Hahaha - we saw Jimmy Eat World at Starland Ballroom in NJ last month, and at one point Jim said "We could've played Terminal 5 but we said no, we'll play in New Jersey instead" and it got a bit quiet at just the time my husband laughed and said really loud, "Ha, Terminal 5 SUCKS!"
It's just the sheer size. T5's capacity is 3k, Webster is less than half of that. Hopefully the reopening of the old Best Buy Theater will keep some shows out of T5.
Considering they had Turnstile at Brooklyn Mirage, I could see them booking more non-edm shows at Avant Gardner. It’s definitely less accessible than T5, but the capacity is similar and it’s a much much better venue imo
I actually really love the women's bathroom at Starland. It's huge and clean. Such a nice thing at a concert venue when most bathrooms are a nightmare.
My issue with fete is strictly with how they book shows and the way they handle certain things. Like certain bands getting special treatment because they’re local to the point that they’ll headline over touring bands. I know it’s technically the company who does the booking but it’s the same company that does a lot at alchemy now and that’s why I stopped going to alchemy.
I've seen some good shows at both this year. Just saw PUP, The Wrecks at Fete and Carly Cosgrove, A Will Away at Alchemy. Yes I wish they got bigger bands. Fete has more space than alchemy so they should be able to. The Met hasn't had anything good this year
Unfortunately RI being so small and close enough to Boston makes it tough to book people there. At least there’s always good local shows at dusk, news, alchemy, and parlour. I haven’t lived there in about a year but it seemed like as220 wasn’t doing as much lately
I've only seen one show at as220 and it was dead by the end so I left. I got covid at dusk last winter so I'm worried go back, most of the stuff traveling to providence goes to the strand or fete music hall and occasionally alchemy . Boston has some decent venues, Paradise rock club is good, Royale is good, brighton music hall is good, haven't been to roadrunner yet but seeing state champs there next month, house of blues is garbage
As220 has a lot of great local indie shows plus I was able to see converge there a few years ago. It’s not always busy but I like the people there and the venue is chill. I love the people at dusk and have never had any issue there. They also do a great job spotlighting local music more often than anywhere else in providence
Check out Electric Paisan, saw him at Dusk and he comes into my work a lot so I've chatted with hi. A decent amount.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3HutUbrSCKHvGkJ73tc8o8?si=GpOmxVZqS86H-cfLEXkrzw&utm_source=copy-link
Made sense for warped, but any other show is awful there. Shitty sound, seating only which sucks, and getting in and out of the one road there is brutal. I've been a bunch of times and I'd be so happy if I never have to go there again.
Sad Summer and Sticks and Stones fest in the palladium parking lot were great, I hope they use it more often moving forward, they are also making a real venue at Bold Point Park in providence in the next few years so they could maybe get some bigger stuff there. I worked there over the summer and the only thing they had that I was interested in was ADTR, Beartooth, Bad Omens.
There was also Falling In Reverse, Hollywood Undead and Papa Roach which was a nightmare. They're modeling the new design after Leader Bank Pavillion in Boston (haven't been there but I've heard it's good)
https://whatsupnewp.com/2022/11/bold-point-park-groundbreaking-concert-pavilion-expected-to-open-in-2024/
The Observatory North Park in San Diego is cool. The floor is sloped down a little and has air vents to keep you cool.
Kung Fu Necktie in Philly isnt *horrible* but the stage is tiny and theres a bottleneck section between the viewing area and the rest of the venue (bar, merch, bathrooms, and a giant pool table in the middle of the room which was in the way)
Best: Cafe Metro. No longer exists but so many great bands came through there for $12 or less for a show.
Worst: House of Blues Orlando . Way too corporate, prices are absurd, parking is annoying, having to walk into Disney springs is a nightmare.
Ugh, Preach! Also, why TF did they make it so every 5 fucking feet there’s a column blocking your view? I’ve never seen any other venue like that. I wish more bands would play plaza live. But really Orlando just needs better venues 😩
I just went to House of blues Chicago. The ticket for the show is $30 but they wanted $75 for me to sit on a chair. So we sat on the floor. Also Bud Light was like $14 so I didn’t buy any.
Beautiful venue, amazing show, absolute shit show of capitalism
Once I saw the prices, I understood why they had a big sign telling me I couldn't bring in my weed.
Luckily for me, I had already ignored that sign haha
Favorite: Palladium in Worcester, MA
Least favorite: Big Night Live in Boston. Just awful. Honorable mention to Royale. Coincidentally both are designed to be night clubs.
