This is all I've heard about since moving here. Â I don't get it. Â I mean, it was fine. Â It's a bar with a venue in the back for shows. Â We were in the front portion of the place and the patio being as how there was an event in the back. Â But perhaps you have to be AT the show to experience the place. Â I mean, there was a patio. Â Cool. Â However the hipsters on the pation were smoking like chimneys and it was disgusting. Take your skinny jeans and cigs and go be cool out on the sidewalk. Smoking is gross.. haven't you got the memo yet? Â We went inside and danced when the DJ started, but the 'dance floor' is releatively small. Â Overall its a good bar, but I just don't get the hype.
Review Source:Very fun, upbeat place to hang out with a group of friends!
I've actually had a couple of friends perform at Crescent Ballroom, and hear that most other performers/shows end up being pretty entertaining as well.
Service and food were so-so, but didn't take away from the overall experience. Looking forward to my next visit here!
WARNING!!!
CONCERT PATRONS BEWARE OF THIS PLACE!!!! Â THEY ARE DISHONEST AND UNPROFESSIONAL!!!!
I bought 2 tickets through for Todd Rundgren, which sold out, for this venue through Stubhub 5 days ago.  We arrived an hour early, showed our tickets, and had our small purses searched twice. We entered the ballroom and ordered a cocktail then were told that food had to be ordered back out in the lobby.  So we went back to the lobby area, found a table, ordered food, ate, then returned to the ballroom entrance, 6 feet from where our table was.  We were told that we had to have wrist bands in addition to our tickets that were supposed to be issued  to each of us outside where our purses were searched. Neither of us had been here before so just did as we were told.  We showed our tickets to everyone including an unprofessional, rude, manager named Michelle but were refused entrance.  They reviewed their security cameras and halfway through the concert offered a wristband as they obviously realized that they made a mistake.  By this time, our evening was ruined.  I will NEVER EVER go here again and will dissuade everyone I know from going to such a dishonest and unprofessional place.  Stubhub is aware that our tickets were legitimate and that is was the fault of Crescent Ballroom's manager.  Stubhub is willing to return all of my money plus send us to his concert in California on July 11.  Unfortunately I have to work so will not be able to attend.  I was so looking forward to hearing one of my favorite musicians from my childhood.  What a huge disappointment!!! So sad.
Friday nights are awesome . There is a dj playing old school soul and funk on 45s/ vinyl. This is real cool because it attracts an older crowd and it is always dope to go to a place where they play stuff you dont hear on the radio. Much respect to CB... but the only thing I didnt like was that the dj stopped playing after an hour... not sure why. It was supposed to last all night.
Review Source:This was my first time here. We saw Robert Earl Keen and he was hilarious and fun. Great bar and really cool concert area. I was told they had an outdoor area too and would love to go see someone and have it be outside.
We had some good drinks and had a quesadilla as a snack. It was good bar food - not sure how you can mess up a quesadilla either.
Definitely will be back and hope its outside next time.
I can't even begin to say how needed the Crescent Ballroom was in Phoenix. It's about time we had a nice, amazing small music venue where I can see all my favorite bands and not break the bank. I can even try out bands I haven't heard before. All in an intimate setting where I can be so close to Ra Ra Riot that my photos make me look as if I was part of the press.
I find myself going to so many more shows than I did before, and I get to have a burrito while I'm there too. Who doesn't want a burrito while they're at a show? NO ONE. And you can order it without leaving the concert space, because there's a bar in the back.
Most of the space is standing room, but there are bleachers in the back too and some small tables also. The sound is amazing and I've never once been to a show I didn't like.
I'm in love.
I think I'm in love... Not quite sure, ...no, I'm pretty sure, it's love.
I've been looking for this venue. - I just didn't know it, till I arrived.
I've recently just started going to the Crescent Ballroom for local shows, and live music, after hearing about the venue from friends sometime early last year. - I've been to three shows since, with each one better than the one before it.
First of all, it's cozy. It's "mid-sized", seating 300-500 people. It's not huge and impersonal like a lot of phoenix venues I've been to. This place has character, and style, and I like the freedom of enjoying a drink (or two) on the patio, while readying for the show to start.
It's seriously one of the best live music venues I've been to. It's great to be able to see a decent show, in a local venue, without all the fuss of a stadium or arena setting.
They have a lounge. This area, separate from the venue's main concourse, is where you can order food and drinks, and is where the tables, patio and bar are located.
