Starlite Room

In this update, I recently went to see Paper Kites, whom I have new found respect for as artists and performers. Given my anal nitpicking of performers and live shows, this is saying something. I didn’t know them very well and the few songs I heard on the web were nice. They truly don’t do the band justice when compared to listening to them live, as their stage presence leads one to feel they are having an experience, not just watching some young folks hammering out a tune or two.
The same sound problems presented, lead guitar was too loud, even the lead singer and the rhythm guitarist pulled out their in-​ear monitors because they couldn’t hear anything over the speaker cabinets. The drum is still over-mic’d, all you can hear is the bass drum. Lead vocals had to battle for attention with the lead guitar, and accompanying vocals may as well have been nonexistent on most songs since no one could hear them anyway. I don’t blame the band, their studio work is perfectly balanced, well engineered and recorded and I believe their live work is intended to reflect that as well, just not at this venue.
The flood lights need to be shot out with a Dennis the Menace slingshot to put the audience out of its misery. Dark venue, dim lights, then all of a sudden 8 flood lights glare right in your face for… fun, as a waking up device, or a cool effecy maybe? Wth. I ended up spending that entire portion of the song with my eyes closed so I don’t go flash blind for the next few minutes because some person thinks it looks cool.
Lastly, a new and exciting annoyance that ruined the show, the bar downstairs also has a stage venue. It’s literally directly down downstairs from Starlite room. The band downstairs was playing at the same frikkin’ time, so while I was listening to a nice haunting ballad from Paper Kites, the other band were entering into a hard rock tune that was making the wooden floor shake. You could hear the bass through Starlite’s floor, and since it’s not on time with the song playing it became hugely distracting, it’s like battle of the sub woofers where my feet feel the band downstairs while my ears are trying to process the band in front of me. Nails on a chalkboard! That was the single most ridiculous experience, two bands battling in the airspace. This is new, Starlite had never had another band playing feet away during one of their shows!
Way to ruin a concert. At least with this band and crowd, there was no one spraying beer everywhere and no moshing, so that was a silver lining. Woo-​hoo.

I’ve been to this venue for 2 different shows now and had 2 completely different experiences. Like many people have written, the drinks are pretty expensive, but that’s not a huge deal for me since I usually only buy about one, max. I didn’t think the lineups would be so long and it is quite unorganized upon entry of the venue, creating incredibly long wait times for popular acts (I waited an hour my second time, even though I already had a membership).
My first concert had a minimal lineup, and after waiting only about 20 minutes I had a spot really close to the front of the stage and had a great time. The place looks a little run down but that gives character in my mind.
My second experience was when I attended Kodaline not long ago. The reason I give Starlite 4 stars instead of 3 is because of the security guards that were on duty that night. It was actually so ridiculously crowded and HOT in this venue (there is little to no ventilation) that I ended up fainting. So incredibly embarrassing because I’m sure people assumed I was wasted or something. Anyways, upon fainting, a security guard actually picked me up off the floor and carried me to the back of the venue, sat me down, and gave me a bottle of water. He then sent a few people to make sure that I was alright and didn’t need medical attention (which I didn’t but hey the gesture was nice). I know plenty of places that would have just kicked me out for falling over under the assumption that alcohol was involved. I really appreciated what that guy did.
To get to the point, its hot and squishy and the lineups are long but bottom line is this place attracts AMAZING acts. I’m sure I’ll be back.

We had a great time here. Had no problem with wait time, yes you do have to buy a membership but it’s only 5 $. Also that can be used for the member plus a guest.
It’s a old run down building. Used to be a theatre I was told. The upkeep and or renos are done at a minimum. Perfect place for a rock show! It’s a totally dive but I loved it.
They had 3 small bars and a beer girl. So getting drinks was not an issue. It for sure seems like they keep it pretty basic as to what they offer for drinks. This is not a place to expect fancy complicated drinks.
Considering the décor and atmosphere of this place I am surprised at the drink prices! Too much! I would give more stars if they had cheaper prices.

This isn’t my favourite music venue in Edmonton, but a lot of my favourite bands play here. I wouldn’t say there’s anything particularly wonderful about it but they have great music and that’s all that really matters.

