Wooly’s

Good room, good staff, good PA. These people are doing live music the right way.

I love this place because of its size. The sound quality is also pretty good. If you want to spend the extra $ 50 you can get a both and a server to deliver you drinks.

Came here for Wrestlepalooza this past Saturday… tons of people were packed in to watch some great wrestling and a pretty decent punk band called Masked Intruder… yes it was crowded but it actually wasn’t that bad, with there being enough room for everyone to have a pretty good time… Got a couple sodas which were priced pretty reasonably and the bartenders seemed nice enough… would come back…

The best event of the year is the Warren Morrow Memorial Concert that happens in late July, early August. In 2015 it’s on July 25^th. It brings unique bands like Estrofia (Spanish rock), Brazilian 2wins (current hits with a funk/​Samba twist) and Parranderos Latin Combo (Caribbean beats). The most energetic and diverse crowd you’ll find, and plenty of room to watch, listen, drink and dance. 3 live bands for a $ 10 cover at the door — best deal in town! I highly recommend this event at Wooly’s.

Wooly’s has filled the void left by People’s Court IMO. It’s decent place and has a monopoly on the mid-​size shows (up and coming national touring bands typically). They get a good mix of shows and have 3 – 5 per week. Yes, drink prices are steep and they do take plastic but it’s a $ 15 minimum. The floor is a bit shady sometimes too. Used to be a Woolworth’s department store — hence the name. A nice place to see some bigger names but lacks the hometown vibe.

I was lucky to have a lot of mid-​sized venues to choose from in Portland and Milwaukee. Des Moines wasn’t blessed with old rich guys who built theaters like those cities. Wooly’s didn’t exist the last time I exited DSM eight years ago. I recently saw Royal Blood and the Bleachers here. MY IMPRESSIONS: Strange it’s only one level. I like the multiple beer stations and standing bars down the middle to lean against. The sound is pretty great. The lighting is great. Royal Blood killed it. The mens’ bathroom was pretty clean. Tall boy beers were $ 4. It’s a great place to get up close to some pretty famous acts. There are large ceiling fans to keep air circulating.
DISLIKE: Turn off the gawd damn screens showing a slide show of upcoming acts while the bands are playing.

Drove up from KC to see Royal Blood and Mini Mansions. I was impressed by the size and acoustics. Moreover I was impressed that a club in Des Moines got Royal Blood and for $ 16. That is amazing.
Overall great experience, the door staff and box office staff was ultra cool. The crowd was peaceful.
If they get another band like Royal Blood there again I would make the 3 hour trip.

Great place to see live music and books great acts! If you want water they don’t serve it unless you want to purchase bottled. There is however a drinking fountain downstairs along with 2 more restrooms, if there’s a long line upstairs you can go downstairs just by the entrance on the west side of the building. Lots of different beer on tap, can, full bar. Also, they are open during the week for cash only ticket sales from (I believe) 1−5pm m-​f! Which is very convenient if you don’t want to pay fees for ticket sales!

I was able to hop on a bus from Minneapolis to Des Moines courtesy of Surly Brewing Company to see Doomtree play Wooly’s. I’ve only ever driven through Des Moines on my way north or south, so it was nice to catch a show by a band I like in a new venue. I am highly impressed with this venue. The sightlines in here are great, except for a few large beams located about, but I was up front in the crowd… so that was not a factor. The sound and lighting were great, which is always important. The bar staff were awesome, super friendly, and fast! It didn’t feel cramped in the venue at all, and the crowd was tame compared to the Minneapolis scene. I highly appreciated that, thank you Des Moines peeps! I’d recommend catching a show here, and playing some old school arcade games in the bar next door prior to coming in.

Cane early but not enough chairs. Spent 40 on tickets and was very disappointed. Went elsewhere to eat. Strange that they do not show the band on the big screen.

Wooly’s has been the host to some of my favorite shows this year! It sort of reminds me of Sokol Auditorium in Omaha, but maybe a third of the size and with no balcony. Like the malnourished cousin who was never very good at sports. It’s location in the East Village is super convenient with a lot of available street parking.
My favorite thing about Wooly’s is it’s versatility. It’s large with a good amount of seating and chairs as well as enough floor room up front. That means if I’m going to see my favorite band, I have plenty of room to stand comfortably and still be able to see and hear everything. At the same time, if I come to a show with my dad, I can sit comfortably in a booth or table and enjoy the show. This is especially nice as they also provide table service! All the staff has always been incredibly nice and helpful. The bar, while perhaps a bit pricey, is huge with a lot of selection.
All that stuff is cool, but do you want to know my actual favorite thing about Wooly’s? In my experience, all of the bigger shows (featuring touring acts) that I have been to always have the bus or van IN FRONT of the venue, right on the street. This means the band has to unload and load (assuming the band is doing their own unloading/​loading) their gear through the front doors. I think this is so cool because it allows an interaction between band person and audience member, which, at least in for my generation, is a really big deal. Maybe that’s just the only option there is but whatever, I just think it’s cool, OKAY?!
But, yeah. If Wooly’s continues to book bands I like I will be there, duh.

