Studio Seven, the SoDo venue at 110 S Horton St, permanently closed May 18, 2018 after losing its liquor license following a fatal shooting in February. It had operated for 16 years, starting as a band rehearsal complex in 2000 and opening its showroom in December 2002.
The venue ran 17 band rehearsal rooms alongside a 750-capacity dual-level showroom. It was primarily an all-ages rock and metal venue but hosted EDM events through promoters including Electric Nights Seattle and Marble Productions, who ran some of the city’s longest-running 18+ electronic nights there from the mid-2000s onward. The showroom was known for a strong sound system and a layout that worked for both standing concert crowds and DJ events.
On February 11, 2018, a 27-year-old man was shot and killed during a hip-hop show at the venue. The WSLCB issued an emergency 180-day liquor license suspension on February 28, citing that Studio Seven had ceded security at the back door and rear area to the performing artist’s private security detail. The board also cited a November 2017 incident requiring 28 Seattle police officers to respond, and 26 SPD service calls since 2015 covering DUI, robbery, sexual assault, and aggravated assault. The board stated Studio Seven had been counseled on previous occasions about insufficient security.
The venue held a fundraiser in May 2018 to cover legal costs and attempted to contest the revocation. It closed permanently on May 18 before the 180-day suspension period ended.
Studio Seven was the primary large-capacity all-ages venue in SoDo for live electronic and rave events for most of the 2000s and 2010s. Its closure, alongside the end of Decibel Festival in 2015, removed two of the Seattle electronic music scene’s anchor institutions within three years.