Austin Music Hall

Background in performance and event coordination. I understand things happen, but... Pros: Most staff was friendly Cons: See review more

I won't bother repeating what all of the other reviewers here have said because they are all 100% correct. You should really think hard about spending money to see any musician at this venue. It's unfortunate if your favorite band in the whole world decides to play here because this venue is so unbelievably terrible. If that musician is playing in a nearby city, like S.A or Dallas your'e better off making the drive. Pros: The will call line was short Cons: everything more

I won't bother repeating what all of the other reviewers here have said because they are all 100% correct. You should really think hard about spending money to see any musician at this venue. It's unfortunate if your favorite band in the whole world decides to play here because this venue is so unbelievably terrible. If that musician is playing in a nearby city, like S.A or Dallas your'e better off making the drive. Pros: The will call line was short Cons: everything more

Just saw The Cure there 6/8/08. Unbarably hot and over crowded! I had to complain to high hell to even get to a spot where we could (almost) see the show. The acoustics in the building are some of the worst i have ever heard and i have been in the business for many years...their sound engineer needs to be drawn and quartered! we were fortunate enought to find one helpful staff member who was kind enough to move us to one of the VIP areas so that my girlfriend could enjoy her b-day present. Needless to say we will never return to AMH. The poor people on the ground floor were packed in like sardines! I can only imagine what they had to do when they needed to go to the bathroom. Unless you are a glutton for punishment, not to mention throwing away your hard earned money, don't go to Austin Music Hall!!!!!! Pros: plenty of parking Cons: everything else more

Just saw The Cure there 6/8/08. Unbarably hot and over crowded! I had to complain to high hell to even get to a spot where we could (almost) see the show. The acoustics in the building are some of the worst i have ever heard and i have been in the business for many years...their sound engineer needs to be drawn and quartered! we were fortunate enought to find one helpful staff member who was kind enough to move us to one of the VIP areas so that my girlfriend could enjoy her b-day present. Needless to say we will never return to AMH. The poor people on the ground floor were packed in like sardines! I can only imagine what they had to do when they needed to go to the bathroom. Unless you are a glutton for punishment, not to mention throwing away your hard earned money, don't go to Austin Music Hall!!!!!! Pros: plenty of parking Cons: everything else more

As a veteran of 100's of concerts this has to be the worst conceived and managed venues ever, not sure if its a despicable combination of laziness and greed or just plain incompetence. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the Cure at the Austin City Music Hall and it was absolutely terrible: overcrowded, no seating, people were literally falling all over each other fighting for a space, visibilty was terrible. Benches are way too low you actually have to squat, but no matter ,you'll find yourself standing through the whole concert and most likely staring at the back of someones head unless your 6+ feet tall. Bottom line do not go unless your a teenager or you're absolutely desperate to see your fave band Pros: Absolutely nothing Cons: Overcrowded, no reserved seating, terrible visibility, poor sound more

As a veteran of 100's of concerts this has to be the worst conceived and managed venues ever, not sure if its a despicable combination of laziness and greed or just plain incompetence. I had the unfortunate experience of seeing the Cure at the Austin City Music Hall and it was absolutely terrible: overcrowded, no seating, people were literally falling all over each other fighting for a space, visibilty was terrible. Benches are way too low you actually have to squat, but no matter ,you'll find yourself standing through the whole concert and most likely staring at the back of someones head unless your 6+ feet tall. Bottom line do not go unless your a teenager or you're absolutely desperate to see your fave band Pros: Absolutely nothing Cons: Overcrowded, no reserved seating, terrible visibility, poor sound more

