The Fillmore Silver Spring Turns 1, Continues Attracting Diverse Acts

’s general manager will never forget Feb. 11, 2012. It was the day the concert venue, which turns 1-year-old Saturday, hosted an electro house DJ who turned his concert into a food fight. 

“Steve Aoki, he threw spaghetti into the audience,” Stephanie Steel said with a laugh. “He threw a big salad, he threw two sheet cakes into the audience. Then he went up to our balcony and jumped off onto an air mattress that he had on the crowd, and then crowd-surfed on the air mattress back to the stage.

“That was a fun night but it was definitely the messiest show that we had,” she said.

Flying sheet cakes and all, . 

Since opening up with a on Sept. 15, 2011, the concert hall has seen more than 150 concerts—35 of them selling out tickets—and 140,000 patrons. 

While the original Fillmore San Francisco became known for the 1960s rock bands it regularly hosted, Silver Spring’s Fillmore has become a favorite for up-and-coming rap artists like Meek Mill and A$AP Rocky. 

“A lot of hip-hop shows and a lot of DJ shows, those consistently do very well in this venue,” Steele said.  

Jam bands like Widespread Panic, which in January, also sell out, she told Patch. 

Steele believes the Fillmore Silver Spring has a unique place in Washington, DC's live music market. The 2,000-person capacity makes it a slightly large, but still relatively intimate space for artists at various points in their careers. 

Plus, Steele added, the Fillmore's “addition to the DC regional music scene really only benefits the consumer more. It’s just another venue for amazing bands to visit when they come through this area.” 

As for the future, expect to see everyone from alternative singer Alanis Morissette to rapper Tyga to country artist Jake Owen to a special 3D performance from Primus the next couple months. 

Got a birthday message for The Fillmore? Tell us your favorite show or who you hope to see at the concert venue in the comments!