Nob Hill Masonic Center
Category: Performing Arts [Edit]
Neighborhood: Nob Hill1111 California Street
(between Jones St & Taylor St)
San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 776-4702
- Good for Kids: Yes
4 reviews
Mill Valley, CA
"Fantastic venue - I saw Streetcar on closing night. Its within walking distance, which is fantastic, and there's always something…" read more »
54 Reviews for Nob Hill Masonic Center
I remember that my grandfather was a mason, but his masonic center was a pee-oh-ess. Not the case with the Nob Hill Masonic Center. We recently attended a law school graduation here for my partner, and it really was the perfect venue for it. We sat in the center section of the balcony, where every seat had an unobstructed view. Great acoustics, comfy seats, and enough legroom so you didn't feel crammed into the seats.
I saw Feist here. In terms of the seating, it's very weird and not ideal for a music concert. The seating wraps around the stage; we got the left side seating area, so the entire show we mainly just saw Feist's profile and more of the back of the stage. I guess this place would be better for a different kind of performance.
This place looks to me more like a amphitheater than a musical venue. Is there a difference? It's reminds me of my high school auditorium kind of thing. It's still nice. But I prefer the more grungy bar scene for musical venues.
Parking is A BITCH here!!!! OMG. The garage was full by the time we got there; it was wayy expensive anyway. We literally spent about 40 minutes looking for parking, only to park way at the bottom of the hill near the Montgomery area I think. Yes, we walked about 7 blocks. and YES WE WALKED UP THOSE STEEP HILLS!!!!
I just saw Flight of the Conchords here. I had balcony seats because TicketMaster charges $15 for their awesome ability to run servers that crash.
Venue's balcony seats: 2.5 of 5 stars by the center sections. Not great, but worth it if you're seeing a band or "band" you really love. The entire place is small enough that you'll still see the gist of someone's face on the stage. Seats are staggered, so you can usually see over someone's improbably large head. If there were an earthquake or fire, the death-having balcony section would be cut off. Freemasons do not want you to live, heathen.
The sound quality from the nosebleeds was okay but not fantastic: it was loud and you could understand most of the lyrics, but sometimes all you made out was mumbling. Also, you won't hear shit if someone from behind you is screaming in your ear all night. (Asshole.)
Do not get seats at the far sides, unless you really like watching performers from the backside. Freemasons are okay with your heathen ass-watching.
Actual Performance: 5 of 5 stars. Would give Bret my babies.
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The venue itself is actually quite striking. The mezzanine provides a nice hobnob atmosphere for those who like that kind of thing. And the nighttime lighting really glams this place up.
But I have 2 qualms with this place.
(1) Seating. I got to the theater and picked up my tickets. I didn't even notice that it said Obstructed Viewing until I sat right in front of a gigantic pole on the very outskirts of the stage. Really?? Why even sell a ticket for this. To say it simply, I was pissed. If you're gonna seat me in front of a big post a least jazz it up a little with some sequins, oh or a little TV so I can actually see what I paid for!
(2) Parking. After circling around the same four blocks for half an hour with despair we finally decided to park in the neighboring garage. I almost shat a brick when they asked me to cough up 40 bucks....for parking!! Mind you 2 hours of parking at that.
Okay, enough of the bitching. Come here to see a band you really want to see, make sure you have a good seat an unobstructed view, and for Christ's sake, take Bart or a cab.
leave it to some crazy hilarious kiwis to pick a really wierd venue to play at in a city full of amazing gorgeous places to see live music. just took in a flight of the conchords show (love em) there tonight and was really wondering why they would choose this spot to have their first SF live set. sure, they have lots of fans these days and need enough seats to appease but i felt sort of like i was in my old high school auditorium.
not much style to the ole Nob Hill Masonic Center. would have been awesome if FoTC would have booked their show at the amazing-looking church across the street instead! did you see those stained glass windows? usually churches make me uneasy but... the freemason's building was def probably more creepy.
didn't feel like i could hear lots of what the guys on stage were saying. i mean sure they have accents but it was like the muffledness of the mics that i felt were hindering my aural enjoyment of the show.
cooshy seats!