My first visit to the Austin Music Hall was last night (April 6th) for the BB King concert. The acoustics of the building were awful. I've had pretty bad allergies so my hearing was already jacked up a bit, but I couldn't understand anything. The mix sounded really muddy. It was really sad. No, I take that back. It was disgraceful. I've been to alot of shows in alot of places and there is no excuse for a place calling itself a music hall with such horrible acoustics. It wasn't sad. It was insulting and disgraceful. Then we get to the seating. I was amazed. This place has been renovated? And we have $2 K-Mart folding chairs zip-tied together? I admit, I am a fat man. This is my responsibility. I buy 2 plane tickets because I know these things are closer together than any humans not intimately acquainted with each other should sit. I am thinking the Austin Music Hall renovators must also work for the airline industry. In case you aren't paying attention, that's not a compliment. I had tickets in the balcony - really not a bad area - section C, Row 1 - middle of the row. That wasn't going to work, so my companion and I switched seats with the people at the end. This let me spread out into the aisle a bit. My companion still felt claustrophobic and spent the concert standing over to the side. Because of the poor seat quality and my fear the seat would collapse, I spent most of the show standing as well. It took about 15 minutes for my left leg to go to sleep when sitting. Not cool. I'm glad I got to see BB King. The man is awesome, I wish the venue had been worthy of him. Unless it's someone like BB King - a true legend - I won't be going back to this place. I'd rather drive to see a show somewhere else. On the plus side - the employees I spoke with - bar staff, and ushers - were very pleasant. That's a good thing, right? Pros: Nice employees Cons: Everything else - acoustics, seating. more

My first visit to the Austin Music Hall was last night (April 6th) for the BB King concert. The acoustics of the building were awful. I've had pretty bad allergies so my hearing was already jacked up a bit, but I couldn't understand anything. The mix sounded really muddy. It was really sad. No, I take that back. It was disgraceful. I've been to alot of shows in alot of places and there is no excuse for a place calling itself a music hall with such horrible acoustics. It wasn't sad. It was insulting and disgraceful. Pros: Nice employees Cons: Everything else - acoustics, seating. more

I see that others have complained about the bar service. I had no problem with that part. Pros: It sure isn't the sound. Fairly good concerts. Cons: If you are going to a concert, find a show somewhere else. The sound will ruin it for you. more

I see that others have complained about the bar service. I had no problem with that part. This was the B.B. King concert on April 6th, 2008. It's a real drag that whoever designed this venue can't be flogged in public for the unbelievably horrible acoustics. The sound was butchered so badly that you could hardly understand any vocals. The sound of the band was so muddy that there was almost no distinction or clarity in notes. When I say muddy, I'm talking muddy at a level that was pitch black. No highs were getting through at all, it was just rumbling bass noise, literally noise and indistinguishable. No definition of instruments. I really can't find words to describe the level of disappointment. B.B was as always funny, entertaining and enjoyable. It's really sad that he was playing in an acoustic hole. Pretty much ruined it for me. The last time I saw him was at the Paramount and the sound was really pretty good. No comparison in the two venues. Austin Music Hall NEEDS LOTS OF HELP WITH THEIR AUDIO. I MEAN LOTS LIKE A COMPLETE REWORKING OF THE SOUND SYSTEM TO MAKE UP FOR THE HORRIBLE ACOUSTICS. The Irwin center even has far superior sound and it is an acoustic nightmare. Until I hear that the sound has been corrected I won't go back there. It really was that bad, I promise. Get your act together guys. What you have now is horrible. Pros: It sure isn't the sound. Fairly good concerts. Cons: If you are going to a concert, find a show somewhere else. The sound will ruin it for you. more

I went to go see BB King and it was an amazing show had a blast..took my boyfriend for his birthday...but the venue is a joke. I'm sorry...the seating arrangement was super tight!...Small seats, and weird angles for those in the balcony and in the sides... Amen to having almost front row tickets..balcony seats are made of concrete...good thing is there is a bar in every corner and the restroom line for the girls was super short..i was amazed...nice outside view (balcony for the smokers)...to make sure you get the a good seat for your buck make sure you sit in middle section..don't go to far to the back because you will not hear music..just random drunks walking by..and yelling...I am not impressed with this venue. Pros: Tons of Bars, Short line in the Females Restroom, Friendly Staff, Great stage Cons: Tight fit, Small seats, Acoustics for those in the back more

