Echostage

I love this venue! Panorama productions did a great job when they established echostage. I usually buy my tickets online for the shows that I want to go to. Sometimes they sell tickets at the door but I don’t want to take the chance of sell outs. Let me tell you, if there’s a hot Dj in town then echostage will sell out fast! When you walk into the venue, you’re on the lower floor and that floor is for those who wants to dance the night away. If you just want to watch the show and relax with some drinks, I suggest you contact the VIP manager Ben and get a table for the night. Note: you must be 21 for the balcony/​table area. I’ve been to echostage many times, their staff never fails to put out an amazing night.

Their drinks are in tiny cups, but other than that, this is a solid place for popular EDM and trance DJs. It definitely is my favorite DC spot at the moment. I saw Aly and Fila and Dash Berlin this past weekend. Lasers and visuals were on point and it was great getting front row at Aly and Fila. A friend of mine got backstage passes and watched both from the stage-​side. There are two levels: the ground level and upper balcony, but I prefer being on the ground level. They are bringing Tiesto next month. The other time I came here, I saw Audien and Madeon. Hella good show then, too.
The dress code is wear whatever. You can choose to doll up in club style or dress down in raver gear. It’s up to you.

LET THE BEAT DROP
My first EDM show. Was not disappointed. 3LAUHAUS
no where to sit unless you are VIP poppin bottles etc
People kept lighting blunts and smoking weed and staff would walk through and try to find it and the people doing it were sneaky AF and hid it pretty well. Hilarious

This place is INSANE! Great headliners with solid sound and visuals. Not the place to go to if you’re looking for pure class and a relaxing night. The party goes hard.

Didn’t really enjoy this venue at all — I was here for a sold out show for Tame Impala and it was awful to get a good view anywhere. For a pretty pricey ticket I am paying, I want to be able to enjoy my concert… and not sure about EDM, but definitely not the right venue for rock concerts. My friends and I ended up spending most of our time sitting in the couches upstairs talking, because the downstairs was a complete mosh pit and the balcony area was too crowded and difficult for me (not very tall) to see. What irritated me the most was the sound system — at this venue it is extremely loud to the point of giving you a headache… and I’ve been to many concerts! You can take this sketchy school bus «shuttle» if you wait at the subway station before the concert (you’ll have to wait for half an hour minimum), but ubering here will be your best bet because it indeed is in the middle of nowhere. Right before Echostage before passing the bridge however is a decent sichuan-​style restaurant so I’ll give you that.

I went here for a rock show, and will review this as a concert venue, not as a rave venue or whatever the EDM kids call whatever it is they do when they go to see a DJ. I went here alone on a Tuesday night to see New Politics.
Overall: Location sucks and lends itself for extra security patdowns at the door, ambiance is cool, but the sound just wasn’t that great. I hope Echostage sticks to EDM and doesn’t pilfer bands who would otherwise play at 930, Fillmore, or Rams Head (yeah, I’d rather drive to Baltimore than go here again).
I’m writing a ridiculously long review for anyone else who couldn’t find the answers to the important questions based on other reviews.
Location/​Getting there/​Parking: This sucked. The show started at 6:30 on a Tuesday. I live in Reston. I drive aggressively and it took well over an hour to get there, as it’s not easily accessible by metro, so I opted to drive in order to cut down on the trip home. Based on other Unilocalers’ reviews, I bought parking in advance from the lot at 1818 New York Ave. I used a coupon and got parking for $ 9. The lot was almost a half mile away and while the lot itself seemed ok, the walk to the venue required walking past abandoned buildings and construction sites in the dark by myself. The walk was not ideal, and I don’t like paying for parking (shout out to the enormous free garage next to the Fillmore). If you park there, maybe bring a few bucks to give to the family standing outside the gas station asking for money so you don’t feel like a spoiled rich bitch jogging past them.
Venue Security: I had to be checked by 4 security people at the door. 1) Checked my ID, 2) patted me down, 3) wanded me with a metal detector, and 4) scanned my ticket. After all that, I did feel safe inside.
Ambiance/​Décor: The venue itself is pretty cool on the inside, so the stars are for style. It is not as «cavernous» as I was expecting, and I have no idea where they fit 3,000 people for sold out shows. The balcony area, which was general admission for the show I attended, is pretty deep and there is a raised area around the bars, so you can stand behind the people at the rail and still have a bit of a view. The VIP tables section would definitely have the best views, but that’s not really an experience that I attend shows for.
Views: Typical. Some better in balcony if that’s your thing. If you’re short, well, you can never see anyways, so don’t complain about bad views, just add a vertical jump move to your dance routine. I’m only 5’5″, but I did twice give my spot away to people shorter than me, because I am nice.
Sound: Really not that great. The place is clearly built for deafening base jams, and it probably sounds great for EDM, but they just didn’t have it right for the band. I’ve seen New Politics twice before, and I know it wasn’t the band’s fault that they didn’t sound great.
Lights: I didn’t really notice how insane the lights were until I pulled out my phone and realized I was blind. You might not go deaf here, but you might go blind.
Bars/​Drinks: There are long bars along both side walls downstairs, but annoyingly they hold both your ID and your card if you want to start a tab. I probably wouldn’t do that again. They did take American Express (get it together already 930 Club). There were two more bars on each wall upstairs. They will let you order drinks from any bar in the venue on your tab, but you have to go back to the bartender who took your cards to check out.
The Debate over Free Water: There was no free water at the bars downstairs, only $ 5 bottles. They were giving out free tap water upstairs, but my bet is that when it is all VIP-​only up there, they let VIPs have «free» water. About halfway through the main act, security went across the front railing near the stage and handed out free bottled water. I was surprised to see that after all the reviews about no water. But seriously, there should be pitchers of tap water on every bar.
Scumminess of the floor afterwards: Really not that bad. I dunno why the EDM fans have to make such a mess. The garbage cans just aren’t that far away.
Bathrooms: The other reviewers must go to some places with some really rank bathrooms, because the bathrooms, while clean and large, were not the most immaculate sparkling amazing venue bathrooms I’ve ever seen. I think it’s the same flooring as the new 930 Club bathrooms.

