I'm a Nile kid from way back in the day. Like when Sam Means (guitarist from The Format) was running the door and Nate Ruess was the lead singer of a little band called This Past Year. Old school.
And it looks like nothing has changed except ownership (on paper) and maybe a fresh coat of paint here and there. The best way to get here is still off of 1st, taking a left (north) just before MacDonald into the back parking lot. The doors for both the upstairs and downstairs venues are still in an alley. And it still looks sketchy as hell. Ah memories....
I paid my cover and started my descent down the uneven, gray, broken steps w/ no rail like I had so many times before.
Seriously this place looks almost identical to how it did back in 2001. Theirs still some murals painted on a few walls as well as behind the stage. There are still holes in the walls, and the bathroom is still upstairs and questionable. Shows in the basement will always be cheap, intimate, and loud. Not to say that I didnt have a great time, but I was hoping whoever bought The Nile would work to improve it as well as the quality of the bands they book.
About the only thing thats changed is that theres actually places to go nearby for food and booze that are open later.
We'll always have 2001-2003 Nile Basement...
I've been here before, my deja vu tells me.
They've renamed the "top" venue the Nile Theater. Good luck finding it on Google, in Yelp or any other normal search effort. Had an opportunity to see Black Veil Brides on 01/05/13 for $18 and jumped last second. I should have known when I heard it was an all-ages show...
Cool:
-considered by many an "intimate venue"... yes, it's smaller than your big-name venues like Cricket or Dodge or whatever they're calling them these days, but only slightly smaller than Marquee.
-free parking on the street
-affordable tickets ($18 for all-ages show for a big-name band)
-dodgy rock'n'roll atmosphere which I like
Totally Not Cool:
I hate all-ages events. It really has nothing to do with the kids themselves (for the most part) but the restrictions and legislature that comes along with it.
-NO BAR, DRY VENUE. I cannot stress this enough. When I go to a concert, I like to get a li'l drunk and have a good time. Let's just say I wasn't a happy camper when I realized what I'd gotten myself into.
-you have to pay $2 for a "bracelet" that allows you to go outside and come back in. What is this, a punishment for smokers? My thinking is, why can't we have a bar and give the bracelets to those who are 21+ and allow people to go in and out freely??
(I'm beginning to sound like an old fart right now)
-I'm tired of kids with iPhones, and Blackberry phones videotaping and taking pictures of the whole damn show. YOU ARE MISSING THE ACTUAL CONCERT. And I can't see through your arm, hand or cell phone. When you multiply this by 30, it's difficult to see the stage AT ALL. I think that the venue should implement a new policy on this. If staff sees you filming the whole effing set, your phone gets confiscated or you get kicked out. I have an iPhone and GUESS WHAT I didn't take one single picture or video. I enjoy my concerts first-hand.
-Ma and Pop, please stay at home and let the "kids" have a little fun. If you're a Mom or Dad who likes this kind of music, leave the kids at home (there was a little girl no more than 6 at this show).
-the "bars" that are "nearby" that are "recommended" are jokes. Notice how many quotes I used. They are hotel bars. They aren't bars you'd bring a friend, a date, or yourself to.
I'll keep an eye on the Underground and the Nile Theater for upcoming shows, but I can almost guarantee that the all-ages shows will be on my shit list. I want to love you, Underground/Nile... but you're like a single mother with 200 screaming kids and you won't let me have a single scotch...
Have you ever wished you could attend a concert in a baseball players protective cup?! Well now you can, the Underground at the Nile Theater has all the same elements, DNA heavy in the air, wait air... that's not air that is sweat filled dehydration. Â A stench that would make a lockeroom proud... (because of the sweaty crotch that you are literally standing in), but at least if you are having a heat stroke you can walk up stairs and buy water from the guy that threw yours in the trash can when you got there. Â He got a good laugh out of that one when I brought it up "Ya, that's why we do it!" Â If you love heat exhaustion, sweat, no ventalation, bands that have to stop their sets early because they are physically getting sick from the room.... then this is the place for you. Â
Pros: Ashed and Embers & The Classic Crime were great, nice and close.
Cons: Venue filthy, sweltering, bands looked ready to pass out from heat, 2 working celing fans, no a/c, dehydration.... and that musky crotch smell
I finally saw a show here this week. We went to see The Ghost Inside and Redeemer and both really enjoyed the show and the venue. It's very intimate. You can get up in the musicians' faces and scream or sing along with them. It is actually underground as well, which was really cool.
Pros:
-Intimate experience
-Cheap tickets
-Underground (no pun intended) bands play here
-Lots of free parking nearby
-Ins and outs
Cons:
-No bar
They do not serve liquor, but the people working the door will gladly direct you to the nearest bar, which is only a few blocks away.
