The Vault 350

Well, in a month or so this garbage can of gangland disaster is due to re-​open!
I contacted The City Manager (he has more say-​so than the mayor!) and shared my concerns including the concerns of other individuals, especially people who live in the condos around this [place].
Two of the events I’ve attended at this venue of territorial tagging consisted of thugs gropping females, inappropriate and disgusting name calling towards my friends and others. Including a threat from Kanye West’s retarded clones «to wipe all of you ‘effin (abbreviation of the word they used for our mothers’) faggots off ‘da face of ‘da earf!
I attended 5 events here in the last several years: The Doobie Brothers, AWB (Average White Band), Tower of Power and a few obscure others. My friends and I enjoyed these mini-​concerts and I must tell you, when we attended Alternative, Retro and Special Events Venues (Doobies etc.) there was never a problem like I stated above.
If you want to see just how bad it was once try watching re-​runs of «Most Shocking» «Bedlums & Brawls or Riots» or, just Bing/​Google it and you will get the jest of what Im speaking about.
The City Manager assured me via e-​mail and written corespondence that The City of Long Beach made things very clear to the owners & organizers of The Vault 350 that «no behavior of any kind that disrupts, damages or puts local businesses and residents at risk will be tolerated». Also, «the LB Police Dept. will be there to insure this»
We shall see won’t we? I expect things will be normal for a while until that embarrasing element that gives Long Beach a bad name finds it’s way up from the dark corners of The Pike or elsewhere to re-​surface and cause another scene from Most Shocking or, Cops!

Performed there a few times now the best was the TSOL going away party. Every one was so helpful and supper nice. The parking and equipment issue sucked but none the less it still made for a supper cool night and a fun place to perform.
Later that night we watched other bands play from the balcony seats and it was a great view to take pictures and take in the show.
Back stage is pretty cool to do interviews and take photos by the big vault door.

My 1^st concert was here. The Adicts, CH3, The Dickies, The Diffs, and Bang Sugar Bang. I was 12 and scared of these spiky haired guys hitting eachother in a circle. Now im in it! Well worth it

I was lucky enough to see Gerald Albright here a couple of years ago, and he was fan-​freakin-​tastic. Just unbelievably talented. And his guitarist– she was amazing too. But this review is for the venue. Our food was unimpressive and overpriced, the video screens need to be updated (they were blurry), and the women’s restroom needed to be cleaned. The lighting was good though. Everybody had a great time thanks to the magnificent Mr. Albright.

On friday nights The Vault 350 is known as the «Tercero Lounge» sponsored by the radio station Super Estrella 107.1 It’s a place that my old friend from elementary would always want to go on Fridays. The women are beautiful and there are a pretty equal amount of guys for you ladies. A heads up. it’s pretty much a latin crowd but I can’t complain. I’ve actually been introduced to the guy this place is themed after and he is a real character, shout out to you Alexx Tercero. He usually hangs out in his V.I.P section taking in all the great vibe. Drinks are good and I’ve never had a problem with them being made wrong. Cadlilac’s are my favorite drink since I had that horrible experience @ DV8 in Hollywood with my Long Island. I truly believe the Cadlilacs are more tasteful to drink as Long Islands can be butchered by bad bartenders. There are way too many 6 week program grads from these bartending schools, ha ha ha. Parking is a breeze as there are many structures nearby. So, next time you are out on Pine in Downtown Long Beach come by and have a great time.

Located on hip Pine avenue in downtown Long Beach this former bank books a variety of entertainers including the occasional big name. There is a reserved balcony accessible if you want to shell out a few dollars, food and drinks. Also a VIP room.
Full bar, great sound system that is mixed correctly, excellent lighting, and video screens. Be prepared to stand it is standing only unless you are in the balcony. For punk shows there is usually a good sized pit that the bouncers keep an eye on. Speaking of bouncers, they are the usual collection of faceless pumped up dudes, no worse or better than any other large sized club. Smokers can jam outside on the side of the building to inhale each others toxins. The restrooms have attendants and are clean which is something not usually found at a Smut Peddlers punk show. Parking is in an attached structure. Come early and walk the neighborhood.
!!! UPDATE !!!
Currently Closed. It is a long story and the bank is involved so we are going to have to wait and see. Too bad.

I have to give this place 5 stars because of the reason that brought me here. So I am web surfing and go to the Power 106 website they have this link that says register… I register not really knowing for what… Then I saw another link that said Kanye… Hmmm I thought ok Why Not…
I completely forgot about it 2 days later I get a call from an unknown number I susally don’t answer but I did and GUESS WHAT (yup) I got invited to the «Backstage Breakfast» w/​Mr. Kanye West… Who was I going to take… So immediately I call Leena and she doesn’t answer her phone. Im my mind this was serious (she was working at American Eagle at the time) So I called her work and her manager answered the phone She gets on I say Leena are you free on Fri. She’s irritated with me Pooja what do you want. I said Ohh well do you want to go see Kanye… She’s like I gotta go and hangs Up??? What… Definitely not the response I expected… Well it sunk in finally and when she got a chance she called me. Turned out she had a really bad morning with her managers and my call was the icing on the cake BUT so worth it LOL…
LOL I took Miss Leena since she is love with him… Mind you I did mess with her a lot because of her initial reaction…
He was GREAT he performed like he was giving a real concert unfortunately we waited in the back but he was in a rush and couldn’t sign autographs… One highlight we did meet Mando from the Mando show on Power so that was really cool Oh and Tatoo…
All in all GREAT Time… :)