This venue is terrific. I have now been there twice for All Time Low and Twenty One Pilots and have had so much fun each time. It is a nice size and does a great job to keep the crowd comfortable. Each time that I have been there they have handed out tons of water bottles to the crowd to keep us hydrated and had fans/​air conditioning blasting to keep the front of the pit nice and cool. Parking is kind of tough, but there are plenty of side streets near the venue that are fine for parking. Definitely a great venue to see concerts at.

It’s in the middle of nowhere… it’s small… it’s super crowded… and it can get pretty ratchet. So far I’ve seen Kaskade, The Chainsmokers, Miley Cyrus, and 3lau here. Maybe it’s a good venue for less popular shows, but dang when it’s sold out, it’s unbearable. I always end up in the «Asian corner» on the far right near the door to the smoking area because that’s the only place where it isn’t packed, but it sucks because you can’t see the lights/​stage very well from that angle. Unfortunately, basically all of the big EDM shows are at Echostage (even though DC armory is a much better venue for raves), so I guess it’s unavoidable if you’re into that kind of music.

I saw Benny Benassi, here on New Years Eve 2015 and my bf, took me here to Showtek for my Birthday in 2015.
It was so incredible. It was great, my friends and I had a great time and I will remember it forever, omg. So cool. The venue for the concert is huge, the drinks were great, it defintiley helps to have a few if you’re gonna go to a rave for more than 3 hours. There are two levels here, but if you want to see the people perform then, try to get there kind of early, so you can stand up at the front, or if you wanna be a jerk then push yourself up to the front and make everyone annoyed. They get pretty cool people to perform here like T.I. and
Stromae, so it’s not just your basic raver music.
The venue parking is expensive, too, but there’s like a street right down from the venue which is like a 5 minute walk way which isn’t too bad and it will save you some $$, don’t park at the place next to it. It’s 30 $ and I believe it is a strip club… correct me if I’m wrong.

I saw a show here the other night and the best thing about the experience was the amazing BBQ chicken I bought down the street from some guys with a grill. Seriously, check that chicken out. As for Echostage, meh. It looks like it was made to be dance club, not a concert venue. What that means is that the floor isn’t tilted or tiered so it makes seeing the stage really difficult if you happen to be petite like me. It was a sold out show, but there was plenty of space to move about which was good. It probably depends on the crowd, at a disappointing Modest Mouse show where they decided to play sleepy time music we didn’t really have to worry about anything crazy. As for parking, we used parking panda it cost $ 10, and worked well.

