Part nightclub/concert hall, part sports bar, part...goth club? Asylum is a bit confused, but a surprisingly large venue off Congress Street. In looking at the concert calendar, the booking agent seems to specialize in past-their-prime acts (I'm not judging, we were there to see the 90s-tastic Gin Blossoms, for Christ's sake!), but also seems to give stage time to lots of local acts as well.
The space itself wasn't anything special, but the acoustics were good, the bathrooms were reasonably clean, and the drinks didn't come with the exorbitant price tag one comes to expect with live music venues. Email confirmation for ticket purchases are somewhat sketchy and bereft of details - the digital equivalent to buying a pair of shoes out of the trunk of a Pinto. Though we ultimately didn't have difficultly getting into the venue, I'd recommend Asylum adopt something more official looking so a ticket holder doesn't have to wonder if they just got ripped off.
My review is for the bar. Â We went during the Bruins playoff game. Â The beer was cheap and the food was surprisingly fantastic! Â In fact, the teriyaki chicken tenders were so good, I had to go back the next day to get them again! Â There were plenty of tvs and the bar staff were very friendly. Â I was surprised that one guy recognized us when we came back the next day. Â It's a no frills kind of place, but one of our favorites!
Review Source:This review is for the sports bar at this venue. Went during the NBA finals. There are multiple TVs and 2 really large LCDs. The beer is cheap. The food was surprisingly really well done especially the cajun crust on my chicken in the fettuccine alfredo. The servers are chill and the crowd was really into the game. It was a good place to watch the game without too many frills with some good grub.
Review Source:I found Asylum to be a great facility. It's deceptively large actually. The time I went they had their weekly Goth night going on downstairs and a local metal show going on upstairs in the main room. I hit both.
The local show was pretty awesome. There weren't more than 30 or 40 people there and that room is HUGE so it seemed absolutely cavernous. But that did not phase the bands or the audience at all so it didn't detract from my enjoyment either.
The night downstairs was a great time too but I reviewed that elsewhere already.
Overall I had a great time there and found the staff to be friendly and accommodating and the bartenders generous do decent tippers!
I find the above review by Michelle F. to be petty and vindictive -- given that there's some behind the scenes drama involved -- but, more to the point, totally inaccurate. To the point, then:
I have DJed at The Asylum's goth night, Plague, on several occasions and have always found the crowd and the event to be among the better showings of the underground dark music scene here in the northeast. Trust me, I've spun at most of the events up here and I can, indeed, compare them all.
That said: the people at Plague have always been friendly, outgoing and, on the whole, a pleasure to deal with. In a scene where cliquishness and childish attitudes abound I've never once seen such pettiness at Plague. The venue has a small, intimate feel and the staff has always been pleasant and supportive of visiting guests and the regulars who support the night. The place is clean and drinks are affordable, especially considering the behind-the-bar robbery that takes place in larger cities like Boston and New York.
While every goth night going makes it a point to reach out to the non-goth crowd, goth nights may not be for everyone. If a person is so small minded that they view the regulars at such events as the above poster does, perhaps the problem is with a person's narrow minded perception of others. If, however, you're looking for a chill place to enjoy top-notch goth and industrial music in the company of easy going folks at a clean, safe and reasonably priced bar then I highly recommend Plague.
Actually, for Maine, it's not really that bad. There are at least some people there, which is all you can really ask for in a small town so far north.
Rethinking the whole experience, it was interesting. I don't fit in but it doesn't mean you won't. The goth/redneck crowd is actually surprisingly nice, though the eye candy leaves much to be desired.. The bartender was hilarious.
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