All words and photos by Shauna Alexander

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Remember when we announced the lineup of the new Fillmore Silver Spring?  All we had was an architectural rendering of what would be? Well now the time as come to unveil the inside of what can be another amazing stop on your quest to see the best music shows in the DMV area.  And while the opening months have continued to be jam-packed with excellent bookings (“BUSH!?” my 14 year old self exclaims with joy!) what we couldn’t help but notice while taking our first tour was how MAMMOTH this place could and will be (200-2,000 person capacity!).  But in the advent of smaller, more localized shows appearing on the calendar (a mandate of their agreement with the county of Silver Spring) they’ve found a viable solution.  By installing long red velvet curtains that line the 23,000 square foot space, large sections and even the balcony can be sealed off to help make any show feel just a little more intimate.  Not to mention the “soundboard looks like the command deck of the Enterprise” (Cale) so you know they’re going to have the sound to back up this gargantuan size.

It seems every detail to the Fillmore was made with the music-goer/concert watcher in mind, including secured ledges for your beer/diet cola if you’re chilling in the balcony plus bathrooms on every level making it easy to leave your space without losing your place.  While I didn’t get to sample the delicious offerings, I was reassured by those that have that the food at the Fillmore is amazing, and with options like Duck Fat Fries, a Steer burger and a Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich, I’m not surprised (don’t worry veggies, they’ve got you covered too).  And if you’re lucky or if you’ve got 10k to spend, there are private VIP boxes located on the balcony that give you and three friends access to every show with an incredible view and an extra comfy seat too.  Worried about bar space? Don’t be.  There are three wall-length bars located throughout the venue, with a fourth VIP bar (complete with instant watch televisions and live feeds from the soundboards) to keep you hydrated. If that’s not enough, there are also two private rooms right by the dressing rooms that are rentable for all your couch-burning, rockstar-havoc-wreaking needs.

I think my favorite touch, aside from the old show posters from Fillmores past and present might just be the basket of apples that greets you in the main lobby.  Why? Well when Fillmore founder Bill Graham opened the San Francisco location back in the 1960′s, he knew that most of his target audience couldn’t afford to eat, let alone buy a ticket to a show.  His solution? Offering a bucket of free apples to any patron who enters, giving them not only a musical experience they’d never forget (and with the likes of The Doors coming through those… doors, how could you?) but a meal too.

All in all, I’m personally pretty pumped to check this place out when it counts.  Mary J Blige opens up the Fillmore this Thursday and tickets are still on sale. For more information follow The Fillmore Silver Spring on twitter or on facebook.

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WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEU, WE PRESENT THE FILLMORE SILVER SPRING (IN PHOTOS):

THE MENU:

THE GINORMOUS STAGE (COMPLETE WITH SIGNATURE CHANDIERS AND AWESOME LIGHTING):

DID SOMEONE SAY BARS? HOW ABOUT THREE OF THEM?

BATHROOMS GALORE, WITH OLD SHOW POSTERS LINING (AND PAINTED ON) THE WALLS AT EVERY TURN:

A VIP BAR WITH ALL YOU COULD EVER WANT TO DRINK + LIVE FEEDS FROM THE STAGE/SOUNDBOARD AND COZY TABLES FOR WHEN YOU WANT TO GRAB THE # OF THAT A&R REP FOR XYX BAND IN PRIVATE (OOH LA LA):

THE DRESSING ROOMS… OH WAIT, WHY TEASE YOU? YOU WON’T BE IN IT ANYWAY (or will you?):

VIEWS OF AND FROM THE BALCONY:

VIP BALCONY BOXES ALLOW YOU + 3 FRIENDS  TO HAVE THE BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE: