Tonight was my first time at this particular venue. And I got to see my favorite band, Streetlight Manifesto.
Let's start with the good. I purchased my tickets months in advance, which turned out to be the smart move, as the show was BEYOND sold out.
All of the venue employees were friendly and flashed smiles. Nothing at all bad to say there 9.5/10.
The sound system was ABOVE par, and sounded great towards the back of the theater where we were. 8/10 (I can not speak for how it sounded towards the front.)
The bartenders were all great, and wait times were low. Although I would like to say that the prices were a bit higher than I expected. (And I live in Hollywood.) The drinks were almost perfect, 7.5/10 in this category.
My only issue; tonight was the hottest day of the year so far in 2013, and inside the venue it felt like over 100 degrees. I'm not sure if it's a regular thing, or if they were having issues with the A/C, but even the ushers and security were suffering from the heat.
Towards the end of the night, it got the point that I kept getting waters from the bar (only $3) and pouring them on people's backs and giving them drinks, just because I was worried about them overheating.
And this is where the venue won me over****: Security saw what I was doing, but instead of getting upset, or giving me any trouble, one of them went to the bar and grabbed two bottles of water and handed them to me, flashed me a smile, and said "Thank you".
They were incredibly attentive with people that obviously needed help, and helped them, instead of getting physical and kicking them out. (Which is the norm in most places.)
This is a Ticketly venue, so of course the fees were outrageous, but that is not the venue's fault.
I'm at shows several times a week, it's my job, and I would rate this experience 8/10 all around. Would 100% come back/host shows there.
This is my favorite intimate venue. You just don't get any closer to the band than you will here. The vibe here is perfect for rock shows. I live in LA and frequent many of the sunset strip venues.. And i wish we had a venue that could seal in the same energy that this place is capable of creating. I've seen a handful of shows here over the years, and even if the band wasn't that great i still had a great time. I see others complaining about the sound.. well, its not an issue if you're right by the stage, and i always have been, so no problem for me there. Parking here is okay, you might have to walk a block but at least you're not paying $20. Cant wait for the next show here!
Review Source:Ventura is a black hole for decent concerts and everyone knows that, but when a good show stops in town during that once in a blue moon, it's nice having this theater as a local option. It's not as nice as most venues in LA or Santa Barbara, but I also haven't had the negative experiences here that a lot of people seem to. Security's been nice to me and extremely lax, never even patting me down. (Reading other reviews, the rude security seems to be from rap shows, which I don't go to. But having grown up in Ventura, all the old fogies here think anyone who likes rap is a chain-smoking thug.)
The interior hasn't really aged well, as while there's some nice decor lining the ceilings, the rest of the place looks pretty run-down, and the doors in the men's bathroom are all torn off (so tough luck if you need to go #2). The sound is also mediocre compared to other similarly sized venues. I also wish they invested in a better ventilation system, because boy, it gets extremely stuffy inside. On the plus side, there isn't a bad view anywhere in the house, although balcony seating is fairly limited, so get there early regardless of whether you want to be on the floor or the balcony. But even if you're in the back, you should be able to see the stage just fine.
Yes, drinks are expensive, but fortunately there are a bunch of cheaper and pretty nice bars in the immediate area. Being in downtown Ventura, it has the perks of some good dinner places within walking distance before you head to the show. Plus parking is free in the garage across the street or any of the nearby lots, which is another plus of being a small-town venue (though avoid street parking since the greedy pigs who run the city recently put meters on the street).
well... my biggest issue is the sound. i mean sure the place looks really REALLY run down and they could at least try to maintain it, Â give it some A/C because it's very super stuffy or the people can be rude but you think they would at least have good sound quality since it is a VENUE. but god is it just pure awful sound.
i would give it 4 stars if they had good sound but the point of the building is for shows/ concerts!
it has so much potential though just add better sound.
What... a.... dump...
I don't care if Rush ever announces a show here (they won't), I'm still not going back.
I found out last minute that Dwight Yoakam was going to be performing here and got soooooooo excited I bought VIP tickets ASAP.
Big mistake.
