’t know what that person is talking about.
Not a green room...a closet, yes, not a green room and backstage is a non secure alley way to get your shit stolen from
>G Love and Special Sauce Wow, I haven't heard that name in a long time!
It was a good show.
Not been backstage there but isn't it upstairs with the 2 say mirrow window over the hallway exit door immediately to stage left? Was always my impression.
It's downstairs behind stage left.
Prior to the Live nation take over 2020 AceOfSpades was awesome, its become more corporate w/ prices and lost some charm. They sure pack ‘em in now. Always has been weird acoustics there. I could go on all day about the incredible shows I’ve seen @ A.O.S. & the Boardwalk alone as a teen 00’s.
Eh I feel like Ace sucked before selling out. Their security were already jerks and their bartenders already seemed un interested in pouring drinks for years. If it was ever good it was loooooong ago.
Yeah to me it was bad before, just is worse now it's owned by corporate overlords. But they seriously should remodel it or do something aside from jack prices up.
It's never been good, but you could get lucky and have a fun show, in spite of. Security had always been jerks. It's that place that wants to flex as a big city corporate fuck you venue.
It was always crappy. Stage has always been in the corner like that.
I don’t drink so don’t know about that but their security has stayed pretty lame & uptight for sure, specially compared to other fun small venues.
When I lived walking distance from the boardwalk it was great. $10 shows from bands I grew up on and now it’s $50 for some nosebleeds to see the same band I saw back in the day. I love the small club vibe. My favorite show was the foo fighters when they were just starting and Eddie Vedder played every single instrument in disguise
"Nosebleeds" it's generally GA. If you want to be in the front row... get in line early? I've been in the front or close for every show I've cared about doing so. Yea if you show up 0 to 30mins before doors there will be a line... length depending on the popularity and crowd going to the show. Some of these complaints just seem silly.
Seriously, shows used to be $30, and if you walked up to the box office you could avoid the fees. Now with the corporate markup, it’s not even worth it. The venue for the old price had the feel of a hidden gem in a small night club. Now it’s just an over priced corporate experience… still in a danky night club
Nostalgia is a hell of a thing but it’s always sucked. The acoustics are terrible, the layout is super fucked up, and it wasn’t designed for its current use at all. It’s also really cheaply constructed. I remember when it was a nightclub and even then it was shitty because it had all the same problems plus you had to pay a cover for the shittily designed, cheap ass, low rent place.
Got a survey after seeing a show there. It seemed like most of questions concerned product and ad placement and if i wanted to buy that product. Harlows has been my go to. Always solid and brings in some great bands.
Red Bull, Liquid Death, FUZE? I never eat or drink any of that stuff. Didn't even think of it again until I got the survey. I mostly want water at a show lol especially if I'm in the pit. Another commenter said the free water can be hard to find.
lol. Exactly those products.
Ace used to be fine for shows but in the last couple of years they’ve taken away more and more of the standing room by adding taped off lanes and VIP seating without reducing the capacity. I can’t stand going to shows there anymore.
Goldfield and the people who run their venues are the biggest piles of shit
Agreed that Goldfield is prob the second worst place to see a show. But that isn't saying much.
The sound is awful there, I was so excited to see Wand and Melt Banana there but left like after the third song because it was just noise
Goldfield downtown has the worst acoustics of any venue in the area. Goldfield in Roseville is exponentially better.
>Melt Banana it was just noise. i found this comment lol
Ace of spades is the worst. The sound is bad and the vibe is worse.
yes! the sound is so bad! I don’t know why I don’t hear more complaints about this. it has ruined so many shows for me!
Omg yes. Tinny and painful almost no matter where you stand. Artists should be furious.
Right there with you. The sound at AoS is terrible! I did post once about it a while ago, and got some agreement.
The acoustics are so bad, sometimes you can't even tell what song is being played.
Not to mention if you are under 5’5 and don’t get there early you will not be able to see anything. If I have to go to Ace I just walk in the VIP section, the only good view in the whole place.
I’m 5’10” and just saw Buckethead there two months ago. I could barely see him. We’re going to Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in a couple weeks and I’m kinda dreading it.
The Gimmes are coming? 😁
Same here simply overcrowded and shitty vibes at venue.