I went to go see BB King and it was an amazing show had a blast..took my boyfriend for his birthday...but the venue is a joke. I'm sorry...the seating arrangement was super tight!...Small seats, and weird angles for those in the balcony and in the sides... Amen to having almost front row tickets..balcony seats are made of concrete...good thing is there is a bar in every corner and the restroom line for the girls was super short..i was amazed...nice outside view (balcony for the smokers)...to make sure you get the a good seat for your buck make sure you sit in middle section..don't go to far to the back because you will not hear music..just random drunks walking by..and yelling...I am not impressed with this venue. Pros: Tons of Bars, Short line in the Females Restroom, Friendly Staff, Great stage Cons: Tight fit, Small seats, Acoustics for those in the back more

The seats are extremely small, and I would bet they didn't cost more than $5 a piece. On top of that, my seat in the balcony faced the center of the floor, not the stage. All of us up in the balcony had to crane our necks to a 60 degree angle, just to face the stage. On top of that, the angle of the balcony was too flat, and we could barely see the heads of band members, and yourself. $150 is an insult for such a seat. The bare and ugly feel inside is similar to a warehouse. I can't believe this is how things came out after the renovations. What a joke!!! The sound is very weak, lighting is so so, with no decent effects or a screen. Don't give these crooks your business! more

The seats are extremely small, and I would bet they didn't cost more than $5 a piece. On top of that, my seat in the balcony faced the center of the floor, not the stage. All of us up in the balcony had to crane our necks to a 60 degree angle, just to face the stage. On top of that, the angle of the balcony was too flat, and we could barely see the heads of band members, and yourself. $150 is an insult for such a seat. The bare and ugly feel inside is similar to a warehouse. I can't believe this is how things came out after the renovations. What a joke!!! The sound is very weak, lighting is so so, with no decent effects or a screen. Don't give these crooks your business! more

I've attended a variety of concerts at the Austin Music Hall over the years. I've never been a huge fan of the acoustics, but it wasnt' the worst place to see a show. When I heard that they were going to remodel the place, I was excited and optimistic about the results. However, after our recent experience at the "new and improved" AMH (Duran Duran in December 2007), I have to report that things have gotten worse. The remodel was obviously focused at increasing capacity and nothing else. They have created large metal framed decks on the second/third floor to increase standing room. Unfortunately, these have made the acoustics worse. I pretty much heard only bass during the Duran Duran show. I couldn't even tell which song the band was performing until the chorus started. In addition, the remodel is obviously not even close to complete - no wired power (they had extension cords running everything in the front of house), the upstairs bars are in the hallways (right where everyone has to walk to get to the bathroom or upstairs standing room/reserved stadium style seating room), dust everywhere, etc. To make matters worse, the show was sold out (I heard 4400, but I haven't confirmed) and I'd guess they had 15-20 bartenders total, at most, working the public access bars. You do the math, but this amounted to a 20+ minute wait to get your 2 drink maximum. Ridiculous. To make matters worse, they have created a standing/walking space where the bars used to be, so the main bar area is now moved 50-100 feet towards the stage. As you can imagine at a sold out show, this results in the lines occupying ALL of the walking/standing space near the rear. They didn't do anything to the ground floor area, so with the new 2nd floor decking looking overhead, the space feels very claustraphobic. I'm 6' and couldn't see what was happening on the stage (no slope to the floor). AVOID THIS VENUE AT ALL COSTS - NOT WORTH THE $$$ - BUY A CD INSTEAD. Pros: Good shows, in town, close to good "after show" activities Cons: Acoustics are a joke, can't get a drink to save your life more

