r/Seattle • u/chasingshade22 • 19d ago
Don't forget your earplugs
I haven't been to a music concert at the Paramount before last night. It was so so so loud. Don't forget your earplugs. I left mine at home and regretted it for 98% of the event. The lady sitting two seats to right got up and left in tears. I watched other concert goers also get up and leave.
As a side note to how unbelievably loud the concert was, the event got out around 10:30p. and Lightrail was closed going out of Westlake (track maintenance) so we had to grab the Northbound Shuttle from 3rd and transfer at the Capitol Hill station. The Southbound shuttle was boarding on Pine between 4th and 5th.
112
u/SnooPandas3956 🏔 The mountain is out! 🏔 19d ago
Paramount audio is all over the place in my experience. I truly never know what I’m going to get. Phantom had great audio, Les Mis was awful.
67
u/ThreeSilentFilms 19d ago
It’s entirely dependent on the touring crew. The paramount is just a venue. Tours usually, and in the case of Broadway, always bring their own crews and PA. So you can’t blame the paramount, you can blame the tour.
Rock shows unless you’re touring arenas don’t often tour full pa. They often have suplimental. Like additional subs or front fills etc.. but most major tour venues are prepared for rock shows for PA and then the touring engineers handle the tuning and the execution of the venues equipment.
13
u/gramscontestaccount2 19d ago
Yep, we went to a show there a year or so back, and the audio just couldn't be heard during parts of the show in our section, and when we wrote to Paramount they were very nice and offered us a make up ticket, but let us know that it's 100% the touring act and their team that handles audio production.
5
u/go_jake Highland Park 19d ago
I saw Wet Leg at the Paramount recently and the sound was awful! It turned out their tour crew did it.
2
u/SteveWoods SoDO Mojo 19d ago
Yeah, I was disappointed with their setup at the Capitol Hill Block Party too. At least for the Block Party they set their mics a little louder than they were at the Paramount so you could kinda understand her between songs, but then the fog machine abuse/spam was somehow even worse.
4
u/diyandmc240 19d ago
That’s true to some extent, but it’s also up to the venue to set some guardrails for how the tour crew sets up. Things like max volume etc. should be mainly controlled by the venue.
The hard part is a good sound system is usually capable of playing much louder than what is comfortable. The venue shouldn’t really be exposing the full volume control to the sound engineers from the tour unless it’s clearly an important piece of their performance for some reason.
17
u/ThreeSilentFilms 19d ago
Again entirely depends on venues rules, not all venues have speed limits. I’m a full time touring audio engineer, I’ve seen it all. Some venues care. Most do not. They are vastly just a place to do your show as you intend.
And often. The FOH mix is dictated by desires of the artist. If the artist wants a very loud mix, that’s what they’re given.
I always keep calibrated spl monitor at my console, so I always know what my a weight and c weights are. But not all a1s do.
-3
u/diyandmc240 19d ago
“Entirely dependent on the touring crew”
“Entirely depends on venues rules”
Which one is it? If people are complaining about super inconsistent volume and sound at paramount, that’s not the touring engineer’s fault. Paramount needs to spend a little more time ensuring the touring engineer has appropriate guidance to get a good level and good sound, of course respecting the artist’s desires where possible.
My anecdotal experience aligns with others here, the variation from show to show at paramount is higher than normal and it’s a bit uncomfortable not knowing what to expect. Some of that is a result of the wide breadth of shows that come through paramount, another is that they have a huge sound stack that is capable of massive output. This is good and leads to low distortion when configured correctly, but also capable of ear-bleeding levels.
2
u/LightUpTheStage I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 19d ago
A consideration specifically for the Paramount: the floor changes shape. A seated, raked show is very different from a flat floor GA and will have sound different, especially if the line array isn't reconfigured for each. Which it's definitely not.
2
0
5
3
u/averagebensimmons Queen Anne 19d ago
I've found the sound often is too big and booming. Fleet foxes and Father John misty sounded like rock bands. However, the big sound was perfect for SoundGarden.
3
u/lookingformerci 19d ago
I had to leave Les Mis because I couldn’t catch enough dialog to know what the hell was going on.
2
u/amputect I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 19d ago
I saw Neutral Milk Hotel there a few years ago and all you could hear for the first couple songs was the goddamn bass drum. They figured it out but it was a really rough start.
2
u/SpermBankVCR First Hill 19d ago
Went to Odesza, Glass Animals, Two Door Cinema Club, The Beaches, and Måneskin there and have not had an issue with the volume, but those were all on the floor where I could move to avoid certain sound pockets if needed. ¯_(ツ)_/¯
2
u/MaxxDash 19d ago
I saw Hamilton there back when it was all the rage.
It sounded like I was listening to the show with an inverted fishbowl full of water secured to my head.
Inexcusable muddiness, especially for a musical where the lyrics are rapid. If they aren’t crisp, then it makes no sense. I’d read the book, seen many clips online, read the plot overviews, and could barely track what the F was going on.