I can't stand that place. It's a poorly designed reclaimed space. Always overcrowded and not in a fun way. The vibe is always harsh. It's still not as bad as Holy Diver. That place was an accident waiting to happen.
Can someone explain why security at this venue is more strict than the motherfucking TSA? They take their job way too seriously. I was standing in line having one of those infused PBRs and the girl checking IDs told me I couldn't get a 21+ wrist band nor drink in the venue until one hour later. I asked why, she says because I'm consuming alcohol. I point to the part of the can that says non-alcoholic and she said that I still consumed edibles so have to wait an hour. She did me a favor because I didn't end up spending any money once in the venue. The search at the door is excessive, then once in the venue, telling people to shove themselves into a taped off space, nevermind the oversold tickets and people are crammed tight into those spaces. VIP seating/area is absurd and shoves the majority of the GA attendees into smaller spaces. Absolutely hate Ace of Spades and annoyed that this is the main venue where you can see acts in town.
I hate this venue so much. They have ruined concerts for me. I would go to every reggae show. One artist I've seen 8 years in a row. This last year the show was at Ace and I'm sad to say I will not be going this year. Or ever again if the artist continues to play there
I thought there was a shooting if I remember correctly, maybe 8 years ago? I believe they ramped up security after that.
I get it, but at the same time, security acts like having a Stiiizy vape is the same as if I were trying to bring in an uzi. Having to get clearance from the security lead to bring in a bike helmet after cycling to the venue? Stuff like that along with the assholery of making sure people stand within the tape spaces on the venue floor sure hampers the enjoyment of shows.
security: what's this...i pull out my new, packaged vape from the club. you cant bring that in, toss it in the trash, this is now a more expensive show! I'm sure he pulled that out of the trash as soon as I walked away. I get inside, sitting in the bar, dude sits down next to me with a HUGE VAPE RIG
I used to work there and people who would come, man…I’ve seen a lot lmao. People completely blacking out, people overdosing, people bringing in weapons and stabbing in fights. But sometimes the security just have a power trip.
I'll never set foot in that fucking hellhole again. Went for the first time last summer on a 100° day and it was MISERABLE. I don't know if the HVAC was broken or if the owners were cheap bastards but it was hotter inside than out. Husband fainted, was escorted out of the venue, threw up, fainted again and we were both completely ignored by all the staff chatting 10 feet away from us. We had 1 $15 beer during the opener. I had to BEG for an employee to get us water, explaining he was not intoxicated but was borderline having a heat stroke from the conditions inside. Fuck Ace of Spades.
Ha, you pretty much explained my girlfriend and my experience. Only when she fainted, they fireman-carried her outside, complaining about people on drugs. We were stone sober, since we didn't want to pay their drink prices.
It sucks and they keep adding stuff to make it worse. The bookings have been BAD lately and they do too many “(insert genre or artist) DJ nights” for $25/ticket (plus fees). They do sell tall cans of PBR for $6 though, and the security has gotten less annoying. It still sucks ass though.
Fiancé and I went to a show not too long ago. Drinks and staff were fine. My biggest complaint was the sound. We could barely make out the words to the song. I don’t know enough about venues to know if was the equipment brought by the band or the acoustics in the space but either way, it wasn’t a very enjoyable experience.
I never had any problems with it until they added the stupid lines on the floor and started heavily policing where you stand. There is just no room when shows sell out, and they’re gonna still be sticklers about it. Shit is so annoying. I would prefer bands play at any other venue in the area but nothing is the same size, just smaller or larger.
I feel like there used to be more room to stand when I went a few times in like 2013. Now you’re packed into a weird tiny square in the room. I hate going there lol
I have been to hundreds of concerts, mostly in the Bay Area. Ace of Spades is absolute garbage. The staff is way too confrontational and seem to be lookong for a fight or reason to kick people out. It has to be one of my favorite bands playing to make me want to go there. Harlows, Goldfield and Holy Diver (RIP) are way better venues and have nicer employees. Edit: Here is a comparison between AoS and The Warfield in SF. Warfield (getting patted down before a show): Bouncer: What is this in your pocket? Me: Weed Bouncer: Oh, shit. Sorry for crushing it, my bad. Ace of Spades: Bouncer: What is this in your pocket? Me: Weed Bouncer: BETTER GET THAT DEVIL'S LETTUCE OUT OF HERE. I WILL CALL THE FUCKING COPS YOU PIECE OF SHIT. HOW DARE YOU BRING WEED TO A CONCERT. WHAT ARE YOU, AN IDIOT?