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So i'm probably the only person in the history of SF to think this place was going to be a tiny church with jazz legends playing next to the pulpit. I arrived (after several glasses of red wine and a strenuous walk up Hyde) at the Carnegie Hall of SF for Wayne Shorter's performance last Friday. This venue is very large and offers an eclectic range of performances (The guys from Flight of the Conchords already sold out their May show here.) I prefer to see jazz in a smaller, intimate setting where people will stand and sway. Next time, I'll go to Yoshi's so at least I can eat while I'm sitting down.
Like other reviewers I have come to this hall to see shows put on by SF Jazz. Last week Wayne Shorter was postively genius. But on so man nights the sound has plain sucked. And the sight lines especially in the balcony can be awful. There has to be a better place this size.
Please fix the sound.
I'm here a lot because of SF Jazz. They bring in amazing acts and the only reason I come is because I hand-select my seats. There's an abnormally high number of bad seats in this theater. Even if you're in the front row, you still might not be able to see anything. I've never come here and sat in the balcony so I can't comment on that.
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I've always like Nob Hill Masonic Center.
Attended numerous concerts and I choose the main floor so that the sound is more pronounced. I managed to get great seats wohoo!
But last weekend, I decided to get the balcony seats because we were watching the video games live. It was great...minor glitches at the start of the show but it was entertaining, interactive and the orchestra were awesome.
Brings back old memories when I used to play vintage super mario, and know graduated to playing Super Mario Galaxy in Wii.
Fun place, great place to network and socialize.
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I had no idea this space was so vast. I lived on Snob Hill for four years, but heretofore had only walked by. Last night, I attended Kathy Griffin's late show and the surround-the-stage seating design impressed me as an excellent forum for watching stand-up -- not so sure it would lend itself as well to less interactive performances -- but our seats were admittedly exceptionally good and close (so did not experience the audio problems some other reviewers mentioned). They do need to upgrade the chairs, though, as I was definitely NOT clock-watching, but my arse alerted me as soon as we'd hit the first three-quarter-hour mark. Oh, and I can't help but wonder if Kathy was on to something in speculating that Masons actually lurk beneath the stage and kill people as cult sacrifices. Come to think of it ... my date never did return from the pisser!
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What she say?
What she say?
What she say?
Sitting in the balcony of the Masonic Center offers a great view of the small stage, but the acoustics are far from ideal in this vast venue. I was here only once before for an employee meeting at my old company, so frankly I couldn't have cared less what the pedantic CEO was saying. This time, however, I was subject to the vitriolic shenanigans of Kathy Griffin, and I missed some of her maddeningly clever rantings thanks to the lacking sound system.
Nonetheless, the Freemasons must have had quite a bit of dough when this building was erected in 1958 because it is a glorious structure. The horseshoe shape of the seating is impressive, but the actual seats nowadays are worn and broken-in to the point where your derriere will be constantly shifting during a performance. The seat numbering is also oddly discombobulating even to the aged ushers who were often confused as to where to lead patrons.
The building is befitting of the still-tony neighborhood that is Nob Hill. I rarely venture up here since I don't feel like I belong. I also don't like trudging myself up the hill on Jones with my back wet from the effort to get up the last block. But I would do it if I had a better seat the next time. Maybe. Then I could have heard what Kathy said after she mimicked Marie Osmond's fainting spell or Britney's MTV Awards fiasco. Aside from the venue, my one disappointment with her performance was the omission of her Whitney-on-crack impersonation..."BOB-beeeee!! ...BOB-beeeee!!"
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I attended the performance of Kathy Griffin here tonight.
I initially liked the theater when I arrived, it seemed to be decorated in light golden hues.It's done in a horseshoes shape with the back of the stage on the flat side. The seats were alright, but considering I'm 5'10" and not exactly a size 2 or 4 I felt they were a bit small.
