Caught a show here on Friday night with a long lost friend. I was late, and still managed to end up directly in front of the stage. This is a beautiful theater, and they pull in some really great acts.
Apparently during the opening act I was standing next to the lead singer for the headlining band. No big deal, just chillin in Maine.
The bathroom and bar lines were really fast. Definitely a place I will revisit the next time I am in Portland!
Went to see Lamb of God on 6/16/13. The outside is deceiving, as it looks really small. Inside is much larger. Compared to the venue in Worcester, Mass, I would prefer this venue. The theater was in great shape, the sound was great. Parking is not too bad. We ended up paying only 5 dollars for a lot behind a bike shop a block down. Not too bad, but no outdoor smoking area :(
Review Source:Just got back from seeing "The Moth" show. It was a nice enough show, but we must strongly echo other reviewers who talk about the seats. We are big girls, and used to getting seats on the aisle and being a little snug, but never have I paid so much $$ for  seats we (and other "average" and "small" size folks) just couldn't sit in comfortably, mostly because of leg/knee room. There isn't any, at least in the upper balcony seats. Luckily, the "sold out" show wasn't really (or folks just didn't show up?) and an usher directed us to empty seats in the front row of the upper balcony. What would we have done had the show been truly "sold out?" Not entirely sure. We spoke about standing in the back. We could not, in a truly "sold out" house, have spent all that time in those seats. Also, it was VERY hot and stuffy. The theatre needs to warn people about these seats. Or maybe charge five bucks for them. Or get some new ones.
Review Source:Never before have I been to a theater with more bars, or at least kiosks. Â There are 6 areas on the first floor alone that will happily serve you a beverage. Â Balcony, add a few more. Â There is even a bar at the top of the upper balcony. Â Amazing!
Good acoustics. Â Very good line-up of mid level entertainers. Â Nice to see that they are booking talent of this level. Â Could still use some renovations and improvements. Â Seats would be my first choice. Â I am only 5'9" tall and was pretty uncomfortable.
Very happy to head back and see a show there any time I am up in Portland.
There are two listings for State Theatre, so for those of you who are looking to read about it, make sure to look at the reviews on both listings.
Anyway, State Theatre is a nice sized venue for Portland, Maine that attracts a great variety and high quality set of acts, but is marred by structural problems that hinder the experience.
Pros:
-State Theatre has a regional dominance on diverse talents of a specific popularity level, and probably has the best event listing in northern New England
-The staff kept the lines moving fast with clearly dedicated areas to merchandise, food/drink, etc.
-In most areas, the sound is solid and can be heard throughout
Cons:
-The seats were designed without consideration for people over 5'6".
-As a theatre, it gets uncomfortably warm and stays uncomfortably warm, even in the summer
-The venue has both GA standing and seating, which promotes problems when the entire venue is designated as GA.
I have been to the State Theatre a couple times, once for Sara Bareilles and once for Ingrid Michaelson in April 2011 and July 2012 respectively. It's actually pretty easy to get in and out. There's a garage about two blocks away that ended up being about $15, or if you're willing to walk, there's a lot of street parking that doesn't carry the charge. The line to get in wrapped around the building and we were inside within ten minutes. They did do a cursory search of bags but nothing intrusive and once you're inside, you're largely on your own to find seats.
As I said, they get a lot of GREAT acts. Within the next month (from this review), they'll get Girl Talk, Odd Future, M83, Of Monsters and Men, Dropkick Murphys, and Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. It's a list that would make the House of Blues in Boston blush. This, compounded with the fact that (except for the very top) the sound is good, makes it a top-flight choice for fans to go to.
The place does have some issues that do prevent me from coming back and prevent it from really being great, some of which are endemic to older theatres.
First of all, for the show we went to in July, it was sweltering. It was about 75 degrees outside and had to be at least 85 inside throughout. The place held heat from the past hot weeks and didn't let go. This will happen at most places that aren't equipped for air conditioning, but it got bad. Not a huge deal but an issue.
Second, and more concerning, the lack of leg room is bad. I'm 6'4", I understand that leg room isn't going to be there for me, but the friend I went with was 5'0" and was jammed in. Both times, I got lucky enough to find some seats (first row balcony, an odd pair near the bar) that had extra room, but most seats were REALLY packed together. I'd even say it's worse than Fenway. It's that bad. If you'e tall and want to sit down, get there early enough to grab a balcony seat, an aisle seat, or be ready to be cramped.
Note: If you are very tall and don't mind some loud talking behind you, there's a pair of seats near the top of the balcony seating that have a LOT of leg room. Other than that, aim for "first" rows.
Third, State Theatre has both a standing area near the stage and seating both on the lower and upper level. However, the "GA" applies to all areas. Ideally, "x" people would go on the floor, and "y" people would want seats, where y = the number of seats. Life's not ideal. I sat close to the bar in stadium seats, and there were usually 10-15 (loud) people standing in the bar area (which was not GA floor or seating), waiting for seats to open. I saw two girls go to the bathroom, and where three people from the bar swooped up the seats before they got back. Those girls were then forced to go elsewhere even though they were there early enough to grab some seats. It's fair game but poor form, and an inevitable result of having GA with mixed formats, especially for a show like Ingrid Michaelson that doesn't encourage a floor experience (I'd guess Girl Talk would have the opposite issue)
I will say, the addition of a bar in the balcony area is a good idea in theory, but does encourage loud talking in a cavernous area, that can prove disruptive. Another reviewer mentioned Fiona Apple and her opening act having an issue with loud talking in the back, and I could see why, the sound bounces back there and large groups
All in all, not a horrible venue that is buoyed by a great show booker, but that may be passed by more current, artist/fan friendly concert location options.
The State. Hm. Went to see the Great Fiona Apple there, was shocked to see 4 bars inside, and it was hotter than the core of H E double hockey sticks. She (Fiona) even complained of the heat. Her opening act asked several times for the back to SHHHH, which they ignored. It got so bad a friend posted the vido of the yakking online. When it was Fiona's turn, it got a litle better but eventually half the room was too drunk to care so Fiona got upset and walked off. Very Dissapointing.
Review Source:The State is perfection! I saw The Flaming Lips there last night and it was not only an awesome show on the Lips part, but the the theater itself is really beautiful and spacious. I'm used to super crammed music venues. Move to the right and you'll step on someone's foot. Move to the left and you'll knock over someone's beer. That beer may even land on you, making your feet wet and sticky for the rest of the show. And making your neighbors hate you for stepping on their feet and knocking over their beer. All around yucky.
The State has none of that.
First off, this theater has that golden age sort of feel to it. Lots of molding and decorative, ornate touches. There's a large open space that starts at the foot of the stage and extends back a ways, standing room only. I was standing in an area behind that, with beautiful cushioned old-fashioned seating and lots of room to dance. And there's a balcony for yet even more standing/sitting/dancing. It's great. The State also has two bars, and they serve food. What could be better!?!
Thank the lords of rock this place is back open. The venue attracts just the right type of bands. Unless you prefer megastars like kasha, just wait it out and that special up-and-coming band you've been dreaming of will show up.
In eighth grade I got i to jam bands like you wouldn't believe and I kept the faith. The Gods of rock blessed me with three visits from Moe (two nights in a row were recorded for a cd) and a visit from String Cheese Incident.
The reason this place doesn't get five stars, and maybe I'll change this if and when I go back for another show, is back in the day security could be suffocating. Suffice to say, it's a good venue for setting aflame certain herbs, but concertgoer beware, they will eyeball you like eagles.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,971 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,316 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,913 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,986 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