I like this venue for the bands it gets, but after the last two experiences, I will really think twice about going back.
Mentioned by many others, but they have a membership that you have to pay and they do not keep a record. Mine was not filled out accurately, so I don’t know it is will work.
They have the worst door and line I have ever seen. Last show I waited over 2 hours to get into the door and I had a ticket and membership purchased already! After an hour of this wait we asked if we had tickets already could we go to their other door and was told no. Then once we were already stuck in alley, they yelled out that we could go to that door.
Once we finally got to the door, it took much longer than necessary, the security did not seem to know what they were doing and people kept trying to pass through the tiny alley to get out of the club.
Once inside, bartenders cannot make basic cocktails, so I had beer. We were standing at the back of the floor and security had propped open an emergency exit to let people smoke. So it was freezing the entire time.
The venue in terms of entertainment is good and the events they book are good, but management of the site is so bad I don’t know if I will ever go back.

Claustrophobics beware; this is not the place for you!
I was really looking forward to checking this place out for the first time. Sadly, my first impression was not good. We had scored some last minute tickets for a band that was playing there, so we decided to check it out.
We arrived downtown, parked, and found the sign pointing us to our venue — the entrance happened to be a sketchy hole in the wall down some stairs into a tiny, creepy, concrete hallway. We get stuck in this hallway and the walls begin to close in around us… just kidding! but it felt like it: add the cigarette smell and rowdy drunk people and you’ve got yourself a genuine gong show! After about 45 minutes (about 4 minutes before I was about to lose my mind completely) the line starts to move — HOOORRRAAAAYYYYY!
Not hooray! To our wonderment, people start turning around and leaving, then returning a few minutes later and pushing though the line; obviously slightly annoyed. We finally catch on that everyone is being sent back outside to PURCHASE a Starlite Room membership card. Not that this was mentioned at any point along the way; nor where there signs indicating this requirement at all — but, we should have guessed!!!
So we head out to PAY for our membership cards that we will get ONE singular use out of… nice bleeping try Starlite room: your effort to get me to return is a complete failure and scam! Then we got back in line because people were not overly enthused about letting us through and we didn’t want to cause any more drama. What a joke!
The band was OK, and the set up once you got inside was actually really cool! I thought I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion, but managed to make it through the entire show.

Cool venue. Not the best acoustics but overall a cool crowd and a place with a genuine vibe!

I hate the Starlite room. I’ve been here twice and both times have been extremely unpleasant. Seriously, who likes to stand on concrete floor? I also don’t think the entrance could be any sketchier. I don’t know if anything has changed since the last time I visited but last time you had to sign up for a membership which is kind of ridiculous considering I had already paid for a ticket to get into the venue. I really don’t like it here, and I try to avoid it.

The Starlite Room is quite a nice venue for live shows except in the winter months. When the weather is cold outside, the Starlite room is initially very cold as well. The drinks aren’t very cheap either, but I guess that’s what you’d expect of a show. Overall, still go to the show but if you can, avoid planning an event at this venue.

I’ve been here for live shows, but that long before my Unilocalin’ days, so this review just focuses on their little upstairs bar called Temple. I came here a few Fridays ago for the soft opening of a new goth night, and i left impressed!
The venue is tiny but absolutely perfect for the night I attended. The layout is pretty awesome. The different levels and tables around the dance floor mean that you aren’t gonna feel like you’re in a tiny room, but the small size means a night with 50 people feels busy and fun! And speaking of fun, their drinks were wonderfully priced! When i went to order a vodka soda the bartender asked me if i’d like a single or double. I decided i’d wear my responsible pants that night and asked for a single… But when the bartender said ‘doubles are the same price as singles tonight!’ my responsible pants came off and the party pants came on! (Pssh, having a responsible night? Who was i kidding.)

