The State Theatre

If you want to sit during shows where there are tables, don't eat before you arrive as apparently you have to buy $10 worth of food (which oddly enough can't just be drinks) in order to be allowed to sit. I'm guessing this requirement is in place to ensure that their kitchen staff has something to do but it'd be handy if the stated this when you purchased tickets, hence the loss of a star.

As a music venue, this is a great location with adequate facilities, multiple bars and competent staff. It's clean, safe and the sound travel well regardless of which floor you are on. In fact, if not for the weird food requirement and the fact it's not metro accessible I'd rate it as my top local pick to see shows at.

As a place to eat... keep it simple. Dishes are plain and will fill the hole in your belly but nothing really stands out as exceptional. Then again, it doesn't stand out as bad either. Just make sure you order at least $10 of it of course... otherwise you'll be eating standing up :)

Great place for shows, plenty of space to sit down if you want to or get up close to the stage.

I'm conflicted on the State Theater as a music venue.  On the one hand, it's great in terms of atmosphere and not terrible for the acoustics - on the other there's the people running it.

The building itself is amazing, from the upper auditorium seating to the dance floor out front, and all of the small architectural details make this a great building to attend a concert in.  The drinks were really expensive given the light pours, but I guess that's kind of expected at any concert venue.

The bartenders, security guards, and waitresses - however - were all bad at their jobs and rude about being bad at their jobs.  The bartender was slower than molasses and gave me shit when I asked for some ones in change.  No, I'm not going to tip you $5 on on a $10 drink - giving me 2 fives back as change from my $20 was sleazy.  While I was waiting (for the previously mentioned slow bartender), I was literally pushed out of the way by a waitress trying to get her order in.  Was I in the service well dedicated to the waitresses? No, just at the normal part of the bar.  She had her *very own dedicated part of the bar* to order drinks from - but apparently it was 3 feet too far.  Security was *really* pushy at the end of the show, like told me to get out while I was waiting for my friend to come back from the bathroom (which, apparently, takes 6 years here).

During the show my experience was great - before and after not so much.