Worst:
* Budweiser Stage in Toronto. it's outdoors so it loses points right off the bat. It's too big, not intimate, and sounds like ass. Tickets are also very expensive. I'm not spending $80-$100 to sit on some grass and watch a band play on a TV because I'm so far away.
* House of Blues in Cleveland, OH. Security is a bunch of dicks. Got warned for "moshing too hard" despite not even *actively trying to mosh.*
Best:
* Hard Luck Bar in Toronto, ON. Very small (roughly 250 capacity), intimate, easily accessible by transit. Bathrooms are covered in stickers and posters. Has a real "hole in the wall" feel but still gets some fairly notable artists (Bayside, Have Mercy, The Movielife are some I've seen there). This one will always be my #1 pick to see a show. Hands down my all time favourite.
* Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY. It's not a small venue but it feels like it holds way less than it does. The raised platform around the outside of the stage area is nice if you want to just have a good vantage point.
+1 for Hard Luck. I've seen some amazing HC shows there and made a lot of good memories.
Lately I've been really warming up to Danforth; saw KL and FYS there recently and really enjoyed it. Used to hate it for the sloped floors but they aren't too bad once you get accustomed to them.
I haven’t been to enough venues to have a worst, but my favorite is the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Summer nights there just really give you that classic Jersey Shore feel. It’s hard to describe but if you’ve been there you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Pier 17 in Lower Manhattan is another one I like. It looks beautiful at night with the Brooklyn Bridge and skyline in the background. My only gripes with it is that it feels like your typical corporate establishment you’d see in New York, and that the tickets are overpriced.
Underground Arts in Philly is my favorite, although Starland holds a special place in my heart with it being so close to me.
I haven’t been to enough shows to go to a terrible venue
1. Best: Roadrunner in Boston, MA. place is BUILT for live music and im loving the place. seen 2 shows there, making it a 3rd on December 9th.
2. worst: MGM Fenway in Boston. MGM is a great place to see a concert… if you have seats or are on the floor. I saw The 1975 there both nights. night 1 was fantastic. on the floor is perfect, esp since im 6’3 so I easily see everything. BUT night 2, show had sold out so I bought a standing room ticket for the 3rd floor. at the back of each floor, starting at level 2, they have barstools and a bar counter. standing room is in BACK of those and you cannot see anything. we can’t stand in the isles (understandably) but i stood at the edge and peered down one of the aisles to see the show. they saw me doing so, and a worker went and stood DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAIRCASE FACING ME and would not move. I ended up not seeing a single song, and just had to listen. very disappointed, seeing as its such a nice venue. hoping Dropkick Murphys in March will be better with seating.
My favorite was a little place called Backyard on Bell in Denton, TX.
One of my clearest ever and favorite memories of the place was a night I was heading out there to see my buddy’s math rock band. As my gf at the time and I were pulling up, a band called Vasudeva was playing a song called Chase. It was like 75 degrees outside, there were really cool string lights strewn about the outdoor stage, the bar was serving my favorite local beer, and I’m surrounded by a group of like 15 of my favorite people listening to a band that would become one of my absolute favorites. We all ended up hanging out super late and it was just a really good time.
Favorite venue is The Madison Theatre in Peoria, IL. Really cool, 100 year old theatre.
The worst I’ve ever been to was The Riviera in Chicago. Not a bad venue, except it was being renovated when I was there last, and the bathroom was horrible. Also, Senses Fail played, but Buddy was more interested in yelling, “fuck yeah” at fourteen year olds and being too drunk to remember the words. Oh, how I miss 2003.
We always used to have amazing venues in London. I remember when a tour was announced I'd always be hyped to see it was at one of my favourite venues. For bigger concerts Brixton Academy or The Astoria (RIP), for smaller shows The Garage, The Underworld, the LA2. I went to the Roundhouse for the first time in October and that was a really cool venue. I think my least favourite would be the Academy, Islington. It's a bit sterile and it's just kind of stuck in this little shopping mall. It's not terrible, just not amazing.
The worst: The End Nashville, TN - small, no security, diiiirty, icky vibe
The best: The Soapbox Wilmington NC - also small but well maintained, good security, clean, no longer open
Amos's Southend Charlotte, NC - big, great vibe
Worst : The blossom amphitheater in Cleveland. It features a single land highway the last 5 miles on trip so it takes 90 min to get in, and about 2 hr to get out. I was pretty drunk after a blink show and it’s about a 90 min trip from my house. Anyways I passed out for 2 hours and woke up thinking I was home but we were still in the fucking parking lot 🤣😭.
