Sweetwater Music Hall - Mill Valley

The food tastes good, the ingredients are fresh, the atmosphere is great, there are many location options, and the waiters are friendly.

Awesome place to see live music! Some of my favorite concert experiences took place here. ?

My husband and I spent $90. apiece, $180. total for “V.I.P.” seating on Sun. which also happened to be St. Patrick’s Day. We were absolutely shocked to discover that a large crowd of those who spent far less to stand or sit on uncomfortable bar stools arranged haphazardly around the perimeter of the hall, and an equally large influx of last minute arrivals all rushed forward when the show began effectively and completely blocking any view of the performers on the stage! Many of these people also got quite sloppy with their over priced beers and were completely oblivious when spilling and splashing occurred what with the bumping and pushing that inevitably took place.We have been attendees of musical events at numbers of venues over the past 23 yrs. and never have we paid such exorbitant prices to not be able to actually see the performers. That this venue operates with a “mosh pit” mentality as far as their lack of decent seating is concerned is absolutely unacceptable. We came to hear and SEE Jason D. Williams perform. We heard him but only caught a partial glimpse of him playing a couple of times throughout his set. A gigantic disappointment, since the pyrotechnics and physical antics of Jason D’s playing are half the show. To add insult to injury; I thought that it might be nice to have an Irish Coffee from the bar to honor St. Pat’s Day and as we waited for the concert to begin. The bar tender had no clue what an Irish Coffee was, let alone how to make one! She asked my husband if there was coffee in the drink! He said thanks, but never mind!We had a pre performance dinner at the restaurant that Sweetwater now runs. More exorbitant prices for incredibly mediocre food. I ordered a so-so Caesar Salad with the most bland tasteless dressing I have ever eaten. The Clam Chowder was at best interesting and did have whole clams in it, but it arrived tepid and got stone cold quite quickly since we were sitting in the outdoor dining area. And $16. dollars for Pinot Noir would be more or less standard if served in an actual wine glass not in what appeared to be a very small juice glass.The times have changed for sure and Sweetwater has expanded, but in my opinion not for the better. Mill Valley has several very good alternative eateries. I recommend that you check them out. As to attending concerts at the Sweetwater Music Hall, if you enjoy rubbing elbows with a mob and drinking overpriced alcoholic beverages, and don’t mind standing up the entire concert and crowding the stage to catch a look at the performers, then this is the place for you. As far as we are concerned, Sweetwater is a venue and restaurant that we won’t bother visiting again.

I’m going tonight to see Ian Moore. Met him at a yoga class in San Rafael probably two years ago. Very down to earth guy.

Super fun local Mill Valley music destination. Went for Studio 54 night and it did not disappoint!