I did like Starlite before I went on New Years. I had to wait in the coat check line for over 30 minutes for the line only to move only 7 or 8 people. Then, unfortunately, I couldn’t find my ticket. I had only checked my coat about an hour previous so it would have been easy to find, I actually pointed it out too. The staff at Starlite basically said «too bad, wait at the end of the line or at the end of the night (it was only close to 1 a.m.) when everyone is gone» I ended up waiting an hour and a half. I had to leave using a friends coat since it was freezing outside. I had to call the next day and I had a feeling it won’t be there, which would be congruent with the attitudes of the staff. They didn’t have another lady’s coat either, and she had her coat ticket.
Also, Starlite didn’t even have a count down to new years so no one knew until about 5 minutes after!
A couple weeks have gone by now and my coat was ‘missing’ at Starlite when I went last Saturday. I’m sure someone stole it and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was by one of the staff members. Their attitude was «this is the service industry and if you lose something, it’s not our fault what happens after that» (meaning the coat ticket). The fact that I pointed out the issue and my coat blindly to their face that night apparently had no bearing. The manager, or anyone for that matter, has yet to call me back after I stopped by last weekend (after no one answered the phone, returned my voice message, or email the week before either).

The Starlite Room is situated on the upper floor of a multi-​level bar/​club complex. It’s the largest of the bunch and features great sightlines and a fantastic soundsystem. Admittedly, I wouldn’t have even noticed the «sloping floor» if nobody on here had mentioned it previously, but that may be due to the abundance of people at the show.
But a few things could make this place better:
1) Beer on Tap — I don’t want to pay $ 7 for a Red Stripe — I’d prefer to pay $ 5.50 for a pint of something.
2) Complimentary tap water served in pitchers — I’d prefer not to pay $ 2.50 for a water bottle. Most similarly-​sized venue offer complimentary water in pitchers or coolers
3) Ins and Outs — I like to be able to go from a show, hop somewhere else, and then head back in.
4) Better expectation setting. On New Years Eve, I was a part of a mass of people who arrived around 10:30. While we had tickets in hand, it felt as if we were never going to make it into the venue. Ultimately we did, but the bouncer never explained to us why well over 100 people with tickets were waiting out in the cold.
5) A better organized ticketing and coat check process — It turns out that we were waiting out in the cold because the ticket/​id validation process is combined with the coat check process. This whole process seemed to take at least one minute per person, and only about 6 people could wait inside for this validation/​coat check.
6) Credit Card or Interac acceptance — I know that my bar tab would be significantly higher if I did not need to pay ATM fees — I don’t like carrying much cash around.
But I’ll still gladly go to another show here.

I love the starlight room. The atmosphere is great for live shows and DJs. The building is basically split into three stages. Starlight is the large main one. Temple is the room facing Starlight, and Brixx is downstairs.
Starlight is great for larger shows. Very sweaty, great sound, good stage. I’ve had some of the best times of my life there. Yes it has a sloping floor. If you’re too drunk to handle it you should probably go home anyway…
Temple’s stage is only big enough for a DJ performance, but it’s a very intimate, fun experience. There is a pillar right in the middle of the dance floor which is kind of annoying.
Brixx is actually a restaurant, but has a passable stage there too. Sometimes you’ll find three different shows going on at once which I think is pretty cool.

I hate the Starlite Room. I know I shouldn’t. I should merely say «it’s not my style» or something generous and forgiving, but I actually loathe this venue the same way I hate brussel sprouts and small dogs. I’ve been here a few times, but the worst was the first when I had buy a «membership» in order to get in – and this is BEFORE you pay cover. When I revisited the club later, I didn’t have my membership card with me, and because they do not keep track of these things in any semblance of an organized fashion whatsoever, the suggestion was that I buy ANOTHER. Um, no. Luckily one membership counts for two people, so my friend got me in. And by «in» I just mean through the first line, because when I got to the door I had to pay $ 16 cover for entrance. Because I only had a $ 20 bill on me, this meant no beer for Bridget the rest of the evening — not exactly my idea of a good time. Inside, the room is utterly ridiculous with it’s stupid sloping floor. An angled base is probably the last thing you want to put under a dancing, moshing crowd, as everyone including myself, will regularly lose their balance about 100 times in one evening. Additionally, Starlite Room attracts a rougher crowd than I’m used to and plays some pretty hard music, which was intimidating and probably caused long term damage to my hearing. A guy with a mohawk stepped on my foot (undoubtedly because of the stupid sloping floor) and I ended up losing a toenail. Me & my remaining 9 toenails ended up leaving at intermission because I just couldn’t believe I actually paid money for such a horrid time. Starlite Room, you suck.

