I went to the Ebertfest this weekend with some friends and headed to soma afterward to show my out-of-town friends that Champaign wasn't the po-dunk, midwest town they thought it was, They couldn't believe this place existed in this town. Two of my friends are from California (LA and San Fran) and they were blown away. Well, for them it was inexpensive! But anyway, the staff was laid-back and just fine. The music was awesome. If you're from this town, it is a good way to get a big city feel without leaving town and without the attitude from big city types, but that is just my opinion based on my experiences there.
As for what others say...I notice that a lot of reviewers say bad things and maybe that was a long time ago. But I will say that, in general, it is not the policy of any bar to throw out people for acting politely or responsibly. I understand that bad service sometimes happens, but most people that get cut off or thrown out usually deserve it. I don't think they should be allowed to legitimately review a place. Just saying.
I will definitely go back here, especially to show off to my friends from big cities!