Since I've been back to BMH countless times since my initial review, I think it's most necessary to update. Â While there are a number of local venues that rock something fierce, BMH isn't just a solid venue anymore - it's my favorite.
The acts that they bring are varied, the visibility to the stage and the sound quality no matter where you are in the venue is high - even a sold-out show feels intimate.
Only at Brighton Music Hall could you watch Wilco's Nels Cline act like a roadie for Cibo Matto, and then walk right up to him and shake his hand. Â They book the right-sized acts for the crowd-space, and whether it's highlighting local talent or some up-and-coming national talent, there's no place I'd rather see a show.
4 stars just weren't enough. Â BMH deserves the highest rating it can get.
Lone Bellow killed it.
Clean, packed, thanks ticketmaster
Water is pricey...
I went to the Brighton music hall to see a nice band called Ivan & Alyosha. Â They were on at about 10:30 to 11. Â As with most venues, it annoys the heck out of me how late the main attraction starts. Â However, it seemed that most of the crowd was there to see the second band: The Lone Bellow, who were AWESOME. Â
One thing I appreciated about this venue was that there was very little time spent in between bands. Â As soon as one one done, within 10-15 minutes the next band was up and playing regardless of when they were slotted for. Â So, I think my band was up and playing by 10:30. Â Not too bad for my old, tired self. Â But when I went up to the bar they charged me $2 for soda water (i.e. tap water mixed with air)! Pffff. Hope there's free refills. Â Didn't even try.
Would I go here again? Â Totally. Â Tickets were well-priced, it wasn't too packed, seemed clean, and the bands were good. Â But nothing in particular stands out.
Went here on April 10th for Cloud Cult.
PROS:
* Three bars
* 2 pool tables in the back
* Â Bars are set up with ice water and cups to grab and drink
* Clean bathrooms
* Re-admittance for smokers
* Dark, but not overbearingly dark
* Takes credit cards (even Discover, woo!)
CONS:
* Street only parking, and it's a very busy area so it can be cut throat
* Sound was "eh". Not the best, but definitely not the best either
ULTRA CON WHICH MADE ME TAKE AWAY A STAR
Ok, I was drunk and loose, I admit it... but I know how to tip. Everytime I open a tab at a bar, I leave the tab on the card and tip cash per drink. At the end of the night I closed my tab with a different bartender than the one who's been serving me. I put "0" as the tip and we start to walk away. The bartender came storming up to us as we were on our way out the door, tapped us on the shoulder and nastily snarled "That I don't know how to tip." I have never been anywhere (plus I work in the service industry, and when I don't get tips you bite the bullet because it's part of being a PROFESSIONAL) where someone has been so extremely rude and obnoxious. Even if I was drunk you don't treat a customer like that, ESPECIALLY since you don't know the circumstances because you weren't my bartender. If I ever go back I would rather die of thirst than give her a cent of my money.
I went to my first show at the Brighton Music Hall last weekend. I absolutely loved it! We got there late and still were able to have a great view of the stage. The show sounded great and the bars were really accessible, I love that they have one in the back behind the stage. They also have pool tables which is cool. From the bouncers to the bartenders, everyone was super friendly.
I can't wait to go to another show at this venue!!
Great place to really SEE music that you love. Â Very chill Staff. Â
Acoustically challenged so bring your earplugs! Â (If you are going to perform here: Â please check your audio levels and start lower. Â Both times I have been here the sound reverberating off the brick walls could cause long term damage. Â Not sure if they have an in house audio engineer but someone should pay attention to this issue in management. Â (I used to be an audio engineer.)
Other advice: Spring on the coatcheck for $2.
Excellent space! Love the new ownership and renovation. Cheap pints, great bands, really really good venue.
Parking in Allston is the suck, but get there early and drive around until someone decides to leave. There is no other way! There's a city lot behind the Blanchard's but it gets full fast.
Brighton Music Hall has a coat check for $2, plus a tip for the lovely coat check girl. Bartenders are good, no complaints with the booze.
