9:30 Club Reviews

Working for a historic and highly respected venue within music industry (from a production standpoint) sets you up for a great network if you utilize it properly. Staff are young, talented, and ambitious, and in many ways a family. Be a part of creating and promoting some of the best live concerts in the US.

When I realized that I was going to be the equivalent to a bouncer here, I was actually pretty nervous because who would ever listen to me? Although the training was rigorous, it's self-explanatory as to why. The environment is so fast-paced, there are so many things to consider at any given moment because you need to figure out what needs your attention in a dark, crowded area. When you do end up addressing a situation, you need to figure out whether a patron is a little too intoxicated, aggressive, or if they can even hear you, just to give some examples. You need to be able to think fast enough on the best way to communicate in a loud music venue, not only with the patrons, but with your coworkers, too. To succeed in this job, communication is absolutely key; people's safety is at stake. For example, on one of the times I was training, someone fainted and the concert had barely started. My trainer hadn't even noticed what had happened. I needed to have the confidence to make an urgent call to our nearest rendezvous. Next thing my trainer and I see is a whole rush of our coworkers running through the crowd on the second floor. The whole point of training being so rigorous is to give you the confidence and trust in your instincts to watch over people. Another time, some time after I had completed training, I had a patron too drunk, and when I called for back up, the patron ran away. I actually had to follow them wherever they went, but eventually they got away from me. Luckily, a coworker on the second floor spotted the patron, and we were able to ask the patron to leave the premises. Lastly, there was a patron who threw their jacket on the ground because coat check was full. When I politely asked her to hold her jacket since it was a fire hazard, she cussed me out and refused to comply to which I called a manager. The manager helped me in solving the problem by checking in the coat for just 15 min. After that, the patron held on to their jacket for the remaining 2-3 hours of the show. You have to be very patient with super intoxicated people for that matter, which this particular patron was. As you can see, there are some rather difficult situations that require fast critical thinking, but with the good trainers I had, they gave me the confidence and trust in my instincts to succeed. In fact, it later became habit. Also, knowing that your coworkers are absolutely there for you is a huge plus. You don't need to be some huge bulky guy to have authority, but having multiple coworkers by your side at every situation that needs to be addressed can be all you really need. I miss working here.