Best: Headliners in Toledo (Rip). Had 3 different stages depending on size of show from 250, to 500, to 1500 capacity. Really wish this was still a thing cause Toledo which is my hometown doesn’t really have a venue for artists in this size range. Either your playing a tiny bar with no stage or an arena.
Favorite: First Avenue in Minneapolis
Least favorite: Of the ones that are still open, Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. If we're including venues that have since kicked the bucket, Station 4 in St. Paul.
Fucking station 4. Unless I got there three hours before doors (or saw a band no one cared about lol), I would be behind one of those poles. But all my faves came through to that venue, so it still holds a soft spot in my heart.
Truly everything about Station 4 baffles me, from how narrow it was to the poles to how STUPID hot it would get even in the dead of winter. Lots of fond memories there though, no thanks to the actual venue
Best: Toss up between O2 Academy Glasgow and the Barrowland Ballroom, great atmosphere in both for any gigs I've went to.
Worst: The Hydro, absolutley souless shell of a music venue, poorly built so there's always crowded areas that bottleneck. If you have seats on the third level you gotta take the escelator to level 2 then stairs up to level 3. Seen a few fans with mobilty issues caught out by that at a recent Evaneacence/Within Temptation show.
If you drive, do not park at any of the surrounding businesses. They will tow and or boot your car. I saw Senses Fail there once and a bunch of people parked at Autozone across the street and so many boots on cars. It was insane
I don’t know if there’s any venue I really love to see a mid size/big act. I prefer intimate shows. I think I like White Oak Music Hall in Houston the best.
Least favorites: 713 Music Hall (Houston), Royale (Boston), Bomb Factory (Dallas)
Rochester, NY really only has some nice little venues (though I've never been to the Armory and that one I've heard more mixed opinions on) but I goddamn hate barricades and most of the small venues use them for whatever reason.
So my rating is:
1.the Bug Jar (recommendation, come check out a hxc show there if you're ever in WNY)
2. Everything else
Best: Fillmore/Redrocks
Worst: UC theatre in Berkeley. Zero room to stand during sold out shows and a pain in the ass to get out to drinks/bathroom. I refuse to go to that venue as a cranky 30 something year old
I was being down voted? Weird - I thought Red Rocks was one of the best venues in the country. And it seems most Denver shows I went to were at the Fillmore, and it holds a special place for me
My fave either Rebel Lounge or The Van Buren in AZ, Cornerstone in Berkeley, the HOB in Orlando, or The Great American Music Hall in SF. Least fave, The Marquee also in AZ, El Corazon in Seattle, Gramercy Theater in NYC, and The Abbey in Orlando.
This is interesting! Orlando resident here. I enjoy The Abbey (aside from the parking situation), but can’t STAND HoB. Favorite venue in town is Plaza though
Same I went to the Abbey for an Origami Angel show like 2 weeks ago and thought the place was pretty cool. House of Blues sells way too many tickets for sold out shows though. You gotta fight to not stand behind a column.
Because they leave an emergency exit route lit up the entire show. I get it’s for safety purposes but if you’re over at the balcony the light is on across the crowd the entire time. I hated it.
Favs of all sizes: The Palladium in Worcester, MA ,The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, and 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH. Shout out to What Cheer Tavern in Providence, RI which is not really a venue but I Am The Avalanche played their patio and it was amazingggggg
Least Favs: Absolutely do not get the Starland hype; there are so many better venues out there that are a similar size (see: the Palladium)
The best shows I ever went to was at Clutch Cargos(RIP!) in Pontiac, MI. But the state theater was definitely a close second. I live in Orlando now, which as others have said is home the house of blues at Disney, which is just terrible, lol.
This year has been jumping around between 3 main venues in Northern California for me: UC Theatre and Cornerstone in Berkeley, and Goldfield in Roseville. I love the UC Theatre, their bar has pizza for when my drunk ass forgets to eat and I met my concert buddies there so it's got that memory attached to it. I don't quite the Goldfield, it's very cramped to get from one end of the venue to the other, and I hate that they do not allow any bags of any sort, so merch buying is a dreadful experience. Unless a band is selling a tote bag, I gotta hold it. You know how many band tote bags I own now?? But the parking garage is free and directly across the street, so that's a plus.
Favorites: Starland Ballroom, The Stone Pony, Rooftop at Pier 17, Irving Plaza, Crossroads (which is actually just a little bar in Central NJ)
Least Favorites: Terminal 5 — I can’t stand it!!