Our "VIP" tickets were whichever dirty plastic seats we could grab in the "VIP Section" well, the whole point of seeing Dwight - if you're a girl - is to watch him do his little booty scoot across the stage while he serenades you, so you want to get up close right? Well sadly being up close also included being right next to the side doors, which they left open almost all freaking night for smokers. It was raining that night. It was also like, 40 degrees outside. Dwight never got to see my cute lacy top dammit because I was too cold to take my coat off! Not like he would have looked anyway with that hat that's always covering his eyes.
OK but seriously. This is the biggest dive of a venue I have ever been to. And it's just... tacky. They allow one person to take 4 beers at a time. I have never seen this at any other venue. People were so drunk and so wasted that by the time the show started, which was at almost 10PM we had to deal with drunk people all over the damn place, dancing in the aisles, dancing on the chairs. I see other people complaining about security, what security? There were so many wasted people stumbling up and down and nobody to keep them in check. Not to mention half the crowd decided to go out into the aisles to dance. What is the point of me paying for VIP tickets when everybody else is allowed to go down in front, as long as they didn't go down into the pit where other patrons had just enjoyed their really disgusting looking "dinners". And the waitresses act/dress like trailer park strippers. Which, I guess is cool for some people. Â
The sound quality is really horrible as well. I mean, really, really bad.
We ended up leaving early.
Like other people are saying, the place does have a lot of potential. Potential that is NOT going to be met with the current management/staff/owners/whatever....
terrible experience at the snoop dogg show. The manager is the rudest concert venue manager I have ever met. She has about 20 staff members too many, standing around doing nothing but hassling people. I paid to see a show I was denied entrance to. I have never been in a fight and am a clean-cut, young professional. I was very friendly and cooperative and still was disrespected and harassed. Is harassment really worth loosing business, your reputation within the community, and a possible lawsuit? Really wish I could give this negative stars!
Review Source:If I could leave zero I would. First off, screw the supervisor/manager chick with red hair. She's rude and out of line unprofessional!
The management and staff are sad and clearly did not graduate high school.
Came here to see SNOOP DOGG in VENTURA.
with that being said, how the fuck was a dress code "enforced" that REQUIRED collared shirts....or, you could pay $25 for a snoop dogg shirt. Sounds like forced sales to me. My hubby and roommate, who were both dressed very nicely and who are professionals, one being a professional photographer who was dressed very nicely, was denied entrance, while men, in their 40s/50s and up wearing thermals and henly shirts were welcomed in. We aren't 18, not even 21, we are adults and were told the men i was with would be denied entrance unless they went and changed (the venue was 30 minutes away from my house so changing wasn't a fair option) so we were FORCED to buy snoop dogg shirts THAT WERE T-SHIRTS FROM HANES WITH NO COLLARS, to gain entrance to the show. The management's rational; If there are collard shirts, there will be less fighting.
Hmmmmm, well i am currently getting my masters right now, MBA, and I have vast law experience and social justice background, and I really could not fathom what the fuckin' correlation was with collard shirts and fighting.... You would think ALL the girls that were dressed slutty and unprofessional, would be more of the source of a fight, than (2) 25 year old guys, one in a nice $300 peacoat.
Now if we step back and take a look, let's check something out. I would assume, and my assumption is very rational, that if you MAKE 200+ people buy snoop dogg BLACK t-shirts, that people, who all blend in to each other, would be much more likely to fight, than if people are all dressed in what the hell they came dressed in, in which you could EASILY spot the trouble maker from the crowd.
Basically, our group. which included my 55 year old DISABLED mother, had to be hassled, while tons of people waltzed right in, many, if not at least half, with NON-COLLARD SHIRTS.
My mother was pushed by the staff inside of the venue when she was standing next to a woman in a wheel chair because the staff told her she had to move. Now she is disabled, recently underwent knee surgery, and has a registered handicapped vehicle of which we drove there in. Why in the WORLD would the old, fat, dirty staff guy shove my mom out of the way? Also, they refused to allow my mom to walk through the booze area unless they saw her ID. Really. She could have been the guys moms, she clearly looks over age, are you kidding me?
