Looking for a cheap option for some great music? Â This concert hall is right on Northwestern University's campus and the acoustics are really great. Â It is mostly student performances but also will feature the Music School faculty, as well.
I love taking my kids to their Kids Fare concerts. Â At the All About Brass concert, after the concert was over, my kids got to go up on stage for an 'instrument petting zoo' where they got to touch and feel and ask questions about each instrument. Â The tickets are very affordable and they offer an NU discount, as well.
Parking is free in the structure next to it (which includes covered underground parking and above ground) and you've got a gorgeous lakefront view outside.
A concert at Pick-Staiger actually turned out better than I expected.
First, specifics about the hall itself.
-  Excellent acoustics. I was in the balcony, about half way up, and I could hear the rustle of paper as the conductor turned a page. Wow! I should add that the hall was only about half full, but since there were a lot of college students there, their  noise level quotient is higher than the average baby boomer's.
- The house lights go down for the concert, but it's not pitch black. The hall just becomes dim. I could see the musicians on stage perfectly, no problem, and yet, I didn't feel like a cast member in "Scream 4Ever", expecting some scary creep to pop out of the darkness.
- Excellent sightlines.
- Â Would you believe, I had leg room? Yes, it's true. And I'm a tall woman. I actually had leg room. My knees were not jammed against my chest. Wow. That never happens. And during intermission, I did not have to stand on my seat, to allow other patrons to pass by.
- The seat itself was okay, nothing special, but it was comfortable enough. It shows that the hall is a little older. So is my ass (older, I mean, not comfortable), so a little more padding on the chair would have been good.
- The seat numbers were marked clearly enough that I found my seat, quickly and easily, and did not need to pull out magnifying glasses to read the numbers. Good thing, because there were no ushers around. Hire some students! They need all the help they can get to repay their student loans.
For the venue:
- Ample ladies' room, and clean.
- Easy to turn in my groupon for my ticket. Tickets lines were well-marked and organized.
- If there were water fountains, I didn't see them. They must be some, right? If not, that's a ding against the venue.
- No refreshments being sold, anywhere. (See above about water fountains.) I would have paid for a drink of something; didn't have to be alcoholic. Maybe this is some sort of weird Evanston or university ordinance. Refreshments, please.
- Temperature was comfortable. I had an overcoat and was wearing a sweater (layering is so Chicago, I know), but I was perfectly comfortable in my turtleneck.
- There was some kind of free student performance in the lobby before the show. Very nice! Wish there had been some information about who they were, though. I'm assuming students. Give these people a little advertising, please.
- This was a Sunday evening concert, so there was plenty of parking close by.No problem with Northwestern University parking stickers, assigned spots, etc. I got in and out quickly and easily. This might have been tougher if the crowd had been bigger, but, like I said earlier, the hall was only half full.
Bottom line: recommended. Good venue for music. I would definitely be happy to hear any musical act here. Or play, for that matter, given the solid acoustics.
Pick-Staiger is and always will be a special place to me. As an undergrad at NU in the late '70's, I attended many events there. I remember attending an "electronic" music concert in 1977. The performer told us then that electronic music would be the wave of the future. We thought the concert was fun, but "weird". All in all, to the musician who purportedly has played Pick on several occassions; Pick is not and never will be a 'run down theatre'. Perhaps you have Pick confused with your living quarters.
Review Source:I absolutely love the accoustics at Pick-Staiger.  My high school orchestra and band still give a concert here yearly, all the way from Buffalo Grove.  I still remember how beautiful it sounded!  Catch a concert here if you can!  (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pickstaiger.com&s=d342d059a15a4ba4f643ba1a00df46dfce762d906e1e6a28a042f9731cdfe4cc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.pickstaiger.c…</a>)
Review Source:I had my college graduation here. Â It's surprisingly small but very cozy, with a far-up balcony and a few rows main level. Â A friend of the family comes here often for concerts, and she's from the far South Side of Chicago. Â That's saying a lot about the quality of this establishment.
Review Source:Located on Northwestern University's Evanston Campus, Pick-Staiger (Pick, if you will) holds many school of music, Evanston Symphony Orchestra (ESO), and North Shore concerts throughout the year. They also host the National High School Music Institute over the summer, providing many free concerts to the public.
The hall is mainly student run and does a good job of it. All seats are good in the 1000 seat theater. The hall also uses what's called a 'cloud' system for acoustics - glass panels that can be raised or lowered according to the concert size. Check out the jazz nights and its sister small theater next door  'Regenstein.'
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