Mid size music venue hosting indie and punk acts. Space is long and narrow - so sight lines and sound can be off near the back but it’s still a great space. They recently downsized from 2 levels to one. Kind of sad but at least they weren’t forced out of the neighborhood due to gentrification.Bring cash. No credit cards acceptedThey no longer have food :(

Popped in here randomly while visiting from out of town. All the staff were incredibly friendly and willing to drop knowledge on where else to visit. They had BRIDE OF PINBOT which is one of my favorite machines. And there were credits so you know we played for an hour. Went to a hip hop show and a 2000s dance party so the vibe was well rounded.

Mostly I love (!!) this Slice of DC history. Check out the wall that displays every band thats ever played by album. It is a cash only bar, which I often forget. Also, I dunno, it seems to be pretty male dominated, regardless of the artist playing. Maybe you like that? Me? Meh.

Awesome old school rock venue. Good view of the stage from the entire place, and decent prices on beer for a club. Full bar service as well, which is nice.

Great spot for intimate live music in DC, cash only bar.

Its spacious and has hip decor. Its handicap accessible and great in terms of maneuverability. Kind and helpful staff. Good beer.

This is a great place to hear local music. Its a long dark hall. Theres a long bar. I drank beer. Heads up - theres NO FOOD SERVED. NONE! But you can bring your own food... And the bathrooms are icky. The doors do not open until 8:00pm. Thats when they open the black garage doors and let you in.

Despite being an upstairs venue only now its still one of the best concert venues in DC. I just wish they werent cash only but I guess it forces me to spend less there.

Very good. I saw Rhett Miller. I was pleasantly surprise to find a sitting venue. I was sure it would be standing room only.

Great venue for an awesome show. Nada Surf crushed it. Cool venue, affordable beer and merchandise, good vibe.

Joys bed and breakfast was a #SMASH

Versatile club space with decent stage and speaker setup and an underwhelming bar selection.

Great music bookings and sound. miss the red room downstairs but alas.... bring cash!

Definitely a crowded venue, when its a notable artist playing. But they let me bring my camera in, and I really appreciated that!

An institution keeping the music scene alive and signing smaller and alternative genres! good prices at the bar too

Best bartenders, great rockin venue!

Saw Homeshake on 3/24, and had a fantastic night. The updated concert room looks/ sounds amazing and offers great new sight-lines. The atmosphere is really unique and refreshingly rock and roll for the DC music scene.

Its the dive you expect, but that makes it fun

My favorite venue for small shows and events. It has a really unpretentious, laid-back vibe. Its a DC institution for a reason! Their music-themed dance parties (Depeche Mode Dance Party, Cryfest-the Smiths vs. The Cure, etc.) are especially fun. The bar is cash-only so remember to bring plenty with you if you want to avoid the ATM line. The drinks are reasonably priced.

Great place in the heart of DC to catch a show

Have gone to the Black Cat hundreds of times, including on its opening night, and it’s still my favorite venue in dc to see bands play. Definitely check it out !!!

Seeing shows at this venue is SO much fun. The sound system is good, and they have a bar area with a pool table and tons of old games. I’ve been here two times so far, and I can’t wait to have an excuse to go back.

The best dive music venue in DC. Like the 930 Club but smaller and better. Sound quality excellent!

Staff was on it! Dont think Ive been to a spot around here like this place. If you want a spot thats wall-to-wall with people, then you should reconsider. Staff is very friendly, quick, and fun to be around. I would recommend to everyone.

Came here for the first time last night for a funk/jazz show. Black Cat is a fantastic venue at the intimate level, with a reasonably small performance space that really lets you feel like youre experiencing the music with the band. The acoustics are pretty solid, and the adjacent bar area is nice for when you want to collect yourself for a drink.My one (small) gripe, though, would be that the bar is cash-only; fortunately they have an ATM on-site to assist patrons without cash.

The black cat is kind of a dive, but for DC musicians it is our kind of dive. It is a shame they are scaling it back, but the shows here have been great. I am kind of sad about the loss of the downstairs space because that is where the better bathroom was. I have been to great shows here though, and it is a historic space for music at this point. The space may not be perfect, but it is about as rock and roll as it gets.

Great venue for smaller shows. Tallboy beers, but its tiny and everything is cash only. So bring cash if youre drinking or buying a ticket at the door.

The music was good (Depeche Mode party) however I could not use my credit card to buy a drink, they only accepted cash that night. That was quite inconvenient.

Not too many DC hipsters or Congressional interns.

My fave spot for live music in DC!!!