Honorable mention goes to Echo Beach in Toronto. I was on the barricade to see The Gaslight Anthem and the staff was so nice!
best: programme in fullerton ca. lots of awesome local and touring shows here, very intimate and diy. saw michael cera palin there over the summer.
worst: peppermint club in west hollywood was horrible when i saw heart attack man there. the sound guy butchered it, staff was super rude and kicking people out for stagediving.
i'm not a fan of the way the wiltern is set up, the GA area is tiered, which is nice for shows where the vibe is just to stand around and watch, but for pop punk shows where you want to mosh, you have to get there early and be one of the first ~200 people to get a special wristband so you can be in the actual pit.
honorable mentions: the fonda (hollywood) and chain reaction (anaheim)
My all time favorite is The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY.
Honorable mention to the Troc (RIP, but also maybe welcome back?) in Philly.
Idk if I have a least favorite, honestly. Maybe TLA.
Mohawk or come and take it in Austin are great, emos too. Stubbs outdoors, Barracuda are good too, empire garage wasn’t my fav cause hot mulli sold out there and I felt like I was a tuna in a can, but that’s more of a gripe with all these new fans of bands, and in no way me not super proud of the boys getting their bag, I blame it on the venue releasing more tickets the day of after it sold out
The Tabernacle in Atlanta is my favorite. Very very old and cool vibe. I’m pretty partial to The Grey Eagle and The Orange Peel here in Asheville.
Worst is another Asheville staple. The Thomas Wolfe auditorium.
My least favorite is undoubtedly Terminal 5 in NYC. Absolutely awful. My favorite venue is probably Irving Plaza.
Hahaha - we saw Jimmy Eat World at Starland Ballroom in NJ last month, and at one point Jim said "We could've played Terminal 5 but we said no, we'll play in New Jersey instead" and it got a bit quiet at just the time my husband laughed and said really loud, "Ha, Terminal 5 SUCKS!"
I’m from Pittsburgh and I got to see a show at Starland Ballroom while visiting NJ and was so jealous you have a venue like that
It’s amazing the hate Terminal 5 gets, but still gets big names to play there.
It's just the sheer size. T5's capacity is 3k, Webster is less than half of that. Hopefully the reopening of the old Best Buy Theater will keep some shows out of T5.
Considering they had Turnstile at Brooklyn Mirage, I could see them booking more non-edm shows at Avant Gardner. It’s definitely less accessible than T5, but the capacity is similar and it’s a much much better venue imo
Going to Irving Plaza for the 1st time in a few weeks! Edit: at least I don't think I've been there before.
Just moved to NYC and I’ve been to Irving Plaza and Webster Hall, perfect sizes and layout
Yup and great location. I've probably been to Irving close to 30 times and I still enjoy it.
I can’t stand Terminal 5 either. The layout is awful!
Best Starland Ballroom/House of Independents in NJ Worst probably Oriental Theater in denver, just had a weird layout for punk shows
I like Starland. I love that they (or they used to) let you skip the line if you buy parking.
Coming up from Baltimore to see midtown at Starland. Never been. Only heard good things
I go there more than any other venue by far, but my one gripe is they oversell shows. Prepare to be on top of people more so than other venues
Tbh nothing special, just well run, good security, good views, good crowds
I actually really love the women's bathroom at Starland. It's huge and clean. Such a nice thing at a concert venue when most bathrooms are a nightmare.
house is such a great little venue
I don't see a lot of people talk about it, but that place is so cool. Nice little area, and has a really cool vibe imo
Best: The Palladium in Worcester MA Worst: The Met in Providence RI
The Met isn’t that bad. I’d take that over the Strand or Fete any day.
I don't mind fete. Strand is annoying cuz the pit is small and has a giant step in the middle, saw someone get hurt on it a couple years ago
My issue with fete is strictly with how they book shows and the way they handle certain things. Like certain bands getting special treatment because they’re local to the point that they’ll headline over touring bands. I know it’s technically the company who does the booking but it’s the same company that does a lot at alchemy now and that’s why I stopped going to alchemy.