There are two pool tables at the back of the hall, for seemingly no reason. Maybe make that into your merch space, BMH??
Smallish venue, but they can pack people in. A couple bars inside for quick beer-getting. Friendly bartenders. Good acoustics. No seating that I could see.
It's pretty much just a big rectangular room with a stage in front. Not much to say, really. But it's a fairly intimate space and they get some decent acts there.
I like it, I guess, is what I'm saying.
We went to BMH this past weekend to see The Voice star, Tony Lucca. Â A Great Venue. A really great set up. Friendly staff.. The biggest issue was parking. Â It is on Commonwealth Ave and there is only street parking. Â The concert was on a Sunday night, so we parked in a shopping lot, figuring that it's Sunday night. Nothing is open, we can park here. Â We get out of the concert to find our car gone. It had been towed. Â I understand that it is near the city, but we can find better parking IN Boston. Â All-in-all, I enjoy the venue, itself, but the location is highly disadvantagous.
Review Source:"Yay! I am a fan!" the 4 star designation declares. I mean I am, but I wish Yelp had half stars as I'd make this 3.5 stars.
Brighton Music Hall is a great place to see some indie bands with all the hipsters. I love hipsters, don't get me wrong, it isn't a complaint.
My boyfriend loves music and loves a lot of bands I have never heard of. Thankfully tickets to see these bands at the Brighton Music Hall are pretty cheap ($10-$20) and I've seen some awesome music here.
The good is that the space is great. The open floor allows for a lot standing room and even in the back you can see the stage pretty well. Up against the back wall they have a little shelf/bar thingy that you can stand against and rest your drinks. If you want to dance and get into it, then get into the crowd. In the back back there is a spot with a TV that is usually showing sports and a few tables. Great place to hang out while you wait for the main show.
The sound quality is pretty good, no complaints there.
The drinks are terrible. They taste like they are watered down. The worst gin and tonic I've had. I saw they had Skinny Girl Margarita's and that tasted watered down. I know shame on me for ordering that, but I am a silly girl, what do you expect? I know, shame on me for not ordering anything that isn't beer. Well, I learned my lesson, order beer!
The bathrooms are surprisingly okay for this type of venue although there is usually a lot of empty alcohol containers in there.
So, go to a show. Have a good time. Enjoy the hipsters.
Brighton Music Hall is definitely one of my favorite places to watch a show. Of all the venues in Boston they tend to book the most shows I'm interested in too, which is nice.
The biggest positive for me is that I've never felt uncomfortable or had a hard time getting a good spot. I'm not really sure why this is, but something about how the space is laid out and the height of the stage make it work. The exposed brick and blue highlight lighting make for a pretty chill atmosphere.
The sound quality is average to good, so we'll call it plenty good enough. I love how there are multiple bars and a pretty decent selection of beers to choose from.
Overall, I give BMH a big thumbs up.
The Good: Plenty of room to move around. Relatively cool climate (esp. under the fans). Bathroom was completely acceptable. Staff was friendly. Huge Clash poster sets a most excellent tone.
The Not-So Good: Tile floors and spilled beer = SLIPPERY. The sound was better closer to the stage than in the back of the house; the space could really benefit from better acoustic treatment. $4.00 PBR Tallboy & $7.00 Jameson. Really.
The WTF: Last night, for King Khan, it was as if one guy with good taste in music brought fifty of his DudeBro friends who were moshing (fine) and flinging beer and beer cans around, up into the lights and all over the crowd. The revulsion on the performers' faces was obvious. Is this a Bad Brains show? No? Is this a Motherboar show?? No?? THEN STOP THROWING BEER AND CANS.
The staff did nothing.
Before seeing my favorite artist (Greg Laswell) at Brighton Music Hall, I decided to look up the location and see if they had pictures, reviews, etc. As you can see, most (if not all) the reviews agree that the "sound guy" is no good. I was worried because how often do I get the chance to see my favorite singer live in Boston. On top of that, I was excited to introduce a few friends (4) to some new music. Unfortunately, the other reviews proved true.