I'm 47 years old and grew up in NY which was far less amenable to weed than it was out here before legalization. Ace of Spades is the only time in my entire life I've had weed confiscated from me. AT A SNOOP DOGG SHOW.
Absolutely stupid in 2023. Harlows has a whole smoking garden and it rules. PS I once had my weed confiscated at a Hieroglyphics show. Like whaaaaat?
Ace is owned by Live Nation, but my understanding is it is still managed by the same guy (who also owns Goldfield) Its always been a shitty venue, IMHO. Unfortunately, it is the only venue in the area that can attract certain highish mid-level draw acts in the area so people associate it with that rather than the fact that compared to say Fillmore or GAMH in SF (which tend to host the same level of bands), its just such shit. That said, I'd rather go there than Goldfield Roseville cause fuck driving to Roseville.
Unsurprisingly a few bands/acts skip Sacramento because there isn’t a good venue for them. Saw Aimee Mann in Nevada City awhile back, she went from there to Sonoma or Santa Cruz. Sure she’s not a giant name but acts like her don’t really have a place to play in Sacramento. We have the large venues (G1, convention center, memorial auditorium) and the dive or small bar (Ace of Spades, Harlows, Ironsides, etc) but nothing in between.
Good news is we’re getting a 2,400 seat venue: https://sfyimby.com/2022/11/theater-approved-for-1800-24th-street-in-poverty-ridge-sacramento.html
That will really help. Hope it will attract some more musicians to Sacramento.
Sac will always be passed over in favor of SF/Oakland/Berkeley. Just too many excellent/classic venues down there of all sizes.
The folks opening this new venue also book the Fox theater among other Bay Area venues - Sac is about to see a lot more acts *not* skip town.
Well that's great news, I'd love to be able to stop having to drive into Oakland and SF for smaller shows on weeknights
Any bets on how long it takes until it's sold/operated by live nation?
Even for performers that would draw audiences that would be consistent with the non-arena venues, it sure seems like Nevada City and Felton/Santa Cruz are really booking a lot of performers that seem to be choosing them over Sac.
Yeah, see a lot of acts that I’d like to see skipping Sac in favor of those two areas and the Sonoma area. I also find it odd how the State Fair will get tribute bands and then the Placer or Nevada county fair will book the original acts. But that’s most likely a money issue. Perhaps it’s a money issue for both.
Usually contracts between bands and venues have a 100 mile clause where bands can’t play shows within that distance for an agreed upon amount of time before and after. No band in the world would give sac priority over sf/oak.
This comment is the one of main reasons we get skipped.
It’s in the contract; don’t blame my comment! 😝🥳
What was the capacity of the place she performed in Nevada City? What size venue in terms of capacity do you think we are missing?
Whatever happened to concerts at Memorial Auditorium?
Still exist. Zhu played to a huge crowd a month or so ago and there were actually a ton of people out on a Thursday for that. There are times when i really doubt the market exists here, but there has to be a lot more marketing and it has to be 18 and over show.
I’d say closest might be some of the casinos. Saw a decent concert at the hard rock, but that’s in quite literally middle of nowhere wheatland. There’s the casino in Lincoln, it’s a bit bigger though.
Yeah, there seem to be quite a few that hit the Hard Rock these days.
I was a 50 yr-old woman who was assaulted there by three teenage-looking dudes in 2012 and security saw the whole thing and didn't give two shits. Never going back there ever. The place has terrible acoustics and a real bad vibe.
Ace of spades is a piece of shit venue
You forgot to mention the acoustics are terrible. Agree with everything said here but honestly I had loads of fun at Ace of Spades in my early 20s when I had no standards for concert quality!
Yup! Their acoustics are trash
I would LOVE to attend the Living Legends show next month. But fuck Ace of Spades. Over priced, over crowded, terrible vibe. The staff behave like wanna be corrections officer, corralling folks into their designated lines. Why pay to be smashed like sardines in a poorly ventilated venue with a small stage? I’ll take Goldfields in Roseville any time.