Their full-sized bar is staffed with super quick, friendly and knowledgable servers. In addition to your regular bar/venue fair, they also offer a decent selection of house specialty drinks. I've ordered both the honey badger, and the casa blanca, and would highly recommend either to a friend. I definitely intend on returning to try more of their tasty concoctions.
Their Happy Hour is from M-F from 4:30-6pm, which gets you $2 PBR's, $3 well drinks, $3 Drafts or $1 off other drinks.
If you're looking for a fun weekend night out, or a mid-week break from the norm, definitely check this place out.
Oh how I do love Crescent! This place is the best and most appealing music venue that I've been to in AZ so far...but the good news doesn't stop there - the food is amazing as well! I've had burritos, quesadillas, and burrito bowls, all of which have been amazing. The bean dip, however, is what I'd boast about all day. That and the honey badger of course =).
Review Source:came here for dinner and a free show last Sunday. we unknowingly arrived in the middle of their trivia night. as far as trivia questions go - these were hard! I play bar trivia occasionally and I usually know at least a few answers. I don't think I knew a single question they asked here! and I thought it was weird that they ask ALL the questions and don't even tell you the answers until the very end. if I had been playing I would've gone crazy with frustration wanting to know what the correct answer was! it seems like the people participating were enjoying themselves though. I believe the prizes for winning trivia are a $25 gift certificate or two tickets to a show.
the food: nothing to write home about, but nothing to complain about either. I ordered the quesadilla, to which I added steak. they shouldn't really call it "steak" because it was shredded beef. only other ingredient inside the quesadilla was a lot of cheese. it came with a side of chips and salsa and a huge scoop of sour cream. I might come here for food again, but it's nothing notably delicious.
the show: their stage/venue is really awesome with the seated bleachers in the back and standing room in the front. I love how intimate and small the stage is. we saw three local bands perform for free; they were all very different musically but I enjoyed them all. if a band I liked was playing I would definitely come back to catch them play!
I finally had the chance to check out a show at Crescent this week. Â Must admit, I was anxious the place would be engulfed with young indistinguishable hipsters, especially considering I went to an indie-pop show, but that wasn't the case at all. Â Nice range of ages & genres while maintaining a very cool vibe. Â I like the different layers Crescent offers: the music venue inside, the middle area that doubles as a lounge and casual Mexican restaurant, and the patio with nice long community tables where folks can chill out and people watch. Â The mixed drinks were too homogenized for me, weak in flavor and potency, but there's a full bar so plenty of poisons to pick from. Â
The show was great-- AND I ran into one of the coolest Elite Yelpers I'd never met before!
A very cool addition to DT Phoenix.
Hands down, the best music venue in all of AZ. They have a constant flow of amazing bands and artists, their food is delicious (you can't go wrong with a burrito conceptualized and created from the chef/owner of Pizzeria Bianco), their drinks are poured and priced right, and the staff is typically very friendly. Sound quality during the shows is always right on, and the space itself is really nice. Definitely not dingy or a dirty hole-in-the-wall like a few other PHX music venues.
The only downside I can think of is that parking can be an issue. Try to get there early and you won't have to drive around looking for a space too long.
What a great venue! It's as if someone said to themselves "perhaps we shouldn't do everything as cheap as humanly possible, they'll come anyway". Instead, real thought went into basics like the vibe and general look and feel of the place, their relatively small but quite tasty and well-priced menu, their friendly staff, and even the layout of their main stage area.
Thoughtfulness basically permeates Crescent from top to bottom and it made a concert more fun than the normal sweaty, angry ragefest most shows tend to be, to the extent that a venue can control that.
Enjoyed myself and enjoyed that they really knew what they were doing up and down the line. As venues go, probably my favorite in the state now.
My favorite venue in Phoenix, if not the world. Prices are fantastic, staff is generally friendly, sound system is amazing. Most of all, whoever is in charge of booking has some of the best music taste on this planet. I love that they bring in acts that are experimental, weird and crazy, not to mention the many popular "hipster" acts. Security folks treat you decent and I don't feel like I'd ever have a problem with them.
Food is pretty good, not the best, but I'm more happy with their drink selection and price range. It's always a privilege to come here and I hope other venues take note.
Came to Phoenix from San Francisco specifically for a show at the Crescent Ballroom - and what an awesome venue.
