Absolutely loved this gem of a venue! Super clean, friendly staff and such an intimate place to see a band play. I visited last night for The Stone Foxes and was blown away with the sound in this space. Felt fortunate to see this band play in such a small venue, it was well worth the drive down from Vancouver, B.C. Jackie was a local Bellingham band that opened and they were great too!

Great Place!Get there early fills up quickly.Drinks are done right and quick!!Pretty clean for a barThe band we saw Monstress was AMAZING!!I want to see more of them SOON..

The Shakedown in Bham is a staple as far as bar atmospheres goes. You can’t got wrong with the vintage and newer pinball machines upstairs and the bartenders who are always very friendly and provide great service. If you’re looking for a late-night spot to have a good conversation and a drink in a chill atmosphere, look no further. I would give it 5 stars if it had a third bathroom. When it gets busy on the weekends the bathroom wait can be long.

I travelled from Vancouver with my boyfriend and friends to see a band we love play here, only to be asked to leave by the person working at the door for briefly kissing my partner on the neck. All I was told is that it was problematic for us to share a few kisses next to the bar because we were blocking it off from where we were standing, and it had made them a bit uncomfortable. I sympathized, tipped them, apologized profusely and stopped. So, when we were told to leave after this, I apologized again for any misunderstandings, and inquired as to why we were being removed since I’d clearly stopped doing what I thought had made them uncomfortable. Instead of having a conversation with me, I was rudely told: “get away from me.” When we spoke to the bouncer outside, he was also visibly confused with the situation and suggested we come back in a few hours when they gets off shift (which was after the show ended). At this point, they came back outside specifically to give me my tip back and say to my face: “I don’t want your money.”This kind of treatment of guests is completely uncalled for. I thought it was prudent to leave a note for other guests who may also fall victim to the arbitrary whims of the staff.FOLLOW UP:Before we left the next day I spoke with the manager working that night who seemed to have a very different embellished version of events with some things that I know were outright not true. Without being able to see the security footage (I asked), its hard to corroborate what actually happened. Our friends saw one thing, they saw another. We obviously apologized again for the way things were interpreted, since this has quite literally never happened to either of us before. I still dont know what the prerogative of this venue is on that front, but we didnt get very far trying to be polite about it.

One of the best nights of my life! I cant believe that I got to see Amy Ray at the Shakedown!

Cool venue for music with big booths and room to dance/stand. Didnt have all the beers listed on tap so limited choices. Cocktail was a bit weak but overall nice experience with good vibes.

During the day they have great food and good drink prices. At night its a fun night club, more on the metal side

1st time went to my friends show. She sings amazing so I was very excited to see her live. Turned out to be a disappointment. The sound was so horrible I couldnt here her sing. The other acts were hard to hear the singer as well. The bar had some cool decor. Drinks were reasonable. For all the hype I was shocked at sound quality and expected more. We have never been back.

Fun times. Unique little watering hole with a cool staff

I only went once so I wanna save some wiggle room, but I had a blast. Really easy going and fun place

Another fantastic venue!The Shakedown is a Live Music Venue & Bar located on State Street & Maple Street. With a newly revamped stage setup, ao showcased talent looks stellar!

Had quite a bit of fun at this place. Would like to come back.

Loud, dark and gritty. The perfect place to see live bands. Nice open floor area and when it gets packed a nice balcony area. The drinks are great and they have a wide selection of poisons. They also have rotating local beer on tap. Parking can be tricky, but its downtown so its to be expected.

My favorite venue for live music in town. Great service and drinks.

Good bar, good show, good vibe. Loved the attached bar and upstairs game room.

A shot of fireball and a beer is enough for me. nice place. good music

Place is so much fun and atmosphere is killer.

First time I have seen a big crowd here. Awesome music, good turn out.

Great mix of dive bar vibe and a killer balcony for watching bands.

The vibe, the staff, the falafel, the infused spirits....whats not to love? Plus its a great place to take in live music.

Fun place. Intimate venue to see a band.Awesome mixed drinks!

Safest bar in town. Best venue great food.

Yummy drinks and fun venue!

The Shakedown is a Bellingham music venue and bar. It used to be open all the time, but now is only open when there are shows. The music played here is usually in the Rock format. Acoustics arent great, but it is a great small venue to see bands when they come to town.They have an okay food menu that specializes in sandwiches and sweet potato fries. They infuse their own spirits and feature special drinks using the infused spirits.

Waited 15 mins at the bar for drinks while people with drinks go more drinks, right next to us. There was also a line of 20 people being ignored while the other line at the other side of the bar was served. Apparently the line towards the back of the bar is actually priority?

The other big act venue in Bellingham. The superior between the two in my opinion. They know their audience and cater to them. Dont be fooled by some of their staffs (sometimes) resting b face, I have interacted with them dozens of times and boy howdy are they the nicest folks.

This was a great place to see the Real Mckenzies and Black Beast Rising

Great venue. Food is inexpensive and good. It is hit and miss with quick service. Usually get faster service once inside the stage area

Probably my favorite Bellingham venue. The acoustics are well done, the bathrooms clean, and the drinks were good. Highly recommended.

Saw TWRP tonight and had a blast!

The venue is a nice open concept. They definitely know how to pick their bands because the 3 we saw were just fantastic. Their drinks are moderately priced. Overall the experience was nice.

Sick venue. Acts scheduled, sound, drinks, atmosphere - all rad.

