Paramount Theatre

While looking for tickets to see Jimmy Eat World I stumbled across a venue located in a town I've never heard of. So I decided to Google search Paramount Theatre in Casa Grande (pronounced "grand" apparently) to see what I was getting myself into.

After exploring the website I was able to see that the Paramount Theatre is a non-profit theater that host a variety of "acts" and shows from country western to big band. Located in a what seems to be a throw back to the 60's downtown area, the lights of the theater illuminate the dark dessert Arizona skies beautifully. This historic theater seemed small and quaint enough for me to purchase two tickets to see my favorite band. Even though the drive was 6+ hours for me from California, the experience at Paramount Theatre was well worth every mile.

The Paramount is tiny! I've seen bigger auditoriums in middle schools! That being said the restoration/maintenance is very well done. Once you enter the front doors there is a small area to gather before entering the main theater doors. Bathrooms located on both sides of the waiting area were small but clean and well maintained. As you enter the main theater you will see that the decor is Egyptian themed. I'm not sure why but after taking it all in I'd say it actually worked. The stage itself is tiny and probably not elevated more than 4-5 feet about the crowd. There is also no permanent seating in the theater (online you can see tables and chair set up for certain shows) so we were able to the front of the stage for the concert which made the experience that much better!

I've been to some really small venues before (Ventura Majestic Theater) but this one easily takes the cake. With that being said the employees at the theater were very friendly and made us feel very comfortable. The fans (which I assume many were locals) were very cool and relaxed which only enhanced my experience at the concert. I am so grateful I was able to not only watch my favorite band again (5th time) but I was able to see them at this awesome theater. Thanks to the wonderful people of Casa Grande and employees at the Paramount for a memorable experience!