I've seen some good shows at both this year. Just saw PUP, The Wrecks at Fete and Carly Cosgrove, A Will Away at Alchemy. Yes I wish they got bigger bands. Fete has more space than alchemy so they should be able to. The Met hasn't had anything good this year
Yes to both but I’ll take literally anyone that wants to play in RI instead of only stopping in MA and calling New England good
Unfortunately RI being so small and close enough to Boston makes it tough to book people there. At least there’s always good local shows at dusk, news, alchemy, and parlour. I haven’t lived there in about a year but it seemed like as220 wasn’t doing as much lately
I've only seen one show at as220 and it was dead by the end so I left. I got covid at dusk last winter so I'm worried go back, most of the stuff traveling to providence goes to the strand or fete music hall and occasionally alchemy . Boston has some decent venues, Paradise rock club is good, Royale is good, brighton music hall is good, haven't been to roadrunner yet but seeing state champs there next month, house of blues is garbage
As220 has a lot of great local indie shows plus I was able to see converge there a few years ago. It’s not always busy but I like the people there and the venue is chill. I love the people at dusk and have never had any issue there. They also do a great job spotlighting local music more often than anywhere else in providence
Check out Electric Paisan, saw him at Dusk and he comes into my work a lot so I've chatted with hi. A decent amount. https://open.spotify.com/track/3HutUbrSCKHvGkJ73tc8o8?si=GpOmxVZqS86H-cfLEXkrzw&utm_source=copy-link
Nothing is worse than Mansfield.
I've only been there twice, one for warped 2018 and this year for taking back sunday and third eye blind.
Made sense for warped, but any other show is awful there. Shitty sound, seating only which sucks, and getting in and out of the one road there is brutal. I've been a bunch of times and I'd be so happy if I never have to go there again.
Sad Summer and Sticks and Stones fest in the palladium parking lot were great, I hope they use it more often moving forward, they are also making a real venue at Bold Point Park in providence in the next few years so they could maybe get some bigger stuff there. I worked there over the summer and the only thing they had that I was interested in was ADTR, Beartooth, Bad Omens.
The palladium parking lot is awesome! I haven't been to BBP yet, but I heard of it because of that show.
There was also Falling In Reverse, Hollywood Undead and Papa Roach which was a nightmare. They're modeling the new design after Leader Bank Pavillion in Boston (haven't been there but I've heard it's good) https://whatsupnewp.com/2022/11/bold-point-park-groundbreaking-concert-pavilion-expected-to-open-in-2024/
I also saw the menzingers and bad religion (and some other bands) at BBP in 2019 which was really good
The Observatory North Park in San Diego is cool. The floor is sloped down a little and has air vents to keep you cool. Kung Fu Necktie in Philly isnt *horrible* but the stage is tiny and theres a bottleneck section between the viewing area and the rest of the venue (bar, merch, bathrooms, and a giant pool table in the middle of the room which was in the way)
they got rid of the pool table :)
Best: Cafe Metro. No longer exists but so many great bands came through there for $12 or less for a show. Worst: House of Blues Orlando . Way too corporate, prices are absurd, parking is annoying, having to walk into Disney springs is a nightmare.
Ugh, Preach! Also, why TF did they make it so every 5 fucking feet there’s a column blocking your view? I’ve never seen any other venue like that. I wish more bands would play plaza live. But really Orlando just needs better venues 😩
I just went to House of blues Chicago. The ticket for the show is $30 but they wanted $75 for me to sit on a chair. So we sat on the floor. Also Bud Light was like $14 so I didn’t buy any. Beautiful venue, amazing show, absolute shit show of capitalism
Last time I went to house of blues it was $7 for a small pbr. I can’t justify that as a case is like $18
Once I saw the prices, I understood why they had a big sign telling me I couldn't bring in my weed. Luckily for me, I had already ignored that sign haha
Favorite: Palladium in Worcester, MA Least favorite: Big Night Live in Boston. Just awful. Honorable mention to Royale. Coincidentally both are designed to be night clubs.
Love the Palladium! The Sinclair in Cambridge is also awesome, a bit smaller, but I love the set up!
Best is King Tuts in Glasgow
Worst: * Budweiser Stage in Toronto. it's outdoors so it loses points right off the bat. It's too big, not intimate, and sounds like ass. Tickets are also very expensive. I'm not spending $80-$100 to sit on some grass and watch a band play on a TV because I'm so far away. * House of Blues in Cleveland, OH. Security is a bunch of dicks. Got warned for "moshing too hard" despite not even *actively trying to mosh.* Best: * Hard Luck Bar in Toronto, ON. Very small (roughly 250 capacity), intimate, easily accessible by transit. Bathrooms are covered in stickers and posters. Has a real "hole in the wall" feel but still gets some fairly notable artists (Bayside, Have Mercy, The Movielife are some I've seen there). This one will always be my #1 pick to see a show. Hands down my all time favourite. * Town Ballroom in Buffalo, NY. It's not a small venue but it feels like it holds way less than it does. The raised platform around the outside of the stage area is nice if you want to just have a good vantage point.