Love the outdoor seating and the drinks were great. They poured hefty servings of Glenlivet 12 and their Crescent Crush house cocktail - their take on a Greyhound - and served in a pint glass was dangerously delicious.
The ballroom was perfect - small and loud.
Definitely coming back.
Seriously, this place rocks. Great venue, pretty darn good drinks and food. Service is also pretty good and atmosphere (for Phoenix) is fantastic. Extremely hip, and has quite the variety of concerts. While I have not been inside the main stage area, you can here the music throughout the venue/restaurant.
Fantastic deals on happy hour- recommend the Honey Badger if you're a fan of ginger beer, ginger whiskeys, etc etc.
As always I wish the drinks were a bit stronger but that's just how bars go I'd say. My one complaint is that I was really hassled at the entrance on being 21. I have a CA vertical ID, so I guess in AZ that looks a bit suspicious, but seriously?! You need to go check for five minutes, make me move into the light, shine a flashlight in my face, and question me repeatedly? I get you have a job but bro, chill. Can't you just swipe it in the computer or something?
That being said, for having only been in the PHX area for a couple months, so far this is my favorite place for drinks.
This venue works as a bar, a restaurant and for live music. We went for drinks and to see Billy Bragg play. I really enjoyed myself from the moment we got here. Great people watching, good drinks, good service, and the show was top notch (lighting and sound). I will return to sample the grub soon.
Review Source:As far as venues go this is the place to catch a show!!!! Great space makes for awesome interaction with the groups! They bring in some lesser known amazing indie artists! The selection of beer is descent for a show venue. Â
The front bar seems like a really cool place but I rarely stay with all the other cool places downtown. Â The DJ sound setup seems to need some work. Â The music was pretty distorted.
Lots of raves about the entertainment and ambiance here. Â No doubt all deserved. Â But I have to give this place 1 star, and that excludes all that. Â
I went here one evening shortly before a show started. Â I walked to the bar, with my wife in tow, and stood there....for about 10 minutes. Â Other parties came and went, and the obviously busy bar-tenders attention swiveled between service calls and new arrivals, typically young women coming up to order...but they apparently never noticed us standing quietly directly in the center of the bar waiting to order.
Now this is a hard rule with me. Â Ignore me, intentionally or not, fail to greet me and ask me if I want anything, within some reasonably decent time, and that place is forever off the 'go there' list. Â We turned and left without a word, adding this otherwise interesting venue forever on the 'waste of time' list, along with a very small group of other places that fail to notice human beings standing four feet from them as if they weren't even there. Â Trendy and 'cool' and 'hipster' do not begin to cover unconscionably rude and insulting, and pretentious comes more to mind under the circumstances. Â If you are too busy to serve would be patrons, you're heading for trouble.
Huge disappointment! I think they sold 2000 tickets for a 500 person venue. No room to move around. I had to wait in line for 20min just to move from the front part to the middle part of the venue. Then I had to wait another 10 min to get to the back. ....And now I just got kicked out for what I don't know. I asked the doorman what I did and he said "I can't tell you" I asked him again what I did so I don't do it again and his response was "we can do this the easy way or the hard way".... wow! Is this how an owner of a fine restaurant, "Pizza Bianca" runs an establishment? I'm sad to have to post this because I have heard nothing but good "word of mouth" about The Crescent. But after tonight I can see that they do not have a properly run business. THIS PLACE SUCKS!!!!!.... In my opinion.
Review Source:I really really like this spot, it reminds me of some hipster and cool spots throughout Brooklyn, NYC. Â It is a cool live music venue meets Mexican restaurant. Â The beers are tap are delicious and cheap in price.
I saw a very very good local band play during my first visit and the DJ in the front room always plays hot and upbeat music.
I love the crowd, the drinks, the music, and the vibe!!
Scale of 1-10 (multiple visits):
8 Food
9 Drinks
8 Service
10 Atmosphere
8 Value
Crescent is versatile, community-oriented, and delicious. Â Interestingly, no single element of Crescent really blows me away, but rather it's a perfectly balanced and integrated effort which leads to a faultless and complete package.
Unfortunately, it's kind of an island with absolutely nothing else around it which simply adds to downtown's unexplorability, but the place itself is stellar. Â The outdoor patio area is just right, despite staring at a giant parking garage. Â While my favorite meal is the nachos with a Honey Badger, everything I've had has been good.