Its loud! Its a rock club! Bring earplugs or buy them at the door!

Had a gig there last night. The staff is extremely nice and respectful. I have nothing but great things to say about Gabe the technician and Kira at the door was very understanding and professional. Crystal at the bar was super nice too and was able to answer all the questions I had prior to the show. Great staff and excellent venue for shows. Would love to play there again soon.

Let me tell you about one of my favorite places in town. Its called The Shakedown. The Shakedown is a bar/pub/music venue. And a damn fine one! The staff are professional, and all incredibly nice. The people I have dealt with in booking are wonderful. Theyre great communicators, they have standard protocol with shows. They give you set times to load in, negotiate fair pay, and do a lot of things that other places in Bellingham have fallen short of. The drinks are reasonably priced, the bathrooms are clean, and the sound quality is one of the best in town. Some of my favorite live music experiences have been at the Shakedown, whether I was performing, seeing my friends perform, or seeing a larger touring act. Do yourself a favor and catch a show there, or if live music isnt your thing, check out their monthly Geek trivia or their 90s night every Thursday. The Shakedown, folks. I give them my stamp of approval.

Great venue, great staff, great everything.

My favorite drink is Blood of the Earth! The Shakedown hosts great bands

Went to 80s Goth night. Reasonable prices drinks spooky atmosphere. Would bang again.

The excitement is noticeably less subdued here

Subcultural type? Like heavier music and people with septum rings? This place should work for you. Good signature cocktails, good hangout spot. Wear black lol.

Saw Fang last night. Well designed. Excellent poster and picture wall. Lighting at the right levels.Sound is far and way above normal for a club this size. The board was worked extremely well. Staff is friendly and welcoming. Felt comfortable. Fang, BillyClub, and Boxcutter sounded great. Well be back.

Best selection of shows in town for alternative music. Friendly staff, good drinks.

Live music, good IPA, had fun

Great venue.

Place is great but it would behoove the owners to add some more security to tell people how are talking to hush up or kindly leave.

It was a lot of fun. Oh though the dance floor needs to be a little bigger lol.

Decent rock club for Bellingahm. The original music is a nice break from the seemingly endless and tired 80s cover bands around the county

Best cheese steaks and falafel in town! Atmosphere is great, drinks are unique and fun, and the shows are great. One of my favorite spots in town.

Friendly staff, great drinks and food. Good variety of bands performing and DJ nights.

Good venue to check out bands. Yummy infused adult beverages. Great cheese steak!

Watched music there, the acoustics are terrible. We saw Hells Bells

Great dive vibe, and decent music venue

The best music and they open up once a week for stand up open mic.

Fun venue with local & travelling bands in the lineup, with the occasional big name. Great bar with a nice house-infused selection & great staff

Lots of house made infused drinks. I had a Chai whiskey that was most excellent. This place has tons of music and good food.

Great little club with live music and a warm, friendly vibe.

Great small music venu in Bellingham w custom infused alcohol.

Awesome place to see a band. Animal | Inside ruled!

This venue always seems to have great shows, the venue is intimate and down to earth, but, sometimes the sound quality isn’t as good as I like when I go to see live shows.

Most expensive drinks in bham! Awesome place awesome people! The same drink that is 7 or under everywhere else is over $15!

A nice little hole-in-the-wall with a good selection of beer, and a wide variety of pinball machines.

Always a great time. Good drink prices, awesome music

Great mixed drinks, and the garlic fries are worth a trip all on their own

Nice place good peeps

Pretty much the best place to see a show in Bellingham. Awesome infused liquors, and a cool upstairs balcony/seating area.

Lots of great shows drinks are good.

The only place Ill go for live music in Bellingham. Consistently good shows, more geared towards metal and punk and in between. Atmosphere is dark and the space itself is clean and has some ecclectic decor which adds to the vibe on the spot. About one or twice a month youll get some great shows coming thru, ranging from Earth, Weedeater, La Luz, LA Witch, Miserable (King Woman), and more. Lots of local bands too to fill in the gaps. Bartenders are friendly and quick, full bar. Get the Jim beam and Rainer combo for sure.

Great grudge venue

Love going here to see comedians or local artists.The foh does a wonderful job and the bartenders are great.

Great drinks, fast service.

This is a great music venue! The balcony is a nice place to see things from a different perspective and a more relaxed feel.

Black Mountain, David Bowie tribute, Its a good, small venue. No more cramped than anywhere else.

Pretty decent small venue with some decent bands sometimes. Nothing wrong with this place

Intimate setting for shows but has a mezzanine with booths to step back from the stage a little. The crowd was friendly

Excellent food, great atmosphere, friendly staff.

Nice intimate place to have a awesome concert. The food is fab.

Fun place?

Best venue in town. Large bar, upper level for easier viewing.

Cool venue with a clear vision for their space.

Great small venue for rock shows in town!

Great Amateur Comedy night on Tuesday

Awesome little neighborhood bar

A great place to go!

Great bands, but challenging accoustics. Crowded, uncomfortable and sparse seating.

Great staff

Leathers and blue lights

Great place for live music

Fantastic live music!

Great place, great sound

Best bar food in Bellingham.

Thanks Shake

Two words. Tots.

Cool bar

Big Business was awesome

Best cheese steak in town

Special open hearted venue

Shows, brew, drinks, balcony, big booths... good times.

Love the bartenders!

Great place!

Great little venue, good sound