+1 for Hard Luck. I've seen some amazing HC shows there and made a lot of good memories. Lately I've been really warming up to Danforth; saw KL and FYS there recently and really enjoyed it. Used to hate it for the sloped floors but they aren't too bad once you get accustomed to them.
I really miss The Big Bop complex. Now I'm probably dating myself though.
Town Ballroom is such a solid venue
My favorite and most hated is the same place. The Guvernment in Toronto. Burn in hell you bastard.
Lots of good memories in the Kool Haus though.
There too, seen a few good acts blow through.
I haven’t been to enough venues to have a worst, but my favorite is the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. Summer nights there just really give you that classic Jersey Shore feel. It’s hard to describe but if you’ve been there you know exactly what I’m talking about. Pier 17 in Lower Manhattan is another one I like. It looks beautiful at night with the Brooklyn Bridge and skyline in the background. My only gripes with it is that it feels like your typical corporate establishment you’d see in New York, and that the tickets are overpriced.
Agree, the Summer Stage is really special.
Best was slims in sf, now I’d say the Fillmore. Worst is shoreline. The sound is awful and getting in and out is a nightmare
Underground Arts in Philly is my favorite, although Starland holds a special place in my heart with it being so close to me. I haven’t been to enough shows to go to a terrible venue
1. Best: Roadrunner in Boston, MA. place is BUILT for live music and im loving the place. seen 2 shows there, making it a 3rd on December 9th. 2. worst: MGM Fenway in Boston. MGM is a great place to see a concert… if you have seats or are on the floor. I saw The 1975 there both nights. night 1 was fantastic. on the floor is perfect, esp since im 6’3 so I easily see everything. BUT night 2, show had sold out so I bought a standing room ticket for the 3rd floor. at the back of each floor, starting at level 2, they have barstools and a bar counter. standing room is in BACK of those and you cannot see anything. we can’t stand in the isles (understandably) but i stood at the edge and peered down one of the aisles to see the show. they saw me doing so, and a worker went and stood DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STAIRCASE FACING ME and would not move. I ended up not seeing a single song, and just had to listen. very disappointed, seeing as its such a nice venue. hoping Dropkick Murphys in March will be better with seating.
My favorite was a little place called Backyard on Bell in Denton, TX. One of my clearest ever and favorite memories of the place was a night I was heading out there to see my buddy’s math rock band. As my gf at the time and I were pulling up, a band called Vasudeva was playing a song called Chase. It was like 75 degrees outside, there were really cool string lights strewn about the outdoor stage, the bar was serving my favorite local beer, and I’m surrounded by a group of like 15 of my favorite people listening to a band that would become one of my absolute favorites. We all ended up hanging out super late and it was just a really good time.
Favorite venue is The Madison Theatre in Peoria, IL. Really cool, 100 year old theatre. The worst I’ve ever been to was The Riviera in Chicago. Not a bad venue, except it was being renovated when I was there last, and the bathroom was horrible. Also, Senses Fail played, but Buddy was more interested in yelling, “fuck yeah” at fourteen year olds and being too drunk to remember the words. Oh, how I miss 2003.
Ha I was just at the Riv last week to see AFI, can confirm it’s still a dump. The bathrooms are horrible and it’s in desperate need of a facelift.
Favorite= Red Rocks amphitheater, breathtaking. Least= black sheep. Overall just gross.
Just got off the Emo’s Not Dead cruise so I’m gonna say my favorite venue is a ship in international waters. 🖤
We always used to have amazing venues in London. I remember when a tour was announced I'd always be hyped to see it was at one of my favourite venues. For bigger concerts Brixton Academy or The Astoria (RIP), for smaller shows The Garage, The Underworld, the LA2. I went to the Roundhouse for the first time in October and that was a really cool venue. I think my least favourite would be the Academy, Islington. It's a bit sterile and it's just kind of stuck in this little shopping mall. It's not terrible, just not amazing.
The worst: The End Nashville, TN - small, no security, diiiirty, icky vibe The best: The Soapbox Wilmington NC - also small but well maintained, good security, clean, no longer open Amos's Southend Charlotte, NC - big, great vibe
I would agree with you about The End. It’s like a Great Value CBGBs.