My hubby went and complained to the bitch chick who was the "manager" who called him a condescending asshole...
really, clearly she was just trying to use big words, if anyone was condescending it was the:
-STAFF
-MANAGEMENT
-VENUE
-PEOPLE ALLOWED IN THAT WERE NOT IN DRESS CODE COMPLIANCE AND STILL ADMITTED WITHOUT A HASSLE
Sadly also, besides my good standing with Yelp, of which the 5 people I was with last night will all chime in and verify this situation on yelp, I will be filing a BBB claim against the establishment as well as utilize my contact within the local media outlets both in ventura county and santa barbara county, to review this venue because it should be condemned.
My mother, who as I mentioned before is older and has a new knee, is also considering a suit because she was shoved and we have several witness testimonies, contact information, and photos.
FUCK THIS VENUE. You messed with the wrong people and not only will refunds be given (my claim has already been filed), I am going to raise awareness within our community that this venue is garbage and the idiots that are staffed should go to adult ed and try to get an education because they all were complete morons.)
Also, I thought it was hilarious that at a SNOOP DOGG concert people were smoking joints and what not within the venue and we saw several bouncers walk up to specific smokers, and grab the pot out of their hand. Yet the massive entourage's of the bands all were ON STAGE smoking up a storm.
MAYBE IF THE MAJESTIC THEATRE CAN'T HANDLE SNOOP DOGG SHOWS THEN THEY SHOULD NOT HOST. FOR THE HASSLE AND MONEY, I WOULD HAVE MUCH RATHER SEEN HIM IN LA. AT LEAST PEOPLE ARE REAL THERE!
ALSO ALSO ALSO
THE MOST WATERED DOWN BEER IN TOWN. THIS PLACE SUCKS!
Such a shame. Â This venue has such potential. Â A beautiful, and what looks to be, historical spot right here in the heart of Ventura. Â And yet clearly, the owners of this establishment don't seem to give much of a crap at all about what sort of a product it represents. Â
The inside of the Ventura theater is run down, dilapidated, musty, and just generally kinda gross. Â Place needs some new ownership and a major overhaul.
Worst of all, for any concertgoer here, is the sad excuse for a sound system here. Â I'm not sure exactly is this is due to the ancient nature of the equipment that they're still using, or the ears of the soundman running the show. Â Either way, there's really no excuse for having sound that is this shitty coming through the speakers at a concert venue. Â As someone who used to run sound for several venues in various cities, I was horrified. Â C'mon guys - you're a CONCERT venue for gawd's sake. Â Have a little pride in your room. Â If you can't make it look any nicer, at least make it sound good. Â
Terrible excuse for a concert venue. Â Place is really only worth 1 star. Â But I give it a second one strictly for potential. Â And I hope that someone comes along soon, buys this place and restores it to the kind of venue that it should be. Â Maybe then Ventura might be able to secure a decent act coming through town from time to time.
Beautiful old theater that was restored about 20 years ago. Â But it's poorly maintained, has awful sound and over-priced drinks (a $9. beer!).
Worse yet, they serve unlimited drinks to drunks, and sell SRO tickets--so there were throngs of stumbling drunks in the aisles, trying to shout over the music.
Too bad, because it once was a great venue.
I thought this place was the PERFECT size for a punk show. not too hot and sweaty and small enough to get into the mix. There was no lights and 2/5 working toilets in the ladies room and the place overall was a little grubby. Added to the ambiance of the night, I suppose. Can I get a sani-wipe?
Review Source:The Ventura Majestic Theatre is a great venue for great concerts. I've been to many, many, many concerts there and some of the shows have been hit or miss. The last concert I went to was Groundation and it was awesome! They did a Bob Marley tribute concert that they've been doing for the past 7 years. The Ventura Theatre charge a reasonable price for their shows. The security is always chill and the venue is big enough to not feel like sardines in a tin can. The venue has a retro feel to it. It is two stories so you can watch the show from the second floor.
The parking structure by the theatre is free!