Hands down, my absolute favorite venue in all of the Valley.
I've seen about 6 or 7 shows here now. Â It's a very intimate place, where even from the seating (stadium bleachers, for reals) you are still very much "there". Â Pricing, including fees, are very reasonable. Â I've rarely paid over $20 for a show, and one at that price even included the artist's new album (thanks, Donovan Frankenreiter!)
The food looks and smells delicious, though I've never ordered any yet. Plenty of lunch specials are advertised via Facebook. Â Yes, I am a Facebook fan as well! Â
I appreciate the help-yourself water and cups, so that the wait for drinks at the bar is not held up by a request for 10 waters. Mixed drinks (vodka press, at least) are an extremely reasonable $4 or $5. Â Crazy cheap for a music venue. Beer selection is well-thought out as well.
Bathrooms are always clean and well-stocked...even at the end of the night. Â Practically a miracle.
Staff is super friendly. Seriously. Â This place has no flaws!
Parking is always an easy $5 cash payment at the lot across the street. Â Easily accessible to the PHX Light Rail as well, but I've only gone that route once.
I notice most other reviews have lots of hipster references. Â Can't say that I notice a huge influx of hipsters here versus other similarly sized music venues. Â Could that mean that...I am.. *gasp*..a hipster myself? Â Uhhh...I say nah...only because I don't own enough hats or mustache-inspired clothing/accessories to quality. Â Yet.
I love Crescent - it's one of my resident third places. Â They get great headliners and put on a wonderful two-day music festival for Dias de la Crescent in the summer (I sincerely hope this becomes a standing music festival in the Valley.) Â I went to the Halloween Ball and New Year's Eve party where there was free cover and some terrific DJs. Â The staff is terrific - the bouncers do a great job with crowd control and you can always get a bartenders attention. Â Bathrooms are always clean and the lines usually move pretty quickly. Â Drinks are reasonably priced ($4 g&ts) and they make some wonderful house creations such as the "Honeybadger." Â Also, it attracts a great blend of people. You can wear just about anything and fit in.
I have so many fond memories of this place and will continue to frequent it. Â Crescent Ballroom is one of the coolest venues in Phoenix!
Really like this bar. It's very hipster, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just some information for those who think Yelp is God. I love the setup of this place. Nice little patio outside on both sides, average-sized bar area, and then a separate room for shows. I really like seeing shows here. The sound system is great and they even have an area to sit if you don't feel like standing. The drinks are cheap and strong. I've only had their salsa (very good) so can't say much about the food, but I've heard good things. The music is always popping here and Sean Watson makes me smile when he goes on. He played Chromeo's "Tenderoni" one time when I was there and I danced so hard I nearly vomited.
If there's a spot you should hit when downtown, it's Crescent.
I love everything about this place. It would be a cool venue in any city, but considering it is the the entertainment wasteland that is Phoenix, the Crescent Ballroom is exceptional.
Most of the shows I've gone to in the past year have been either here or at the Marquee. Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum! Compare the friendly staff to the surly workers at the Marquee. The wonderful temperature control versus the sweltering heat. The clean, plentiful bathrooms instead of cesspool restrooms. And what about the free water stations, great cocktails, stadium seats, and a damn tasty veggie burro big enough for two?
All of these great elements make Crescent Ballroom a shining star in Cen Pho. In a town where venue after venue is shutting down, I couldn't be happier that this place is thriving.
The crescent ballroom is awesome. I went once with my husband to a hip hop show, and I loved the way it was set up. We hung out outside for a while, loved seeing everyone who walked up right in front. The restaurant section is cool, we want to go some time during the day. The drinks were really reasonable and the bartender was great. The venue is a good size, and everything was set up really well.
I went one other time for a private event, which I did not know about previously. They had the restaurant and venue part shut off from each other and the guest's at the event didn't even realize there was another side. Â I would definitely book this place up if I needed an awesome location and wanted to hire a live band to play. It was perfect.
Nice, large new venue, & decently priced. Sorry Marquee, I dont care to pay $25.00 to see local bands play.
Lots of seating in the front bar and a pretty nice patio. Loved that there is seating in the actual venue AND that if you use it, you can still see the bands!
they have some pretty tasty cocktails on the menu here that are available at the bar inside the actual venue or the regular bar.
The staff seemed to be very courteous, even w/ it being SO busy while we were there.