I was enjoying the show when the audience in the balcony started yelling because they couldn't hear her and she moved her mike stand, then continued.
Then it happened two more times and she ended up moving again. Since I was in the front on the main floor she was litterly yelling into the mike the whole show which made it really loud for us up front.
Then she had to repeat that for a 10pm show as well !
It's accoustics and /or sound system are pretty bad if your upstairs in either corner section and those tickets were $45-75 thru Ticketmaster.
Maybe if your going to hear a loud music group you'll be OK, but a single comedian like Kathy Griffin couldn't fill the room with enough sound and she's no wilting lily !
And ....Yes she was scathing especially when it came to the great Oprah ! Hate her.
Hey, she moved into my building in Chicago in 1985 and I've got stories to tell .......ha.
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This place gives me the creeps for some reason. Maybe cause my first time here was to see the dead bodies exhibit? Maybe cause I feel like there are secret mason-men watching me all the time? Maybe cause I don't like secret clubs centered around religion and denying women? :-)
In any case... Came here last week for Van Morrison. Great show! He's very talented and an extreme perfectionist. He yelled at the sound people a lot during the show (there was feedback once, and I have no idea why the other times). I'm tone deaf so I thought it all sounded great.
The seating arrangement however is not that great. The rows are just high enough to get a full view of the back of the row in front of yous head. The angle is just enough that when the ushers open the door 3 sections away a bright light blinds you and you can't see until they close it. The side 2-3 sections are too far to the side so you can't see the front of the stage at all. I was all the way to the right of the stage so couldn't see much but that's where all the crazy hippies came to dance so it was more fun to watch them anyways.
The bathrooms here remind me of high school. Down the stairs/ elevator and into a bland hallway that looks way to much like my youth.
I agree with Phil H. that the seats are far too close to the row in front. There's no way to get by someone unless you stand up and crossing your legs is way too much of an ordeal. But the seats are wide enough for comfort.
I also agree with Phil H. that you should be able to take your drinks to your seat. A beer during the show would have bumped this up to 4 stars.
As you can see I have to thank Phil H. for preparing me for this experience, but unfortunately Van did not make any Mason jokes like Phil H. said he would. :-(
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I've been to the Masonic Center a couple times for various events, from Academy of Art graduation ceremony's to Nvidia/PDX LAN parties. This is a pretty large venue, the auditorium is large and the seats look and feel dated. They do have a parking garage, which I never used because it was always full.
There are also some liquor stores within a few blocks walking distance... just in case.. :)
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I've seen everything from jazz performances to ski movies to pop shows at the Masonic...pretty much everything but a Mason's convention.
Most recently I was here for the Feist show on Friday night...overall, a decent seated venue. It sucks that you can't bring drinks into the auditorium - seriously, the place isn't that nice, why not let us drink while we enjoy the smooth musical stylings of Ms. Feist?
Oh, and about those seats...they are not comfortable. At all. And I have itty bitty legs and a tiny ass. Good lord I feel for anyone over six feet tall trying to squeeze in.
Anyhow...three stars for being close to my house and for the inevitable Mason joke that every performer feels obligated to make about the place.
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The theater gets a 3...the Kathy Griffin show gets a 5!!!
I went to the 7pm Kathy Griffin show at the Nob Hill Ctr. When we arrived there were massive amounts of people in the front lobby area having drinks. We went directly to the make shift bar table for cocktails when all of a sudden it went from loads of peeps to us trying to chug our cocktails to get in the show. It was dark so we needed an usher for assistance but there were so many discombobulated people and not enough ushers we were seated but to our dismay in the wrong seats.
After some missed jokes, we finally figured out the seat fiasco and went onto the sound fiasco. The sound was not coming through and after a back and forth with comedian and audience the problem was fixed. We had balcony seats which were not so great for $65....BUT the show was worth more. We had a wonderful time, I was a fan of Kathy before but I am now a groupie. I loved her show, she is fabulous and despite the not so favorite seats the show was amazing!
