Ace of Spades is a concert venue in downtown Sacramento at 1417 R Street, used across the 2010s for touring and local rock, hip-hop, reggae and metal shows.[1][2] It is associated with Sacramento music promoter and talent buyer Eric Rushing, identified in the sources as the venue's owner.[3][4] The venue opened in 2011, with Rob Zombie and Papa Roach (described as "nearby Vacaville natives") among its first-week headliners.[5] In early 2016 it was acquired by Live Nation via its House of Blues Entertainment division.[6][7]
At a glance
- Address: 1417 R Street, downtown Sacramento.[1][2] Building owned by Randy Paragary.[6]
- Founded by: Eric Rushing and Bret Bair; operated by Live Nation (House of Blues Entertainment) since 2016.[6][7]
- Capacity: cited as 900 in Submerge coverage;[4] approximately 1,000 per Ticketmaster.[5]
- Format: standing-room-only general admission throughout, with some GA seating at the bar/lounge area on a first-come, first-served basis.[5]
- Programs all-ages shows; tickets sold at aceofspadessac.com and local record stores (Dimple Records, The Beat, Armadillo/Armadillo Music in Davis).[1][8]
- ADA compliant.[5]
- Note: this synthesis draws on 14 of 66 known Submerge articles (corpus capped); facts here are partial.
Identity and location
Submerge consistently places Ace of Spades in downtown Sacramento at the street address 1417 R Street.[1][2] Multiple show announcements direct ticket buyers to the venue's website aceofspadessac.com, and in several cases also to local outlets including Dimple Records, The Beat, and Armadillo Music in Davis.[1][8][2] The venue is repeatedly described as hosting all-ages shows.[2][3] One 2015 article cites its size as a "900-capacity" room, framing a headlining slot there as one of the most ambitious moves a local band can make.[4] According to Ticketmaster, the capacity is approximately 1,000; the space is standing-room-only general admission, with some seating available at the bar/lounge area on a first-come, first-served basis.[5] The venue is fully ADA compliant and has been at the center of R Street's growth as an entertainment district, situated alongside bars, restaurants, shops, and lofts.[5]
The building at 1417 R Street is owned by Randy Paragary and is not part of the venue's operating entity.[6]
Founding and ownership history
Ace of Spades opened in 2011.[5][6] It was founded by Eric Rushing and his business partner Bret Bair, who put their personal savings into launching the room.[6] Rushing is described in Submerge coverage as the venue's owner and talent buyer, and as a longtime Sacramento music enthusiast and promoter active in the local scene over many years.[1][3][4]
In early 2016, Rushing and Bair sold Ace of Spades to Live Nation via its House of Blues Entertainment division for an undisclosed amount; both founders stayed on as Live Nation employees after the acquisition.[6][7] According to the Sacramento News & Review, a shooting incident outside the venue in February 2015 was among the factors that led the owners to decide to sell.[6]
Role in the Sacramento scene
Ace of Spades functioned as a mid-size step up from smaller Sacramento rooms. A 2014 touring act noted that, prior to playing Ace of Spades, Harlow's had been the only Sacramento venue they had played, and that Ace of Spades was the first Sacramento venue they played that was bigger than Harlow's.[9] For Sacramento's Some Fear None, headlining the room was treated as a milestone; the band reported drawing over 700 people to a May 4, 2013 headlining date there and returned to headline a CD-release show on Aug. 1, 2015.[4]
The venue is tied to promoter Eric Rushing, described both as the owner of Ace of Spades and as its talent buyer.[3][4] Some Fear None's frontman credited Rushing with giving the band its "big break," recounting that Rushing agreed to book them on the strength of a good lineup.[4]
Connection to the LAUNCH Festival
Eric Rushing, identified as owner of Ace of Spades, took on the role of booking the bands for Sacramento's LAUNCH Festival as the event scaled up.[10] In LAUNCH's 2013 edition, Ace of Spades served as the site of a Thursday-night pre-party within the multi-venue festival schedule.[10]
Notable shows (from the sources)
Submerge coverage documents a range of acts booked at Ace of Spades between 2011 and 2017:
- Papa Roach — two consecutive headlining nights, Feb. 25 and 26, 2011, billed as the band's first Sacramento shows in years and stacked with Sacramento acts (Track Fighter, Will Haven, Lonely Kings, MC Rut).[1] Papa Roach were also among the venue's first-week headliners upon its opening.[5]
- Dance Gavin Dance — April 8, 2011, on a U.S. tour with I Wrestled a Bear Once and In Fear and Faith.[11]
- Blaqk Audio (Davey Havok and Jade Puget of AFI) — June 4, 2011, with Boggan and Hamm FM opening.[12]
- GZA performing Liquid Swords, with Killer Mike opening — Sept. 26, 2012.[13]
- The Seeking (Sacramento Christian hard rock) with Woe, Is Me — Nov. 19, 2012.[8]
- ZAVALAZ (Cedric Bixler-Zavala) — June 22, 2013, all-ages, $15.[2]
- The Devil Makes Three with The Brothers Comatose — Feb. 7, 2014 (sold out).[9]
- Reverend Horton Heat with Nekromantix, Deke Dickerson and Infamous Swanks — March 30, 2014, $20.[14]
- Some Fear None CD-release show with Black Map, Sages, Control and Heat of Damage — Aug. 1, 2015.[4]
- RX Bandits performing …And the Battle Begun in full, with And So I Watched You From Afar — Sept. 25, 2016, all-ages, doors 6:30 p.m.[15]
- Chronixx — 2017 North American tour stop.[16]