Echostage has two levels, four bars and lots of space to dance your face off. There is also a back wall of couches on the balcony if dancing isn’t your thing. They get great acts and although it is more intimate than an arena, it is still a large open space, with a feel that is somewhat reminiscent of Nation (RIP). That said, the dance floor is hot, the floor is sticky and it can smell pretty bad at times, but I did like the water misters pre-​concert and the staff was well equipped to handle a crowd. I didn’t have to wait long to get a drink, and by drink 3 the bartender knew my name. So kudos for that. Drinks are pricey, but that’s pretty much expected, isn’t it?
My girlfriend and I parked in the neighborhood, across the street from Bliss (which happened to be closed that evening), and walked over about a block and felt perfectly fine doing so. If you are uneasy there are several parking lots you can pay to park in close by, since public transportation doesn’t get you here.
Other than that, the sound system is good, and the crowd is intense, so I’ll probably be back again soon.

Two times in three days I saw bands at Echostage. Sunday was Modest Mouse and Tuesday was 21 Pilots. Both nights I drove and parked on the street next to BLISS, saving myself $ 20 – 35 for «venue» parking. the area isn’t the best and yes at first I wasn’t thrilled about parking there and may or may not have been freaking out for an hour after parking the first time, but everything turned out just fine. On Sunday, a group of 4 of us arrived around 5:15pm for doors opening at 7 because the boys wanted to be first in and up against the stage; we parked on the street and were the only car there at that time– again, kind of freaked me out at first. Tuesday my gf and I got there around 7 and parked on the same street with many other cars who all had the same bright idea. we waited in line outside the venue for maybe 15 minutes– not bad at all.
Both nights we were able to get drinks quickly as there are four bars to choose from and tabs transfer from bar to bar. The bartenders were really attentive and friendly and on Tuesday one even remembered my name and order which I thought was awesome considering the amount of people being served. A mixed drink will run you $ 14-​$ 15, beers are $ 6-​who knows– I drank cheapo Budlight. They take credit cards which is a relief as some clubs/​venues are cash only. I have to give the bartenders their dues, they really were fantastic both nights.
The set up is similar to the 9:30 Club but definitely bigger. There are two bars downstairs and two bars upstairs– we went to each one and received the same good service from each which is appreciated. Upstairs you can overlook the crowd and stage via a balcony and surrounding couches line the walls; on Tuesday for 21 Pilots, we saw many parents sitting waiting for their kids enjoying the show. hi we feel old.
Acoustics were really great everywhere in the club, I was down front on Sunday, and back at the bar on Tuesday and everything sounded equally as good. Don’t let the initial look of the area throw you off, this is a really cool venue and I recommend it to everyone.

I saw Brandon Flowers here on Wednesday night, and it was everything I wanted it to be and more. Very, very pleased.
I’d read reviews of Echostage earlier in the week and the feeling of dread I got reading them almost made me decide to just not go at all. Thank goodness I’m so cheap I would never waste $ 35 like that, because all my concerns were unfounded!
Yes, the area is super sketchy. No, there isn’t any public parking nearby except on the neighborhood streets (don’t do it). Do yourself a favor and get a Parking Panda pass ahead of time for the 1818 NY Ave lot. It was $ 10, I walked to and from the venue with dozens of other people, and I felt safe at all times. Yes, it’s a hike and you’ve stood all night, but knowing beforehand where I would park gave me peace of mind that I felt was worth it. (I was glad I was with others, though, and not walking alone.)
Yes, a water is $ 5 at Echostage. That sucks, but I was glad to have it and didn’t mind too much.
Maybe it’s different for EDM shows, but the reviews that stated the balcony was off-​limits unless you got table service was untrue for shows like B Flo’s. I got in line outside at 6:54, doors opened at 7:00 on the dot, and I was inside by 7:05. I walked right upstairs and secured a PERFECT spot along the back at the corner. I was soon surrounded by super cool people, and we enjoyed the heck out of a fantastic show together.
Sightlines were perfect, the acoustics were… not the greatest, but still good (I know his voice, and what I heard the other night was just the tiniest bit «off»), and even from the back, I could see everything perfectly well. The lasers that I’m sure EDM-​loving folks enjoy were put to good use for one song during the encore and they were AWESOME.
If your favorite band or singer plays here, go. Be aware of your surroundings, stay in a group if possible, don’t leave anything in your car, and know where you’re parking beforehand. Take a fiver for a water, and go to the balcony for the best views. Then enjoy the crap out of a great show at a great venue!

