I was talking to my friend about a night I was here back in 2015 to see Rise Against and thought I should come give back to the world a bit. It was basically a perfect set in my perspective, and Ive seen them a ton. The venue is incredible also. It is all GA so my ticket got me all the way to the front. Its also a small venue so its a personal experience to see an act there. Once they go back to SOMA I cant wait to road trip back out to San Diego again to see them.

SOMA is a venue that’s been around for years bringing incredible talent and amazing people to San Diego for us all to enjoy. The venue is loud sure, but isn’t that the point? Tickets are well priced, there’s always something going on, and I can’t recommend it enough for what it is. Go and enjoy why don’t you? You won’t regret it!

Saw The Struts here Feb. 2020, and was pleasantly surprised by the location. Reviews werent great, but we enjoyed how the high ceilings made it feel really open. The sound was great and the intimate crowd size = great energy from the performers. Im 54 and stood about 2/3 of the way back where the floor of this old movie theater gently sloped up and could see well enough.Didnt mind the all ages thing, saw a few pretty young kids (

The best Armin concert in SD. It was great !!!

Went here for Armin. Not very a suitable venue for the king of trance but not all are bad!Pro:-Friendly staffs and surprisingly even the bouncers.-ID check for alcohol wristbands during the line does sped things up.-Bass is strong af (can be a con if you stand right in front of it tho)Con:-Restroom is bad from open to close. (and that doorless stall, you can watch the bathroom line while you poop!)-Stage area could really use some AC.-$9 for a tiny cup of beer :)

My girlfriend and I went to see Sabrina Claudio and the venue was alot bigger then I imagined. We got a good spot and the people were nice around us. All in all a great concert and good vibes. Price for tickets was a steal for what we experienced. Thank you Soma and Sabrina.

It was my first time there. It really went beyond my expectations for a small venue. Really cool place to hear live music.The sound was really good here, far better than other big venue Ive been to. The staff are always friendly.

Because I seen Armin Van Buuren there and it was awesome

A lot of neat shows and artists come through here. In my experiences parking has always been pretty easy. The last show I went to had beer being sold on the side stage. My only complaint, coming from a non-audio professional, is that the audio system seems to be set to be max loudness, which drowned out the bands mids and highs. Missing mids and highs made the music sound super heavy, which was indeed pretty cool and got people moving, but vocals and tight guitar/drumming was hard to discern.

Pretty unique and intimate live venue with superb acoustics and sound, against the backdrop of a retrofitted cinema which makes it one of the coolest venues to catch a live gig. Caught Plini here a couple of weeks ago, and it was something else! Highly recommend catching a concert/gig here if you can!

Good venue. Affordable shows. Only real complaint is standing on a sloped theater floor for several hours is a pain, Though watching the kids mosh pit tht was constantly going uphill/downhill was entertaining. Stage divers... dont do a flip!

Soma has been a staple for me for over a decade now. They have a side stage for small venue feel and a large stage, which they ingeniously adjust the size of the room via a back curtain wall depending on how big the show is. I often skip house of blues Anaheim to drive down for a show at Soma. Its just a great venue for the type of shows I go to (hardcore, metalcore), and they dont sell alcohol which is a MASSIVE plus for hardcore shows. Maximizes the energy and removes the possibility of your typical dumb, drunk fights occurring in the pit. Soma + Chain Reaction for life. Thank you for existing.

Such an amazing place saw beartooth and motionless in white here and the sound was just amazing there really spacious. They have bathrooms and served us drinks. We were treated fairly there overrall great place for a concert or a anything else

We went to the Shout House on a Wednesday night. It wasnt busy at all. The bartenders were on point. Good and quick service. The three gentlemen playing that night were awesome. Interactive, a good variety of music, and very entertaining. I did not try any of the menu options. They do have drink deals that you can do as well. Reasonably priced.