Depending on who's playing, we'll likely be back!
It really doesn't get any better than Crescent! I have been saving up all these wonderful things to say in a review about Crescent Ballroom but, if I wait any longer I will never write it...
Every show, every experience at the bar, every encounter with the staff, it all just gets better all the time. Something in the water perhaps?
This venue is the tits! The show room is so intimate. You can get up close and personal with your favourite artists or chill back in the stadium bleachers There's not a bad spot to stop and listen in the whole place. The sound, the lights, the temperature! Its all oddly perfect. You are never really standing on top of someone else and I really love that. But some sold out shows do get packed.
Los Dias de la Crescent was such a stand out event for me this past year. Really a unique experience at a venue other than a park.
They have a good beer selection! Though they don't have Hop Knot on tap I can order it in a can or, in lieu, grab an Odells on draft.
I have not had a chance to order food from the cocina but I have tried the nachos and they do not disappoint!
I try to see at least two shows a month here. No reason not to! So many great artist and at such an intimate venue. Stop over at Stinkweeds, pick up some tickets and get your bottom to a show!
I follow a few rules in life to keep things simple. Go to the beach? Swim in the ocean. Ordering a beer? Choose something local. Walk into a half-decent mexican joint? Order the carnitas burrito.
Oh my god. This was the best carnitas burrito I've ever had. You'll feel like you should be wearing protection while you eat it. That good. Just go there and order it. Thank me later.
I love this place. Â Great small to medium-sized venue. Â It is a good reason to experience downtown Phoenix. Â You can take the light rail right to Van Buren and Central, and it is only two very short city blocks west. Â There are many restaurants within walking distance, so it was easy to make a whole night of going to a show.
The show we saw was sold out, and yet it was very comfortable to be inside. Â There was plenty of room to see the bands, and you could easily get a drink at the bar without too long of a wait or extra effort.
The drinks were priced reasonably. Â I drank Tanqueray and tonic for $6 each and the wife had Stella Artois for $5 each. Â The cheapest drinks were cans of PBR for $3 each. Â They serve food, but we had just eaten at the Arrogant Butcher-- however I have heard they have a decent kitchen from a well respected source.
The floorplan is set up very well.  There are two entrances, east and west.  On the east side there is a lounge and dining area with restrooms and a bar.  Through a set of double doors is the stage area that has bleacher type seating in the back and plenty of standing room in the front.  The west entrance appears to be for the under 21 set during all ages shows.  Having the two entrances makes for a very quick and organized egress, which is convenient and safe.  There is a long bar along the west  wall, another set of restrooms, and an area dedicated for band merch, which was nice because we were able to talk to the opening act while they sold their own records and t-shirts.  The place is air-conditioned quite nicely.  The bathrooms were reasonably clean for how many people were there.
Overall this is a little gem in downtown Phoenix that makes me excited to get out and and actually be part of the small-but-great Phoenix night-life.
It's hipsteriffic.
I knew by the way the tenspeeds were racked that this would be a PBR-and-plaid sort of place, and I wasn't disappointed.
What I liked about it: The DJ was loud as hell but isolated to the front lounge section. If there's no band playing in the ballroom part, one can wander back there to have an actual conversation. Also, no cover.
What I didn't like about it: I don't think there was much vodka in that vodka tonic.
Still, not a bad place to hang out. Some nice eye-candy and it's within walking distance to Seamus McAffrey's and Hanny's.
I saw a really great show here with my girlfriend and friend. Â The venue itself, I think, has too many bizarre rules and they are pretty disorganized.
Going to take a piss, I'd just bought a beer and, hey, I kinda like pissing with a beer. Â It's fun! Â Above the urinals they have these metal deals that are perfect for setting a drink on, in fact I can't think of a single other application in which they might come in handy. Â As I walk in, this security dude goes, "Hey! Â You can't bring your beer in there," and I'm like, "Well, I'm gonna set it down right here, then..." when I came out, fuck, my beer was gone and so was the security dude. Â Thanks, asshole, this place doesn't charge you up the ass for a drink or anything, anyway...
Later on that night, the bar lost my friend's ATM card, and as she periodically checked the balance, she saw that at least one charge she wasn't present for at $2 went through. Â Lovely.
The venue itself is fine, in terms of set up. Â It could stand to be bigger, because this fucker gets packed to the gills, and apparently it gets ten times more packed than it was when I saw it.
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