The downsides: 1) the beer prices... Jahebus Christmas!!! $8 bucks for a beer!! If you want to drink try to drink before the show. 2) Once you're in you're in! So if you need to go outside for some reason they don't allow you to return. 3) The sound is often off. When I watched The Expendables I couldn't understand the singer! He sounded like he decided to sing after sucking in some helium.
Hands down this is one of the most beautiful venues to see a concert at. The decor is reminiscent of the 1920's. The sound was a little weird, though. The bass was "muddy" for lack of a better word. I saw Groundation there a few nights ago and the bass was simply not very clear or easy to listen to.
Beer was $9 for a 10 oz cup. Wow...
I came here a few nights ago for NOFX and Lagwagon. I was amazed that the parking structure across the street was FREE! (I think that was the best part about this venue). The ticket takers and the woman who patted me down were friendly and easy-going, which of course, was a plus.
Aesthetically, the place was beautiful. They had an upstairs section with seating, and the bottom floor was split up into 3 sections. The very bottom by the stage was all ages, but pretty small, which sucked for dancing/forming a pit. The middle section was 21+, with security guards standing by the steps to make sure no one underage got in. The back had the most room and had a bar, so I'm assuming it was 21+. I didn't purchase any alcohol, but water was $3. Not shocked, but most other venues that I've been to have given out free cups of water.
The sound was terrible, as it kept cutting out during both band's set. However, I had no problems with security, but maybe I caught them on a good night.
Overall, it was a decent venue. Not the worst, not the best.
This place needs help. Their history is what is keeping them alive. Security needs to relax, sound guy seems to be suffering from hearing damage because sound levels are always way off.
Alcohol prices are outrageous and largely why I don't go there anymore.
The acts are mediocre too. Once a year they seem to have a big act come through but it's always some half-ass burn out like Joan Jett or something. How about some real talent? Oh right because real talent costs money and they can't afford to shell out for a decent act.
Also, the pay to play policy for young  bands is bullshit. I've played in bands and we always had to struggle to sell enough tickets just to get to play and after we did sell enough tickets we didn't get a cut.
Place needs help. I suggest big bands stop playing here until they get their shit together. Security needs to relax and the management needs to get a clue. I've seen security get into fist fights with lead singers, people outside, people inside, people at the bar....go join an MMA gym, tough guy.
How to save the theater? Lower alcohol prices, bring in better acts and use local talent as support for the bigger acts. Limit shows to 4 bands per bill and stop with all of the hardcore and punk shows. That's why the surfer gangs show up and fights breakout. Punk is on life support, VC, pull the plug already and get on with some meaningful and unique music.
I came here earlier this month with my boyfriend to see Panic at the Disco! Parking here is super easy (and free) compared to other places, like House of Blues or The Wiltern. You can park at the park right across the street - I promise your car won't get towed (we parked there for at least 5 hours). I think the sign says that you can't park after a certain time or there's a time limit, but lots of other cars were parked there and I didn't see anyone getting towed or getting a ticket.
The venue is super pretty on the inside! It's close to a lot of places to eat and a Starbucks, so you can go get a drink or a snack while or before you're waiting in line :) Security didn't check us at all when we went in, so maybe you can save yourself some money and sneak a drink in hahahaha.
We stood by the barricade and I was SUPER annoyed that the security guys who were standing by it kept leaving during the concert and squeezing past us -___- It was already crowded enough in there, we don't need bulky guys pushing into us! Security was rude after the concert ended, they kept screaming "GET OUT OF HERE! WE WANT TO GO HOME!" and trying to get people out and saying "You only have five more minutes to go use the restroom" even though the show just ended. Um, what the heck, there's only so many stalls and I need to alleviate myself, okay?
It's really easy to meet performers after the show since the tour buses are parked right outside of the venue - you can't miss them! I would suggest trying to wait in front of one for the artist after the show. We got to meet Patrick Stump (formerly from Fall Out Boy) after the show because he and his band opened! Meeting Panic was harder because security was surrounding their bus and the band just went in without signing autographs since they weren't feeling well. Oh well, either way I'm sure it'd be easier to meet band members here than any other venue.
