BASEMENT NY — Restaurant in New York

This is a review based on my experience going to Basement this Saturday (2-15) for Dax J. I’m a longtime raver. I go to raves because I truly enjoy dancing to the music I love, not because of intoxicants or to pick people up. Techno is my favorite genre and I have also made a rave pilgrimage to Berlin where I danced in dungeon clubs like Tresor. I live close to New Haven in Connecticut. Unfortunately we don’t have a techno scene near me. That forces me to make the trip to NYC often to dance to techno. For Dax J event I had purchased my ticket as soon as it opened up as I had been wanting to see him play for a while and I also had some friends that were going that day.

The day of the event it snowed heavily with rain to follow all night. But I still battled through snow, got myself on a metro north to Grand Central and then on the subway to Jefferson street for a total of 3 hours commuting there, then I further walked 20 minutes in rain and snow to get to the venue from Jefferson. I met my friends and we were going in together. I was at front of the line and my friends behind me got delayed in the ID line. I was freezing already from the long commute I had just done and wanted to get in quickly. So I walked to the door by myself. As soon as I got to the door, they asked me to show my ticket, and upon showing it to them they informed me that they are refunding my ticket and I should make my way back to the gate. This had come to me as a big shock. I had been to basement only once before last summer for Regal. So I knew about the gate policy they have. But I wasn’t visibly intoxicated, rude, disrespectful or disruptive. All of which I could see as a reasonable explanation for getting denied entry. I was actually the opposite. I smiled, I said hi, I was being respectful. I had tried to explain my situation, of what I had to go through to get there and I had politely asked if I had done anything wrong that led me to be denied. They refused to answer anything and had just told me they have the gate policy and have the right to deny entry. While I didn’t get my answer, I can assume one of two things that led to them denying me: either because I was a guy at the gate by myself or because I was wearing an orange coat that was the only thing in my wardrobe that was suitable to keep my phone and wallet dry in the rain.

I didn’t feel anger, I didn’t feel rage, I didn’t feel sadness because I had to now leave my friends who I had planned to enjoy the night with. What I felt was disappointment. Disappointment in a venue that calls itself a haven for techno, the sound that was built by the community of people that were discriminated against to now having “gatekeepers” that discriminate against other people based on appearance. Dance floor is supposed to unite, but this venue actually prides in separating friends. The so called gatekeepers are on a constant powertrip and feel pleasure in denying ravers for no reason but their own presumed misguided stereotypes.

Luckily I was there before midnight so I was able to find another techno show happening at a venue nearby and ended up having one of my best nights of raving. So I guess getting denied at basement was truly a blessing in disguise. If you love techno and want to check out some venues I highly recommend looking into the Meadows, Monarch or even the parent venue KnockDown Center which holds Rush events with leading techno artists that are amazing. When I come back to NYC to go to a techno show I will visit these venues and not waste my time and energy for basement. If you want to experience high energy techno raves where you feel welcomed and not judged by random “gatekeepers” I suggest you...

I’ve been coming to Basement for years and have known several groups of employees and friends who’ve worked here. They’ve always made my experience safe, joyful, and welcoming.

Last night, I came with a friend—someone who had previously worked at Basement as a lighting designer and was a member. He had lost his phone and needed help locating friends who were working that night. Since he didn’t have his phone and didn’t recognize the door staff, he approached them directly to ask for help. I waited in the ticket line.

He soon joined me, visibly upset by how dismissively he’d been treated. They had told him to get in line, but made no effort to help him or even speak to him respectfully.

When we finally got to the front, the door staff said, “We’ve already spoken to him. You can come in if you want,” making it clear he would not be allowed in. I was confused and disheartened. I had come all this way just to help him, only to be told that “his issues aren’t anyone else’s.”

I politely declined to go in alone at first, but then realized I might be able to help by finding his friends inside. I asked security if I could speak to the door staff again.

That’s when things got truly hostile. I began with “so sorry,” only to be cut off by one of the door people—a tall white masc—who snapped, “Oh, now you want to come in?” with unwarranted attitude. I was genuinely startled. I tried to explain the situation, but when I mumbled part of it, the other door person—a very tall man—aggressively asked, “What did you say to me?” in a confrontational tone, as if I’d been disrespectful. I calmly responded, “I didn’t say anything to you,” and gave him a serious look. He then said, “OK,” and finally let me in.

I couldn’t get my friend in. I spoke with a manager about how I was treated, but the damage was done. The hostility was intense and unnecessary. And when I stepped outside to find my friend, the security person was making inappropriate comments to femmes passing by—saying things like “hey mama, why you leaving me here like this.”

To the Basement door staff and security: as a member of this community, I left feeling deeply ashamed and disheartened. The behavior I witnessed and experienced was in direct conflict with the values Basement claims to uphold. This is supposed to be a space for queer love, expression, and joy—not a space where people are made to feel small, unsafe, or unwelcome for trying to support a friend.

Please remember the responsibility you hold in cultivating a safe and respectful...

Good venue with great funktion 1 sound but I will not be going here again or recommend any friends to go to this venue after what I witnessed here by the staff.

You buy tickets in advance and you go through security, then at the door I saw a staff member quizzing people Infront of me, he said "do you know which artist is playing tonight?" And the customers Infront of me answered correctly, then he goes on to further question them asking "can you name every artist on the line up tonight?" When they failed to answer the second question the dude at the door said "I'm not letting you or any of your friends in tonight"

Wth is this? And what is the intention of this level of gatekeeping? Luckily me and my friend group of 15 people got in, but what if someone in our group didn't get in? This question didn't sit well with me all night.

The venue tries to be a Berlin style club, but it pales in comparison to Berlin clubs, this venue would only be a single room in a club like berghain or tresor. It's not that big of a deal.

But what does this additional screening at the door accomplish? I still saw d-bags at the venue too messed up, spilling drinks on everyone pushing through the crowd, turning on their flashlights.

This arbitrary screening at the door accomplishes nothing but alienate recurring patrons.

If this venue is trying to go for a specific vibe of people, then it a huge failure of communication between whatever the show runners want and what types of people the promotors are bringing in.

This additional vibe check at the door shows how tone deaf this venue is to the NYC club scene (which focuses on inclusivity rather than exclusivity)

Output had great vibes and great crowds, they never needed to quiz people on the entire line up for the show and kick out people who didn't remember a specific DJ's name like basement does.

Do better, basement. Invest more into your business side and improve your internal staff communications rather than offloading a vibe check to your customers, which ultimately accomplishes nothing.

Until then, there no way you can keep a core group of great customers if they always have to worry that they won't get into a show Everytime they buy tickets in advance. There's so many better venues in NYC where a customer buys tickets to a show and reasonably expects they will be welcome there as a...