I like dive-y venues, so I really enjoyed this one. I'm definitely planning on going back to see another show here in the future.
I have had many great memories in this place, Throughout the years I have had the honor to play here with some of the greatest bands from the area, Jedi 5 remaining one of my favorites. My heart forever lies in the dive bars and basements of the world. This place is indeed the hottest venue known to man. Like attending a show in some underground sweat lodge. No ventilation. Broken swamp cooler. 115 outside means 130 downstairs. May you all have many beautifully painful, sweat drenched nights of your own. If asked, I would still prefer to play the downstairs over the upstairs any day of the week. Long live The Underground.
Review Source:This place is an awesome piece of AZ Hardcore history.
The basement gets hot. Duh! It's a basement. What do you expect? Even if they put an awesome AC unit in there it's still gonna get balls hot when it's packed.
Duh no beer no liquor it's an all ages venue NOT a bar. you wanna drink? there are plenty of places in walking distance that would love to have you.
This place is awesome!
I went here last night to see War of Ages, Straight Line Stitch and Times of Grace. Â The bands were awesome but I had a few problems with the venue.
Pros:
Intimate venue, awesome for seeing good bands up close
Great sound quality
Cons:
You have to pay $2 to get your hand stamped so that you can go in and out!
Very cold, yes it's February and cooler than normal but it felt like they had the AC going, it was warmer outside than in
No liquor or beer and only candy, chips and soda for sale
Will I go back? Â Yes, it's a cheap place to see good bands but I'll make sure to do my eating and drinking beforehand and bring a warm jacket.
Of course it gets hot in the summer. You're going to be watching bands in a basement with a bunch of people and depending on when / what's going on there might be some idiots 'mawshing'.
Sound quality is great for the size. Glad they reopened one of my favorite venues. and YES everybody has gotten lost the first time they tried to find the Nile. The main & front room have shows as well.
Small, tiny, "intimate" stage within the Nile Theater. It's not TOO bad if you have to see a small show. It's disgustingly sweaty in the summer, but it's kinda like the Clubhouse - a great place to see a show but not the best venue ever made.
I'd love to see better bathrooms at this facility and better signs for parking. Just make sure to bring ear plugs!
Small intimate club setting....check
sweaty as balls....check
shitty crowd capacity....check
hardcore, punk rock, and metal shows......check
Im in.....however it doesnt take much to please me when it comes to shows and to be honest the sound quality was excellent for such a small club I was suprised to say the least.
That and the fact that its biking distance from our apartment make it an easy choice....
Last night I went to see Banner Pilot and Teenage Bottlerocket at the Nile Underground in Mesa, AZ.
What I'm left with, more than anything, is that this place is fucking HOT in the summer. Â Is there anyway the people who run The Underground could hook up a portable AC or something? Â It was a relief to hit the 104 degree street after each band was done.
Aside from that the venue is just small enough to be intimate and large enough to hold a decent crowd. Â It's enough of a dive to retain street cred but (somehow) established enough to host larger bands who still marginally exist below the mainstream radars.
They sell water, soda, snacks and earplugs. Â
But jeezus man, get an AC in that place. Â
Postscript: If you're claustrophobic never mind going to The Underground. Â I'm not claustrophobic but I still felt uncomfortably closed in. Â However, it's not enough to keep me from avoiding this place.
"The Underground opened on Feb. 19, 2010. The club has a capacity of 250 to 300 people, and specializes in punk, hardcore, and rock acts."
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fthingstodo%2Fvenues%2FThe_Underground_797650545832&s=8cafd8c28972eddb615c205803608ce28bd825d034e77a0c4dafd81335185dab" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.azcentral.com…</a>
I really like this venue. So, why 4 stars? It's so darn hard to find! I'm not even sure how to get in from the front. I drove right past it without seeing a sign. I got lucky & turned into the alley off MacDonald.
Google map location: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2F9l5ofZ&s=efd8296f1e06482931babeadfebeefe2b6bb815cd2107663d70209eaf7da272e" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/9l5ofZ</a>
You have to go down the stairs to the "Underground".
I think the floor has been epoxied a whitish color.
There are a couple tagging style murals on the walls. They're interesting but I have no clue what they actually say though.
The stage is a carpeted step up from the crowd. It's not huge or anything, but it's big enough for some jumping around. Seems about the average size for a small venue like this.
The sound was GREAT! You could actually understand what the singers were saying, even if you didn't know the band. I'm a huge fan of this place because of the good sound. That's the whole point of a music venue. Good music!
If you live on the East side of the Valley then this is a pretty neat little venue to check out :)
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