TLDR:
Cool venue for EDM shows in a not so great area. Parking is tight. One of the few/​only mega clubs left in DC. Drinks price are high, tickets prices are fair. Crowd is a third bros. Great visuals.
FOR THE READERS:
Solid venue for EDM types of events. The visuals are always pretty good and the right production teams have a good mix of smoke and lasers. You can pockets of whatever you want from almost anywhere in the venue.
Up front is your mosh pit, bro stomping ground, bump & grind, hot, sweaty, and free water area. If you don’t like space or are too drunk to care this is where you want to be.
To the left and the right of the stage is usually more space, so if you want to be close without the crowd this is the best place to be.
In the back is usually less crowded but sometimes you get a semi mosh pit.
Upstairs there are two bars on each side, for 18+ shows you usually need a 21+ wristband to get upstairs and upstairs will be less crowded and there are even a few couches. I wouldn’t get comfy… but unless you’ve spent a couple months rent or are moving weight and have a VIP table, it’s a good place to get off your feet for a few minutes. For all ages shows, open up upstairs but it’s not crowded. No comment on table service.
Drinks prices are INSANE. 14 for a long island or 11 for the captain and coke. While they say free water is available (I asked for soda $ 4 and then tap water $ 5), I do think the venue serving should offer water to it’s DRINKING patrons on account of our significant investment in alcohol, venue liability, etc.
*pro tip: Hit the bottle prior to entering the venue and make sure you get in to echo within 15 – 20 minutes of your pre-​game (No more than 6 drinks total people, anymore and you’re pushing alcoholic territory), that way you don’t waste your buzz standing in line with the bros.
The crowd varies, make sure you check whether the show is all ages, 18+ or 21+. There is drug usage by people attending most events here, anywhere from molly to weed, etc. Just like any club in DC. However it’s not rampant (to my knowledge) and I haven’t actually seen a drug use inside the venue.
Girls/​women you know the deal, guys will give you attention. They’ve probably already followed you on insta. Roll with your crew and you’ll be fine.
Guys…don’t be huge creeps.
Location is somewhat sketchy, it’s in a older, rundown industrial area. Parking is an issue the more you wait to get here. Eventually this area will get built up but not any time soon. Like anywhere, be aware of surroundings especially ladies. Safety in numbers.
Anyway, this review is mostly relevant to the EDM events which I have pretty much enjoyed. I do prefer smaller venues but when I’m looking for the mega club experience I come here. No comment on any other music genres shows.
TLDR:
Cool venue for EDM shows in a not so great area. One of the few/​only mega clubs left in DC. Drinks price are high, tickets prices are fair. Crowd is a third bros. Great visuals.

Saw Armin Van Buuren, Steve Angello and Martin Garrix here. Pretty decent venue. The lighting is great, the bar staff are awesome and the VIP section is nice.
Only thing I dislike about this the space and parking. It’s way to expensive to rent a parking space for a few hours. And not only that, when I’m ready to leave, there are so many cars parked around that I always have to sit and wait until they come out of the club so they can move their car out of the way. Space wise, when I saw Martin Garrix, I was pushed to the side of the venue by a bunch of drunk horny guys. The security really needs to step into the game.

I saw a concert here.
The name of the band is unimportant. (Meaning that what band that I saw play here is unimportant or of little consequence, not that the band ‘s name is «Unimportant»)
What is important is that it was a damn good show and these are the things you need to know if you are going to see a show here:
It’s a pretty large space and is standing room only.
For you height challenged people, there is a balcony for your reviewing pleasure.
All shows are general admission. Come early if want a good spot by the front of the stage.
The acoustics are pretty damn good for your average loud music type concert.
+1 for blasts of H20 mist that periodically comes down from the ceiling.
The floor is concrete. If you are old — it will kill your joints. If you stage dive and land on the floor — it will kill you.
Be wary of all of the Über drivers before and after the show. They might run you over and possibly kill you.
The beer selection sucks and is expensive. What else would you expect? This is capitalism, yo!
+10.5 for the copious amount of urinals in the men’s room.
— 8.5 for the pushy and creepy towel guys working in the men’s room.
All in all, good times and that is all ye need to know.
That and the fact that The Mats are greatest band to ever grace God’s green earth!

