Probably the best venue concert venue in Downtown but drink prices are over-inflated for the area and the bar staff has a difficult time keeping a large line queued appropriately. Security does a great job at keeping everyone safe and I never felt at-risk during any shows that I attended. I have seen many shows here and always had fun with my friends, on and off stage. But after a REALLY bad experience at the Snoop concert, I will never go back
On the Snoop concert, keep in mind this was all on a weeknight: The show was advertised to start at 9pm and no opener was shown on the ticket or advertising. At 9:30pm an opener comes on, someone I've never heard of, and were off stage by 10pm. Everyone then stood there for an hour-and-a-half staring at an empty stage! Security had no idea what the hold-up was and when I asked to speak with the house manager, I was told they were not there and I was shocked that the manager was not present for such a large show. When I attempted to contact management, multiple times, I received no reply.
The absolute lack of caring from management is why I will never go back to this venue, regardless of the show. They know they are the only small and decent venue in town and have a big head about it. Club 412 has the potential to be a good competing, although smaller, venue.
Well. Where to start. Okay, I'll start off nice. I genuinely like the physical space of the venue. Sound was good, layout was well thought out. Good sightlines. Hmm, what else, what else? Oh, the people that work there are a bunch of GOONS! Drove 5 hours from Seattle to see Volbeat, since they sold out in, hmm, ten minutes at the Showbox. Got to the venue to see the middle act. Volbeat starts. Hear the first song, hmmm, some people are moshing in front of me. That's cool, I used to do that. Not interested any more, so I assume the stance to protect my girlfriend and a random girl that looked scared. The kids aren't getting too crazy, so I relax. Some punk totally body-checks me without provocation. I calmly (hey, I'm 44 and have been to so many rock shows it's ridiculous - NEVER been thrown out of one... until now) tap the fellow on the shoulder (keep in mind, he's wearing a blank light-colored t-shirt, no evidence of being on the staff) and tell him, "Hey, lets calm down. We're all here to have fun and enjoy the show". He immediately tries to step up into my face (tried, since he couldn't have weighed more than a buck fifty soaking wet) and yells at me, "You spit in my face! That's rude!" I'm standing there, staring at this punk trying to figure out what the heck he's talking about. He looks over, nods his head, and some ape I never even get a chance to get a good look at armhooks me and drags me out the door. I say drag, I should say "lifted me up enough so my feet don't touch the floor". I'm out. No chance to get back in, my girlfriend in there... all she saw was some punks dragging me off, thinking they were going to go beat me up in a corner. Actually, the ginormous bruise on my arm later that night testifies to the fact that these idiots have no idea what they're doing. Yeah, way to start off celebrating getting your concert license back, Knitting Factory! The best part? I left voice mails for every part of their management that night. Haven't gotten any kind of response. Two thumbs down!!!!
Review Source:This is a great place to go for an intimate concert. I got there early enough to secure a space right up against the stage. It was an awesome experience.
I was surprised how nice everyone was being on the floor. No one was pushing or shoving. Made for a nice concert experience.
The room capacity is just over 1200 so there really isn't a bad place to be in the house.
Someone I was with was disappointed at the lack of seating near the bar area but I didn't have a problem with it.
Sound is great..size is great considering we don't have any other mid size comparable venues. Cons -- alcohol is overpriced and the promoting/booking is awful. Knitting Factories across the US get a larger variety of shows while we continue to get the same cover bands booked over and over.
Review Source:A while back, I was up visiting Spokane right around the time of that big Gorge concert that happens every May. I set my son up with pizza and a movie in our hotel room and wanted to go see some shows. Since Spokane is far enough away from the Gorge Amphitheater, many great bands can go into Idaho and around Spokane and play shows without getting into Gorge contractual issues.
I got lucky when I stumbled upon the Knitting Factory because I have been to several shows in San Diego at smaller, more intimate clubs and that's the way I like it. So I have no problem with size here. What I didn't appreciate was that when I was dancing to The Hives, a creepy guy was trying to snap photos with his cell phone of the exalted area beneath my dress. I caught this perv red-handed and spent the rest of the evening holding down my dress and slip and thankful I had undies on.
I won't hold that against the place. It is very friendly at the Knitting Factory. No big deal for performing bands to venture out on the floor and hang with you in the bar area. Â The Hives lead singer even came around outside and lit my cigarette when I was getting some fresh air. All together, I liked the Knitting Factory just fine and I hope that Spokane appreciates this fine venue that attracts some really great music to their beautiful area.
Damn. Nice Job, Spokane.