Absolutely fantastic, I went to see As I Lay Dying and it was the best concert Ive been to by far thanks to the location. The accoustics of the room were incredible, I would come again.

Awesome venue. Went to a concert in their side stage and that was a fantastic experience. Honestly had the time of my life there.

Security there is amazing. They let you have fun. They get in the pit and have fun with the people. Big smiles on the guys. Epic location

I went here for nghtmres portal tour. First event like this and the crowd, artists, and the staff were all great.

J boog show was amazing. Great venue!

Good venue. Has been updated, but still has that old school playhouse vibe. They now serve beer, but the lines are long and they may run out early.

Went to see AVB at SOMA. The staff at SOMA were pretty chill. Everyone enjoyed the show and had a great time.

Ac didnt work.. they should have an elevated area so you can see when youre in the back.. but glad they had free parking.

Great venue, my daughter enjoyed the show last night. If management is reading this, please provide contact information so I can discuss an issue with a merchandise transaction. I called the number listed and it states not in service.PSA: be careful when purchasing merchandise, I was overcharged. I purchased my daughter a $60 hooded sweater, I found out the next day that I ended up paying $100 by looking at my bank.statement. Always verify your receipts. Managment also has not returned my emails or calls regarding this matter. Poor leadership.

This place is AWESOME. I saw Juice Wrld in August 2018 and it was amazing. Everything from sound to the stage location and everything was awesome. I’m coming back January 26th to see Trippie Redd and Im going 7hours early to get the front because we know that’s the best. I’m so excited. I recommend this place to all my friends because to be able to see your favorite artist super close for super cheap tickets, why wouldn’t you want to go here. Thanks SOMA for making my experiences great. It’s awesome to get to have venues who care about the people. I check often for new artists coming and excited for whose coming soon! I will update you on how the Trippie Redd concert goes.

For up and coming alt rock/emo/screamo/hardcore/post hardcore bands as well as established artists, SOMA is the only real venue in San Diego. They book some rap and other artists as well, but their focus seems to be post grunge music like Bullet for My Valentine, Escape the Fate, Falling in Reverse, Asking Alexandria, Black Veil Brides, Bring Me the Horizon, Motionless in White (Chris Motionless is an amazing performer and really nice guy. Let us take endless pics and chatted us up!). So if youre into that scene, SOMA is the place to be and be seen.

Saw a couple of acoustic sets and a couple loud live bands. Would love to come back for a packed show.

Amazing venue, but they need a better bar... for now.

My kids come here and it always looks safe I have even attended a concert twice here when my son played the inside every one smoking but you cant drink inside or go in and out and my grandauhger went to her first concert Shoreline Mafia on Friday and there are alot of security i fell it is safe its not expensive

Good place for events but serving only alcohol in the venue and non alcoholic is only being served at the entrance is very annoying. They also have no coat check.

Really cool place to here live music. The sound is always really good here, I mean they must have some great sound guys! The staff are always friendly. Ive been going here for 15 years and never had a bad experience.

Great venue!

Nice venue and good beer reasonably priced foe the most part

All ages welcome and more room than most venues!

If your idea of a good time is listening to distorted bass in a poorly ventilated room, then this is the perfect place to go. The only redeeming quality is that there are sometimes good bands/artists performing here.

Decent size venue. Malodorous and sticky floor.

Nice place good sound

Amazing staff!! Great shows

My husband and I went to see cuco and it was INSANE, getting in was fine I mean there was a crazy long line but it was moving fast. The place didnt really have the a/c on and that caused the inside to get super stuffy. There were a lot of people and most were young and dumb. I mean dont get me wrong, Cuco was great and is great but I would probably recommend looking up the demographic for the concerts you wish to attend because if a lot of young people like the artist THERE WILL BE PUSHING AND SHOVING. WE LOVE YOU CUCO!!!

Hot. So so sound. Some big acts come through here.

