Ace of Spades

ICP had a good performance, good sound. Club was well managed, gig was exciting, slightly rowdy crowd but nice just to the point where nobody I saw was violating any other patrons more than would be expected at a sold out packed show with a rap/​hip hop evil clown band! Nice job Ace of Spades Club Peeps! Kept it fun and in control!

This place has the worst bouncers! They are rude, rough, and make the experience very unpleasant. I will never recommend this place to anyone, and if anyone ever asks me about Ace of Spades, I will be sure to tell them to stay as far away from there as humanly possible. A concert/​bar establishment doesn’t have to hire a group of thugs to maintain «security.» Good riddance!

This review is for the music venue only, did not try the food. Was really excited to see The Expendables for my first time last night, which was also my first time at this venue. We debated bringing my younger sister since its an all age venue, but decided against it, thank god because you are only allowed to drink in certain sections, SO we would of either had to take turns drinking alone or ditch my sister to enjoy a cold brew. You cannot drink in the real dance floor section front and center of the stage – we bought our drinks and tried to get a front row seat and were immediately told we had to stay in the (tiny) section we were in to drink before we can go to dancefloor (a rule enforced most likely because of the all ages aspect). There’s at least 3 different drinking sections, so it forces you to commit to one small area if you don’t want to bounce around from bar to bar and lose the good spot you’ve been holding down. I feel like I was being punished for wanting to sip on a beer and listen to live tunes– they at least could’ve told me «That’ll be $ 7 for your beer, by the way you do NOT get to enjoy that on the dancefloor».
Now, this was a the Expendables 420 blackout show, and I have no idea why in the world it was called that, or why they would choose this venue, because there is ZERO tolerance, I mean none, for marijuana smoking of any form. Misleading much?? This alone really killed the vibe since the band is famous for the song «packed this bowl for two». There was a security guard on stage dedicated to watching the crowd like a hawk, and would shine the flashlight on anyone who blew a puff of smoke. I watched one guy try to light up in the smoking section (cigarettes only) outside and I’m pretty sure they shut the door to try and find whoever did it, it’s serious here. Needless to say I will not be attending Stephen Marleys concert at this venue in July! Or any other events for that matter, which is a bummer because the venue itself wasn’t bad, I gave two stars because of these Pros:
1) cheap tickets (probably cuz the venue is so strict, no smoking, no drinking on main dancefloor)
2)Cheap drinks ($ 14 for sierra Nevada & vodka cran, half as much as a lot of venues, plus short lines).
3) Good veiw (even tho I was limited to drinking my beer in a section off to the side, the view was really good as long as you got a spot against the railing, and there didn’t seem to be a bad spot in the house. Standing only tho for the most part! Pretty decent sound system, lyrics a little hard to hear over acoustics but who understands half of reggae lyrics anyway!)
4) Short line to get in (maybe because Expendables are a lesser known band, who knows about when Snoop plays here! I anticipated a pat down, but myself and my boyfriend did not get one. I didn’t have my purse tho so can’t vouch for that check) .
In all fairness, if you don’t smoke weed anyway, and you don’t mind standing in a designated section to drink, where it’s a hard to dance, then this music venue might be just dandy! Not my cup of tea though!

This was my first experience at the venue. We were disappointed on several things.
1. Sound system needed help. Either the engineer needs better hearing or the equipment needs updating. Too much bass we couldn’t hear the lead singer.
2. CROWDED. We found out the show was sold out so we expected a crowd, but it was horrible. You couldn’t walk anywhere with out a struggle.
3. No seating anywhere at all except for VIP. Didn’t know that until we got there. There is a website, but there isn’t a sentence anywhere that said no seating. I had made several attempts to call the phone number which took all day to find, no answer just a recording.
4. The bench we did find was comfortable until the show started. People kept stepping on our feet. We expected some rude people, but once the drinks flowed, they were extremely rude drunks.
On a positive note. The music was good. The security people were nice. The line was long to get but it didn’t take long to get inside. Drinks were $ 9 for mixed and was strong so that was a surprise. I won’t go again just because of no seating. I have feet issues so this was a very bad idea.

Insane Clown Posse
Monday; 30 May 2016
I’m touching myself inappropriately just typing this.
Orange Faygo + Absolut = Hatchet Driver?

Came here for the sold out concert for Mutemath. The venue was nice and the concert was pretty good. What you would expect from a local venue aimed for inviting talent to the area. Not really much else I can say. You really can’t choose were your concerts are held.

This place was an okay scene. You don’t really have a choice but to go here because that’s where all the bands play when they come to Sacramento when they come to town. I honestly think that the inside could be so much better. The drinks are a decent price and make them decent. I’m partial to Jameson and ginger beer so I got that but I don’t think they event have a Guiness on tap so I’m not sure how I feel about this place haha. It’s good place to watch a band though.