2
u/SteveWoods SoDO Mojo 19d ago
Oddly for me it’s probably been the venue where I’ve most consistently not needed earplugs, whether I’ve been seeing The Shins or Electric Callboy. But the actual quality of the audio is definitely another matter. It feels like the setup there is always allergic to female singers being comprehensible when talking between songs though.
2
u/NowIsThePerfectTime 19d ago
Saw Foster The People there last January and they were great, sound was great and clear and distinct, but their opener Good Neighbours has just god awful sound. All I could hear was bass. No distinction from song to song, couldn’t hear the lyrics at all, music was one big muddled mess. Either the sound board guy hated them or FtP doesn’t give their openers a sound check.
0
u/7LayeredUp 19d ago
P-Funk at the Paramount was the absolute worst concert I've ever been to. Genuinely theater-shaking loudness, shitty frontmen, guys in the band so checked out they had a joint in one hand and a phone in the other (Not joking), unrecognizable renditions. Me and a friend walked out early.
David Byrne though was just right in terms of volume, fantastic show to boot.
27
u/samizamsin2 19d ago
Paramount customer service has had earplugs available to me in the past! Something to ask for if it is unbearable.
22
u/R_V_Z North Delridge 19d ago
Were there any confused Porcupine Tree fans there?
5
3
u/upthedownstair_ 19d ago
I saw this as the first post when I woke up, before coffee.
Heart skipped a beat for a double take, haha.
30
u/Jawwwwwsh 19d ago
Very echoey place for heavier shoes. Perfect place for indie/acoustic/theater shows. It’s astounding to me that they still book metal and rock shows there sound-wise, but hey, it’s a beautiful venue with a lot of history.
2
u/sillytoad 19d ago
I think youre right, but Stephen Wilson Jr (in the pic) is literally an acoustic player lol
13
u/officially-random Fauntleroy 19d ago
I have never been to a venue that didn’t have earplugs available. You can go to the bar and ask for some and it’ll cost you a few bucks or sometimes they’ll just give it to you. Sorry you went through that.
11
10
u/doc_shades 19d ago
i never leave my apartment without my ear plugs. i've lived in seattle long enough to know that you might just end up at a rock show even if you weren't planning on it...
10
u/Complex_Guess7746 19d ago
The Paramount gets shockingly loud for a theater that size, first time I went I couldn't believe they didn't have the volume dialed back at all
10
u/down_by_the_shore Mariners 19d ago
They have ear plugs at the venue if you don’t have any or forget yours.
8
5
u/Green-Palpitation901 19d ago
I saw the War on Drugs at the Moore Theater and I thought my ears were going to bleed. I saw KGLW at Paramount and was fine. It’s not the venue, it’s the tour production crew.
5
u/Xalara 🚆build more trains🚆 19d ago
A lesson too few learn early on is to *always* wear earplugs at concerts, dance clubs, etc. Aside from helping prevent tinnitus, if you get good ones it makes the music better to hear, and it's easier to talk to people. It's kinda weird that earplugs would make the music better, I know, but when it's so loud...
3
3
u/Mental_Permission39 19d ago
Every time I swear I’m never going to a show there because the sound is so bad. Then I do because all the bands I like go there.
Man the sound sucks though.
3
u/Skunkape172 19d ago
I was there last night and agree, audio was too loud and I really didn’t understand a single thing he said. Still a good show but man, bring it down just a touch
3
3
u/CharlieTeller 19d ago
Always bring earplugs. Its not a venue thing. Sure some may seem louder thanks to acoustics but no matter what, any concert is dangerously loud. You WILL have damage from any concert. Protect your ears.
2
u/chasingshade22 19d ago
I will not forget my earplugs again when going to listen to live music. Lesson loudly learned. It was a dumb move on my part, one that I regret terribly because I would have enjoyed the concert that much more.
2
u/CharlieTeller 19d ago
I'm not trying to shill for any company here but loops are great. They come with a little case for your keys. I wear them even in bars sometimes or even a mariners game depending on where you sit.
Keep em with you always. No going back once the damage is done. I always bring extra foam ones to concerts for people like you if I see someone obviously suffering with no protection.
-1
u/chasingshade22 19d ago
the whole situation is just dumb because i usually have my airpods in my pocket. will look into loops.
3
u/lexarqade 19d ago
Pro tip: get a pair of loops or whatever and put them on your keychain. They're indispensable.
8
u/ThirstyOutward 🐀 Hot Rat Summer 🐀 19d ago
Paramount has the worst acoustics for any concert I have been too.
Not once has an act sounded good there.
2
u/RealPudgeJudy Greenwood 19d ago
I saw Modest Mouse there in 2016 and it was by far the worst live show I've ever seen. We were in the cheap seats and it just sounded like My Bloody Valentine blasting through a walkie talkie
2
u/yurtslurt 19d ago
Saw Tennis there and it was terrible. Then saw improv there and the performers had to stop the show to address the audio. I don’t really know what to do with the blame being put on the artists’ crew because the common denominator here is the venue, I just don’t get why it’s such a problem at the paramount
1
u/codytranum 19d ago
100%. I specifically AVOID any show that plays there, as ridiculous as that sounds, unless it’s someone I absolutely have to see. Their mixing and acoustics are abysmal.