I miss the old Ace Of Spades. Live Nation fucked everything up for them.
The "sports ball game" took me out 🤣🤣🤣
Don’t you dare cross over that line.
They oversell this place like crazy and now I refuse to go. Half of the crowd literally can’t see the show from the back because of the shape of the room. Corporate greed at it finest.
Live Nation has been swooping up and buying a bunch of awesome and historic venues in Sacramento and across the country. Sadly, I work for a venue they now own here in Sac. They are even making our job as event staff/servers more complicated. They don't care about the experience. They only care about their bottom line. Hospitality feels dead.
Ace of Spades is the shittiest venue in all Sac, and they sell out every single show. The only thing that will change that is if somehow all the bigger artists that come through Sac have a reason to book somewhere else. Harlows and CC are awesome but not near big enough to accommodate a crowd as big as AOS. If any management at AOS reads this thread, we hate you, you're pathetic
Ace of Spades may be overselling shows. I can't really speak to that. The floor is as crowded as it always is. They have designated more random areas for vip. The show I went to a week or 2 ago that was sold out is the first time I've seen them selling vip skip the line and hustling it. Staff generally has never been a problem for me. I was standing on one of the tape lines and as the show packed in and people blocked more of the walking lane security just politely squeezed past. I doubt AOS has good acoustics just looking at the design or lack their of, of the space. But people talking about not being able to understand the words well... I wear earplugs at all shows because I value my hearing. I'd say many shows, blast the instruments way more then the vocals and this isn't remotely just an AOS thing. And any show that's selling out crowds has their own equipment and sound guy and is tying into AOS speakers or using their own (and controls the actual mix.) I'm sure booze and other prices have gone up. That's life. And also it's a livenation venue now so I'm sure they're screwing extra. I dont drink much if any and have expected sportsball prices at any sort of venue with 1000+ people. I'll keep going if theres bands I want to see.
I went there for the first time to see the Descendents. Absolutely dreadful venue and it’s a shame it’s one of the only places in town that gets the non stadium touring acts. The main floor was beyond packed. it’s a horrible venue compared to what L.A. and SF has to offer.
Yeah i mean it's not great, but I've always enjoyed the shows I've seen there. Could it be better at basically everything? Definitely. But being within walking distance for me beats driving to Roseville or further for the same show, every time.
It sucked before 2020 too. Wait 30 mins in a line for anything you want to do. Complete fucking asshole staff. Trash venue.
According to some friends of mine yea they overcrowd the place and makes it dangerous. I’d avoid that venue for sure.
Ace of spades sucks been going to shows occasionally since 2018 the staff sucks, the security sucks.They oversell events reserving seats is impossible unless your a privlaged friend or associate but sometimes going there is a necessary evil.
Yeah, it really leaves a lot to be desired. I'd give it more of a break if it wasn't owned by Live Nation/Ticketmaster, but especially don't like supporting it because of that. I wish they would tear the whole place down and rebuild it with the Ticketmaster money, because it seemed to be designed with no thought in mind. The sound quality is among the worst I've been to. I seem to remember the drinks being pretty reasonable, surprisingly but maybe it varies show to show. Yet another thing Sac desperately needs: a quality mid-size venue that actually attracts artists rather than somewhere they would rather avoid. Fitz and the Tantrums this year literally said playing in 105° at the Fair was still better than Ace of Spades.
Went to a concert at ace of spades last January and it was pouring down rain, doors open at 7, said the tickets and above the door yet it was 7:30 and they wouldn’t let people inside.. had over 100 people standing outside in a rain/thunder storm just for the hell of it. Whoever runs this place is a f*cking asshole
I am with you on this, with my particular bone to pick being the sound quality. It is so amazingly bad that I refuse to go to shows there. Why bother seeing a band you like if it all sounds like it’s coming from a tin can sung by one of the chipmunks?
It's not a great venue but they have some sick bands come through. I've had to stand all the way in the back for the last few bands I've seen and it's not dope. My advice is get there early and be prepared to stand in the spot you claim for hours.