Overall good concert experience here, I'd go back again! It's right near the beach and the pier too so you can go check it out before the concert if you come early enough! There's also a 7-11, AM PM, and Denny's off of the next freeway exit in case you want food after the concert :)
Went to see Talib Kweli and wow talk about a bad experience. Lets start the show off with some drinks right? So I go to the bar and I order a beer and a shot for a outrageous amount but shrug it off like no biggie. So I start to walk towards the stage and am stopped by security who tells  me I can not leave a certain designated drinking area. I have never seen this before at any venue. So everyone who bought drinks that night had to stay in this crammed space like herded up sheep. Very uncomfortable feeling all around.
  Ok on to the show the sounds system was in need of a serious upgrade and the sound guy had no idea how to balance out the levels at all. Horrible sound, It was so bad that we decided to leave. I have never done this before coming to Ventura Theater of hate. I will never again go to this theater for any show ever again.
My first experience at the Ventura Theater was great, Johnny A and I went and saw Danzig! Oh Yes!
Parking was easy, we parked on the street by the nearby park and it was free and easy. Â
The staff was very friendly from the ticket taker, the person that felt me up to the security dudes inside and bartenders, everyone that I encountered was really nice and helpful. Â
The theater itself is aesthetically amazing, this place is just beautiful, I want to live here. Â The ceilings are grand, the stairways are nice, the bathrooms are gross but it's a venue. Â
My boyfriend and I sat upstairs because we didn't want to deal with the crowd, the sound sucked and we thought it was the bands' faults but reading past Yelp! reviews I can see that it is the theater's. Â This is a pretty major deal, I couldn't understand a word that any singer was singing and half of the vocals didn't come through. Â Really, I should knock them more than one star for this but I'm hoping that they are aware and will fix the issue. Â
I have to give this place major stardom simply because I went and saw Danzig so of course my night was amazing.
Please fix the cruddy sound system because the entire point is to hear our favorite bands. Â Thanks!
Sigh.. I have seen a ton of bands here, and every time I come, I regret it immediately after.
The sound system is complete shit.. good luck hearing anything but muffled bass noises with an occasional vocal blasting thru. The further you go back, the lousier the sound is.
Security.. could anyone be more pompous douche bags? I wonder if they just hand out applications to people as they walk out of jail. Need a job beating the shit out of people for low pay? Then this job is for you!! Â I felt like I was getting patted down and searched before going into a prison. I don't think it was necessary to totally grope my boobs and stick fingers under my bra wire. Second worst security people next to the Hollywood Palladium... Look I get, it, Danzig doesn't like having photos taken of him, but anytime someone even broke out a phone to text, security was rounding them up to toss them out. Even people standing next to others smoking weed would get ousted by the "janitor" who picks up cups and walks around pointing out people smoking weed (or people he thinks were smoking) to security. WATCH OUT FOR THAT SNITCH!!! I watched people who weren't doing anything get dragged out of the show to be searched so they could find nothing and send them back in. Big waste of time if you ask me. Being surprised people smoke pot at a concert is like being surprised you found drunk people in a bar.
Over priced beers and booze.. no surprise.
I can understand how security can get a little over zealous with metal shows, but I have been there for hippie shows and jam bands, and got treated the same way. Pure fail as far as security goes.
The plus? The parking I guess.. and the fact that it is in Ventura.
I want to like this venue a lot more, but I also want to give it one star out of sheer contempt. Â Instead, I'll be fair and give it two stars, because the theater itself is a really great room for loud amplified, music.
It is the horrid, completely unprofessional staff--particularly the security staff--which destroys what would otherwise be a splendid place to see a show. Â I used to have a little empathy for them, because I figured the city of Ventura was running a tight ship, but when I went to a more "highbrow" show and saw how they completely changed their posture, I decided to call it quits on the place. Â
The security staff, for most shows, are not only abrasive, abusive, violent, and shockingly aggressive at times, but some of them dress in offensive, inappropriate, and unprofessional attire (the swastikas on t-shirts I have seen more than once.) Â To be honest, they all seem like tweeker scum-bags who just got out of the joint. Â It's awful, and they are awful, and they diminish the experience of seeing a band perform at the otherwise decent venue. Â But, this is apparently one of at least two completely different postures the security staff take on, depending on their assessment of the act, and it's fans, and the potential for problems which might arise with those fans. Â In my defense, I have never gone to any shows there at which I expected fans to be rowdy, aggressive, or potentially violent. Â I mostly went to see hippie bands, and classic rock shows there--never the sort of acts known (or perceived) for having unruly fans.