It’s chill. I hate the 9:30 club so much that my anger towards it wakes me up most nights in a cold, stressful sweat. Thanks for being there as a much needed alternate venue

It is what it is. The Black Cat is a concert venue best suited for a punk bands big show (versus their usual house shows). The Black Cat is perfectly speed for this. I wish the bathrooms were a little better maintained, though.

I LOVE Black Cat. Its an intimate space that doesnt feel too crowded even for sold out shows. Being short, its sometimes hard for me to see at GA concerts, but they have a slightly elevated platform off to the right side that doesnt get too filled and offers a better view of the stage.Maybe its just the shows Ive attended, but Ive found the crowd here to be much more chill than other venues - not a lot of shoving past last minute to get to the front, spilling beer on you, dancing into you, etc.

Came to watch a Jake and Amir live podcast, which had a start time of 8pm. The doors didnt open until a little after 8pm, despite us seeing J&A arrive at like 7:15. The staff seemed to insist on scanning tickets and stamping everyone before they opened the doors. So the people at the front of the line (us) had to wait for the end of the line to get scanned before we could enter. Ive never seen this done and it was insane given how cold it was. The staff wasnt at all apologetic and just had an air of superiority about them. Seating was cramped, the air system was very loud, and the bathrooms were filthy. Avoid coming here.

This place is just great for a chilled night with friends. I love the relaxed ambience of the place and live music performance from local artistes. The crowd is also mature enough for my taste. A great place to relax and enjoy with friends.

I came here to see Movements and Boston Manor last month (5/10). This was my first and will be my last visit. The worst venue I’ve ever been to. Unprofessional. Crowdsurfing was banned an hour before the show (there’s usually a three strikes rule) and there was no explanation as to why. Security was extremely rude not only to the crowd but to photographers. Security’s treatment caused the band to lash out at them, twice. Might be good as a bar but terrible for concerts. You know your venue is bad when a band ends their show with “We’re never playing this venue again.”

I love this place. It is my favorite venue for live music. The space is the perfect size for crowd to patrons size. The staff is very professional and laid back as well. Drink selections are a perfect mix of craft and traditional beers. Cash only is actually a plus.

This is a cool little venue in DC that gets a lot of cool acts from punk to indie bands. I love the asethetic of it and its one of the mor intimate venues in DC. However the reason Im giving it 3 instead of 4 stars is because the venue seriously needs some security or needs to do something about disrespectful guests. This is the 2nd time Ive been here now where a person was being distracting and disrespectful and nothing was done. At the American Football show on 5/23, there was a younger guy who was constantly shouting and talking throughout the show being distracting. Several people around him including us telling him to stop it and he then proceeded to get aggressive with us. He was also constantly trying to start a mosh pit despite nobody else wanted to engage and this was not the kind of show where that sort of thing would take place. I know that its hard to keep track of everything going on in the room, but there didnt appear to be any staff anywhere to do anything about it when it was very clear he was bothering many of the guests around him. I hope this comes to the venues attention because this would be a great venue if they could do something about people like this would want to ruin the show for those around them. Otherwise, its a cool venue.

First of all its about the music and artists and Black Cat delivers. The prices are great if you are fast enough. Lets call it city rustic and nice to see the bathrooms were renovated recently. I havent eaten here yet but the staff is friendly.

Highly recommend grabbing a beer at the Red Room bar and then seeing a show at the back stage or Main stage (2nd floor). $5 PBR, $7 good drafts.

My favorite live venue in DC. The right amount of grunge, low lighting and tastefully under-maintained place youd hope to see a good new bad or old favorite. Sound quality is good, decently stocked bar and just an absolute blast. If you see a band youre interested in, definitely check this place out!

Went to see a Milo show and the customer service was so good the bartenders are cool and they have a small arcade with ping pong and one that has donkey Kong Im ddd if you want to beat my score on it...Ill be back for the top high score.

Black Cat is one of my favorite music venues in DC. Its smaller than the 9:30 Club, so if youre in the front row, youre basically level with the band. But, its bigger than somewhere like DC9, which can get really crowded really quickly. At Black Cat, I never have to wait too long to get a drink and have a great view of the stage no matter where I end up standing.

Krampus event was a wonderful thing to benefit Foster kids in DC. It was a kids event that was billed as more. Was to include bands, DJs and burlesque....and it did...a drum line (band), guys pulling up 80s music (DJ), and 1 lady in a bra with a butt tattoo (sigh....burlesque). Oh, I should mention the children running around during butt tattoo performance. Look Blackcat...pick one. Kids event or adult event. You cant mix the two.Would have been a 1 star but the drinks were good and strong....bamboozled !