i really like this concert venue but part of it has to do with the fact that i saw my favorite reggae band, Katchafire, here twice. And for a reggae concert its great cuz there’s lots of room to dance, move up close if that’s your thing, hang out back at the bar, or go to the left to sit down and lounge. plus there’s an outdoor area for the smokers. so something for everyone. there were even people smokin’ weed (it was reggae) right next to me, which surprised me being a somewhat smallish venue. but i think later on security was more on top of that.
my only criticism is the bar. it’s pretty crowded and i just don’t think the bartenders are up to par to handle it. first time i was there the bartender messed up on putting my drink in the computer but ended up comping me for it (so of course i was fine with that). this time around, i wait forever to be served and he didn’t make the drink how it should be. if i’m getting a tokyo iced tea, pay $ 10 for it in a small plastic 8oz cup, it should be strong and taste great.

Went here for a Babyface concert and did you know the cat is almost 50 years old?! He was dancing around on stage as if he was back in the Deele again (20’s).
He was amazing and my friend Hana and I had the best time. Thank you Hennessey and Hana for making that night the sh*!
April 26^th is Mint Condition, baby! Can’t wait. ..

I have seen many shows here including the Adicts, then i got a job here. I love it the stage set up is big. the sound is great, but i really like the lighting.
shows i’ve seen: The Adicts, The Faint, Babyface, Di, Strung out show, Smut puddlers show w/​Angry Samoans, On Blast, Del the funky homosapien, Eek-​a Mouse, Snopp dogg, Baby bash, Pitbull…
they have a smoking patio. the drink prices are a little high but its like a night at the club in LA (hollywood) just because its Long Beach you think it should be $ 3 beers $ 4 – 6 cocktails? its not a dive bar people. check out the website and visit the Vault 350 for a band you want to see. you will enjoy yourself.

WARNING!!!
they tack on a 20% gratuity to your bar tab if you pay with a card. i don’t even think this is legal. scamers. AND there drinks are outrageous. $ 8 for a Heni! screw that.
Avoid this place at all costs… or it will cost you… literally.

Maybe my experience was the exception rather than the norm. or maybe it was just babyface because he was awesome and vault 350 was a cool venue for him to perform. It’s cozy inside and reminded me of the troubadour in hollywood. If you’re one of the lucky ones to make dinner reservations, you can enjoy the music from the second floor. But I personally liked standing room only seeing babyface sweat. Only thing I hated was making us wait in a crazy million feet line though there was hardly anybody inside with only two ticket tellers. bouncers are pretty cool tho. Overall, had a good experience at Vault.

I never would’ve thought I would watch a concert at this place, but when Goldstar has Kenny «Babyface» Edmonds tickets for half off– no questions asked I am there. There are parking structures all over so that’s not a problem. However I feel like the Vault has a lack of employee efficiency. Doors opened at 7pm and why did we not get in until almost 9 pm – something is definitely lacking in that area – maybe more effiecient ticket takers, box office attendants, dudes that check id and put on your wristband – all of them were a little too slow.
When we got inside I was a little unsure of what to think of the place. Headed for the restroom and it was clean – the restroom attendant even had incense burning in every stall. This particular show was standing room only on the bottom level, besides the small VIP area in the front. The second floor is the restaurant. The set up is similar to the HOB on sunset but more intimate. There is not a bad seat/​standing area in the place, except for the 6’5″ dude standing in front of you! I would definitely come back here for another show – actually Mint Condition in April!
P. S.—the Babyface show was sooooooooooooo good – he did all the old school slow jams – the three stars in this review is just for the venue. If I were to rate the actual show it would get 5 stars hands down!

This place is pretty sweet. Looks can be deceiving — it looks so modest outside but it’s pretty damn bad-​ass inside.
The sound system is amazing — I guess all those beaucoup bucks they spent were well worth it.
I don’t drink so I can’t comment on the alcohol prices/​quality.

