Minneapolis City Hall

Overview:

From DJ Mike H:

This load in can be a little bit of a pain. You'll have to put your vehicle on the street just outside of the City Hall, assuming there are spots available there. It's then a pretty decent walk to get to your table. There's not anyway around it, having a cart will help, feel free to ask us for one.

The City Hall is a very big venue. The ceilings are very, very high and there's a lot of space. However, all the tables (including your table) are pretty close together. You shouldn't have a lot of difficulty getting your sound out to everybody, but there is a big statue in the middle of the venue. If there are tables on the other side of this statue, the statue could block the sound from getting there. Do a good soundcheck over there if this is the case. If it's difficult for the sound to get through, you may have to move one of your speakers and extend the XLR by plugging it into your backup XLR and even your wired mic XLR if it's necessary.

Be careful about getting an echo. I don't remember having any problems with echoes when I played there, but it is a very high ceiling and there are lots of opportunities for sound to bounce all over the place. Keep your speakers low, if the echo is still there, feel free to move the speakers off the stands and onto the floor. The lower the speakers are, the lesser chance they have of bouncing off the walls creating an echo, instead they will be absorbed by the people on the dance floor.

Load In:

Ask ahead about where to load-in. If you have to park on the street, keep your flashers on so the cops know you're moving soon and not parking. Or just pay a little bit for parking. Ask me for a cart, if I remember correctly, the venue did NOT have a cart. It's a decent walk from the parking spot to the venue.

Challenges:

High ceilings: Keep those speakers low to the ground if there's echo during the dance. There probably won't be echo during the dinner, but the microphone could lead to feedback if the sound is bouncing off the ceiling and walls and back towards to the speakers. Pay attention to your mic trim if this is the case. 

There is a statue in the way of the speakers, so you'll have to move a speaker to the other side which will take an additional XLR cord. Ask for one and I'll hook you up.

There is no house system.

Give yourself some extra time with this venue.

Extra Venue Questions:

Do you have a cart I can use?

Website:

http://www.municipalbuildingcommission.org/wedding-rentals

The Knot:

https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/historic-minneapolis-city-hall-and-courthouse-minneapolis-mn-504001