To start, I've heard this artist in numerous venues, with and without bands to back him up, plugged & unplugged. I've never heard him sing out of key. And I've never heard him ask the sound guy to give him more volume in his monitor so many times. I could see by the look on Greg's face that he knew something was wrong. People in the audience shouted out a couple times, "We can't hear you!" The levels (if there were any) on the band were all the way up. So the various instruments all got lost. And you could hear the sound guy playing with the vocals as the singer's voice got louder and softer.
Now, the BMH does deserve some props. The venue is clean, spacious, and has three or four bars to choose from. I never had to wait for a beer. I just walked up, ordered, and walked away with a fresh one in my hand. Like someone else said, the bathrooms were really clean, too. That's something that many (if not most) other Boston bars CANNOT claim. Oh, and the beer was really cheap! They had a big selection to choose from, but they didn't mark it up like most other bars. Well done, BMH!
So this reviewer finds himself torn. I like the venue. The staff all seemed cool and laid back. Oh, and they leave out a pitcher of ice water and cups at the end of the bar for you to serve yourself. How awesome is that!?! But in the end, we go to these venues to hear live music. If I just wanted a bar to hang out in, I've got an ample amount to choose from much closer to home (with way easier parking). I really hope that BMH takes a good look at the reviews and admits that they have a sound problem. We begged Greg to choose a new Boston venue this time around, and unless BMH does something about how they treat the music, we'll beg him find a new place next time, too. Your move, BMH.
If I see a band that I enjoy is Boston-bound and playing at this particular venue, I will now be *much* more likely to make the trip up from Providence for a show.
What it may lack in personality and charm, it makes up for in spades with simplicity, good hygiene, nice bar at nice prices, clean bathrooms, and best of all, a low stage that puts the music up close to the crowd.
The two bands I saw were both gesturing and at times interrupting songs to correct the sound guy, which I figured was an "off" day, but the problems are echoed in other reviews.
Ain' gon' fault the venue here, but parking is a bitch. The side streets are mostly resident-only so be prepared to take a circling tour of Allston if you don't know the sweet spots.
I attended my first show at Brighton Music Hall last night (JD McPherson). I wasn't sure what to expect because of the varying reviews on yelp, but as I entered the club the staff was very friendly and professional, the room was spotless (unlike other local smaller venues), and the bathrooms were really clean too. But who cares about aesthetics and a smile when I'm really here for the music. The sound was spot on! To get myself hyped up for the show, I listened to JD's newest album on repeat for the past week, Â so I know how it is supposed to sound, and the sound at brighton music hall was perfect- not too loud, not too soft. I'm pretty sure the house sound guy was at the board because he mixed the opener as well. Good job, sound guy! My only gripe with the club is that it seemed like they ran out of half of their draft beers. Annoying, but I won't take a star away because the sound was so awesome!
Review Source:I've only been to one show here but it was loooooong... Three opening acts before the headliner. Therefore, I feel comfortable writing a review.
This is a wonderful, intimate venue that really gets a good vibe going. You can see the performer's face and he can see yours and you really feel like you are part of what is happening, rather than just a spectator.
I think the music volume depends on the wishes of the band playing. Opening act #1 was a singer-songwriter and with one voice and one guitar, the volume was perfect. Opening act #2 was a silly emo-y teen boy band. Their earnestness was cute but they were of the school that louder is better. They had the sound turned up so loud that everything was distorting and it was literally painful to listen, even with earplugs. Guys... what's the point? They turned it down a bit for opening act #3 and the headliner (Andy Grammer). So, if you are seeing a performer who actually understands that people enjoy a show more when they listen to it at a volume that doesn't make them cringe and recoil in pain, then you will probably enjoy the show here. And if you like your music Loud with a capital L, and you see a performer who agrees with this, you'll have a good time too.
The space is echoey and the acoustics work better with some types of music than others. For the sparer acts (singer songwriter with a single guitar, and even Andy Grammer, who's more on the singer-songwriter end of things but has guitar, bass, and drums), things bounce around a lot and obscure each other. This isn't a place where you're going to get chills from the sound of the person's voice. But, opening act #3 had some cool synth/electronic keyboards and the swelling sound, bouncing off the walls and building to a crescendo, was awesome.