Every once in a while I visit a business in Long Beach that reminds me why I love living here so much. Actually there have been many of these types of experiences… but hearing an awesome music legend at the Vault 350 ranks pretty high on my list of favorite Long Beach memories.
John H. and I arrived almost 2 hours early for the Tower of Power concert. We were lucky, we work in the neighborhood. While standing in line we met some chatty people who kept us company and kept us laughing. If John writes in his review that I had never heard of Tower of Power, he’s LYING! Anyhow, the time passed quickly and as the line formed around the building the anticipation grew.
While we were waiting a distinguished tall man in a leather jacket dangling his backstage pass walked by… later we realized it was the «often imitated, never duplicated» drummer David Garabaldi.
There are metal detectors at the entrance to the Vault 350, but they weren’t even plugged in the night we visited. The crowd was generally older and a bit more sophisticated than some of the other riff-​raff who might arrive to see some other type of concert.
The venue is really spacious and yet I doubt there is a bad seat in the house. Even if you choose to sit upstairs and dine while listening to a band you still have a great view. Seating was cabaret style (tables & chairs) with a large open space in front of the stage. Seating arrangements can vary from event to event. I was fortunate to stand right up against the stage in a prime spot. I was so close to the band’s lead singer that his sweat was dripping down on me. It’s ok, the man could sing! (Otherwise it would just be gross.)
As the band played on the bass was pumpin’, the horns were screaming, the lead singer with his amazing pipes kept the crowd exhilarated and I remembered how much I truly love to listen to live music. There’s something infectious about good soul music that just makes you want to dance even when you don’t know how.
When you just can’t bear to dance anymore, you can take a seat at your table or lean up against the bar and enjoy a drink. Or you might end up having several drinks before the show even starts because musicians are notorious for starting their shows late. They’re not brain surgeons you know… promptness is not a high priority.
The Vault is a fantastic venue to get up-​close and personal with some good music — 4 stars

I heard a rumor that the Kotton Mouth Kings (or was it Insane Clown Posse?), trashed this place soooooo bad one night, that they had to cancel all shows for the next 3 days…
That’s so tough.

A great place to watch a show. I saw The Faint there few months back, and really enjoyed it. They have a great sound system and lots of hot servers. It’s a completely independently owned and operated, they don’t even use Ticketmaster. That means no 8 dollar ticketing fees. Maybe everyone should support independent venues, instead of going to House of McBlues.

Good Place. Not big enough for 1,000 people.

SHUT THE VAULT. SO-​CALLED PUNK VENUE JUST ISN’T …
Nothing can ruin your night more then getting ripped off when all you wanted was to hear a great band and have a few drinks.
One Saturday night, I took my longtime friend out to celebrate her bday. We got X tickets at the Vault in Long Beach. Perfect name for this joint, considering they rob you blind and pack you in tight. Can you believe two vodka and cranberry cocktails cost a whopping 29.00 bucks? Served up in small plastic cups, no less, and handed to me from a cranky little guy with party hair. (Guess he blew his audition that morning for a walk-​on role on the OC.)
X is a brillant band. They are legends of the punk era that play powerful, long lasting hard chords and make music that helped shaped our young lives those many years ago. The sound at this dump was so poor that we could see Billy Zoom straining to hear his guitar. Vocals were muffled, bass and drum drowned out. Guess the proprietors spent too much money on the shiny, shiny silvery curtains and obtrusive TV monitors (read eyesores) stuck every which way you turned.
This place would be better suited being one big giant sportsbar, considering the whole upper floor consisted of well-​off poseurs sitting at VIP tables … (Who SITS down at an X show?)
Save yourself from getting ripped off and bf’d by taking your hard earned dough and going elsewhere … go anywhere but the Vault. I hope X got paid a shipload of money for their talents and effort by these skeeves and their trumped up prices — cuz somebody was sure making a bundle that night.

I’ve been to the Vault 350 maybe 5 times since it’s opening and the greatest thing about that place are the acoustics. It’s a great place for any performer to perform, but prepared for the crowd these performers invite. This place invites all walks of life into its venue, so you’ll be mixing with the locals and fans of the performers.
The ticket price is pretty high and the venue itself is tiny. They don’t sell tickets from Ticketmaster so you’ll have to buy the tickets directly from them or through their website. This place wants as much of your money in their pocket as possible. Not much publicity is out there regarding their performers, so if you hear it on the radio that’s probably the only place you’ll hear about what’s going on at The Vault and by word of mouth.
Arrive early. An hour and a half early. Two lines will usually form, the Will-​call/​VIP line and the general tickets line. By arriving early you’ll get closer to the stage and you’ll get your table if you paid for upstairs. Arrive on-​time and you’ll be at the back of the crowd. If you don’t know which line is which, go DIRECTLY to security and politely ask. So many people get confused by asking other people that the people who really know are the big security guys.
You know what’s also pricey? The drinks. But if you be kind to your bartender, they’ll be kind to you. Don’t be mistaken, these bartenders also don’t play around, so if you mistreat them, don’t expect service.
If you want good seats you’re going to have to pay extra just to reserve a table upstairs on the balcony, or if you’re in the know, VIP status is nice — but you won’t get much sound in the VIP room with only one speaker. The best seats in the house are the tables upstairs. You’ll have to order over-​priced food ($ 10 for a burger and fries! What?! No pickle!) Otherwise, I advise that you stand as close to the stage as possible.
There are two places to get your drinks on the first floor. The back of the room, and one by the side of the stage. Maneuvering from floor to bar is a bit complicated, so I suggest you prioritize and either be closer to the bar or closer to the stage. Doing both will take some skill and repeatedly saying, «Excuse me» if you’re the nice type.
Other than all that, I say the performances make all the difference. If you like what they offer and how they offer it, you’ll be fine. If you have the cash-​flow, then by all means, shake your moneymaker.