I have very fond memories of this place when I lived in DC. I met a lot of wonderful people who befriended me instantly. I remember taking coworkers here and dancing in one of the rooms here, and I remember hanging inside and out during very chilly winters.This place has a great vibe and is the perfect place for hipsters/scenesters to go to. I have great memories of friends visiting from FL who I met at a similar venue called Respectable Street. This place reminded me so much of RSC that I had to call it my second home.Overall this place is great and I remember reasonable prices for drinks. Its conventionally located near a Metro station so you can just walk here. One day when I visit DC again, Ill come back.

The Black Cat is one of the best rock clubs in Washington, D.C. Rock clubs are supposed to be a bit gritty, and the Black Cat delivers - it is dark, the bars are cash only, and it has an edge to it. But if youre like me, that can be what you want when youre seeing a smaller show. The bartenders pour a solid drink, and youll find decent beer available at decent prices. It is a rock club, so it gets busy, and youre going to have to wait since there are always people looking to drink - just be prepared. Ive generally found the bartenders get the job done and are cordial, even if not the warmest folks out there. They have a small back stage where locals and smaller touring acts play - word to the wise, it can get crowded back there, and the sound can be pretty variable. Ive seen some shows back there that are fantastic, and some...not so much. But the star of the show is the stage upstairs. They book top quality acts, and with a recently updated sound system (as well as a great sound engineer behind the board), youre going to get a show that sounds great. It is all general admission, so if you want to be up front, plan on arriving early.

Place to get annoyed in by listening to your favourite bands with the worst sound quality one can get. Pity.

Black Cat is a great venue for the music, its a DC institution that books fantastic bands. However, I had a horrible experience there. After seeing a show I left the venue, then I realized my keys were not in my pocket anymore. I absolutely had to get them back and came back to the Black Cat because I thought I most probably dropped them there. The front staff was rude and unhelpful. They wouldnt let me look for my keys, and two minutes later categorically let me know my keys were not in the room since the cleaning staff hadnt seen anything. In good faith I took them at their word and left to look for my keys in the street. Not finding them, in desperation I came back to the Black Cat, and the rude front staff told me the same thing. I just stood there and a minute later some other staffers mentioned casually that there were keys upstairs. Finally a bartender went and looked and brought me my keys. They had been there the whole time, even though the front staff swore the whole time they werent and tried to turn me away! I thanked and tipped the bartender, but the front staff were horrible, and this may be the last time I ever attend a show there. There are many other venues in DC with great music.

Absolutely one of the best little underground stage/bar scene ive been to since moving up to the east coast.

Doors open at eight. Everyone seated and looking at their phones. Why are we waiting over 45 minutes to see a podcast show? The bar is not crowded - so theyre not making money off the drinks. If the show starts at nine put it on the damn ticket and I wont waste my time sitting around writing bad reviews.

Nice cozy place to hangout with friends and have a fun time. Video games are available too.

One of the most authentic, best, and well established music venues in DC for original and upcoming artists!!!

I think the dance parties are generally fun. Keep you eye out for an 80s dance night or a pop night. Music is great, crowd is easy going. The only problem is that is a cash only establishment. Get with the times!

80s mayhem, DJs were lame.So many great songs — and they couldn’t find one. And

Maybe it was just bad luck. We only made it after the live show was over and the after party was just average. Was nice for a couple of drinks and a game of pool or some arcade though!

Will never come here again. Rudest staff. The band members literally had to yell at them to do their jobs right. And the band said they will never come back there again.

Great place.

Black Cat is a great venue. Ive been a many of the venues in and around town and black cat is among the best. They have two venues in one, upstairs and downstairs. AND a fun games room full of pinball machine. Cash bar though, if you dont mind it. Good lineup of shows generally and very well placed on U street.tl;dr - great venue, good shows, cash bar, good location on U street

This is one of the best venues in D.C. If you dont like a dirty grungy dive bars, then stay out! I saw Pig Destroyer here several months back and had a blast! Parking sucks, but thats D.C. for ya. Go see a show, get sweaty, drink beer and have fun!

Great beer, pinball and music! Super nice staff. A must if you visit D. C.

Great venue with a cool vibe. I like that there are two bars so its never very hard to get a drink. They also have water jugs to you can get water without having to bother the bartender. There is some seating in the back if you want to rest your feet. They blasted the air conditioning while I was there for a show so it was really cold even with the amount of people in the room.

I only go here to play pinball. They have some machines in one room and some in another. Selection is ok.

Fun space with games and cool vibe. The black box could have had softer flooring perhaps rubber to clean quicker.

Gotta love the black cat resisting the urge to update itself. You have to really pick where you stand so you dont get overwhelmed by the sound, due to the low ceilings. Front center or anywhere mid way back works.