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Last Friday was my first experience at the Nob Hill Masonic Center. It was a lot bigger than I expected, actually. The seats are incredibly old and squeaky. You can only drink in the front area, which is baloney. I don't get it, there's not even an option to stand once you're inside why not let people enjoy a soothing cocktail while listening to some tunes? Me no likey. Also, we got shushed. I'm sorry, are we at the opera? No, we were seeing Feist and got shushed by the boring couple in front of us. Uptight people are lame.
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Peculiar place for concerts, to be sure. Firstly they only serve booze before the show and during "intermissions" (yeah that's REAL rock'n'roll), so kids make sure to sneak your flask when you come here. Having said that, you're probably not catching a punk rock show if it's at the Nob Hill, so be that as it may.
What can I say about this place though? It's pleasant, for sure, as an auditorium. But I'm not 55 years old and enjoying the jazz stylings of Josh Groban, so it's not really my bag. That's the thing though - it's not trying to be. So it's average in my book.
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I always enjoy coming here for concerts. I've probably seen about a dozen, ranging from Wynton Marsalis, Van Morrison, a Seva fundraiser, etc. The seats are comfy, they have lots of bathrooms, and the sound is OK - most of the time. Parking is a bitch, so make sure you get there early so you can park in the garage and then head off to have dinner someplace in the 'hood - like Crustacean or maybe Acquellero.
I am also very intrigued by the whole aspect of the Masons. WTF do those guys do during their ceremonies? What are those mysterious symbols on the walls of the Center? Devil worship? Physiology studies?
Someone please explain!
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Only 37 reviews? And so many of them negative? Interesting. I saw Herbie Hancock here last night, and I thought it was a first-class concert venue. Just to be clear, it's a large auditorium with assigned seating, though not quite as fancy as Davies Hall. The stage juts out well into the room, so even if you sit all the way on the side you have a decent view. And I'm no acoustics expert, but I heard everything loud and clear. As with anything on Nob Hill, the parking is so exorbitant that even if you don't live in the city, it's probably worth it to park elsewhere and catch a bus or taxi (or even the California St Cable Car).
I had no idea what to expect from Herbie, but I had my fingers crossed for Chameleon. Sure enough, it was the encore. Perhaps the best moment, though, was when he started pounding like crazy all over the keyboard, only to slip suddenly and slyly into Canteloupe Island. Too cool.
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This old lady likes to have a seat when she goes to hear music, and they got plenty of 'em at the Masonic. The sounds seems to be awright too.
As Rufus Wainwright said "I feel like I'm at the UN being interrogated by a War Crimes Tribunal"...
That pretty much sums up the atmo and architecture.
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The sound at this place sucks. I paid good money to see one of my favorite people - Kathy Griffin, I also brought 5 other people with me and we had a hell of a time making out what Kathy was saying.
Everytime she stepped away of turned her head you could not hear what she was saying.
We saw the first show and the volunteers wanted us to leave while my sister was in the bathroom, I kid you not 5 people (3 times it was the same person) who came to tell us we had to go, 5 times we told them not with out my sister she is in the ladies room. Yeah I know they are volunteers, elderly, or not, we should not have had to tell them the same thing 5 times.
What the hell was with the elevator, everytime it opened (took so long to reach the second floor) it was jammed pack with people - where the hell did they come from. Took us an hour to get to the parking level using the elevator and couldn't even locate the stairs.
TWO THINGS NEED TO BE FIXED HERE:
1) Re-do the sound, make the performers were a headset microphone so you can hear them when they turn their head or move around the stage.
2) Re-do the seats. To damn small, we are no longer built like those in the 20's and 30's were build. Our bodies have grown in many ways and we need more padding and leg room.
This is a good venue for a sit down performance. There are virtually no bad seats in the place and the acoustics were (in my opinion) really good. I was sitting on the floor stage level. I like the round seating design.
I saw Herbie Hancock as part of the SFJazz festival and the venue organization was smooth. I'm not sure if that was SFJazz working the venue or if the venue had their employees working but whoever was working did a great job keeping the flow of the place moving.
