Wilmington is really lucky to have the Soapbox. Complain all you want about the "scene" and the people who go to the Soapbox, but anyone who supports this venue is a-okay in my book. I say pipe down and enjoy seeing a band in a small venue, unlike you might see them anywhere else, whether it be a local, regional or nationally known act. You can see a wide variety of entertainment at the Soapbox, including comedy and a wide variety of music. I've seen more good shows at the Soapbox in the last few months than I have in Raleigh.
They always have a bunch of drink specials when I'm there. The fact that most times there is a show upstairs and downstairs is pretty cool. The ticket prices are unbelievably cheap in comparison to most venues. The only complaint I have is that sometimes it takes too long between bands or the shows don't start at the time advertised, but even that seems to be getting better lately.
If there is a band you like playing at the Soapbox, go. If there is a band you've been thinking about checking out, go.
This place is awesome! I love the vibe. The bartenders were MORE THAN NICE and the drinks were well priced. Â We came to see a band and they rocked the house. Â I read a lot of previous reviews and don't know if they came on an off-day or what, but this was a great way to spend a Sunday evening.
(Did not do laundry)
When my husband and I first moved to Wilmington we didn't have a washing machine. Â In theory, Soapbox seemed like a great place to do laundry-- a bar, downtown location, a few video games. Â Cool. Â
So we hauled our two-week-old dirty laundry (we'd clearly procrastinated) down to the Soapbox only to find that the majority of the machines were broken. Â Don't get me wrong, we laughed like crazy to find signs on broken dryers stating "Not working due to: Â Haunted" and "Not working due to: Â Horse Sh*t" but laughter doesn't wash one's clothes. Â The few machines that worked did the job (s l o w l y). Â But the whole time I kept thinking that Soapbox must be an inside joke that lets the locals laugh at the poor stupid Wilmington transplants who don't know better than to do their laundry there. Â On a plus note, I beat my husband at the arcade bowling game while we waited and I rarely beat him at video games. Â We bought a washer and dryer literally the next day.
I've since been to The Soapbox for Peepshop Caberet. Â Decent bar, fun show. Â The music scene in Wilmington isn't quite what I'm used to, but that's not The Soapbox's fault. Â I'm sure I'll be back some day.
We came here for a show with Peepshow Cabaret. The show was fun but the venue didn't put out enough chairs and we had to get our own from the back of the bar. They were not concerned with the lack of seating and didn't help to retrieve chairs for the patrons that already paid a cover charge and were buying drinks.
They were charging $4 for a tallboy PBR which seemed reasonable but overall, this is just a run-of-the-mill indie bar with dirty floors and poor service.
Okay, here goes:
1. I'm from Myrtle Beach. So, any bit of counter culture ambiance (or, say, culture at all) is welcome. The decor and atmosphere is just what someone bleached out by beach tourism needs.
2. The downtown Wilmington location is ideal.
3. BUT, our bartender was quite pretentious. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar and had a few drinks. Purple Haze and some other beer for him, and cocktails for me. When I ordered my favorite, a Fuzzy Navel (don't judge), she rolled her eyes at my less-than-hip choice. I asked her what she would suggest then and she gave me a disgusting thing with redbull and what tasted like straight up battery acid. I think she believed we weren't chill enough for her bar. Whatever. Hope her tattoos still look awesome when she's 45.
Soapbox isn't bad. It is certainly one of the better places to go see live music in Wilmington. It has a nice little gimmick, being a place to see music and do your laundry at the same time.
I suppose my main beef is with the shitty music they have. I've been disappointed with the 10 or 15 shows I've seen... Â they cater to people who value a certain indie scene and punk style, but very little talent comes through here.
I'm going to echo Suzanne's question -- why the hell hasn't anyone reviewed this place? Time to right wrongs and triumph over evil.
I was in town for Memorial weekend to attend the Wilmington Exchange (WE) Festival, which was hosted Thurs-Monday at the Soapbox. $1/day admission, 90+ acts, 11 hours a day of rock -- what's not to love? Seriously, any place that sells coffee, a wide, eclectic range of beer, candy, art and Tide has my wholehearted enthusiasm. Where else can you watch a live show or play Ms. Pacman in between sudsing your duds? Their couches are comfy, too.
Additionally, my friend Nate DJs here about 3x a week, and he is excellent with the tunes... check him out, or else.
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