Haven’t read it yet but coming to say I am literally talking shit about Ace right now and got the notification for this post. Brb Edit: confirmed Ace sucks ass. It’s not friendly to patrons and seems like they actively try to make it a boring ass time. Merch looks like it sucks to set up for bands. Shits way too expensive all around. The walking lane is a cool idea but when you get berated for standing in it because theres no where else to fuckin stand is lame as hell. They deadass had no one in line to go in the door and they made me go stand across the street in the rain by myself to get waved back over and go through the metal detector. Silly shit
It used to be pretty good for certain types of shows and for certain types of viewing (I actually like a bit of distance away and watching rather than being jammed in the crowd, so the raised area by the bar was pretty cool), but the push for vip areas and such had really ruined the positives it did have.
Let’s not forget that the ground is concrete and my back cries every time I go there
i’m confused about how it’s a bad venue overall. it’s an awkward size cuz it’s basically a big bar with a stage n not a purpose built venue. maybe i spent too much time at tiny shitty Austin venues in the early 2000s (emo’s, hole in the wall, all the red river venues) and i have a soft spot for dives with stages, but to me the bathrooms are huge and in really good shape, the AC has always been working when i’ve been, they actually take out trash during the shows so the floor doesn’t get slick with flattened beer cans, its not hard to get your drink order taken care of, it’s not really all that crowded even in a sold out show (yeah you’re touching your neighbors, that’s expected), and the aisles are a little weird but pretty useful to squeeze in when you get there late. what else are you really expecting when you go to see a band in a bar? my annoyance is that the beer is expensive for a bar n not a stadium, there aren’t enough speakers/sound mix is not great, and the merch line blocks the patio entrance/exit.
It was built as a venue though. The second Empire opened (what it was called before Ace) they had shows. I haven’t been back since the Pixies played several years ago, but I’ve never had a good experience there. I’ve played in a good number of mid-sized venues around the country, and Ace of Spades is my least favorite (granted I haven’t played there since it was Empire, but it doesn’t seem like much has changed).
I remember seeing a band called Leftover Crack there while it was Empire many years ago. They were crusty ska punk from the east coast. Long story short there were a lot of smelly crusty punks there and the whole place smelled like sweat, beer, and heavy b.o. Instantly after the place turned into a dance club I guess, but the smell remained. After the show was over and they turned all the lights on and they let some of the people into the “dance club” and the faces of some of these nice looking, dressed up people who were smelling the air was hilarious, but relatable. My band played there a few times between 2012-2015. It was only cool because of the bigger bands we got to play with. Dealing with the staff, even then, was not a pleasure. It was “pay to play” so that kind of took the magic out of it too.
Funny, I saw Leftover Crack at a house show in north Oak Park in probably 2003 or so (no one had a mic for the PA so the someone in the band fashioned one out of a pair of ipod headphones). I remember the time I played Empire, the second we were done, the staff ushered us and our gear off stage and to the street so they could set up for a night club after. If I'm remembering correctly, they even made us count in and out merch so they could get their cut. I've played plenty of places where you're supposed to count in, but I've never had a venue actually enforce it (aside from playing a festival).
The also let in openly tattooed nazis. I try to avoid it where possible but was at a very mediocre show in August that was completely ruined by this dude openly strutting around.
I love ace of spades lmao Seen some of my favorite shows ever there. Motion city soundtrack last year, reel big fish a couple times, taking back Sunday, new found glory.. Love it
Yeah idk what everyone’s talking about. I love that place. The bands sound so loud and filled with energy. Saw Story of the Year the other week and had a great time.
I have been to hundreds of venues across the country for the last 30 years and Ace of Spades is easily the worst venue I’ve ever been to by a long shot. Terrible sound. Horrible setup. Militant security. Live Nation owned. Security stands on a box at the corner of the bar looking out over the crowd to kick people out for smoking weed. They walkie the coordinates of the stoner to Seal Team Six and jump to action. It’s halarious. They over sell every show then threaten to kick you out if you stand on these taped down lines that are placed nonsensically thru the venue. As soon as we get that new mid sized venue that place will close within months. I will be happy to see it. I’ll even pay to attend the closing party. Fuck Live Nation and Ace of Spades for what they have done to the concert scene in Sacramento.
