TTR @ The Soul Parlour

On Tuesday, May 24^th TTR visited with The Soul Parlour to take in their innovative iPod party and to check out how things have changed since they changed from their old location, (the 18^th Street Lounge) to the1309 F Street NW, Washington, DCir new spot, Funxion (1309 F Street N.W.) – a swanky new mid-day downtown lunch spot and low-key, “loungy” gem by night.

No sooner than entering Funxion you are taken-aback by the setup and style of the venue. While not a very large space, the “chic-ness” of the exposed brick walls and the intimacy of the upstairs lounge overlooking the entire space is very sexy. So immediately TTR was impressed.  Also high above the main floor is the DJ booth only accessible by a strategically placed pull-out ladder which seemed to be a little “different”. The idea itself is great but the practicality of it wasn’t very well thought out. There definitely won’t be any socializing for the DJ, but then again, they are they to entertain the patrons not themselves.  If there was one downside about Funxion it has to be the limited space. As with quite a few downtown venues, limited space also translates into limited seating. So be sure to always arrive early to any events at Funxion or you will surely be standing.

Once situated TTR noticed one additional creative idea hidden in plain sight at Funxion. When we placed our cameras on the counter, the counter itself lit up. Within the counters lies some sort of illumination technology that lights up upon pressure of any sort. Patrons of the Soul Parlour played with this thing all night by moving drinks around and writing on it as if it were an Etch-A-Sketch; very creativeFunxion's DJ booth high above the main floor. idea. 

Aside from its new location, Soul Parlor has pretty much kept its same vibe, a nice mature crowd with a diverse taste in music. Let’s not forget that this is an iPod party. So anyone can play DJ. Patrons are sure to hear all kinds of music while attending the Soul Parlour so expect the unexpected when attending. Although the crowd was a tad bit thin, (our guess is that it’s due to Soul Parlour being on a Tuesday evening), it remained steady throughout the evening. As the word begins to spread about Soul Parlor’s new location, the crowd is sure to pick up.

On a TTR scale of 1(don’t even waste your gas to attend) to 5 (don’t miss this event again) the venue and event get a 3.5  We’ll check back with The Soul Parlour in a few weeks to see how things are working out.

Check out pictures from the The Soul Parlor in the gallery or by clicking here.