So, I quit going there for a while. Â Then, in early 2009, I went there for what they must have decided was a more dignified act. Â It was the first seated show I'd seen there, and the band was a bit more dignified from the usual fare. Â To my surprise, the security's posture and professionalism had dramatically changed. Â I'd heard that they were trying to clean-up their act, and I thought this might be the new deal with the venue. Â I was shocked that they were downright cordial at the show. Â But it didn't last. Â The next time I went there, later that year, it was possibly worse than it had ever been. Â I saw them throw people out of the venue just for being unlucky enough to have had someone standing nearby smoke a bit of pot--prompting security to eject not only the offender, but completely unrelated people around her. Â I have also seen them forcibly throw patrons out of the venue (literally "throwing people out of the venue.") Â That is not acceptable behavior. Â The City of Ventura should not stand for it.
If the jerks who run the Majestic really want to know how to treat people right, they could look just about anywhere else, because this place is probably on the top of my list of worst venues in the country--and it's all because of the staff. Â I've been to a huge number of venues all around North America, and for me to say this place is one of the worst is really a huge statement of contempt. Â I will probably NEVER attend another show there--and I have never actually been confronted or accosted by the security staff. Â I've just seen too much aggression and impoliteness from them over the years. Â Some of the bands I like won't even perform there because of the poor staff and complete disregard for customer service for their fans. Â If you want a much more pleasant concert-going experience, go to the Wiltern, Orpheum, or Music Box in L.A. or the Arlington in Santa Barbara. Â In fact, probably anywhere else will be a great improvement, even the Roxy.
The Majestic Ventura Theater is the real name of this venue. Yelp people, fix the error. Expand its' full name and correct the spelling mistake on "Theatre."
This venues is a personal favorite. Not only is it close to me, but it seems to have the power to attract amazing spanish rock artists. We are talking about bands that can fill up stadiums in their latin american/iberian homeland. I've been to this venue for shows numerous occasions and the atmosphere is always amazing. The building itself is beautiful. Nicely decorated interior. It is a small venue in the heart of downtown ventura (sure beats going to some huge theater, stuck in traffic for an hour). Its' size works wonders for this place, no matter where you stand you are always close enough. And surprisingly, ticket prices seem to be always reasonable.
Standing room area only in the front contributes to a great atmosphere, especially when Cafe Tacuba rolls in to town. The only thing I really oppose are the way overpriced drinks!
But to have consistently great artists come this close at this venue for their price, easy 5 star choice.
Went to the Ventura Theatre for an art & fashion show, my daughter was modeling in, Â put on by Natural Born Beauties and had a lot of fun. Â The building is a historic treasure in itself (built in 1928!) and I think it's great that it's up & running.
The fashion show was a lot of fun and the proceeds were donated to Dobies & Little Paws, a no-kill animal sanctuary. Â I would have given 5 stars but the prices on the food and drinks were on the high side - $3.00 for a small bottle of water and $2.00 for a pretzel...!
(There are some great shows scheduled - Bob Saget, Terri Clark, Los Lobos, 3OH!3) Check out their schedule of upcoming events...!
A couple of weeks ago, we were invited as guests to see Blue Oyster Cult and had a good first time visit to this concert hall.
The positives are that this venue is nicely located to home, the downtown bars & restaurants, fairly intimate in size, and offers good acoustics.
What I didn't care for was the moldy scent, plastic chairs, jammed men's room, and overpriced draft beers that taste watered down.
Would I go back again for the right entertainment? You bet, but I'll be spending my drinking money around town before I get in there.
