A great venue to see music, shows or lectures.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built in the 60's this place still retains it charms.
Acoustics are good not great, Seats are pretty comfy although they are old, the layout is really nice for access and the design is of a bygone era. Lots of parking and lovely surrounding grounds...plus it is in beautiful Marin.
Saw Willie Nelson and Family perform here. Â I would say this venue was ok, but not the best I've been in. Â It just feels a bit old. The rows are very long so if you're in the middle, you'd have to climb over a lot of people to go to the restroom. Â (There was one interesting thing about the urinals in the men's restroom. Â They had a little fly or bee painted in the center of the urinal which is supposed to improve aim and reduce cleanup around the urinal by a significant amount.) Â Anyway, I sat in the orchestra seats in front. Â One problem with the design of the seats was that the front row was crammed right up against the wall next to the stage. Â So after the show was over, I was stuck in the middle of a long row and couldn't get out to shake Willie's hand. Â Even if I got up there, there was no room between the front row and the stage to stand to shake his hand. Â The sound system was adequate, but not exceptional. Â There was no intimate feel to this auditorium. Â More of a utilitarian feel to the place. Â The Uptown Theatre in Napa was a much better place to see a concert.
Review Source:So last night, Frampton came alive and rocked the house!!
Not a bad seat in the joint and great acoustics, with easy parking. Â Too bad they don't have a bar but that didn't stop people from bringing in some libations and lung candy.
I look forward to checking out another live concert there one of these days.
5.0 rating for the  Drum Tao show
4.0 rating for the venue
We came the other night to see the Drum Tao group from Japan. It's a group of  athletic young men and women performing the taiko drums.  It the best taiko performance I've seen.  Very entertaining and audience participation.  Not only did they play the taiko, but also the flute, the koto, and the lute.  Amazing show.
The venue is shaped like an open fan. Â Whether you've got a premium seat or a nose bleed seat, the venue is small enough so no seat is a bad seat.
We sat in row 31 which is part of the bargain rows 26-34. Â Fortunately we were smack in the middle of our row.
The minor irritations -
* to get to your seat, you either enter from the right or the left of the auditorium. Â So you need to be careful snaking over people already in their seats. Â No center aisle. The rows are fairly long.
* the entire auditorium had a slight locker room smell to me although hubby and our friends disagreed with me.
* parking can be challenging. Â The lot fills to capacity, and then you've got to find parking on the street.
It's a smaller venue but the solid views, and can give you a nice view of the performance area from just about any seat. Compared to some of the places I have seen concerts, this place is pleasant. Â Easy parking, and I think free as well.
It's like the name says-It's an auditorium, just a really big one.
I've seen a few performances in this venue (most recently, Pink Martini). Â The sound was great as were my seats in the lower half. Â Â
As others have remarked, the rows are looooonnngggg so buy seats in the center (if you don't need to get up frequently) or tough it out on the sides, from which everyone in the row must exit/enter. Â I was on the side and not a single person exited during any part of the performance so this may not prove to be a problem. Â
The interior and exterior look incredibly dated but well-maintained. Â This is just an observation; it won't affect your viewing/listening experience. Â
If something is playing here that you're interested in seeing run and get tickets. Â It's an excellent medium-sized venue in the 'burbs, patrons stay seated during performances, and parking is free and ample. Â I wish more things that interest me would find their way to this venue.
Last night we saw Pink Martini here w/ Nina and Larry. Â An extra star for the music. Â We were seated in Row 7, so we were close w/out being too close. Â The seats are comfortable w/ adequate legroom. Â The sound is excellent. Â The venue has become increasingly familiar via our times at the Marin Speakers and seeing Hal Holbrook in "Mark Twain Tonight" a few months ago. Â There is an ever changing art exhibit in the Redwood Room adjacent to the lobby. Â Last night we enjoyed a terrific exhibit of watercolors. Â The subjects were both local and foreign, the quality of the work was high and the prices were reasonable. Â I noticed there were drinks and snacks for sale at the bar there.
We have several Pink Martini albums. Â The musicianship is stellar. Â China Forbes, their lead singer is recovering from vocal chord surgery so Portland indie rocker Storm Large is touring w/ the orchestra. Â Her voice is deeper and a little heavier than China's. Â She was wonderful, though different. Â We've not seen China in concert, though Nina and Larry have. Â We loved the group enough to see them again the next time their tour comes to the Bay Area, regardless who's singing.
You know when you sit in a theater seat and it leans to far forward so you feel like you will slide off the whole time, so you get up and move to another seat? My seat was like that, but since you buy assigned seats, you can't get up and move. And there is only access from each side, not from the center, and the rows are LONG. People always trying to get past you to get in or out. Went here to see Brian Regan. Too big of a venue for this type of performance. Tickets too expensive given how far back we sat. I wouldn't come here again for a show.