New bands every week come and enjoy the showReasonably priced and its not usually pretty crowded but you will enjoy yourself

Sick venue loved it. Sound was great and crowd killed it

Theres 1 set of bathrooms, 1 ADA stall you have to fight for(they advertised ADA restroom..lies...its a stall)and 4 other stalls that you share with no locks on the doors, no toilet paper, no paper towels and a line going outside when theres an event. I had to stand in line for 30 minutes..glad i didnt bring the wheelchair because i couldnt have gotten it in the bathroom anyway. 3k people and this is the accommodations. They should be shamed for that

Authentic, nice crowd and nothing has changed.

Small venue and not many people attended the after the burial concert, so it was perfect. Great spot for concerts

Two bathrooms for over a thousand people, no reentry for the event.

Like the place but need to improve the audio quality

Cool local place to see bands jam

The acoustics on the mainstage are amazing!

Absolutely love SOMA, wonderful bands and just cannot get enough of this place

Small venue, no reentry, no crowd surfing, no moshing. Basically limited fun. Consider going to the brick by brick its just a few miles away.

This place is just ok. I guess is a cool spot for punk rock shows, but I sound quality sucks. Pretty bad.

I took my son to see the Suicide boys, while in line the security girl grabbed my brand new unopened water bottle and threw it in the trash without warning. My car was, literally steps away. I could have put it I. The car. I drove 100 miles from riverside so my son could see his favorite band.Inside the sweltering place, I had to pay $3 each for two cold bottles of water (cash only)While inside, I noticed MANY kids lighting up and vaping and tons of security

Loved every concert i went out there to see but Soma is not made for short people though.

Perfecto!!!I had unforgettable night with my friends.Must go place if you happen to be in downtown.

Very beautiful clean park cool people and dogs great San Diego views.

Crowded and gets packed very easily. No seating but still a good time.

Pretty hot in there and no adult beverages. Parking is easy. Flat ground pit so if your short its not good.

Nice big spot could see performance from any anywhere you stand

A decent enough venue for a concert, got a free ticket to the Chromeo concert. It appeared a bit run-down with the walls having tatters but it gave the place a relaxing feel for a concert. The sound was good and the parking around the place was good which is always a concern when attending a big event. Pretty crowded for a Wednesday night too! It was an 18+ show so no alcohol which was freaky for me, its been a while since Ive attended an event where booze was not served!

Bad place to have concert, parking limited.

Always been back stage here. Such a cool small venue. You feel really apart of the show. The band hang out area is def seedy and full of history. I find myself wondering what all has gone down on those couches and in between those walls up there above the concert main floor. Such a cool spot to chill and watch a show! Tucked behind the Bigger concert arena so its easy to miss but, private parking lot makes getting to a show here a little easier!

This place has the vibe of an abandoned, haunted bowling alley. But the side stage sound was pretty darn good for a venue of this size. It wasnt too hot and there was room to move around. Having the smoking section near the side stage was kinda lame for people who dont want to breathe smoke.Neighborhood is not great for pre or post concert gathering.

Barely made it to strung out!

People there were kind and the show was awesome. Not very good at cracking down on weed use in the venue though.

Great venue, with plenty of room to mosh, crowd surf, and catch your bands close up!Celebrated halloween here and was one of the most fun nights I have had. The metal bands in costume helped out.

Sound system / acoustics are the worst Ive ever heard at a professional venue. BYOB because they dont sell alcohol here either. Amazingly, besides all that, they actually pull good bands.

The two concerts Ive seen were at Soma. It was alright but it gets REALLY hot in there since there isnt any fans or anything.Also, very sweaty. Its a nice small venue though..Its good for first timer concert goers. Just remember to bring money for water because they wont let you bring any in.

Cheap tickets. Cool bodyguards.

Great venue for live music

Simple venue with great music

I thought the Venue was good, I went to the HORSE the Band show and it was great. The venue had plenty of space for lots of people, there was an actual stage for the artists and they allow the crowd to mosh. Might not be the best in SD, but one of the best small band venues I know of.

