Saturday night we went to Fat Cats in downtown Modesto. Interesting experience....
Where do I start? Well to begin with, the tickets said 6:00, not "doors open at 6:00" so several people like ourselves braved the heat to be there early for seating, only to be told that the doors open at 6 with the show to start at 7. We left, hung out down the street, and came back at 6 at which time we were told that the show would begin late as the promoter wasn't there. While we were sitting, a guy came by to tell us that they had food to order. (But no menus were on the tables on in sight on the bar.) Â In addition, there was no wait staff taking drink orders from the audience, though we did see one lady taking drinks to what we believed were the comics backstage. If you went to the bar, the bartenders were competent and polite, but don't expect anyone to take tableside orders. The other staff members were nice enough, but some patrons said it was they who were making the most noise during the performance.
After sitting until 8:15, the show started. Well, saying started is incorrect. The MC/promoter came out hawking raffle tickets and said that they would be sold during the next three songs. Finally the show began with a good opener and several good comics that followed. Â During the performances which were pretty good and definitely got better as they went along, the patrons and was I was told was some of the staff started talking so loudly at the bar that patrons had problems hearing the comics. This got so bad that the final comic asked the audience if the noise from the bar area was too loud, to which many said yes. He then led the audience in a choral response telling the bar to quiet down. (Which they did for all of 2-3 minutes, then went back to carrying on.)
I haven't even mentioned the condition of the mirrorless bathroom, the roll of TP lying atop the dispenser, the empty soap dispenser, and the toilet seat that was hardly held on at all.
What was the lesson here? For good comedy, if you don't mind a noisy bar area intruding and distracting the talent, and little or no wait staff, go to Fat Cats. If you want good comedy presented in a club that values the patrons, go to SF. It's worth the drive.
I'm a fan of small venues. In fact this place reminds me of a place I used to go to in Houston all the time, Engine Room. I don't think it's around anymore, but needless to say it was pretty great! I saw Otep here and was introduced to One Eyed Doll and Picture me Broken. I had a fantastic time and the staff was organized and that's all you can really ask for in a place like this. The sound was great and I would definitely attend some more shows here. Especially when they pull great acts like Otep!
Review Source:Fat Cat is one of the better places to see live music in the Modesto area. That doesn't mean it's a great place to catch a live act, it's merely that in the Modesto area you're exceedingly limited. Adequate sound system but many times the sound absolutely sucks. Â This is not a "state of the art" sound system, yet it could be made to sound much better. If this is your type atmosphere, it's a passable place to party with friends, especially if your mission is to get drunk. (drinks are strong) I've been in hundreds of clubs worldwide, and performed internationally in bands, so I might have a little more to compare it with, but there definitely seems to be some much needed improvements in this club, for me at least.
Review Source:Went to see Pokey Lafarge and the South City Three on May 11th, 2013. The sound guy needs some lessons. It was very very loud in there for the style of music being played. Also, when the headliner, Pokey, got on stage, the stage people didn't set up the stage for them, instead left it for the band to do. Then for over half the set you couldn't hear the horns or the harmonica/backup vocals. Horrible job.
The drinks are far overpriced for a tiny plastic cup of ice... I got a rum & coke and the coke mix ran out as she poured my drink. It cost $6 for a tiny cup with generic rum, mostly ice, and watered down coke. Next drink, thought I'd get a beer, $5 for a tiny cup of beer. I think next time I'll just drink elsewhere before the show. It's not worth it.
Then, after the show was over, some shitty metal band got on stage and ruined the entire atmosphere. We were all unaware of the metal band, even the headliners seemed surprised by the next band.
I was not happy with my visit to this venue. It would have to take one hell of a band to make me go back here.
Ive had nothing but good experiences here. Its amazing all this talent they can get to come to this little place in modesto. In modesto this is definitely the place. To be. I had to take a star off tho because you really gotta make sure the drink staff brings your correct change back let alone your change period but the venue is pretty badass besides that. Â Last time I was here I felt like the man at the comedy show. Â I don't see why alot of people are complaining about paying to get in this place is mostly all about special events so it makes sense to me. Its not your average nightclubs.
Review Source:Came to see a show last night and this was the most poorly managed event I have ever been to. Â The show was said to start at 10 p.m. and the main performer did not hit the stage until 1:15 a.m.! I understand that his flight was laid over in LA, however, it is the event managers job to disclose this information to the attendees versus lying to them throughout the whole event! Â When attempting to talk to the people in charge of the event we received the run around and poor customer treatment. Â Not only will I not be returning to this venue, but I would recommend that Lily and JayMo (event promoters/managers) take this as constructive criticism in order to enable them to get a clue on how to treat customers and how to properly run events. Â My college sorority ran much larger and complex events with much more skill and class.