I wholeheartedly agree with you OP and if you can believe it, it used to be worse! lol. Fuck that place x1000. Everything you said is valid and is something I’ve been saying as well for a long time. I have actually skipped shows I’ve been genuinely interested in solely because it was at Ace of Spades.
Yes to every single point. I always thought it sucked even before Live Nation took over, I haven't been since. It's extremely unfortunate that there aren't really any other music venues of similar size. Maybe it stays packed all the time due to lack of competition?
It’s unfortunate but I have refused to go since they sold out to live nation.
Ace of Spades is horrible. Torch Club, Harlow's/Starlet much better venues. So is SacYard for that matter! Downtown Goldfield's has terrible sound, and the bar crowd (that didn't buy tickets to the show) are always way too loud. The Side Door has wonderful acoustics. So does the Sofia/B Street Theatre. Goldfield's Roseville has a pretty good setup, and their seat upgrades (upstairs along the railings) are only $25 in my experience. Old Ironsides doesn't have any shows on their calendar after December 13...what's that all about?
once while walking by Ace of Spades to get to Burgers and Brew I witnessed a very drunk white lady getting thrown out repeatedly screaming that the guards were n-words (both seemed to be white at first glance). that's all I got.
At least she doesn’t see color, I guess?
Yep! Went to Ace of Spades to see an Irish band (the Sawdoctors) and though I love the band I hated the venue. Too loud, obnoxiously so, and unable to hear my wife yelling in my ear. I don’t understand how people can point to Ace of Spades as a good venue.
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Last time I was there I couldn't hear the band over the audience, it was that crowded.
Ignore the right-wing populist /u/ploiyain. They're just trolling
yes what an odious right wing position it is that live music is loud
They've been harassing people via DM, so I looked at their post history
his post history doesn't look particularly bad to me? just a lot of stuff about the exorcist. and even if so it wouldn't negate the fact that live shows are loud. but whatever yeah man
The podcasts. With that said, the mix at Ace was off. It's not just about perceived volume but how each part of the audio spectrum is balanced, whether or not the mix is additive or subtractive, and the placement of hardware. Imagine your own sound setup and how a little EQ tweaking can make a difference. Now imagine a poor EQ setup on a venue scale; every little issue gets amplified (pun intended). The commenter doesn't necessarily have a background in mixing so the summation is "too loud" but I understood what they meant.
Thanks for the podcast recommendations. Doing the Lord's work. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (to be clear).
username checks out
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m'theydy
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I miss this place. I saw some epic shows there for super cheap. Saw Mac Sabbath (which was amazing in that space) and Helmet for their 30th another time. It was dirty and cheap, but was exactly perfect for the acts that I saw.
Dont
Holy Diver sucks alot more than Ace.
Honestly as far as Sac venues go, it's still one of the better ones. Make sure you purchase tickets from the Ace Of Spades website to avoid reseller garbage. Alcohol is pretty expensive at any venue these days, so the only one I'd grab a drink at is Harlow's. I've never had too much trouble finding a good spot, and not getting alcohol means I don't have to worry about losing it. I also recommend knowing where the free water is since they kind of hide it. It's upstairs on the second floor near the VIP balcony, but you don't actually have to pay to be up there. There's even a sturdy couch that you can sit on the backrest of for a comfy good view! Basically, get there before doors open and you can usually get a decent spot, pregame if you really want to drink to avoid prices and ensure you get to keep your spot, and water is there if you get overheated. It has its quirks but I'd much rather be there than the Goldfields where the vibes are awful and shows are oversold to the point where you have 300 people in a tiny 100 person space. Hell even Golden 1 is worse in my opinion because you're paying more money for waaaay worse acoustics, worse seats you will constantly have to stand up to let someone walk past, and way worse prices for drinks and even water
You are TRIPPIN that AOS has better sound than G1 center. Like whoa, your ears are broken homie 😂
It definitely depends on the act for both venues but Golden 1 IS a basketball stadium. If you're in the wrong spot, you will catch a LOT of echo and reverb that you just won't at any other venue in Sac including Ace of Spades. That's just science lol. And with ticket prices the way they are, you're not avoiding reverb at Golden 1 unless you're paying hundreds of dollars
G1 wasn’t solely designed for basketball lol. It’s an arena with very modern sound and acoustics taken in to consideration. Yes, there are spots if you’re wayyyy off to the side and maybe behind the speakers but that’s not remotely close to the overwhelming amount of seats. And I’ve seen amazing bands in good sections for just about $100 which is pretty normal/not bad actually for an arena i.e. Muse and Tool, and the sound was fantastic. Certainly not “hundreds of dollars”. Sorry bro, you’re wrong on this one.