Never felt more scared vibrant than when I saw Peaches, never felt so laid-​back and innocent than when I saw Fran Healy. Great place to also see the cream of Edmonton’s music scene. Who throws the best local show, Michael James!

I went here one time to help a friend set up some banners for some stuff he was promoting. The place seemed pretty grundgy. It’s not a bad lay out though. It has a stage and then a pretty big dance floor with seating and bars. It has another level which has pool tables and a bar, and this level provides a good view of the stage too.
My biggest problem with this place was the dance floor. It slops down, pretty steep. It was really mind boggling actually. I can’t imagine how many people have fallen here or if anyone at night even notices. This was the only thing that really stuck with me about this place.
I have heard they have some ridiculous membership fee that you must purchase and that lines are always massive. My only advice is watch your step.

This night club is notorious, and that’s why I stayed clear of it for a long time. Not long ago, I have attended a live concert here, and I liked this place very much. Despite the fact that my friends and I had to endure standing in a mile long line and paying a membership fee which is a total sham, we really enjoyed our night at Starlite. The club is rather big with ample seating area, three (!) bars, several pool tables and a large dance floor. The bartenders were friendly and cool as they were handing us our drinks specials. Compared to other Edmonton night clubs where the floors are soaked with alcohol, Starlite is very clean.
The concert we attended was of a Russian band, and I am happy the guys chose Starlite. The sound was great (no stuffy ears upon exit); people had enough place to dance without elbowing each other in the ear, and overall, the atmosphere was great. From now on, I will make sure to visit Starlite whenever there’s a live venue going on.

Other than how crowded this place can get on a sold-​out show, this is a great venue. There’s nothing better than seeing a band you love in such an intimate setting. I saw Metric here, when they did three shows in a row, and that was pretty awesome. Peaches was also here quite a few years ago, and she was so amazing and was climbing all over the pipes along the wall. I’ve noticed the sound is really good here. It’s so much better than big venues I’ve been to where the sound is usually way too loud and muffled. It can get pretty damn hot in here though, so I would avoid wearing layers! I made that mistake once.
I do think the membership fee is sort of unfair. I mean, it is a surprise fee to anyone that doesn’t know about it. I’ve avoided the fee as of yet, since I have friends with memberships, and last time I was here, they didn’t even bother to check.
If you’ve never seen a smaller concert, I would definitely recommend coming here to see a band.

The Starlite Room is the latest venue to reside in the same building that housed both the Bronx and the Rev. I’ve only been to a couple of shows here; when it’s a packed house, it’s great; when it’s an empty room, it’s a very empty room. But overall the Starlite is a pretty sweet spot to check out bands.
As has been mentioned, there is a membership requirement which can be extremely annoying. They don’t keep a database of members, so if you don’t have your card on you, you have to buy a new one. However I think members are allowed a guest or two; if that’s the case, you can always team up with a friend to get in.
Downstairs, the Velvet Underground is more my style. It’s a smaller, dark, loungey room with a stage for the bands with less draw to perform on. I saw Chromeo here a few years ago and it was great! Additionally, during big shows upstairs, they often have the Velvet open and the concert playing on a big-​screen, closed-​circuit TV so those needing an escape from the crowds don’t miss anything.

This is a cool venue for checking out bands. The worst part is the long line down the cavernous, brick walkway between the Starlite and whatever is next door. That was the same issue back in the days when the Rev lived here. Still, the sound is good no matter where you are. I caught Bedouin Soundclash here a few years back and stayed on the bar level. A couple years ago I saw Metric and got right up to the stage and held Emily’s hand!
Something to be aware of — before you get into the cavernous line previously mentioned, you will notice people wandering around with clipboards approaching people. You have to buy a membership card which lasts a year. It used to be $ 10 but I think they’ve dropped it down to $ 5. You can purchase these cards ahead of time but they are NOT included with your ticket if you’re going to a concert there.
There’s also a sub-​bar called the Velvet Underground which is downstairs and they host some shows as well. I haven’t really checked that out yet.