The Shakedown — Restaurant in Bellingham

I travelled from Vancouver with my boyfriend and friends to see a band we love play here, only to be asked to leave by the person working at the door for briefly kissing my partner on the neck. All I was told is that it was problematic for us to share a few kisses next to the bar because we were blocking it off from where we were standing, and it had made them a bit uncomfortable. I sympathized, tipped them, apologized profusely and stopped. So, when we were told to leave after this, I apologized again for any misunderstandings, and inquired as to why we were being removed since I’d clearly stopped doing what I thought had made them uncomfortable. Instead of having a conversation with me, I was rudely told: “get away from me.” When we spoke to the bouncer outside, he was also visibly confused with the situation and suggested we come back in a few hours when they gets off shift (which was after the show ended). At this point, they came back outside specifically to give me my tip back and say to my face: “I don’t want your money.”

This kind of treatment of guests is completely uncalled for. I thought it was prudent to leave a note for other guests who may also fall victim to the arbitrary whims of the staff.

FOLLOW UP: Before we left the next day I spoke with the manager working that night who seemed to have a very different embellished version of events with some things that I know were outright not true. Without being able to see the security footage (I asked), it's hard to corroborate what actually happened. Our friends saw one thing, they saw another. We obviously apologized again for the way things were interpreted, since this has quite literally never happened to either of us before. I still don't know what the prerogative of this venue is on that front, but we didn't get very far trying to be...

Let me tell you about one of my favorite places in town. It's called The Shakedown. The Shakedown is a bar/pub/music venue. And a damn fine one! The staff are professional, and all incredibly nice. The people I have dealt with in booking are wonderful. They're great communicators, they have standard protocol with shows. They give you set times to load in, negotiate fair pay, and do a lot of things that other places in Bellingham have fallen short of. The drinks are reasonably priced, the bathrooms are clean, and the sound quality is one of the best in town. Some of my favorite live music experiences have been at the Shakedown, whether I was performing, seeing my friends perform, or seeing a larger touring act. Do yourself a favor and catch a show there, or if live music isn't your thing, check out their monthly Geek trivia or their 90's night every Thursday. The Shakedown, folks. I give them my stamp...

Did not eat while there for a concert. The Shakedown is a near-perfect concert venue. I think it says "88 person capacity" at the door. Nice low stage, excellent bar selection and a great layout overall. But, for me, the highlight was the sound! They weren't afraid to push the volume to a high volume, which might be an issue for some. But, those people should bring earplugs, anyway. Not only was it loud, but crystal clear! I think the venue should invest in some more low end, though. That bass/mid/treble balance was a bit off. But, hey, it still sounded fantastic. I will be watching the schedule for upcoming shows and will look forward to coming back again (and again and...