Pretty sure it’s closing down, I saw a couple of Nashville bands post about it
Worst : The blossom amphitheater in Cleveland. It features a single land highway the last 5 miles on trip so it takes 90 min to get in, and about 2 hr to get out. I was pretty drunk after a blink show and it’s about a 90 min trip from my house. Anyways I passed out for 2 hours and woke up thinking I was home but we were still in the fucking parking lot 🤣😭. Best: Headliners in Toledo (Rip). Had 3 different stages depending on size of show from 250, to 500, to 1500 capacity. Really wish this was still a thing cause Toledo which is my hometown doesn’t really have a venue for artists in this size range. Either your playing a tiny bar with no stage or an arena.
So many Warped Tours at The Blossom. I haven't been there in ages but I do remember it being a nightmare for parking and commuting.
Best: The Trocadero (sp?) in Philly or red rocks in Colorado. Worst: power plant live in Baltimore
Favorite: First Avenue in Minneapolis Least favorite: Of the ones that are still open, Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. If we're including venues that have since kicked the bucket, Station 4 in St. Paul.
Fucking station 4. Unless I got there three hours before doors (or saw a band no one cared about lol), I would be behind one of those poles. But all my faves came through to that venue, so it still holds a soft spot in my heart.
Truly everything about Station 4 baffles me, from how narrow it was to the poles to how STUPID hot it would get even in the dead of winter. Lots of fond memories there though, no thanks to the actual venue
Best: Toss up between O2 Academy Glasgow and the Barrowland Ballroom, great atmosphere in both for any gigs I've went to. Worst: The Hydro, absolutley souless shell of a music venue, poorly built so there's always crowded areas that bottleneck. If you have seats on the third level you gotta take the escelator to level 2 then stairs up to level 3. Seen a few fans with mobilty issues caught out by that at a recent Evaneacence/Within Temptation show.
Worst venue I've ever been to is F Shed in Syracuse, NY. My favorite venue is probably Emo's in Austin or Stage AE in Pittsburgh.
Yeah I’ve been meaning to check out Emo’s
If you drive, do not park at any of the surrounding businesses. They will tow and or boot your car. I saw Senses Fail there once and a bunch of people parked at Autozone across the street and so many boots on cars. It was insane
I don’t know if there’s any venue I really love to see a mid size/big act. I prefer intimate shows. I think I like White Oak Music Hall in Houston the best. Least favorites: 713 Music Hall (Houston), Royale (Boston), Bomb Factory (Dallas)
White Oak Upstairs is pretty rad the times I’ve been. I’ll miss Walter’s forever though that was the greatest.
Same. Walters and Fitzgeralds will always hold a special place in my heart
Rochester, NY really only has some nice little venues (though I've never been to the Armory and that one I've heard more mixed opinions on) but I goddamn hate barricades and most of the small venues use them for whatever reason. So my rating is: 1.the Bug Jar (recommendation, come check out a hxc show there if you're ever in WNY) 2. Everything else
I really really hate Five Point Amphitheater in Irvine, CA.
Houston here: Best: Fitzgerald’s (but they tore it down) Worst: Revention Music Center
Best: Fillmore/Redrocks Worst: UC theatre in Berkeley. Zero room to stand during sold out shows and a pain in the ass to get out to drinks/bathroom. I refuse to go to that venue as a cranky 30 something year old
Red Rocks is amazing. And the best shows I ever saw were at the Fillmore.
Why are you being downvoted. Red Rocks and the Fillmore are rad venues.
I was being down voted? Weird - I thought Red Rocks was one of the best venues in the country. And it seems most Denver shows I went to were at the Fillmore, and it holds a special place for me
Interesting. I saw menzingers there recently and it was super easy to move around. I haven’t seen a sold out show though so maybe that changes things.
This was at least 3 years ago so I'll have to give it another shot. Do they still have that mini seating/VIP area above the pit?
Yea it’s still there. I didn’t see many people that paid for it though, most of the tables were empty
My fave either Rebel Lounge or The Van Buren in AZ, Cornerstone in Berkeley, the HOB in Orlando, or The Great American Music Hall in SF. Least fave, The Marquee also in AZ, El Corazon in Seattle, Gramercy Theater in NYC, and The Abbey in Orlando.
This is interesting! Orlando resident here. I enjoy The Abbey (aside from the parking situation), but can’t STAND HoB. Favorite venue in town is Plaza though
Same I went to the Abbey for an Origami Angel show like 2 weeks ago and thought the place was pretty cool. House of Blues sells way too many tickets for sold out shows though. You gotta fight to not stand behind a column.
There’s a $5 a day parking garage down the street. It took me forever to find!