The Ventura Theater is great for one reason - its the only thing we have that can really hold a concert other than the fair grounds.
I have seen quite a lot of concerts at the Theater, from huge names to local artists and I do enjoy going. Especially since its a small theater and it's very intimate.
The place is sort of a dump though and the employees they have working it are almost always rude and unpleasant to deal with.
I like the setup to this venue. Old style theater. Which is really good for seeing concerts since you can see everything from any angle in the building. I also like the seating on the balcony which provides yet another vantage point.
I didn't have any problems with the security going in, which I normally do, so I thought that was a plus. All the times I've been here I've never bought a drink so I can't comment on their bar aspect.
The only major complaint I have is with the acoustics at this place. The big open theater construction tends to muddy out the sound the further back you go. So it seems if you go further than 50 feet away from the stage the less clear the audio is from the stage on the overhead speakers. Other than that though, this place is nice.
I love this place. Â I have been here several times to see Social D play and once to see Garbage. Â The venue is small enough that you feel really close but not so small that you cant move around. Â
Hells Angels showed at both of the Social D shows. Â Not there to cause havoc but definitly knew it would go down if someone was dumb enough to start havoc. Â "When the ANGELS sing"!
I really enjoyed Garbage too. Great show. Â Its been a while but the place is a great place to catch a show.
You can leave the theater and hit some of the local main street area bars. Â Love me some ventura. Â Sorry I ever moved. Â Actually Im glad my ex moved, I just wish i would have stayed. Â That would have been nice.
oh fuck i love this place. its beautiful. one of my favorite venues of all times, hands down.
the security is cool, not a bunch of jar head assholes trying to prove a point. the sound system was awesome from what i can remember. the bartenders were actually NICE which was amazing. maybe its because this place is OUTSIDE los angeles city limits.
but yea, awesome venue, nice bartenders, good prices, good sound.
one word of caution though:
DO NOT DRINK IN THE PARKING LOT ACROSS THE STREET. Ventura county PD WILL bust your ass.
other than that, this place and the whole surrounding area is awesome.
loves it! im so glad the deftones choose to play at this place whenever they can.
This place is old as hell and gorgeously decorated, old-fashioned of course. I've been here a few times to see Reverend Horton Heat. The venue is in the heart of downtown Ventura, close to bars, restaurants, and free parking. Sound is good and there are different levels you can sit at or stand in the pit. I used to have a friend who worked here who was reeeally (almost too much) into the haunts who hang out here. According to him, one of the ghosts, a teenage girl, would appear at prom time when the local high school would have their dance at the Theatre. How cliche. However, I did once meet another bartender, a non-believer, who did confirm that yes, weird, unexplainable shit happens in the Theatre on occasion. Hmmm...?
Review Source:Boooo... I came here today to see The Mars Volta. I had been here several times before to see Morrissey, Death By Stereo and Strung Out. Every time I have been here I have been horribly disappointed by this place. The sound is terrible in this venue... it just sounds awful. The room is set up a little like the Wiltern, with tiers of people standing on each level. It is incredibly annoying that to get into the back two tiers, you have to have proof of age... which while I am over 21, I don't drink and so I don't automatically think to go get an age verification band when I get to the venue. This sucks... now I gotta go back out and get a wristband... booooo.
The night gets worse when I try to use the restrooms. OH MAN... GROSS. These may be some of the worst bathrooms that I have ever been in. It was clear that no one has tended to them at all through out the night. Several of the stalls were unusable, stopped up with TP and waste... ewwwww. There were no more paper towels either. I felt like I needed a shower when I left there.
Overall, the place gets two stars for the decent shows they book and easy parking. Otherwise, I would just make the trip out to the Fonda or the House of Blues in Hollywood.