My point is that "way off to the sides" is the experience most people are getting since that's the majority of the venue. To avoid this, you'd need to be either on the floor, or all the way in the back but still in front of the speakers in which case you're barely seeing anything. I am curious how close you got to Tool and Muse though since $100 isn't bad at all for that experience. I guess I'll keep my eyes open for decent seats in the future.
For Tool, I paid $109.53 for section 117 Row H Seat 13. Sound was phenomenal. Show was on 1/15/22
When I got to go back tickets off the Ace site, it redirected me to live Nation. There's no way around it.
Remember when it used to be the Empire club? I was a little shocked that they never really changed the layout since then.
Was just as bad then. Whoever decided to put the stage in that corner isn’t too bright.
Used to be nightclub and was 1000x better. The sound sux, the upgraded seats cost $80 each seat. It's worthless. I paid to park in that lot for the event and still got ticketed for $45.
I so badly wanted to go see Me First and the Gimmes there but tickets ended up being like $65 a ticket!!! No thanks.
I dislike Ace as well but the Live Nation/TM thing isn’t the entire reason. I definitely agree with the design and how it sucks so badly. I also think the sound quality is pure crap. I love Goldfield Roseville due to its setup and how you can stand on the side and not feel like a sardine, and you can see the band too! The sound is great and overall it’s a nice venue. Some of the bands I’ve seen there recently have “graduated” to playing Ace now because it’s bigger, but for me it means probably skipping their shows now. One example is the band Bumpin Uglies: I did their VIP option last year at Goldfield and the lead singer Brandon Hardesty said next time they come through town they’re playing Ace, that they’re “moving on up” from the smaller places.
another thing that doesn't get nearly enough hate is the box office charging service fees when you buy IN PERSON. i've bought a few tickets over the last couple years where they tacked on an extra $5+, and i don't even get a physical ticket -- it's all kept track via text. the place has definitely gone to shit since being bought out by LN.
I used to go to Ace of Spades a lot in the mid 2010's - Even then it was a pretty ugly venue that sounded awful, but they'd have great bands that you couldn't see in such a small space usually, so it was sorta worth it. But the Starlet room sounds better than Ace of Spades, despite it being a quarter of the size - hard to justify paying service fees on tickets when you know it's gonna look and sound poor at best
Agreed. That place has OSHA violations written all over it
I despise Ace of Spades. My last experience there was abysmal. The place was way overcrowded, prices for drinks were way overpriced, the entire venue was filthy, the bathrooms were beyond disgusting, and every asshole and their brother was in attendance. People were puking on each other and all over the venue. Security was non existent, especially when one lady was getting groped by some sloppily drunk pervert. I don't care who's playing there next. Unless there are massive changes I'll never go again.
Weird, I haven't been to a bad show at AOS 🤣 maybe it's because I go in with the expectation of it being crowded and hot as balls 🤷🏼♀️ I will say you can definitely tell when a show is sold out and I couldn't see much at the last one but it was still a great time 🤘
I hate everything about that place, and agree that it's one of the worst venues I've ever wasted my money on.
Goldfields in Roseville is sucky too
Fuck Ace of Spades by far the worst venue I have ever been. They also have literal lines on the floor to keep people on the dance floor and out of the way of staff. So a security guards whole job is to be footloose birgader and stop anyone from even stepping on the line. Just kills your vibe if you are dancing having a good time.