In my quest to learn more about DC and its rich history, some friends and I saw an excellent documentary - Salad Days about Fugazi, Henry Rollins and other punk bands in DC. Black Cat venue was excellent for this sort of thing. Good intimate ambience and sound system. Looking forward to future events here.

A fun, laid back, tri-level venue with live music and a small bar area with a pool table and various other games. If you like alternative music, then I recommend the Black Cat.

Sound was great and the sight lines are great almost anywhere in the club.

I have never been to a more disrespectful venue. If you are under the age of 21 I highly recommend you dont attend any shows here. The second you walk in you are being watched by the unbelievably rude staff.

Good vibe, Classic vintage venue. Local/Indie and International bands tours available. Reasonably priced. Keep it up!

Local night club that has a bar with arcade. Cash only which keeps the lines short. Alot of shows almost every night. Good place to meet for cheap drinks.

A local institution, Black Cat has been around for ages. A casual place to watch smaller bands. Fair prices at the cash-only bar. Prepare to be seriously frisked (and your bag more thoroughly checked than by TSA) upon arrival.

Great venue for either intimate shows (downstairs) or slightly larger acts (upstairs). It has a great old-school DC vibe to the place.

There are not much places left like this one. Live rock music, suitable decor and a lot of beer. Simple combination but not easy to find it everywhere. If you prefer it like me - this is your bar.

Went here for a Matt Corby concert on 1/31/2016 and waited outside for thirty minutes yet it was worth it. Good beer on tap, spacious floor layout yet still intimate, sound was great yet could have been louder for those who didnt show up 4 hours before the event.

Ive seen two shows here and Ive had a great time at both. The bartenders were super cool, the shows were great and it was never super packed.

Great music venue. Lots of good bands. More of a low key atmosphere.

Has a very dive bar atmosphere, but gets some really top class acts!

This is one of those places in DC where I go to remind myself that I live in a city. Dark with sticky floors and all kinds of people and all kinds of acts. Part of me feels like this place is a fire code violation away from being shut down, but maybe thats part of the vibe.

Went to a music show here nice open area, two bars on each side; very convenient.

Best venue in DC. Plus it has great pinball machines and the cheapest beer on 14th Street.

The best.

A great stage for local acts and even bring in some bigger-name acts. Its a warehouse split into two levels, so with the low ceiling on the upper level (the main stage) the acoustics arent necessarily the best; but its always an intimate atmosphere with a sometimes rough-looking but friendly crowd.

Cool venue that attracts great acts. Nice bar situation. Too bad the place suffers from TERRIBLE FRONT STAFF!!!! The girl at the front desk accused me of not buying a ticket. AFTER I produced the ticket stub she continued to be rude and patronizing. An apology would have been nice.

Fun shows in a grimy-yet-cool spot. Cash-only bar and kinda disaffected bartenders, but I dont totally blame them -- people get wrecked here and can be a pain in the ass to deal with.

Horribly rude to underage people, Ive never seen a venue that with such a rude staff to teenagers, and singling them out. Overall not a clean, fun or pleasant venue, the staff really ruined my time there. 9:30 club is so much better.

Its a good bar, with good beer and service. But I was expecting live classic rock...

Pretty nice venue. We saw everything everything here. Acoustics are a bit iffy here.

An alright venue in the Georgetown area. looks incredibly sketch from outside. but its a pretty good sized dance floor.

My favorite place to see bands near and far; have so many fond memories of artists I’ve seen here (Helium, Low, The Magnetic Fields, The Walkmen, et al.) from the ‘90s onwards.....Great for an intimate live music experience because the space is small enough to see bands up close but large enough to be welcoming.....️

My girls and I come here almost every Friday and never leave disappointed. Great food and great service

Awesome place to catch a concert or just a beer. Cash only with ATM on site.

The venue was a good place for a show, and had two bars to the side to fulfill drinking needs. It was clean and there were many places where it was easy to see the stage.

Great place to hang out, never saw a live music act but they have oldish TV shows every so often

Solid small venue. Has live music as well as stand up comedy.They have an upstairs stage and a downstairs stage. The downstairs is much smaller.Cash only bar.

Ok, most of these reviews have to be fake. This place was pathetic, the sound was so incredibly and unnecessarily loud my ears were ringing for a week. I couldnt even make out the words from the lead singer. Concerts are supposed to be for music lovers, not lovers of loud static and cheap sounding speakers.

Hip and chill and somewhat laid-back dance club with some mixtape evenings.

Great beer selection and good music. They throw pretty good parties every once in a while so good to keep an eye on their schedules.

Bar is cash only-- at least in the upstairs concert space. That said-- its an EXCELLENT concert space.

Cash bar great indie venue dance parties downstairs nerd happy hours great lounge

Fun place to go see a show or event. Cash only bar though