Ah, the Majestic Ventura Theatre as is its formal name. I went to my first concert here when I was in junior high and have continued to come here ever since. A lot of awesome bands come here that you think would not come to such a small setting. I'm not sure how old the building is, but it has a sort of goth look to it. It almost looks like there used to be balconies for people to sit at and watch from in older times. Now the venue is all general admission. Meaning the whole first floor is all open space, free for you to walk wherever you want and fight the crowd to get to the very front if you'd like. Also opened to mosh pits (watch out for security).The second floor has seating where you are welcomed to go and sit if you feel like it. There is a door on the far left side where you can walk outside and smoke. The only reason why I don't give it 5 stars is because of the sound system. Incredibly loud where your ears will be ringing for days because you're literally standing right in front of several huge speakers. But at the same time it's not clear. If you're there to listen to music you would think the sound system would be great. I still think it's a great venue because you can be right in front of the band instead of going to a huge arena where they look ant size. Plus this place is beautiful.
FYI- Ventura Theatre is supposed to be HAUNTED. Supposedly the huge chandelier above can be seen swaying when there is no wind in there among other things. I always tend to look up whenever i'm there to try and catch something. Found this in a book of ghosts from ventura county that i own.
I'm going to continue to shower accolades on places like this. Really great looking, nostalgic old theatre that has been given a chance to wow a whole new generation of people. It looks great, and dare I say it's the perfect size for my personally to see a show. The architecture is impressive, and you will spend some time staring at the ceiling. It's okay, everyone else is doing it too. It looks cool. If you like bands that are not going to attract a huge audience, then pray to your gods that the Ventura theatre is a stop on their tour itinerary. Very accommodating staff, great bar, bathrooms could use some help, and they didn't try to pack as many humans as possible into the joint just to make money or see if they could do it. I could breath inside this place, and I really enjoyed the show. Ventura is also a cool town.
THE KEETH
The Majestic Ventura Theater.
Back in my hardcore concert going days, I would always dream of the right band to play at this venue, only to realize if it ever happened (which, actually, happened quite often), I still would be without a car to get me to friggin' Ventura.
Fast forward to today with me all growed up, with a car of my own, and  a place to hang out and crash before/after the show that includes a concert buddy. It seemed like all signs pointed to my needing to finally see a show here.
It's wonderful to see the place is more or less being maintained to conserve the majesty of this theater, including the marquee out front, the neon and the decor inside and out. Its location in Downtown Ventura is wonderful too, which provides concert goers many places to go for a meal, a drink or few before/after the show and even *FREE* parking.
The house is situated similar to that of the Wiltern or the Grove of Anaheim: there are different tiers and barriers leading towards the stage, of which the higher tiers are outfitted with tables and plastic lawn chairs where one can sit if one's so inclined. This is useful for the more rowdy shows, where you can keep the pit in the front, and be completely safe from moshers just a few steps up.
As for the sound, it's pretty good. It's not the best I heard, but it's loud enough without it making your ears bleed, and the sound guy seems to know what he's doing. Lighting guy does a good job, as well.
Best yet is the fact that the venue is not short of amazing acts that stop on by...not so bad for a little venue in a sleepy beach town.
In all, I'm once again primed and ready to wait until the planets align and the most amazing concert makes its way to this place.
We saw Hot Hot Heat at our local downtown Ventura Theatre on Friday night and I think my ears are still ringing, and I wore earplugs. Â They don't crank it up to 11, they crank it up to 111 in there. Â You can't get away from it, no matter where you are once you enter the building, your ears will be attacked. Â It negatively impacted my enjoyment of the show and is responsible for my giving it only two stars.
I have tickets to see They Might Be Giants there on Tuesday and after Friday night's ear splitting show, my excitement to see TMBG has kind of waned. Â If they insist on cranking the sound up like that, it might ruin the delicate sounds of the accordion and glockenspiel, and that just won't stand.
UPDATE 10/3 - After last night's TMBG show, I'm upping my rating to four stars. Â The sound was much better than at the Hot Hot Heat show. Â I didn't use earplugs and my ears aren't ringing at all. Â The sound was very clear and very well mixed and the show was a blast.
Drove all the way there for Morrissey. I like the decor inside although the sound reverberation is really quite bad. But it was Morrissey and he made everything good again. Has a bar and a pop-corn stand.
Oh before I forget, there's an old upright piano near one of the entrances. Cool!
Free parking in a complex just across the street. Tons of small shops to look around.
Will visit again.
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