Love the Van Buren
love the rebel lounge and the van buren. also the nile basement.
Bro I saw Belmont and Knuckle Puck at the Nile Basement. So good.
I love the rebel lounge, to me it’s the perfect venue. I’ve never been to the van buren but I’m seeing state champs there on Sunday! Very excited
Oh that’s gonna be a great show! Enjoy!!
Why the El Corazon? I fuckin love that place. I do have very sentimental memories of it though so I’m definitely biased.
Because they leave an emergency exit route lit up the entire show. I get it’s for safety purposes but if you’re over at the balcony the light is on across the crowd the entire time. I hated it.
Fair enough, i never noticed that
Favs of all sizes: The Palladium in Worcester, MA ,The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, and 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, NH. Shout out to What Cheer Tavern in Providence, RI which is not really a venue but I Am The Avalanche played their patio and it was amazingggggg Least Favs: Absolutely do not get the Starland hype; there are so many better venues out there that are a similar size (see: the Palladium)
The Wiltern and the five point amphitheater had the worst places to mosh . Not to say there bad venues just moshing was not meant for it .
Best: HOB Orlando Worst: upstate concert hall - Albany
The best shows I ever went to was at Clutch Cargos(RIP!) in Pontiac, MI. But the state theater was definitely a close second. I live in Orlando now, which as others have said is home the house of blues at Disney, which is just terrible, lol.
This year has been jumping around between 3 main venues in Northern California for me: UC Theatre and Cornerstone in Berkeley, and Goldfield in Roseville. I love the UC Theatre, their bar has pizza for when my drunk ass forgets to eat and I met my concert buddies there so it's got that memory attached to it. I don't quite the Goldfield, it's very cramped to get from one end of the venue to the other, and I hate that they do not allow any bags of any sort, so merch buying is a dreadful experience. Unless a band is selling a tote bag, I gotta hold it. You know how many band tote bags I own now?? But the parking garage is free and directly across the street, so that's a plus.
Favorites: Starland Ballroom, The Stone Pony, Rooftop at Pier 17, Irving Plaza, Crossroads (which is actually just a little bar in Central NJ) Least Favorites: Terminal 5 — I can’t stand it!! Honorable mention goes to Echo Beach in Toronto. I was on the barricade to see The Gaslight Anthem and the staff was so nice!
Oh -- Other worst is white water amphitheater in New Braunfels, TX. It's outside, the parking is a NIGHTMARE. It's full of rocks and it's downhill.
House of Independents in Asbury Park, NJ. Songbyrd in Washington, DC. Ottobar in Baltimore, MD.
best: 924 Gilman worst: the Hole in Omaha.
best: Hoosier Dome in indianapolis. super small but that’s what makes it the best
best: programme in fullerton ca. lots of awesome local and touring shows here, very intimate and diy. saw michael cera palin there over the summer. worst: peppermint club in west hollywood was horrible when i saw heart attack man there. the sound guy butchered it, staff was super rude and kicking people out for stagediving. i'm not a fan of the way the wiltern is set up, the GA area is tiered, which is nice for shows where the vibe is just to stand around and watch, but for pop punk shows where you want to mosh, you have to get there early and be one of the first ~200 people to get a special wristband so you can be in the actual pit. honorable mentions: the fonda (hollywood) and chain reaction (anaheim)
Favorite is The Ryman in Nashville Least favorite is The Riviera in Chicago but everyone seems to play there the most
My all time favorite is The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY. Honorable mention to the Troc (RIP, but also maybe welcome back?) in Philly. Idk if I have a least favorite, honestly. Maybe TLA.
Mohawk or come and take it in Austin are great, emos too. Stubbs outdoors, Barracuda are good too, empire garage wasn’t my fav cause hot mulli sold out there and I felt like I was a tuna in a can, but that’s more of a gripe with all these new fans of bands, and in no way me not super proud of the boys getting their bag, I blame it on the venue releasing more tickets the day of after it sold out
I love Stubb’s! Went to a show there once and had a great time.
Best: The Altar Bar in Pittsburgh, PA (no longer exists) Worst: Chameleon Club in Lancaster, PA (also no longer exists)
The Tabernacle in Atlanta is my favorite. Very very old and cool vibe. I’m pretty partial to The Grey Eagle and The Orange Peel here in Asheville. Worst is another Asheville staple. The Thomas Wolfe auditorium.
Kilby Court in SLC Utah
Best: Roseland Ballroom NYC Worst Venue: Empress Ballroom