"2"^^ . "6"^^ . . "1"^^ . "I was here last Saturday to see to Mark Farina, who they put on from midnight to 4 AM. The door staff was friendly, which is what I expect out of a Downtown Phoenix bar or club, not a Scottsdale one. The crowd was mixed, and everyone looked like they were having a good time.\n\nAs I arrived, a local DJ was playing, and for the life of me I can't remember his name, but he had people dancing when the place wasn't crowded yet. Definitely a crowd pleaser. The audio system was pretty good, but echoes were noticeable on the south end of the room, and the sound was a bit tinny. I'm not an audio engineer, but I think it would sound better by adding speakers on the south end of the room and turning the sound down a bit as to reduce the slightly tinny, blaring sound. Don't get me wrong--the sound is pretty good--but there is room for improvement in the next year or two. Mark Farina was excellent, as expected, and had nearly everyone in the jam-packed place dancing.\n\nThe bar staff was friendly, drinks were reasonably-priced, but as the place got very busy, service was a little too slow. But it's nothing unexpected and I was satisfied with the bar and the staff.\n\nThis place is actually perfect for me. I tend to like the bars, clubs and restaurants of Central and Downtown Phoenix, and there really is a need for an electronic music club in Downtown Phoenix. It looks like the owners of Bar Smith are filling this need by opening Monarch Theater. I really hope it's successful. The place does need a bit of work--a few things looked still under construction--but it's obvious that they are making continuous improvements. It's definitely worth checking out."^^ . . "5"^^ . "2012-06-17T00:00:00"^^ . .