Review Source:I performed Madama Butterfly in the Showcase Theatre with a regional opera company. The stage is actually very nice, and they have a large backstage area. There's ample room for a large cast, with separate areas for make-up/hair and dressing.
The theatre is well maintained, clean, and very professional. The acoustics were pretty good. The space isn't very big, but isn't tiny either.
My only qualm is that the backstage isn't really "backstage" - it's large room to stage right. It's also not sealed, so backstage performers need to be very quiet, lest the audience hears something they shouldn't be hearing.
I love going to the Marin Veteran's Memorial Auditorium. Â I grew up in Marin and have bee going there all my life. Â I Have seen Robins Williams (30 years ago), The Belly Dance Superstars, BB King, Eta James, drummers and dancers put on unbelievable shows. Â I would recommend catching a show to everyone! Â Needless to say that this is one on the most beautiful Frank Llyod Wright buildings that I have seen.
Review Source:I like this venue very much! Â Good acoustics, the walls look as if they're fabric covered but I wasn't sure. Â The seats are comfy, plenty of leg room so you don't fear tripping on someone's foot and landing in someone's crotch. Â The five stars are for the building AND the great performance we saw - LEWIS BLACK. Â If you ever have the opportunity to see this insanely hysterical man then by all means - go! Â If you don't have the money, borrow, beg, get a loan, he will leave you in stitches and that my friend is good medicine! Â My boyfriend laughed so hard that people were laughing at him. Â He has an opening act, "John Bowman" who will get you roaring and prepped for Lewis, one of the best comedians of our time.
Review Source:This is a beautiful place but I didn't see much of it in the dark. David Sedaris seems to like making appearances here so if he's there, then I will be there too. Next time I'll remember to bring my books so he can sign them. It's your typical auditorium with decent seating and sound. I felt more like I was in a movie theatre than anything else. They pumped the air so it was really cold inside. Otherwise, it's a decent place to see a performer. I'm not sure if I'd go all the time just because it's waaaaay out in Marin.
Review Source:All the seats are good. Â The sounds quality is quite nice. Â My favorite part is the unusually ample leg room... people scooting by you to get to their seat is so much less disruptive for it.
What I would add to give it the last star:
1) Some beverage sales before the show. Â If you follow my reviews, you know I am more specifically talking about adult beverages. Â This was more disappointing to me than I care to admit.
2) Some people to assist with parking. Â Having never been here before, we were at a loss as to where to go. Â We found ourselves circling unnecessarily, and quite frustrated.
Hmmm... makes me sound like I'm a lush with a sense of entitlement, doesn't it?
p.s. David Sedaris is brilliant.
'We went to the beach...everybody had matching towels...' There's an odd sort of symmetry to that line and our presence here for our first concert in Marin this evening (B52's).
Last time we were at the Marin Center, we had just come from the beach where we were practically the only occupants, so of course the towels matched, so to speak. Then we got married despite the rush of OMFG, what are we doing?!.... Frank Lloyd Wright buildings have been the scene of many firsts in my life: first musical 'religious experience' when I saw the Dave Brubeck Quintet at a FLW Foundation site in another state....here for our wedding fresh off the beach with only the Marin County Clerk's assistant to perform the honors...and tonight, a concert that made my face hurt because I couldn't stop smiling. It was a great room, a great crowd, and of course, great entertainment.
And now I have a silly stuffed 'rock lobster' staring across the room at me. 'Down....down....DOWN!!'
One word for this place-retro. I agree with others on the odd layout, as there are no aisles (if you are on row 30 across, you will have some work to do to get to the other side), however, there is quite a bit of space in between rows to maneuver. The seats are all a teal color. I felt sitting in the audience that I was a Laugh-In studio guest. My first show there and I got to see Etta James! The acoustics were fabulous and the ushers were quite friendly and helpful.
Review Source:Definitely an interesting space, especially the outside. Although the inside leaves a little to be desired, just seems like an odd layout. Even Ryan Adams pointed out the fact that there was a strange light placed in the very back of the auditorium for no apparent reason. Oh yeah, he rocked the shit out of this place...
Review Source:This venue is a little weird, but anyone who grew up in Marin has to have some love for it.
As kids, I remember every year Warren Miller would premiere his new ski movie there and it was a great time.
In high school I saw Crosby, Stills and Nash there. Well over their prime, but kinda fun all the same.
More recently I've seen the Belly Dance All Stars and the Chinese Acrobats: 2 great shows that I would go to again in a heartbeat.
Earlier this year my high school had it's 35th anniversary party here and the Dobbie Brothers played.
As far as I'm concerned the old, cheesy feel gives the place a little extra charm, and the room is full of memories.
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