I've attended a variety of concerts at the Austin Music Hall over the years. I've never been a huge fan of the acoustics, but it wasnt' the worst place to see a show. When I heard that they were going to remodel the place, I was excited and optimistic about the results. However, after our recent experience at the ""new and improved"" AMH (Duran Duran in December 2007), I have to report that things have gotten worse. The remodel was obviously focused at increasing capacity and nothing else. They have created large metal framed decks on the second/third floor to increase standing room. Unfortunately, these have made the acoustics worse. I pretty much heard only bass during the Duran Duran show. I couldn't even tell which song the band was performing until the chorus started. In addition, the remodel is obviously not even close to complete - no wired power (they had extension cords running everything in the front of house), the upstairs bars are in the hallways (right where everyone has to walk to get to the bathroom or upstairs standing room/reserved stadium style seating room), dust everywhere, etc. To make matters worse, the show was sold out (I heard 4400, but I haven't confirmed) and I'd guess they had 15-20 bartenders total, at most, working the public access bars. You do the math, but this amounted to a 20+ minute wait to get your 2 drink maximum. Ridiculous. To make matters worse, they have created a standing/walking space where the bars used to be, so the main bar area is now moved 50-100 feet towards the stage. As you can imagine at a sold out show, this results in the lines occupying ALL of the walking/standing space near the rear. They didn't do anything to the ground floor area, so with the new 2nd floor decking looking overhead, the space feels very claustraphobic. I'm 6' and couldn't see what was happening on the stage (no slope to the floor). AVOID THIS VENUE AT ALL COSTS - NOT WORTH THE $$$ - BUY A CD INSTEAD. Pros: Good shows, in town, close to good ""after show"" activities Cons: Acoustics are a joke, can't get a drink to save your life more

I have seen hundreds of shows in all types of venues, and this by far was the worse venue I have ever been in. The stage is to low. I am 6'1, I can see over the crowd, but I could not see a piano on stage. The stage was so low that it is not possible to get a good view, the stage needs to be raised at least 2 feet if not 3 feet and raked (slanted). To compound the matter of a short stage the floor is flat. Who builds a "music" venue and puts in a flat floor? This is a "MUSIC HALL" not a cafeteria, slat the floor or terace the floor. There are people in this world that design stages, they design them so that all seats are good, probably people at UT that can do this, they could not do any worse. It would appear that they did not use somebody to design that understands crowds, traffic flow was horrible. The sound was pretty bad also, but hopefully that will be fixed as the building is completed and baffles and dampening material can be added. There are also safety issues. Some of the upper rails are really short, so people standing could go over them by accident, suprised the fire marshal and inspectors let them open with the low rails. I plan to vote with my money on this venue, meaning until the issues are fixed I will not see a show there. If enough people feel this way, then they will either fix the venue, or go out of business. It is a hard lesson to learn on a new building, but you can not expect to build a crappy venue and have people pay to get in just because you want them too. Build a good venue, and people will come to see shows there. Pros: Getting through the front doors was easy Cons: Traffic flow, can not see the stage, sound, overall the worse design for a music venue more

I have seen hundreds of shows in all types of venues, and this by far was the worse venue I have ever been in. The stage is to low. I am 6'1, I can see over the crowd, but I could not see a piano on stage. The stage was so low that it is not possible to get a good view, the stage needs to be raised at least 2 feet if not 3 feet and raked (slanted). To compound the matter of a short stage the floor is flat. Who builds a ""music"" venue and puts in a flat floor? This is a ""MUSIC HALL"" not a cafeteria, slat the floor or terace the floor. There are people in this world that design stages, they design them so that all seats are good, probably people at UT that can do this, they could not do any worse. It would appear that they did not use somebody to design that understands crowds, traffic flow was horrible. The sound was pretty bad also, but hopefully that will be fixed as the building is completed and baffles and dampening material can be added. There are also safety issues. Some of the upper rails are really short, so people standing could go over them by accident, suprised the fire marshal and inspectors let them open with the low rails. I plan to vote with my money on this venue, meaning until the issues are fixed I will not see a show there. If enough people feel this way, then they will either fix the venue, or go out of business. It is a hard lesson to learn on a new building, but you can not expect to build a crappy venue and have people pay to get in just because you want them too. Build a good venue, and people will come to see shows there. Pros: Getting through the front doors was easy Cons: Traffic flow, can not see the stage, sound, overall the worse design for a music venue more

Lots of potential. The main floor needs to be slanted. All the laides around me could not see and people almost broke out in fights trying to get a view. If you move out to the side, you still can't see. If you go to the balcony, you can't see either unless you are right against the rail. They need projection TVs up there so you can watch the action. If you stand in the back to get some room, you can't hear, there are no speakers. The temperature was great as were the bartenders. Please consider these suggestions, this place has so much potential. :) Pros: Location, Memories Cons: Can't see from anywhere!!! more