They have cheap beer here and a good variety of draft beers to choose from. Lots of good, cheap ethnic restaurants in the area for your pre-concert dinner too.
Bring ear plugs. Â This place rocks and it's super loud. Â Pretty good for a mid level music venue. It's big enough that you feel like you're at a real concert and small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed by the crowd. The sight line to the stage is mostly unobstructed and there are two bars on either side that serve more than PBR in a can--something that surprised me for a bar in Alston. Â The kiddos were well behaved, but I guess this could vary depending on the performer.
Review Source:Aloe Blacc's show at BMH was incredible - the sound was fantastic (not ear-popping loud, but clear enough that you could hear every word he sang), and the space was intimate.
We managed to sneak up to the front, a couple of beers in hand ($4 Narragansetts), and had our minds blown by the performance. Â The place was full, but everyone had their personal space to ditch any last bit of dignity and get DOWNN. Â Tons of bar space, pool in the back (someone said $1 games?), just a great place for the gig.
Silhouette Lounge down the road for drinks beforehand. Â Amazing.
I'd probably come here all the time if someone would just heli-lift the whole place over to Central or Davis. Decently sized venue for mid-level up and comers they inevitably move on up to the big stage at the Paradise or HoB. Simultaneously cavernous and intimate, it feels bigger than the Paradise, even though I know it's not, and it SOUNDS bigger than the Paradise.
The sound is just simply huge, almost too huge, and the base rumble I feel up my legs and into my gut tells that they might be going overboard most of the time. Good for wall of sound type bands with lots of overcharged effects pedals all whirring at once (the Joy Formidable sounded like they were playing a stadium), but less so with a group that needs a little bit more parsing of the instruments.
No matter. Still a great place, the best on probably in the Allston-Brighton area for overall experience, and tickets are generally pretty cheap.
Came here for the first time to see Gang Gang Dance this past weekend. A+ on the location, A on the event line up, A- on the acoustics, and B on the ticket sales.
In general, I had an amazing time. The sound projected well even if the bass made the floor shake (in a bad way) and the vocals were a bit garbled from the back. The beer is cheap. The crowd is just right.
Only one complaint: I bought my ticket at the door and had to wait 20 minutes while the ticket seller was on her cell phone chatting with one of her friends. Â Listen, lady: I don't care if you missed the due date on your English Comp. essay. Sell me my f'ing ticket so I can get in.
I went there for the first time now that it's under new ownership. I had been to Harper's Ferry many times before that. I went to see Dengue Fever (band) on Tuesday night by myself (none of my other friends know of this band). The setup for Brighton Music Hall, I think is the exact same as Harper's Ferry was. The stage is big and in the back and then you can walk even further back to play pool, go to a less crowded bar, bathrooms, and watch the game. Also there is another room in the front where you can do the same.
It's a little hard to see if you are in the back and are a shorty like me with all the tall people around you. Sometimes it's better to go to the side of the stage to watch. You don't get to see the band's faces as much but you do get to at least see them! You can also bring your camera inside and they don't search you at the door (at least not for this show).
Sound quality was fine - it's loud everywhere you go so bring ear plugs.
The bartenders were friendly and attentive. The male bartender told me not to order the wine - he said it was bad wine and didn't want to make me pay $8 for something bad. I appreciate his honesty. So I got a Magner's cider instead. My only complaint was that I told him to put it in a cup over ice which he did. But when I ordered a 2nd Magner's and the female bartender poured it over the ice there was still some cider left in the bottle so she gave it to me. Which means that the male bartender must have wasted some of my cider because he never gave me the bottle and I had even more ice in my cup before that. That's frustrating - we're talking at least 4 sips here!
There's no parking other than street parking and Allston can be a real pain for parking, so make sure you give yourself enough time to find a spot or take the train. It's in great location as far as food goes - so if you get there early you can go grab something to eat and then head to the club.
