Baltimore Soundstage, ADA Review, The Ghost Inside, Paleface Swiss, Bleed From Within, Great American Ghost

ADA review time!

On 5/4/24 I got to attend the The Ghost Inside, Paleface Swiss, Bleed From Within, Great American Ghost at Baltimore Soundstage. This was not my first trip to Soundstage, but I realized I have not written about it yet so here we are! The show was incredible and I had such a blast photographing and hanging out with friends.

Soundstage is one of my favorite venues in the area. For the most part the venue is setup perfectly for the disabled crowds, but there just a few things I'd like to point out. To start, I love how there is a parking garage next door, it makes for easy parking in an area known to be hellish for street parking. My only gripe is the payment system. Signs left and right say pay before exiting to the venue, which I did. But upon leaving with my car, it was asking for payment again with the same ticket. I was going to fight it but the line of inpatient people behind me continued to grow so I just bit the bullet and paid again. Next time I'll hold out until the end of show. From the outside, Soundstage features a gradual and easy to push ramp leading from the sidewalk to the venue. They have multiple security members who did a brief pat down and understand how to search disabled individuals, which I really respected. They allowed me to wait at the front of the line instead of being on the side walk, which is really nice. Inside, Soundstage has a large open dance floor that allows for great views from all directions.

There is a raised section off to the side which I believe is the VIP area, and another section for those wishing to use ADA seating. However, it is first come first serve and if the area is full there is not much they can do. With that said, I've personally have not used their ADA section as I have found there are multiple areas around the venue that offer great views even while sitting. The staff were kind and willing to work with me, besides one of the security members inside. However, due to the circumstances their security team was dealing with(a member of their team passed away the day before,) I'd like to think it was just a hard night for them and let it slide. The bar area is long and provides enough room for a wheelchair to visit, plus is close to the stage so it feels like you've never left the show. The bathrooms are perfect, in my opinion. Easy to access hallway and doorless entries allows for easy trips to the bathroom, even during sold out nights. The areas where merch is does happen to be on a raised floor, about 2 steps total, so fully dependent chair users would require help getting up. However between the staff and other fans, I doubt you would have trouble getting up to your favorite bands merch. Outside features a fenced in smoking area to let you get some fresh air. Chair users, there is space outside for you when you first exit, but there is a set of stairs leading to a larger area. The security team outside adjusted the fence for me and gave me a few more feet of space to avoid the doors so that helped a lot.

As I said, Baltimore Soundstage is one of my favorites for many reasons. Kind and helpful staff, quality sound, and amazing views from most directions. The few negatives listed above aren't really going to prevent a disabled fan from attending a show, it just makes it slightly harder. For example, i usually get pictures of the bands merch and have my family or friends buy it for me so I don't have to bother with the stairs. Or outside, if its a sold out night like it was, expect to find the patio tight, but I learned that people will move for you so don't let that stop you. If they don't, just crush their toes  

Overall, I give Soundstage a 9/10 because what they have is exactly what most disabled fans would need.

Helpful info:

As always, at the end of the day, live music is for EVERYONE and you deserve to see your favorite bands or artists. Don't let anything stop you from making it happen. Venue has stairs? Make them carry you. Bathrooms suck? Let them know ahead time and if the staff has any idea of ADA laws you'll be taken care of (IYKYK).

Be persistent! Staff cannot physically make you view the show somewhere you don't want to be. Find a better spot! The only exception is VIP areas obviously. If the view of the ADA seating sucks, move! Nothing is keeping you there. From my experience the fans will be more than happy to make room for you to have a better time, sometimes more so then the venue. You are not a nuisance, your a paying fan like the rest of them. Enjoy the show how you want! And lastly, before you knock a venue for being non ADA compliant, take into account of the area your in, age of the building, etc. Not every facility has the ability to be up to standard and in my experiences those venues have the best staff, like Skid Row Garage for example  

Here's a photo of The Ghost Inside I took. Not the happiest with my photos from that night but I'll be posting the rest soon!