I guess the real question I'm trying to get answered is:

is this place worth throwing a show at?

I saw a friends band there and thought it was pretty lame. If you need a place, it will do but I wouldn't want to play/book there.

played a show there with Astronmer, Voyager and one other band

good show, not much of a crowd. But it was cool.

Don't expect to make your break there, but they seem like good folks there.

Any alternative recommendations?

if you're really down to book in Lowell, there's a hall by the Greek center place on Salem Street that looks pretty decent.
and there's the Lafayette Club on Fletcher street?

I just want to book a show period. I'm sick of shitty shows with shitty promoters and sick of selling tickets to lineups that no one wants to see. The lack of available venues in my neck of the woods is a bit saddening, considering there are a ton of metal and hardcore kids in north central mass. I've contact probably 10 halls and NONE of them have even bothered to get back to me to tell me "no." I may have found one in Leominster but its a bit on the pricey side and obviously looking around the area for a better or more cost efficient place would be a good idea. Lowell seems like a good place to start if this falls through - big city, college town, lively scene etc.

The Summoned played a show at 119 that was awesome. The place filled in real quick. I guess it all depends on who's playing.

are they homos about moshing there?

They didn't give a shit what you did when I was there... but it's a fucking art gallery...shit could get messy fast haha

Wooooo!

Nah there was plenty of moshing that night.

I've been getting to know the people at 119 a good amount lately. I know they're wary of metal shows, only because they had one night when some stuff on the walls got broken, but there've been a couple metal/hardcore since and everything was a-ok. I think it depends on what they DO have on the walls, or what's going on in general in the room.

Good people running that place. I know they're gonna be closed for all of August and I THINK they're pretty much booked through July. Worth nagging em about, though. They are definitely not your run-of-the-mill, artsyfartsy d-bags, thank goodness.

PLayed there once and went to a few shows. All were industrial/noise shows that were surprisingly well attended and very cool. Then it was BYOB but I don't know how it is now as it was a couple of years ago.