One unique feature of the club was that, in addition to the main concert hall located on the ground floor, it had a basement area, known as "The Dungeon" (which was the actual freezer room for the slaughterhouse) that held approximately 100 people.

At this downtown location some well-known San Diego bands such as Rocket from the Crypt, Blink-182, Unwritten Law, Stone Temple Pilots, and Buck-O-Nine built a strong local following before moving on to tour nationally in the mid-1990s.

[citation needed] In 1994, SOMA moved to a former warehouse at 5303 Metro Street, just south of the University of San Diego.

Major artists such as Faith No More, Fugazi, Pavement, Radiohead, The Ramones, The Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson, Weezer and Oasis performed here, as well as many local bands.

On 16 June 2018, As I Lay Dying performed for the first time as a band since lead singer, Tim Lambesis was released from prison in late 2016.