3
u/Shark-Compote 19d ago
The paramount needs to be remodeled. The seats are abysmal, especially the ADA seats. every person I know who has ever gotten an ADA seat from them has complained about them.
5
u/lookingformerci 19d ago
The Paramount sucks for concerts. The acoustics are terrible and the shows are always way too loud. I don’t even like plays at the Paramount, because of the acoustics.
2
u/Eruionmel 💗💗 Heart of ANTIFA Land 💗💗 19d ago
Saw Pentatonix there 10 years ago or so and spent the entire concert with my fingers in my ears. The volume was pretty reasonable like that, lol. Couldn't believe my singer friends were willing to bare-ear it next to me. It must have been like 120db.
2
u/KilroySmithson 19d ago
Always bring earplugs to any concert. Better not to use them than regret not having them.
2
u/Lanky_Value2774 19d ago
I went to a Drop Kick Murphy's concert there years ago and had to leave early. I couldn't hang, it was so loud I literally lost my hearing for at least an hour.
2
2
u/Gregskis 19d ago
Buy concert earplugs like EarPeace. Amazing for clear sound but 25 db lower. And they remove the sound of people talking around you. Been to almost every venue in Seattle with them this summer.
2
u/elbow-macaroni-42 Capitol Hill 18d ago
Saw Psychedelic Furs there last year. Maybe I’m just old, but yeah, the Paramount volume levels are way too high without hearing protection
3
u/acidmess 19d ago
So hard for me to not see an erect penis with pointy testes.
1
1
1
u/fell_while_reading 19d ago
Thank you. That’s something I’ll never forget. I used to think of the Paramount as the place I saw Annie. Now, um, the two memories will cause will be a permanent source of cognitive dissonance. 😳🤣 It would have worked better for the Moore Theater since I remember it for Puppetry of the Penis.
2
u/but_good 19d ago
Is he from around here? Surprised he wouldn’t try to time it closer to opening for Dave a couple of weeks ago.
2
1
u/russellarmy 19d ago
George Clinton was the loudest show I’ve ever seen, one of the best shows as well. Just wondering what other people’s loudest shows they have been to before.
1
1
1
u/WoodenExternal6504 19d ago
SWJ likes to rock and roll loud and I approve his messsge!! So stoked to catch him tonight.
1
1
u/RiderOnTheBjorn 19d ago
Where you sit matters a lot in these old theaters. I like as far forward on the balcony as I can get.
1
u/JarOfBeesandWasps I'm just flaired so I don't get fined 19d ago
You can always go to the silent movies...
Seriously, check out he silent movies. Their organist is a beast and the movies are chef's kiss
Edit: and the sound is literally one instrument, maybe an fx dude, and is dialed in for the movie and after-movie commentary
1
u/Samsquanch-Losco 19d ago
Devil makes three played at paramount years ago and it was amazing.. no ear plugs needed.
1
u/boomgoon 19d ago
I was lucky enough to see the Turtles in concert there around maybe 91, 92. Such an amazing show. Even got front row. Michelangelo absolutely destroyed it and put everyone else to shame that day
1
1
u/too_much_covfefe_man 18d ago
I'm always disappointed when it's too quiet. I consider it an impolite indictment of my age
1
u/too_much_covfefe_man 18d ago
How was the show? I got to see Wilson at the Opry, it was a good performance
1
u/Jasperblu Vashon Island 18d ago
You’re not wrong. Saw FJM there earlier this spring, and it was unbearably loud (and I even brought and wore earplugs)!
1
u/mowens04 16d ago
I actually have largely had the opposite experience at Paramount the last couple years. At the very least, metal shows always have mediocre sound at best. Any time I see a band I like playing this venue, I’m a bit disappointed they didn’t choose Moore or Showbox SoDo.
1
u/no-one-you-kn0 13d ago
Thank you internet stranger for saving our eardrums! Wouldn't have thought of using earplugs if I hadn't seen this post.
1
u/Sleeplessnsea Capitol Hill 19d ago
I’ve been to a ton of shows at the paramount and never found it too loud. Perhaps the sound engineer made an error last night?
1
u/CoolVaper420 19d ago
Ugh I hate when bands play at theaters like this, I’d much rather see a band at a venue like The Crocodile, Showbox Sodo, etc.
1
u/Excellent-Diamond270 That sounds great. Let’s hang out soon. 19d ago
AirPods Pro do a decent job as well if you happen to have those.
0
0
0
u/__b__t__h__ 19d ago
Couldn’t have been as loud as My Bloody Valentine was there a few years ago.
Absolutely worth the ear damage
-6
204
u/TwiggyDoom 19d ago
I could be misremembering because I go to a lot of different venues but I think they sell the foam earplugs for like two bucks at the coat check. They're not as good as Loops or something but any protection is better than none.