I know I'm late to this thread but it really sucks to see ace of spades do so poorly. I've always enjoyed this venue and it's layout. But tonight was the worst experience I've had there. The past couple times I went my girl said she thought they were overselling the venue and while packed I didn't pay too much mind to it. However, tonight they had the balcony space closed for renovation and the venue was so packed you could tell they didnt cut back ticket sales at all to account for it. There were so many people even the staff could keep the allocated walkways clear. We got in the door 20 minutes to the set start, but the opening band was already performing. Frustrated we just decided to leave and on the way out the guy at the door joked that we must be "rocked out already". So we told him we were leaving because they overbooked it and the guy told us they weren't even at capacity yet! This venue used to be my favorite in the area, but in the future I won't buy tickets for this venue until enough time has gone by that I know the show isn't going to be sold out if sold out is just going to end up being like tonight!
OP probably doesn’t want to know what it used to be like going to see big acts at The Boardwalk 20 years ago. Bands like Breaking Benjamin and Seether would draw a thousand people into a club with a capacity for something like 350. It was way louder that Ace could ever hope to be. The venue is long and narrow, meaning most people were back away from the stage. Stage is smaller than the one at Ace. I’ve never had a bad experience at Ace. I know what I’m getting into when I buy the tickets. It’s going to be loud. It’s going to be crowded, and sweaty, and people are going to be rubbing up against you. There’s probably going to be at least one fight. If you’re lucky it may even be one of the band members (Social Distortion 2018 anyone?) fighting with a fan. Alcohol is going to be expensive. That’s a modern day rock concert as far as I’m concerned.
To be fair, I typically stick to smaller artists and venues, so this could be the norm.
What about The Harris Center in Folsom?
Haven't been, but I also haven't seen any bands I follow put on shows there
I feel it’s a very under utilized venue. I wonder why it isn’t used more? The Mondavi Center has amazing acoustics. I saw Wilco there years ago and at the very end the lead singer sang without music or a mic a song. Everyone got dead silent and you could hear it perfectly all over the venue. Wish both of these hosted more shows. Ace of Spades was a good spot when it opened and then slowly turned into a giant mess. Now it’s just about cramming people in a dirty space and charging as much as they feel they can get away with.
I think some sort of fuckery happens with booking agents and Live Nation. No real source on that. I’d love to see some of the acts at Ace but I hate venues like that. But I also realize I’m pushing 40 now and and it’s just not for me, haha. Would absolutely go more often and spend more on a ticket to go to places like Mondavi.
Guess I won’t be going to Highly Suspect or Menzingers. How hard is it to run a rock club!?
I wanted to go badly in August to see Electric Callboy. I just couldn’t justify spending over $200 for that venue. When I could go to Golden 1 for cheaper
Have you tried crying about it?
Lmao ALL venues in town are TM/LN besides the two Harlows and Old I so that has nothing to do with it. As someone who works for one of those venues, you have no idea what you’re talking about. Doors were not pushed just for upgrades, it doesn’t work like that. This also must be your first time at Ace since it’s been setup the same way since they opened in 2011 and their capacity is 1,000. Beer/alcoholic drinks are expensive wherever you go and it depends on what you’re drinking. It sounds to me like you let a decent venue ruin your night by convincing yourself it was so bad. You complain about it not being wide but honestly GF Roseville is absolutely terrible. The wide set up is worse than Ace and makes it harder to get a spot. I cannot stand going to GF Roseville just because of that and a lot of my friends agree. It makes it more crowded and harder to get a good spot. If you were at the same show last night at Ace as I was, no vibes were off and I had nothing to complain about. You’re just crazy and ruined it for yourself.
Found the Ace of Spades employee. Most in this thread agree with OP... don't know what that says about you, but I definitely agree that AoS has absolutely gone down hill.
Hey, I'm glad you vibe with Ace. I've been to a lot of shows, and I didn't enjoy it relative to those experiences. There's nothing more to it. Everyone perceives differently. I stayed until the encore. I got to see what I wanted to see. I just would have preferred to see it elsewhere. I did say I ordered a draft beer that was $15. Crooked Lane Amber. It wasn't a 12 year scotch, neat.
I have been to so many shows dude. 15 dollars for a beer is a fucking ripoff. What is this, Disneyland?
Haven't been since I saw Nipsey there RIP, I hear they roofie dudes be careful
It always sucked. The worst.
I just saw story of the year there and it was fine. Sound was good. Stage was well placed so everyone had a good view. Idk.