We showed up as a big group to the place next door- the mix 916 or something and that, I wouldn't recommend as much (see that review) but this space was fantastic.
The catwalk/balcony all around was a great seat, as were the tables in the 21+ area, lots of bathrooms, drinks were reasonably priced and once I gave a good tip, strong as hell.
Show was amazing, that didn't hurt (thanks, Hell's Belles, you rocked my world) but overall, one of the best venues I've been lately to see a show.
(to the guy who grabbed my ass not once but three f-ing times, see, your dickhead behavior didn't ruin my good time but next time, I'm going to kick you in the balls with those pointy boots of mine)
The Factory is a great for smaller shows. 1500 capacity doesn't seem like much until your shoulder to shoulder, stomach to back on the floor. Which is a downside for anyone not 21 years old. A plus to the venue is there aren't stupid venue rules during shows. They allow camera unless the band says other ways, and for heavy metal shows there are no restrictions. They are most of the time good with crowd surfers and people in the pit. But all in all it's a good venue, definatly prefer the original venue name to the current one.
Review Source:Seems like this place is run by the same great minds who run high school sporting events. No line to get in & they just kept pushing people in, I fealt like I was be corraled. This was one of the worst organized events I've ever been to. The staff was lazy, unfriendly & cursed a lot in front of customers. Plus the one & only vendor that was there was a true moron. The drinks were watered down & over priced. We won't be returning, Not even if Jimi Hendrix & Kurt cobain opened for Elvis & John Lennon.
Review Source:For starters, this is a pretty small venue. If you're going to a sold out show and are unlucky enough to be under 21, you're probably going to get pushed, knocked around, jumped on, dripped on, and suffer from serious body odor overload. Â (Why some people can't seem to regularly shower or wear deodorant, I will never know.)
Upon entering the venue, I was greeted by the sight of two young ladies passed out in a pile of vomit inside the building. Â Can't say I've ever been to an establishment that actually allows people to just puke all over the entryway and pass out in their own sick on the premises. Â Classy.
After our tickets were quickly scanned and we fought the ridiculous crowd of tweens inside (please note: this was a 3OH!3 concert), we realized there was a ton of room in the bar, so we made our way to sanctuary. Â Were promptly told we were not allowed entrance into the bar without wristbands, and were directed back to the front/ticketing. Â When we politely asked for wristbands to get into the bar, they barked at us (as if we should have known better), "WELL WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ANY WHEN YOU CAME IN?"
Well gee, kind Sir Asshole, no one mentioned anything to us about needing them when you just scanned our tickets and shoved us on in. Â Super rude staff with serious ego trips. Â
Anyway, was able to watch the entire show with a great view from the bar without getting hassled or assaulted by teenagers. Â But ultimately, this show and venue was in NO way worth the four hour drive from Seattle. Â I will NEVER return to this shit hole again.
I saw a show here after seeing the same show at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle in June. Though it was easy to get close to the front, the drinks were unbelievably overpriced (it's Spokane, not Seattle, for God's sake) and the concert goers had no etiquette. One douche in a big green stoner cap kept shoving everyone around to get to the front, and everyone smelled bad and talked through the singing, even though a lot of it was quiet. So rude! It seemed like the artist had a better time playing there, but the experience for me was subpar. Smelly, really way too hot, expensive, and rude. The best part (aside from the lovely concert) was the fight that broke out afterward between some dirty young hoodlum and the security guards.
Review Source:An interesting place. Not the best concert venue I've been to, but definitely not the worst either.
I've been to a few shows here; the most recent was Relient K and Owl City last June. The place was packed, and the venue was fairly small for that matter. The staff are okay, but don't look like the most welcoming crowd. It is a decent concert hall.
I liked it better when it was the Big Easy though. It was just so much more fun, with a much friendlier staff. I went to see The Killers there, and the people and it was just so chill and fun. I don't get that feeling there anymore.
But it's still a good place for a nice concert.
Drove four and a half hours from Seattle last night to go see Robert Francis. Â First time to the Knitting Factory and it did not disappoint. The little lounge next door was cozy, bartenders and wait staff were friendly, and the drinks were good.
Though there was no re-entry once we got in, they had a full-bar and menu to order from. My boyfriend and I were taken care of by a younger gal who checked up on us every so often to take our drink orders and bring us food. She was great - she even managed to steer me away from my long island (which was great, by the way) and recommended a 'cheaper and stronger drink, that tasted the same.' I was hooked.
