| Leave it to the owners of Linda’s, The Baltic Room, Bimbo’s, The Cha-Cha and Rudy’s to hit Capitol Hill with the newest live music venue and hipster staple. Following a Chinese kitsch theme, Chop Suey gives the ill-designed Breakroom space a much more open feel. Black vinyl benches line the walls around cocktail tables. Portholes on blacked-out windows provide only glances of the outside world. Styled as a pagoda with speaker stacks hidden from view, the stage frames bands like they’re puppets before you, while red bulbs bathe the Buddha-statued bar with a soft warming glow. Moving on to the back room you’ll find a more lounge-friendly feel than before, replacing pool tables and air hockey with leopard-print carpet, cocktail-table seating and a coat check that will gladly sell you Jager shots or Oly stubbies as you step in the door to get you in the right frame of mind before heading over to the bar. Though the sound can trade volume for quality, Chop Suey knows how to make a rock band explode, and will surely grow better with age. An intimate feel and unique décor make this a venue where bands, DJs and music fans all look forward to upcoming shows. |