Review Source:Ok, So i went here for the recent (12/15/12) Expendables Concert. tickets said 8 PM. we all got there at nine. and the first opener had just finished. Sound check lasted abot 10 minutes for second opener and another 5 or 10 minutes sound check or the Expendables! The band i paid for showed up probably around 10PM. not bad at all. the sound was goo not distortion and ears didnt ring too badly the following morning. $5 beers also a decent buy. The bartender was a little slow but cant expect too much when people are paying up front with their debit or credit card for each individual drink. (thats modesto for you; take cash! or keep and open tab people!) crowd was ok. and security made sure no one lit up to the the music's vibe. Best song of the night "Bowl for Two" i had a lot of fun, perhaps not the best bar club around but a-ok for modesto.
Review Source:Went last night to see Stevie B and two hours later, still no show! Very upset because we bought tickets and on the website it said show at 9pm and at 11pm he's still not performing. 3 DJ's later and then the fat, drunk chicks start going on stage and still no Stevie B. False advertisement and this place is a joke because they try to get you in there at 9 pm thinking that the show will start maybe around 10pm or even 10:30. They try to suck you dry by getting you to buy overpriced drinks and wait for a show that really doesn't start until probably midnight. We left at 11pm when the fat chicks started getting on stage, sad that we paid to hear DJ's for 2 hours and no Stevie B! Beware if you go for a music venue because they'll make you wait for hours until the show actually starts. Will never come back here again and now I know why it's called the Fat Cat because I've never seen so many fat chicks dressed in clothes that don't fit with rolls coming out in so many places! Bay Area clubs are way better and I'll be sure to stay away from Modesto for a long time!
Review Source:My parents and I went here for a special event tonight and were extremely disappointed in the way we were treated. Going by the rest of the reviews I've read, this seems to be a fairly regular occurance. We paid for tickets, were told to "sit anywhere" and were then asked to leave our seats almost an hour into the show -- before the headliners even got onstage! A very rude security guy came over and curtly told us that the booth we were seated in was "reserved" for someone else and that we had to move. We asked why no one had put a reserved sign on the table if that was the case and were informed that they didn't feel that was their responsibilty. We attempted to talk to a manger about the situation and were basically told to take a hike. I have never been treated so poorly as a customer and I can promise that I will never come back to this unprofessional, backwater dive ever again. I'll also be sure to warn anyone else who ever mentions the Fat Cat in my presence. This place is a disgusting, ghetto dive with overpriced drinks and zero understanding of what good customer service is about. I have worked in food service for over 8 years and have NEVER seen customers treated so poorly. It's a complete travesty. Do yourself a favor and avoid the Fat Cat at all costs.
Review Source:Meat market. Crappy music unless they're having a special show (concert, etc). Drinks are outrageously priced and taste awful. Their Facebook promos can be difficult to use, as they don't communicate with their staff very well. The right hand does not appear to know what the left hand is doing most of the time. Cover charge is usually $10. I only bother with this place if they have an event I want to attend.
Review Source:Wow where do I begin:
Music Great! Pat Travers !
Drinks Over Priced and Made Incorrectly ( Do your self a favor just order a Bud Light ) Â Bartenders should try a bartenders guide or google :) Â Or give the customers what they ordered.
Mudslide recipe
30 ml vodka
30 ml Kahlua® coffee liqueur
30 ml Bailey's® Irish cream
60 ml cream
I order a Mudslide and got Kalua and Milk, or a White Russian, when I complained the bartender  told me thats what  a mudslide is,  I finally told him give me a shot of Kalua, Shot of Baileys, and a shot of Vodka and I will mix it myself.  By the way the Kalua and Milk was $12.00 Think someone is greasing there pockets.  Either that or they thought I had way more to drink than I did.
Staff is about as rude as a staff gets, Â I dont think they like working live bands! Â Â By the way my entry and drinks where free all night, my brother paid for them cause it was my birthday. Â And I would not go here for free ever again. !
Went to see Zane Lamprey (comedy show) last weekend. Â The cost of the tickets were $15, which is less than expected. Â Once inside there was less than adequate seating and they wanted to charge an additional $50 per table. Â We went upstairs for a better view and shorter line at the bar. Â Drinks were top notch, but a little pricey. Â The staff was friendly and no drama from the patrons, so overall not a bad experience. Â I can not get over the additional charge for a table, on top of the cover charge. Â They need to change their policy.
Review Source:I must say, not bad for a Club/Lounge in the valley (coming from a guy who's used to partying in big cities).