I appreciate the affordable tickets and alcohol (the cider was only $5), but the place is kind of boring. I don't love it like I do other clubs/bars. Â I kind of wish it had more personality.
I see good reviews here, this confuses me.
Why do I hate this venue? Easy the sound sucks. The fact the house speakers area  good three feet from the stage means you have to choose between being up close to the band, ie see and get atmosphere or sit back and lose atmosphere but possibly get a better sound experience.
Its also a warehouse a nasty warehouse of a venue with no interesting features or any decent sight lines apart from first row.
they keep it so dark it is laughable seeing people peering at the beer taps.
Beer is also overpriced.
and last but not least its Live Nation. Its sucking all interesting bands form other venues, killing the other venues and producing a  shitty live experience at the same time.
as Harper's ferry at least it was locally owned to make up for being dire.
Now it is just dire.
Support live music and don't go here on a whim or unless you really have to to see a band you must see.
I don't dig it really. It feels cavernous and corporate - too impersonal for a killer show to happen there. The decor is really not rock n' roll at all except for a few framed posters - blah.
It's bigger than most of Allston's rock venues, which is a draw back for me. But, your bigger names will probably play here because of the crowd you can get in there.
I would rather see a show at other places in the area if at all possible.
They do have 2 pool tables in the back. Cool. $1/game.
I love the concept of this place--its a nice small space relative to the other larger music venues of Boston and the cheap prices for tickets and drinks can't be beat.
The main problem I had on my last visit to this space was the sound. The opening acts that went on were DEAFENING. I actually used the iphone app sound level meter and recorded levels of 104 dB SPL! So IN went the earplugs.
The main act was even worse, and this was WITH my earplugs in. The sound guys set the levels so loud that the speakers were actually distorting--its like they didn't even bother to do a soundcheck beforehand, or if they did, its clear no one knew what the hell they were doing. It was depressing to sit there KNOWING that the sound levels were causing permanent, irreversible hearing damage in kids and no one cared.
I saw a boy approach one of the bartenders and ask if they sold earplugs, she replied and I could tell from the body language that he couldn't hear her, she ended up writing on a napkin and pointing to the back of the room that MAYBE the merch tables had something. I actually went back there to get earplugs for my friend and the merch tables had nothing.
Finally I approached the house "sound" guy and asked if he could hear the distortion and to please turn it down. You could see several people in the audience covering their ears very often, especially during the louder parts of the concert. The house sound guy had the nerve to shrug me off and said the band was having "technical difficulties" and that he'd mention it to the band sound guy who clearly had no idea what he was doing at the board.
It was an incredibly frustrating night--I had to leave in the middle of the concert because I couldn't hear the band half the time due to the distortion. I won't be back here again, I refuse to support a venue that acts so casually about destroying people's hearing.
Looks like the Paradise folks have done good things to this venue - checked it out again for the first time post new ownership last night to see some indie bands from LA - great time, bathrooms clean, never waited for a drink at the bar, acoustics were great. Â Good vibe, good times. Â And the upcoming calandar of artists looks very solid which is really a major factor in a venue. Only negative was that the show was sold out yet the venue was only 3/4 full- maybe its a fire code thing. Â This negative doesnt warrant a -1 star though...5/5 and will come again.
Review Source:This is a great venue! It's got a big open feel, it's clean and nice, and there are lots of bars with a good amount of beers on tap. And yet, it's also small enough so that no matter where you are you've got a good view of the stage, and can easily get up close! Parking is an issue, however, so it's best to try public transit.
Review Source:Nowadays Brighton Music Hall is the best place you could hope to see a concert in the Boston area!
This is the new Paradise. This is a really fantastic venue with capacity for maaayybe 200 people. The kind of place where you can actually stand at the edge of the stage and hi-five the band (a dream), unlike bigger venues. Its a big space with high ceilings and four bars- pretty much one on each wall. Pool tables and TVs in the back and the stage in the main hall with a small lounge area in front. A dozen beers on tap at reasonable prices!