Great rock club for midsized touring acts or big locals! Good sound guys and a pretty rocking system! Nice staff and good beer selection.
If you’re in a band, this is a good place to play! They’ve got nice facilities backstage and treat the bands well.

Really nice rock n roll club to both watch a show or play one.
For a musician this place is great, they have a killer green room, shower, laundry, and a great sound system to play through. The sound guys I have had are top notch and easy to work with. The only bummer is sometimes they need to do front of house and monitors and the set up is 40 yards away from each other. But they seem to handle it pretty well.
The venue is super clean for the most part, but sometimes the bathrooms get pretty destroyed during a big show. They have waitress service to the tables and to the bar floor which is nice if your just sitting enjoying a show. The drink prices are pretty pricey for Des Moines and one time they charged my wife for a cup of water?
This is a first class rock joint that gears toward shows of 200 – 600 plus people. They have a awesome sound system and good side stage, pretty high off the ground I would compare the room too First Ave in Minneapolis without the history or the balcony.

I had the sweatiest, most fantastic time at this venue in July. First of all it’s TINY, so seeing a well known act in such an intimate setting is what made it so fun for me. They pack the people in pretty tight so getting there early to be in the front is always a good thing, I was on the rail for the show so I have no idea how the sight-​lines are from the back but I can’t imagine they are that great. I’m very happy I got to spend time in downtown Des Moines and would go back to this place in a heartbeat.

Nice venue, good sound. The light techs aren’t always on their game. I dock a star as they charge for water. Venues that can’t keep you cool should offer free ice water in my opinion, otherwise fans get dehydrated and not everyone has the $ to fork over for bottled water when they just paid for a ticket to get in.

Drove down from Minneapolis to see The Turnpike Troubadours it was badass! Tall boys were $ 4 a piece and there is never a line for the bathroom as they have more downstairs. We had a table up front with our own server. I had an awesome time and we drank with the band at the Tap! This was worth the 3.5 hour long drive to get there. I will be back for more shows here for sure. Long Live Red Dirt Music!!!

One recent Friday night, I trekked up to Des Moines for the Friday night concert of one of my favorite musical acts. I border on stalker status for this musician, but that’s another story.
Woolys was a great music venue, sans the loud 40-​something drunk woman for whom I suspect this was a regular night at her home-​away-​from-​home, versus a night out enjoying live music. Her whisper was far from faint. No judgment!
I think much of Woolys music is of a louder variety, but for the show I attended, the light coming off the beer cooler (s) was blinding for people along the bar side of the venue. It was horrid when everything else was good. My only suggestion for the venue would be that they tone down the cooler lights. I mean, the bar runs the full length of the venue. People are going to be able to find it. We got it. Drinks available along the left wall. Got it! But that odd visual of having one eye in darkness and one eye in the glare of the sun lasted throughout the show.
But besides that Mrs. Lincoln…
I would make the trek back for another show. For sure. Big venue. High ceiling. Fairly comfy seating with elbow room between you and the next music fan. Big stage. Mostly-​good vibe. Cheap drinks (but horrific margarita!). Good sound. Woolys is a good spot fo’ sho’. Take in a show but don’t sit by the bar.

Wooly’s is a really fun place to catch a show — kind of a mix between a Texas saloon and a dive bar. Is that one in the same? I don’t know…
At any rate, Wooly’s is one big wide open room. There is a really great, worn, hard wood floor that’s great for stomping when you’re dancing. There’s a big long bar along one wall and some booths along the other. Other than that, it’s pretty much wide, wide open space. The only thing to avoid is the metal poles throughout the room. But as long as you don’t get stuck behind a pole, you’re good.
Beer was good, fresh on tap with good variety and reasonably priced. Fully stocked bar looked more than adequate, but I stuck with beer. The bar staff was super friendly and very helpful and also knew when to cut people off. Much appreciated.
The acoustics are really good for a small venue — loud, powerful and true to sound. The stage has great lights and even though it’s smaller, totally did the job and was high enough that everyone in the room could see well.
Like most venues where you have a wide open space and the opportunity to catch some good music, things can get a bit rowdy. Girls: This is not a nice dress and high heels kind of place. This is a jeans and a T-​shirt, travel light and leave your purse at home kind of place. Be prepared and go with that mindset and you’ll have a great time. I was absolutely exhausted when I left, having danced myself into oblivion and both spilled beer on a girl (sorry again!) and had beer spilled on me (karma?).
Overall, the staff was well-​organized, in control and able to handle a sell-​out crowd having a really good time. Props to them for having the brains to hand out fliers for upcoming shows as the crowd exited the building.
There is a coat check for $ 2 (cause hi, we live in the Midwest) and parking on the street nearby was ample and free. I did wish the girls’ room had more than 2 stalls, but other than that, no complaints.
Thumbs up! We’d definitely come back for another show.

Great acoustics for a small venue.