A cutting edge facility that is perfect for entertainment. On the main dance floor, the ceiling is virtually invisible providing enough space for everything from superb lighting effects to dancer stages. With  Hip-Hop driving the mood, guests can expect to leave Fat Cat dripping with sweat and thoroughly exhausted, if leaving this club happens to cross their mind. Lots of nicely dressed women wanting to be seen (mostly local asians with blonde hair) and the price for beverages are decent.
+1 for friendly staff (especially the bartender chick who makes me want to sing the T-Pain song)
+1 for the venue (like I said, not bad at all for a Lounge/Club in the valley)
+1 for the amount of alcohol in the mix drinks (caught myself on the dance floor like wtf!)
-1 for the cover charge (I expect no cover charge since I'm going to be spending $$$ at the bar)
-1 for the annoying MC who kept ruining the music (If I was the DJ, I would've kicked that guy off the stage. This is not a Hip-Hop concert)
Definitely the best place to go if you're in Modesto. I've only been there a couple of times because you can't pay me to enough to go to Modesto more than 3 times a year. But the times I've been, it's been good.
I think they charge a cover, what's up with that!? I pay covers nowhere. Not even Vegas. And definitely not some stupid bar in the god damn Central Valley.
Drinks are good and strong. The setup is sweet. 2 floors. You can watch everyone dancing on the lower level if you're sitting at the top.
2 bars. One on each level. The bar on top is way better and plays better music. Good looking crowd which is seriously hard to believe when it comes to Modesto. When did people there get so unattractive? I guess since I left....
Hm, the place was alright. We mostly stayed on the upper level overlooking the dance floor, its lounge-y. The lower level dance area was awkward with mini stages and such. Lots of weird yellow lines on the ground, I guess its to mark off the walkway or something. And unlike Aqua, Fat Cat has multiple CLEAN bathrooms, Â so there's no long wait.
The music was alright; hip-hop, rap and some Latin to cater to the dominate Hispanic/Latino crowd. But there's still a good mixture of people unlike Man Jose with tons of Asians. Also, there's no dress code so everyone gets in but boys do dress to impress if you want to dance with the ladies, sheez! Lol :)
Friendly bartenders with good prices on drinks; the shots are huge! Overall it was a decent spot to hang out.
Went here to see a live band. Â They delayed the starting time a whopping TWO HOURS in the hopes that a better crowd would turn out. Â Strike one. Â The P.A. was jacked to the gills and it sounded horrid, but despite the urging of people attending and even the band THEMSELVES, the mixer refused to turn it down. Â Why? Â Because it's set that way and if the place was full, it would sound good. Â But I didn't mind being deaf for 3 days. Â Strike two. Â Shallow chicks and daddy macks who just showed up to be seen. Â Scenesters, wow, I'm impressed. Â Strike three. Â I would go back for a band I really liked, but that's pretty much it.
Review Source:Modesto is not a hip place, so I guess the Fat Cat is considered a hip spot there....that being said, it's far from fantastic. Â I've played a million shows there in my last band, not once do they hook up drinks for bands, not once do they pay bands really. Â We've had some issues with people on staff there, mainly security guards. Â Some of the male bartenders are extremely intolerable, not only in personality, but in looks. Â I like the stage however and some of the sound guys are cool. Â Despite it's faults, they always keep calling you for gigs.
Review Source:It's alright if your into the whole idea of girls all dancing on the dance floor and all the guys are around the dance floor wishing they could be with one of the girls out on the floor. The security there are "******". Ther are yellow lines painted on the ground which you can only be on one side and they have like hall monitors enforcing it. Yeah it attracts trashy people and scum. it's alright if your just going to get drunk but if your going to hang out; there are many other places.
Review Source:I've only ever been to the Fat Cat on the "Off the Air" nights to hear good local indie  bands.  I have to admit my opinion of the Fat Cat wasn't too high from what I had heard over the years, but each time I've been there its been great.  Great local bands (Built Like Alaska, Solar Powered People, Good Luck Thrift Store Outlet), great service and a friendly crowd.  These are weeknight shows.  I have no idea what the weekend scene is like.  I'm more of a dive bar type of guy.......
Review Source:eh...went here for a halloween party...got here early with some coworkers...i didnt care much for the band early o,. but it was an overall fun night.
but when the dj came on....boy did he suck...he needs to go back to dj skool or something...i guess coming from chicago, birthplace of house music, i am expecting more.
anyways my first nite out in cali since i moved here...this place gets another star because i got an indecent proposal...i was quite shocked...i didnt kno wat to do lol.
Fat Cat...EH....it's a place to go to in Medesto.
I last stopped by Fat Cat in November 2006 (yes, I know...this review is long overdue) with friends who frequent this spot. Â We didn't pay a cover, and there was a line of about 8 people. Â Once inside, we stayed on the upper level overlooking the main floor. The upper floor is decent with more a lounge-type feel. The lower level looks like a smaller version of a poorly budgeted highschool prom dance floor with a "catwalk/stage" in the middle. Â Visually, Fat Cat is OKAY...nothing spectacular.