Big points for the amazing acts they have been getting to play lately!
Hope that your favorite band plays BMH when they come to town and not House of Blues (mehh)!
It used to be Harper's Ferry, and as I gather from other reviewers... people are angry that it changed. I can see that. Harper's Ferry was a great venue. But on its own, I think Brighton Music Hall still stands out. For some of the same reasons as Harper's... as well as a few different ones.
Most recently attended for Rival Schools with Transit and Radar Fiction.
Pros:
Very small, intimate venue.
Recently "renovated," looks pretty good inside. Pool tables etc.
Friendly staff at the door and bar.
Cheap drinks.
Inexpensive event tickets.
The staff are pretty cool with people lingering after to hang with the band or buy merch.
Cons:
Trying to find parking in Brighton is often agonizing.
A little off the beaten path from the T unless you're on the bus lines.
This is basically a great small venue in a city that has a good music scene and not enough intimate venues (as well as not enough independent venues). That alone makes it valuable. It's not particularly amazing in terms of looking trendy (it is a little dive-y and there are all sorts of band posters on the wall). It's also not super acoustically sound, but it's pretty decent. It might even be better, acoustically, than when it was Harper's to be honest. But for what it is - and the very reasonable ticket prices - it's a five-star venue in my mind.
I can't wait to go there for another concert.
Unfortunately I can't give "Brighton Music Hall" 4 or 5 stars, merely on the fact that it isn't "Harper's Ferry" anymore.
On that note, owned and run by the same people who own/run the Paradise Rock Club; they kept true to the same style HF always had. Â Cheap drinks, plenty of space, and good bands continue to fill the Hall. Â I won't go out of my way to head there for a random drink anymore, but if a band I'm into is playing, you can bet I will be there.
Harpers Ferry with a couple of Clash posters is the end result of the Paradise ownership group retooling this decent venue. Â
I probably won't be back anytime too soon but for what it is, it's decent. Â I was duly impressed with how friendly the barstaff was, which rarely happens. Â
If you liked harpers, you'll like whatever it's called now.
The old Harper's Ferry with an additional bar or two. Â
I like this venue. Â The acoustics are decent, they don't pack it overly full, bathrooms are acceptable, and the drafts are only $6. Â So what's the downside? It's a pain in the A$$ to get to. Â A hike from the T, the only convenient way to arrive is via car (because I don't do buses). Â But leave yourself an hour to find a parking spot and stake out the municipal lot in the back since that seems to be the best bet on a weekend evening.
Very reasonably priced and always hosts some pretty good bands (sometimes local, sometimes not). It's essentially Harper's Ferry renamed. Hell, the staff still consists of a bunch of assholes. Glad to see things haven't really changed.
Saw Girlfriends one week, The Spring Standards the next, and I might be seeing Dum Dum Girls next month; we'll see. Same delightfully mediocre experience each time, with some great bands.
I went to see Little Dragon at Brighton Music Hall last night... and am eager to write my "First to Review" comments!
As a recent transplant from New York, I stepped inside and suddenly wondered if I'd teleported back to Williamsburg. The crowd was definitely a very "Brooklyn" type - twentysomethings with scruff, a few old weirdos standing along the wall, girls with perfectly mussed up hair.
BUT they were dancing! And smiling! And being polite to each other in the bathroom (which was quite clean even by the end of the night)! Apparently the hip crowd on Boston is less douchey, thank gawd!
There are 3 bars, and considering the size of the venue that is more than enough to keep you from waiting too long in any line for a drink. Draft beers were $5, which seems pretty normal.
Oh and the sound system was pretty excellent. The bass was awesome, sound was reasonably crisp considering the volume, and I didn't feel claustrophobic standing in the middle of the crowd.
I like the bare appearance of the space - dark walls, a few barstools, a couple pool tables in the back. Otherwise it's just a room with a stage.
It's a little strange that this is now owned by larger venues and the line-up is very much the standard "imported brooklyn cool", but ticket price was reasonable and I'm looking forward to seeing who else plays here.
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