The security here absolutely sucks.
I came here for the UC Davis Chainsmokers event. I get it – the line was crazy. Everything was disorganized. But security handled everything like complete shit.
I was a member on the VIP list and a member from Tilt (the organization who put on the show) tried to bring us into the venue. The security guys were EXTREMELY rude and blocked us off. When we politely told them we were VIP, they guy responded, screaming «So am I! So is he! So is everybody else here! We’re all VIP! Go to the back of the line and wait like everyone else!»
The member at Tilt got extremely pissed as well. Something tells me they’re not partnering with Ace ever again.
Furthermore, one hour into the event, they stopped checking tickets and IDs. Everyone was just let in. Excuse me, this was an exclusive UCD event. Some of us paid $ 50 to attend. WTF is this?
Yeah I’m not coming back for any event ever.

Was here last week to finally meet my teenage crush, Nick Carter, for his All American solo tour!
Parking was easy. My BFF & I parked at the garage a street over as we had to park for a while due to our VIP session. There’s ample parking for free after 6Pm though.
The venue was smaller than I imagined though. The acoustics were hella loud! There were bars inside for thise who wanted some booze. I wish the ventilation could’ve been better though. It was starting to get real hot & sweaty after a while. Lots of screaming fangirls & whatnot.
I will say that I finally got to meet my teenage crush after 20 years & I got to party hearty on a Wednesday night! Totally worth the 2+ hour drive up from South Bay. Thanks Ace of Spades for hosting Nick Carter for the first show of his tour. It was the bomb!

I went here the other day for Nick Carter’s All American Tour concert! It was my first time attending this venue and I must say I love the spot and the openness of the venue.
PARKING: $ 5 in the parking lots for events or you can find street parking for free after 6PM on a weekday. I did the latter and it wasn’t that hard.
FOOD: My friend and I grabbed some appetizers and drinks in the restaurant/​bar across the street, but they have plenty choices right on the same block.
BARS INSIDE: The have 3 full bars sectioned off for 21+. Hard alcohol and beer as well.
ACOUSTIC: Loud! But it was so awesome seeing and hearing one of my favorite artist from childhood! Fangirling to the max!

I’m usually not a huge fan of concerts. Unless you shed out hundreds of dollars, it’s almost impossible to get an «up close and personal» experience with the artists. However, Ace of Spades is one of very few venues that provides an intimate experience for both the artists and the concert attendees. A couple of years ago I came here to see Snoop Dogg (one of my favorite artists) and the experience was nothing short of a blast. So I was extremely excited when Spotify notified me that Bone Thugs N Harmony would be in attendance. Bone was at the Ace of Spades late last year. Unfortunately, all forms of tickets (VIP + General admission) were sold out. This time around I immediately purchased my tickets and prepared myself for a fun, nostalgic night out.
The concert itself started at 7. However, my friend and I arrived at 6:15 in order to beat the line. Our plan was an EPIC fail! While searching for parking, we observed a line that extended from the door of Ace of Spades to a parking lot across the street. Who would have thought that such a crowd would gather for a group that was mainly relevant in the 90’s and early 2000’s?! Fortunately, the bouncers did a great job of controlling the crowd and keeping the line moving at a reasonable pace. They did all of this while joking with those waiting in line. I mention this because we’ve all experienced the «tough guy» bouncers who end up transforming a fun environment into a very hostile one.
About 30 minutes after waiting in line (not that bad if you saw how long the line was), we were ushered into the venue. I needed a little «liquid courage» to help me loosen up, so I made my way to the bar area for a couple of drinks. The bartender (Micki) was extremely friendly, and made myself and my friend some very stiff drinks. After we finished our drinks, we made our way to the stage area. There is no official seating (unless you purchased VIP tickets), so the earlier you get to the stage area, the closer you’ll be to the stage.
The concert experience was awesome. Bone performed a majority of my favorite songs from their first three albums, and I was hoarse from rapping along. I even caught a nice little «contact high.» Even though I don’t smoke, you can’t get mad when people smoke at a venue that is hosting a group who are known for being notorious smokers! I had a great time and look forward to seeing other artists perform here in the near future.

I went to a Chainsmoker event hosted by TILT at Ace of Spades. It was poorly organized, but I don’t know if it was Ace of Spades or Tilt’s fault. The will call opens at 6:30PM and concert starts at 7PM. We had to validate our tickets at will call. 30 minutes for 800 people to get in? Not very smart.
We waited in a line for an hour and it wrapped around the block across the street. Someone came around to check our IDs and gave us wrist band. By the time we were in the front of the line, they were just letting about 20 people run in at a time. Yes, they were running in from across the street and no one was checking our tickets. What is the point of buying a ticket?!
I think the place was overpacked because you can barely move. Also, this was the RUDEST crowd that I ever seen. A few fights were about to happen because of all the inconsiderate pushing and shoving. Even though this concert was for UC Davis, many of the audience did not go there…
By the way, The Chainsmokers was great! :) However, the experience really killed my vibe. I hope that Tilt will make this a better experience on their next try.