The music is a blend of hip-hop, rap, and the occasional top 40's. Drinks are inexpensive ($6-$10), and the shots are the biggest I've seen in my life! ...severed in highball glasses filled a cm from  brim!
The crowd is mostly Hispanic/Latino, but still with a fair representation of "others," so overall fairly diverse.
CAUTIONARY NOTE: Fat Cat draws a ghetto-fab/trailer-trashy crowd on regular nights to the main floor. This demographic is much different on nights live bands perform or on the upper level bar. Â
I have read a few reviews proclaiming this place has a state-of-the-art sound system. I must disagree. The sound system is OKAY...but I will say the openness of the space allows for sound to travel throughout with minimal obstruction.  (Fellow Yelpers, I've been spoiled by the glories of REAL state-of-the-art sound systems...there is such a thing and you can clearly hear the difference..and  what Fat Cat has "AINT" it! )
All in all, Fat Cat is a decent spot to hang out in Modesto...."IN MODESTO" being the relative qualifier for "pretty decent spot" ;-)
PROS: Good prices on drinks. HUGE Shots! Friendly Staff. Decent upper level lounge area  with it's own bar.
CONS: No discernible dress code. ANYONE and EVERYONE gets in...ergo...has a very GHETTO FABULOUS crowd. (Think over-sized button up shirts, buttoned to the very top, tucked into baggy pants/jeans, and with THREAD-THIN gold chains prominently pulled OVER the shirt collars as if to say "Hey...look at me mamacita! I'm wearing a 10K gold chain!" ...and sadly ..with this crowd the girls DO LOOK! LMAO)
2.5 stars...but since half stars can't be given, I say 2 stars. (Without the ghetto-fabulous vibe, 3 stars)
Good music, great drinks!
Last week I saw Kitty here which kicked ass...you can't beat an all female rock band...no way...the whole night was all female or women fronted bands...my yoni felt special like she was being honored lol! :) It's an awesome place to chill, dance, see rock bands, and get shit faced! It's clean, the service is great, fast....friendly...etc...Oh and their are like hot guys there mmmm hot guys
I have been here on a couple of occasions to watch friends spin. I was disappointed to find that they DO NOT know how to treat their VIP's. The bouncers are total meat head chodes. I will never be back. Â The people who work here and frequent this spot need to realize that no matter how hard you front when you are inside, Â when you step outside, YOU ARE STILL IN MODESTO!
Review Source:i've caught a few acts here (josh kelley is a lying liar, for the record.) and while the music is always top-notch (and you can always hear the words, which is important), i cannot stand the vibe.it's a tad elitist for the central valley... i have always felt out of place here, the bartenders don't chat, even when it's not busy, and i think the seating is kind of awkward. and not in a good way.
HOWever, the upstairs look-down-on-the-stage bit is pretty nice, cocktail servers are polite, and there is more than one stall in the ladies' room.
i wouldn't pay a cover to get in here. but, i wouldn't pay a cover anywhere.
Where do I begin?
The PREMIER sound in the Valley. Â Nothing can touch their state of the art sound system. Â It's probably the reason that for years, it was the only place to see Major Label artists in the Valley. Â It's also a very cool concept design (20's-30's Jazz Club). Â I've heard countless touring groups rant on and on about what a gem the Fat Cat is.
The staff is usually very friendly and fun, but can be a little hard to get a hold of, on busy nights. Â (This is true everywhere in Modesto.) Â But, they do have cocktail staff to help when the bar is crowded.
Great theme parties, DJ's (if that's your thing), Comedy and Local music (I've played the FC many a time.)
They recently opened up a back patio for the smokers, it's a nice addition, and equipped with couches and cocktail tables.
Although, it's not necessarily my favorite place to end up (I prefer a more subdued setting) it was definitely the place to start the night, and the only place where your cousin's band could sound like they've always thought they sounded.
Now if they only get the fat chicks to stop dancing on the catwalk.
Roem's Reduced Review:
If it sounds like I'm kissing ass in this Yelp, it's because I am. Â The staff has blackmail pics of me.
*Gig Notes*
PA: Â Top of the line. Â Just bring your equip.
Stage: Â 26' wide x 18' deep est.
Crowd: Â 300+ bottom floor, 200+ top floor, be prepared to promote your midweek show, or NO ONE will be there.
Staff: Great sound guys, bartenders, and security, no pay, no bar tab, but you keep 100% of the door.
-Small room that gets very loud. Â Keep stage volume to a reasonable amount and you could cut a live album. Â Green room behind stage with Bath/Shower/Fridge/Mirrors.
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