Been here so many times, just didn’t get to do a review. Echostage is probably the best place I’ve been for raving by far. Been here at least 10 times now, the bartenders was very nice sometime hook me up with some free drinks. Even though its a pretty big place, the place still gets pretty pack. Still had fun though all the lasers and lighting was amazing. Ticket prices isn’t bad you just need to know when to buy it.
Best place to have fun and get turnt. ¹⁰⁄₁₀

I believe each person has a place called their third-​home. The first home is where you sleep, second home is your work, and third home is a place where you spend most of your time to have fun. Echostage is that third home. Echostage has been voted #3 in the top dance clubs in America and it deserves it.
Echostage books the biggest acts especially during the Holidays. This year 2014 they booked 2 nights of Hardwell, 1 night of Diplo all during Christmas week. Last year 2013, they booked Alesso, Hardwell, Eric Prydz during Holiday week.
As for the crowd, this dance floor is almost organized the same way as a high school. There are different cliques that hang around in different parts of the dance floor. Everyone seem to know where they belong. First you have the very front, those are the super hype gang. They’re sweating, jumping, and fighting; most of the fights happen around the front because everyone is trying to get closer to the DJ booth (not about that life). Then tucked away to the right of the stage, there’s a small square area populated by mainly Asians. That’s how the cookie crumbles at least every time I’ve been to Echostage. There’s a similar area directly left of the stage, not sure what kinda crowd is there. All the way toward the back you have the more calm group. There’s people chilling on the wall, giving/​receiving gloving sessions, and more room to dance around. Then there’s everyone else in the middle.
They upgraded their lasers and sound system in the past year. The sound quality is crisp and booming. Your ears are going to be ringing for the next 2 days if you’re standing in the front near the stacks. The venue is a large warehouse turned into a dance club. The massive dance pit caters to everyone, the hardcore ravers to the regular clubbers. The top deck is for bottle service, I personally think it’s more fun downstairs in the pit surrounded with people with good vibes.
This place does get pricey. It’s $ 35 – 60 for ticket to event, $ 5 for a bottle of water, $ 16 for a red bull vodka, $ 10 – 20 for parking, and $ 5 for coat check. I usually drive there with other people so transportation cost is minimal. There is no dress code. You can wear whatever you want, I’ve seen people wearing pikachu sweat suits in there. Echostage is a must-​go experience for DC locals and visitors.

I’ve seen a whole lot of shows at Echo, and it is ALWAYS a blast. It is a fantastic venue, and it’s been a real win for DC. They are always getting top talent in there, big names, and the sound system is amazing. The lights are spectacular. Just an all around great, huge venue.
If it’s within your price range, I would definitely recommend table service. It really makes everything better including entry (pretty quick to get in through the table line). When you go in there is a main dance floor area in front of the stage that is huge. It’s the general admission area. There is a second floor with a bar and that’s where the tables are. The tables are not cramped, they are super comfortable, and in general have a really nice line of sight to the stage.
The service is great from the cocktail servers and bartenders. The management team on point as well. One time the ATM downstairs ate some of my money and I grabbed the GM who promptly gave me the cash and made sure everyone at my table was having a great time.
A lot of people rally up a crew to do a birthday at Echostage and that is always a blast. It’s not close to a metro station so you have to cab or Über, or if you have enough people it’s a good idea to rent a shuttle and have them drop off and pick up.
A few other things — dress in something comfortable. It always turns into a long night at Echo, you probably won’t leave until 3 or 4am. And then who knows you might go after party! Plan ahead with your transportation. You don’t want to get stuck with a huge Über bill because they are on a 4x surge (trust me I learned the hard way, $ 150 ride back to Arlington).
Overall, get ready to have a blast and rage all night!

Echostage is one of my favorite venues to go for live music in Washington D.C. In my opinion it’s the only real nightclub in the city, but I’m sure several others would disagree and make arguements for places like FUR/​Ultrabar etc. All that being said, the sound and lighting systems cannot be beat, and there is usually plenty of space to dance, even when the place is at capacity. I’ve never done bottle service on the upper VIP area so can’t comment on that, but getting drinks downstairs at the main bars has never taken more than a few minutes.
Like other Unilocalers have indicated, the only bad thing about this place is its location. It’s pretty far away and requires grabbing an über/​cab which if you stay until closing is kind of annoying to deal with since everyone is trying to do the same thing.
Finally, just as disclaimer I have only ever been when big-​name DJs have performed (saw Eric Prydz, Bingo Players, and have tickets for Above & Beyond in early 2015). But the bottom line is if you go when good people are performing and are looking for a true club experience where you can dance all night long, you should really give this place a shot.