Hidden Hall: No Longer A Seattle Secret

A craft beer destination for 19 years, Belgian-themed Brouwer’s Café has reopened as the Fremont neighborhood’s newest live music venue, Hidden Hall.

The owners behind High Dive and Nectar Lounge – talent buyers Mario Abata, Andy Palmer, longtime general manager Ken Stubblefield and founder Jed Smithson – have leased the former Brouwer’s beer hall in Seattle, carrying forward a 20-year indie entertainment tradition.

Turns out the boxy, corrugated metal building in the heart of Fremont was the perfect performance space with a sound-proofed hall, wraparound mezzanine and lots of atmosphere including hardwood, blackened iron and sculpted stone walls. The unexpected perfection of this space and inconspicuous exterior is where Hidden Hall got its name.

“It’s a beautiful room,” says Palmer. “The horseshoe mezzanine wraps around the main showroom providing great vantages throughout and the high stage allows fans to see the show even from the back of the main floor.”

“The building’s architecture is unique and well designed for an event space with great sightlines,” adds Abata. “It was already pre-equipped with many of the key things you’d look for like sprinklers, sound treatment, high ceilings, mezzanine and a large dance floor.”

Just off the mezzanine is the Lounge & Bar with leather furniture and two VIP rooms – the Hearth and The Parlor, which are available for large groups and parties. Careful planning went into the back of house design, where the artist “Blue Room” is connected to the stage via a corridor behind the bar also dubbed “Hidden Hall.”

The venue opened on April 18 and features a GA floor, seating on the mezzanine, high ceilings, custom lighting design, a 19′ retractable screen with HD visual projection, VIP rooms and a state-of-the-art sound system that offers acoustic clarity and booming bass to suit the performance needs for a variety of genres. With most of the necessary infrastructure already in place the most ambitious part of the renovation was adding the 23’X13′ stage and remodeling the VIP back bar.

The new venue marks the end of an era for High Dive, a Fremont staple since 2005 that the team took over six years ago and is currently for sale. All shows previously booked at High Dive shifted to the larger Hidden Hall. Nectar Lounge will remain open as a separate venue. Hidden Hall’s capacity is 350, the sweet spot between High Dive’s former 200 and Nectar Lounge at a cap of 450.

Founded in 2004 by Smithson, Nectar Lounge has developed into a home base for Seattle’s jam rock scene as well as cross genre local and emerging acts spanning reggae, funk, bluegrass, hip-hop, Latin music and electronica. The team plans to maintain a similar mix at Hidden Hall, with various tribute shows, dance nights and some cross-venue events with Nectar, which they’ve done in the past with the multi-day, multi-venue festivals PBJam Fest, Freakout Festival and Cascadia Winter Solstice.

“Being only one block away from our sister venue, Nectar Lounge, is ideal for operation purposes but also for planning multi-venue events, two show venue passes and just general cross pollination for fans within the neighborhood,” says Abate.

The hope is that the refreshed space will attract more national and international artists and be a popular room for underplays in the market. Upcoming shows include Steve Kimok (June 21-22) and a fall lineup that includes Spafford, Ghost-Note and Black Joe Lewis.

Abata, Palmer and Seth McDonald are responsible for booking everything at Nectar and Hidden Hall, and each of them specializes in specific genres. Music that centers around improvisation – like jazz, funk and jam band music – is a special passion area for Palmer, while hip-hop, electronica and Latin remain a focus for Abata. McDonald specializes in indie rock, Americana as well as regional and local acts.

“We’ve received exclusively enthusiastic responses so far from patrons and artists alike, and we’re getting great reviews online,” offers Abata. “The excitement since we opened has definitely been palpable.”

With Nectar’s reputation and Hidden Hall’s potential Palmer and Abata are looking forward to a nightlife resurgence in the historic creative enclave of Fremont.

“We’ve just celebrated our 20th year of live music and memories at Nectar Lounge. Now with Hidden Hall emerging as another destination for national touring artists and underplays, Fremont has cemented its place as a central hub for arts and culture in Seattle,” adds Palmer.