Are you having a wedding, corporate or private party? Do you want dancing at your event? If so, don't go to Top of The Town at Arlington, VA. There is no question about the ambience and breathtaking views from the Top of The Town. However, when perspective customers meet with Top of The Town sales staff to evaluate this banquet facility for their party, very little, if anything is ever mentioned about their sound restrictions. The customers only learn about the magnitude of the sound restrictions well after they have signed a contract with Top of The Town, and begun their search for entertainment. You won't find this information anywhere on their website either. That's because the don't want you to know until AFTER you have made your reservation and given a non-refundable deposit.
The Top DJs and Bands
Refuse To Work At Top of The Town
Refuse To Work At Top of The Town
If you want a talented, experienced DJ or band, you most likely won't get be able to hire them for your event, once you disclose it as being held at Top of The Town. As of this date, all DJs and bands MUST first make an appointment to meet with Top of The Town management, and are required to sign a contract prior to working in their venue. The management treats anyone in the entertainment business with a very abrasive, unprofessional demeanor. Many of the entertainers who refuse to work at Top of The Town commonly refer to their management as the Soup Nazi (the abusive soup cook featured in the TV show Seinfeld).
The Sound/Music Restrictions
Don't take our word for it - read the restrictions as written by Top of The Town. No "syncronized dancing" may appeal to many who hate the Chicken Dance, Electrict Slide, Cha Cha Slide, etc. But this portion of the restriction includes classics such as "Shout, YMCA, Cotton Eyed Joe" and many more.
Top of The Town's Enforcement of Sound Restrictions
Those entertainers who have made the mistake of accepting an event at Top of The Town learn very quickly that they use their security officers to enforce the sound restrictions. Uniformed guards come into your event armed with a decibal meter. The standard that they use for an acceptable volume level is equivelant to light background music, and they make SURE that the levels stay at background music levels for the duration of the entire event.
Why Are There Sound/Music Restrictions At Top of The Town?
You might be wondering why the Top of The Town has imposed such drastic sound restrictions. The answer is very simple - there are people living in apartments on the floor below the Top of The Town. There is very little sound proofing between these two levels, and the occupants of these apartments do not tolerate the sound disturbance, and understandably so. This is the reason that Top of The Town restricts any song that has a strong bass beat.
What Is The Solution?
The problem that we see is that customers who reserve Top of The Town, and then hire and pay for entertainment are being short-changed due to the sound/music restrictions. The ethical solution to this problem is quite simple. Top of The Town needs to designate their venue as one that is not suitable for bands, DJs, and dancing. They need to clearly communicate this to all clients; verbally, on their website, and in clear written terms on their contract. In legal terms, this is called "full disclosure", and potential customers can make their decisions with all of the facts.
3 comments:
Good post.
This is absolutely true, I am a DJ and I refuse to work at Top of the Town. I have a reputation to uphold, and their rules (and staff) make it impossible to perform up to my own high standards.
You may also want to include the fact that Top of the Town's management charges a $200 fee to any client who wants to use a band or DJ that is not on their "pre-approved" list - AKA, the people who send them kickbacks. That way they still get a kickback, it's just from the client.
You are clearly out of touch with what really goes on
at TOTT. This past weekend there were two weddings; one on Friday and one on Saturday. One band consisted of four members and the other ten. There were no complaints from the residents about the noise level of either group. TOTT's policy indicates that the DJ or band not play music that encourages guests to jump or stomp to the music. It is this kind of vibration that neighbors find unacceptable. In fact the walls between TOTT and the top floor condos are so thick no resident hears the music. If you have 50 plus people jumping and/or stomping at the same time it is equivalent to a small earthquake to the condo residents. As far as the DJ who won't play there anymore, perhaps he can find another venue to play YMCA, etc. Good luck. BTW there have been no "uniformed" or security guards at TOTT in six years.
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