The venue filled up after the opening acts, and since the show was free - the crowd was a mix between high school kids and middle aged couples just there to enjoy a drink and some free music. We encountered a pretty unpleasant local that pushed aside my chair and ignored the fact that I was trying to sit down. She was too busy conversing with another obnoxious woman to have any sense of common decency, but whatever.
The atmosphere was intimate both near the bar and in front of the stage. All of the bands were in the lobby after the show selling merchandise and signing autographs - something you typically don't get at most venues.
I will definitely be back at the Knitting Factory in the future. However, next time I'll be finding a place downtown to stay afterward. The four and a half hour drive home back to Seattle after midnight is not something I'll be doing again!
My fiance and I went there on Friday night to see a show and once we realized we got in we realized there was no re entry. They should have made that clear at the entrance but they did not. Not until we tried to leave for coffee at the Davenport (cuz the openers sucked) did we realize that we were stuck if we wanted to see the headliner.
They said the reason they wont allow re entry is because people come back totally drunk off their asses and are unruly. My suggestion is why not take each person returning on a case by case basis? Like, how about NOT letting them back in if they are obviously drunk? Â I don't know, I can kind of understand this but still man. Im a grown freaking woman.
Another complain is that the balcony is now closed. They said the reason is because lots of illegal druggy activity went on up there and it was uncontrolled. Well people, how about hiring about five new employees to keep an eye on the balcony? Or add more backlighting to deter the wackos? We got to the show and there was not any sitting area available. Total BS.
The staff are rude to boot. Â The pepsi was watered down.
That is all.
The Knitting Factory is just OK.
If a band I really liked was playing there (or anywhere), of course I would see them.
However, The Knitting Factory has a less-than-ideal setup. Â Here are a couple of my naggatory complaints about them:
- You can't be close to the band and drink alcohol at the same time. Â There is an "upper" level where you can buy drinks, but you can't take them down onto the floor. Â Want to sip a beer a couple feet from the band? Â Not going to happen here, not gonna happen.
- Speaking of alcohol, the selection quite frankly sucks. Â This is the freakin' NW, give me some microbrews! Â The closest thing they have is Redhook ESB which is distributed by A.Busch and is mediocre at best.
- Again, the alcohol. Â It's served in plastic cups, classy. Â This would make sense if you were allowed to get within striking distance of the band but...as I have noted, you can't.
- Like many venues, the alcohol is pricey.
- Strict camera policies are enforced.
Would I see a show here again? Â Of course. Â However, this would never be my "go-to" venue.
Made it here to see a hip hop show recently (Tech N9ne!!!! ...ok, sorry). Â This was an ok place. Â Man, maybe it was the crowd, or the show, but I felt old in here. Â Lots of kids, testosterone, and craziness. Â Most of it was alright though, but I felt on edge most of the time. Â I kept on thinking a fight would break out, so I was in Terminator/Robocop mode keeping an eye out for trouble. Â A couple of fights broke out; the biggest one was to big girls right next to where we were--interesting.
This venue was decent. Â It was a little loud--I forgot to bring my earplugs (my ears rang for the next day--I've been to worse---try Chop Suey's in Seattle). Â There is a balcony. Â It was a mixed-aged crowd. Â There were the under-21's and the over-21's were tagged (wrist bands).
The opening bands were alright. Â I liked that there was a Native hip hop group. Â I couldn't believe I heard them bust out a Northern Cree song, and they started dancing pow wow on stage (other than that, I wasn't really feelin' them). Â Tech N9ne was awesome though. Â He totally got the crowd going, and grooved the whole night. Â What a great show. Â We were all "his family". Â :)
This place used to named The Big Easy. Â It's a big deal in Spokane. Â Nationally touring bands normally show up there a day before or after they play Seattle, as a warm up/cool down. Â Example: Â The day before Social Distortion came to Seattle in 2004, they played an impromptu show here. Â So spur of the moment that Spokompton wasn't even listed on the list of cities their tour stopped in.
One other sweet piece of trivia: Â The Pixies first reunion show in the USA occurred here. Â People from Europe paid well over $1,000 for tickets on E-bay plus travel to come to the show. Â I tried to get tickets, but it sold out in three and a half minutes. Â Nimrods!
It's got a ton of floor space, has two different bars on the its two levels, and still gets the biggest non-arena filling acts in the city of Spokane. Â Most of the shows are 21+ although they do occasionally have all ages as well. Â They book a large variety of acts, from comedians to death metal to indie rock type stuff.
If you're looking for the hippest most popular venue in Spokane, this is it. Â Don't go expecting to knit, though. Â It's kind of a stupid name change.
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