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Spring4th drops B.Y.O.B.; attendance follows suit
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RIP B.Y.O.B. We enjoyed it while it lasted.
Spring4th Center used to be one of my favorite places to attend events. Although the cover charges for the events held there were generally $12-15, the center allowed its patrons to B.Y.O.B., or "bring their own bottle/beer/booze". This allowance would off-set the cover charge that was already high enough to compete with a lot of nice downtown bars and clubs.
Then, before May of this year, the facility became fully licensed and could now have a cash bar. Good for them, bad for us. Not only do patrons now have to pay for their drinks, but their drink choices are limited to what the bar chooses to stock. To save money and maximize profits, they offer fewer choices than most bars and clubs; in fact, they don’t even have Michelob Ultra, one of the most popular beers today. View their price list to see their full “range” of beverage selections, and what they charge for them.
In addition because the center is now licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages, last call now begins much earlier, stopping alcohol sales by 2:30am in order to comply with city ordinances, but continuing the sale of non-alcoholic beverages until close. Events held at Spring4th have typically been held from 10pm to 6am, often drawing a late night and after-party crowd from other events and venues. Now that the bar stops serving alcohol at the same time as other clubs, events held at Spring4th are seeing less late-night attendance.
As if switching from B.Y.O.B. to a cash bar wasn’t already a hassle enough, the lines for the bar now take twice as long. When it used to be a simple as allowing the bartender to check your wristband to see where your alcohol was and have it handed to you, now people have to pull out their wallets and wait for the bartenders to give them change or wait for a credit card to be run and must account for all of their sales. While you might say that this inconvenience is no different from any other club or bar, you will recall that this center wasn’t built to be a bar or a club; it is a venue. The truth of the matter is that the tiny little window that acts as the “bar” was always a hassle, but when you didn’t have to worry about what was available to order or how much it was going to cost, or remembering to get a drink before last call, it was easily tolerated. Now, because of the lack of B.Y.O.B., all of the other negative aspects of the space have come to the forefront.
The first Phobia after the switch from B.Y.O.B. to cash bar occurred on May 1. Many who attended were skeptical of how the new policy would affect attendance and the possibility of future events that may or may not be hosted there. Yet even in the thunderstorm, there was still a relatively good turnout. It also didn’t hurt that it was Oni’s birthday, and many people were there to celebrate with her.
In contrast the following Phobia, held on a lovely and clear June night, saw a dramatic drop in attendance. Even though the weather was better, less people were in attendance. It is likely that many who attended in May were so disillusioned that they did not return in June. There was no Phobia scheduled for July, perhaps because of the July 4 holiday, and an August event has yet to be announced.
Perhaps B.Y.O.B. was the rose-colored lenses of the Spring4th Center.
The space itself isn’t anything special. It’s just an empty space, with some provided furniture. Any decorations you ever see have been brought in by the event producers. When you realize that, you really appreciate all of the extra work companies like Agoraphobia Productions put into making their events special.
The main complex of Spring4th is a big room, with several smaller rooms for art galleries, vendors, movies, or “other” entertainment. While the smaller rooms do provide some areas for lounging, most people usually prefer to hang out on the patio since the facility, unlike many actual bars and clubs, is non-smoking. The patio provides the most comfortable space and seating areas at the center, and it is a great spot to hang out. That is, as long as it is not too hot or too cold, or raining outside.
Sometimes event producers will choose to host their event at the smaller annex of the Spring4th Center. This means that people have access to the patio, but not the main complex, and the rooms in the annex; all 2550 square feet of it. I will not mention the event that I attended in the annex, as I do not want to give them bad press, but it was literally the worst event I have been to in Atlanta.
Part of the problem was because the space itself is very small, and in spite of the low attendance, many felt claustrophobic all night. But the other problem was that the event producers were so worried about cleaning up after themselves all night so they would be allowed to use the space again, that they ended up treating their guests terribly. For example, they stopped us to inspect the bottoms of our shoes before we could even be allowed to enter the bathroom! Now, why I ask, would they be so worried? Is the management that unbearable? Many were unable to enjoy themselves all night for fear of doing something wrong to the space.
Parking at Spring4th is relatively easy for midtown, since there are spaces located at the Arby’s next door, but only after 11pm. However, there is usually a $5 charge for parking. If you arrive at the event too late, you will have to search for alternative parking which is never fun. In comparison, the Jungle has plenty of free parking all of the time. Paying $5 for parking was never an issue when the events were B.Y.O.B., because attendees were still saving money from bar prices. Now, it is thought of as just one of the many expenses you will expect to incur after a night at the Spring4th Center.
Spring4th has been a popular event venue for years because it provided an affordable location for event producers to host their events, and it was popular among its patrons because it was B.Y.O.B. But now that the center is fully licensed and requires the use of their cash bar, it is no longer appropriate for events in the underground scene. The center simply cannot compete with Atlanta bars and clubs, but that is what it seems like it is trying to do. Spring4th is not the Jungle, yet its cover charges and bar prices are almost identical. If you’re paying the same amount, why not go to the real thing instead of some little event center?
Spring4th hosts a wide variety of events outside of the underground scene. According to the website, “Our vision is for our small community based convention center to be a welcoming home for individuals and groups seeking both like-minded and diverse connections within our community.” I am sure that the Spring4th Center can still be a great venue for several more things, such as Girl Scout meetings, AA, senior citizen’s square dancing, etc. But it is no longer appropriate for alternative events. Underground event producers take note: the appeal of the Spring4th Center is gone. Don’t lose money on your event by hosting it at this venue!
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