Had a great time at the concert. The drinks and all that was all mixed up, not very well planned out.

Great place to see a concert

Couldnt hear the singer singing throughout the whole show. Very disappointed. They also used to have good bands play here, never even heard of the ones that play here now, nor do i care.

Super cool place to support your local music scene

Decent free parking. Sound is good and they get great shows but venue is on the older side and slightly run down

I wish there was a bar for drinks, only beer available.

I love soma! I just wish theyd have more shows with old school thrash and death metal.. They seem to focus more on the core types of metal, but I guess its better for business since its mostly kids that go to Soma.

Hot, crowded, no alcohol, weird cover bands, 18 and up club, pay the extra money and go to a real venue

Venue is a flat pit. Good luck if you are short. Parking can be limited if they do not open the lot next door.

Pitted so hard here inside and outside with fests theyve had. All these yrs Soma has supported small local bands starting out. Mainly only have seen hardcore metal shows here. Such a cool venue! Took my son to his 1st World of Pain beatdown hardcore show here too and all the bouncers were really cool and made sure we had earplugs for him. Merch is right as u walk in outside the 2 stages they have. Big stage is mainly for big popular bands so they can fit a larger crowd like when i saw Blink 182 here. But dont get me wrong, seen sum legendary hardcore shows on the small stage. Madball, terror etc. Worth your money. Sound is great im sur depending on the band and where u are in the venue. Been almost 20 yrs since ive seen my 1st show here and can say Soma will give u a night to remember. Up close and personal with any band u want to be. Gotta see a show here

So much personality. Yea its a little grungy. It gives it character.

Small venue great for intimate performances. Similar to any music venue in Los Angeles(the troubadour,theroxy). Great venue!

This place still looks and feels like a garage. I have been coming here for 10+ years now and its exactly the same but just way more beat up, its time for a remodel please!! The tattered up curtains are such a joke, and the holes in the walls, smh!

Just saw Starset! Loved the band! Loved the venue!

If I had to make a list of things I do miss about San Diego, SOMA would be near the top of that list. Used to love coming to this place. Seen a lot of good shows here and made a lot of good memories here. But I relocated out of state, so I gotta find a new SOMA. (Also In N Out up the street for after the show)

Good experience, good environment, good music, love this place!

The people at the door were completely unprofessional and disrespectful (almost like a power trip over the younger kids) ruined the whole experience and would have been a 5 star if they would have just shown just a little respect..the venue was great and the people inside were completely professional and made the the experience good, but the ones outside brought it down 3 stars according to my daughter and her best friend...

Very cool low-key venue

Reggae music, beautiful daughters and finest grade ganja...

I dont personally know the venue, just dropped my daughter off in the parking lot to go to a concert.The parking lot of scary at night, lots of homeless people around.

I bought tickets to see paloma faith and ordered two tickets. They gave me four additional ones by mistake and have charged me over $70 for the tickets I did not even request!To make things worse it is impossible to get a hold of them. when I call I only get an answering machine and the mailbox is usually full. I have sent several emails and have gotten no reply what so ever. Soma pretty much stole money from me and are not even acknowledging it. worst customer service ever.

Good band. But not enough famous bands play. Bad security though.

Awesome concert venue for post hardcore, hardcore, and pop punk shows. All ages, good staff

Great spot to see popular bands in a smaller venue.

This venue is pretty run down, and the security guard tried to steal a personal item of mine while entering. Just wait to see your band at a legit venue.

Grungy vibe which is cool, but the absolute worst acoustics and poor visability. Your favorite bands will sound like crap, and you wont be able to even see the show.

A great place for kids to see live music acts

I love this place, I like it cause its a cool place for rockers like me. I like going and moshing really hard, I like all mosh pits I like circle pits and love mosh diving

Great all ages venue!