Enjoyed this venue. Lots of cool restaurants nearby. Appreciated the fact that you could get up close to the stage, or hang out off to the side in any of the 3 bars on the main floor, or go up to the bar area on the second floor.
Our show started at 7:00 with some DJ music. Awful opening act came on at 8:00, and then the actual show started around 8:30 with the headliner coming out around 9:30. No in-​and-​out privileges, so I’d plan to show up on the later side unless you want to spend a ton on weak, overpriced drinks.
Bar prices were high, and drinks were weak. Vodka red bull $ 10, Jack and Coke $ 9, vodka tonic $ 8. 1 shot of alcohol, a couple ounces of mixer, a lot of ice in a tiny plastic cup.

I have been here several times and have decided that this is the best venue in Sacramento.
The crew here does a great job with the sound. They have a couple bars in different locations so it never takes too long to get a drink.
They always have a pretty good variety of artists coming through. I always have a good time here and it’s a great location to grab food at a local restaurant before the show!

Wish I lived closer so I could see all the cool bands here.
We bought tickets to see PIL here since they were sold out in San Francisco … ROAD TRIP!!! We were pleasantly surprised! Fun atmosphere, good sound, and easy to work your way right up to the front.
Highlights? The twenty-​something year old that took off her top, and another female fan that we had to inch away from since she reeked like urine. (We’re assuming that she was three days older than dirt, and just had an overactive bladder that couldn’t find its way to the bathroom.) She also kept screaming, «I love you John Lydon! That guy is a legend!» We were happily entertained by her antics, as long as we didn’t have to smell her urine soaked attire.
We walked here from our hotel since it wasn’t a long walk, and NOW know why the hotel recommended we Über back … the California Department of Corrections is just around the corner — but hey, we’re assuming they’re locked up inside.

I came here for the first time to see the New Found Glory and Yellowcard concert.
For my first experience it wasn’t bad.
Staff members could be a little bit friendly and a little more prompt.
They sent an email saying that we had to be in line by 4, cause my friends and I to rush and get there and they didn’t start checking everyone in until about 530 and we got in at around probably 630 or 7.
Other than that, the venue is nice and spacious. There was one spot that served alcohol and was open to everyone 21 and up with chairs and rails and everything.
I don’t think any seat is necessarily a bad one at this place.
The sound was great and the bands were awesome.
Definitely will come back here.

I’ve seen two shows here (Jimmy Eat World & Yellowcard with New Found Glory) and I had a enjoyable experience at both of them. What I like about Ace of Spades is that it’s a small intimate venue so you really get to see the performers up close. Even though it’s a smaller venue, there are several bars (upstairs and downstairs) and they also serve food. It does get crowded if it’s a sold out show but I guess that’s the whole concert experience.

There’s only one thing that seems to keep me coming to downtown Sacramento. And that’s the music. Because for some reason, one of my favorite artists seems to always be playing her country radio shows here. And Ace of Spades is your typical Sacramento bar, featuring all-​ages shows that turns into some sort of family-​friendly county fair with kids and adults and tween girls all around!
The space itself is actually nice. I came in for a radio show that B92.5 held called «Girls With Guitars» (thanks for the 2 VIP passes), and the show was sold-​out (coming from the Bay Area, thank goodness I was able to come just 10 minutes before doors and avoid that line that wrapped around for 3 blocks…).
For a bar and show venue, the floor space is pretty big. The stage is small and close-​up. There’s plenty of standing room to the side on an elevated, more lounge-​y area, and an upstairs overview area. The sound projects well.
If you’re going here for a show, just know that it is a pretty intimate venue and you’ll be up close and personal, sandwiched and sardined in the crowd against other listeners. But that’s all a part of the fun!

I was super hesitant to go to ace of spades because every single all ages show I’ve ever been too has been horrible. I shouldn’t have worried at all. They kept it awesome. The bar area had great views. The staff was amazing and on point. No teeny boppers caused scenes and my drink was cold and delicious. The best part hands down though was for sure the sound quality. It was amazing. I could hear and understand everything they were saying/​singing from no matter where I was in the building.
I can’t wait for my next show at Ace of Spades. I’m only sorry I waited so long for my first one. But I couldn’t turn down frank Turner and beans on toast.

Great location great seats! Great bartenders that were kind and sweet throughout the chaos.
Enjoying my family and friends. Awesome acoustics! Wonderful sound and Reggae Family!
Forever Marleys!
Forever Reggae!
Stephen and Jo Mercer rocked the house !! Jah. Rastafari! !!
Next Wednesday. Time to see The Wailers!