Yes parking sucks in the neighborhood so if you live in SF, cab it. If you don't live in SF I would recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes for parking or parking downtown like Stockton Sutter Garage and then take a cab up the hill.
Oh yeah, tons of female bathrooms so small to no lines!
For the most part I was impressed. Came here to watch a comdian. Basically, there are no bad seats in the house. Possible, the front row of the balcony, because your view of the stage is cut off by the guard rail. Other than that, the semi circle seating offers everyone a great view of the stage. The $20 parking in the garage was a little ridiculous I think. And we had to wait while before we could leave from 4 levels down. Also, have a bathroom in the lobby for crying out loud.
As much as I wanted to love this venue, and even though Rufus Wainwright was amazing (although Amanda U. will beg to differ,) this venue just didn't do it for me for one VERY KEY REASON: no alcohol allowed inside. Yes people, you heard me correctly, NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED IN THE VENUE. Wait, are you sure you were listening? I said n-o a-l-c-o-h-o-l allowed inside the venue. And it is a concert. With no alcohol. Yeah, so basically you have to guzzle your booze, after waiting in a ridiculously long line, and then go into the show. The only thing they will allow inside is bottled water. Sorry, that just ain't for me...or half of San Francisco I would bet.
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This is easily the worst concert venue in the Bay Area, if not the entire state of California. I went to see John McLaugllin there last weekend only because it was free. Street parking is impossible, and the lot next door was charging $40.00! The sound in the balcony is awful, and there's nowhere up there for a cocktail; have you ever tried to get a drink at the Big 4 when there's a thousand people from the Masonic jammed in there? I have and it isn't any fun.
I highly recommend that you wait until the person that you wants to see plays elsewhere.
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Another SF music venue notch for my bedpost. This one however is unlike any of the others in the city I have visited so far. A huge building on the top of (s)Nob Hill, this place has a real classy feel to it. It looks as though it hasn't been renovated in many, many years, and the interior from the seats to the walls bring you back to old 50's movies where the main characters go out to the "theater", and you can picture them mingling after the show lets out, exchanging stories, and looking posh.
Don't drive here. The parking that is provided in the lot next to the center is $29 for two hours and after that goes up to $39. We drove around a bit and got lucky with street parking, but if i could do it again, I'd take the bus.
The inside of the venue is very spacious. The floor and balcony are lined with seats, so I'd imagine the majority of the shows they get here people would be content sitting. They wont get any funk or hip-hop groups to play there, but for AIR, it was perfect. My companion hooked us up with front row balcony tickets, and they were great. Had we stood, everyone behind us would have had to also, but we were fine with sitting down for the duration of the show. Leg room, a great view and fantastic sound were all provided.
AIR kind of ruled. The French duo, decked out in their tight white pants didn't disappoint, musically or in turning around often enough that the audience got a perfect view of their taut butts. Anyone else, no....but the French really pulled it off. Great light show, and with an encore that rocked harder than the rest of the show did by a mile, I left a happy camper, stoked that my favorite element could fill my head with good tunes, happy thoughts, and warm fuzzies.
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Citizenship Swearing-in Ceremony
In March of this year my boyfriend became a citizen. He was born in El Salvador, but raised on the East Coast. He was already American, he just needed the papers to prove it.
After months of jumping through hoops and paying fees, the offical cermony was held at the Nob HIll Masonic Center. After witnessing this event I will always hold a very special spot in my heart for this place because people leave here happier than when they arrived.
My boyfriend and 1,149 other soon-to-be citizens gathered on the bottom level of this old auditorium and took their seats. Hundreds of cheering supporters looked on from the balcony, myself included.
The announcer called each of the 90 countries in alphabetical order and asked citizens of those countries to stand. When the last Z country was announced he then asked the attendees to raise their right hands. This is when I started shaking and crying -- while holding the camera (not a good thing). I was in awe and so proud. I could only imagine what each of those people, their immediate family and ancestors had gone through to get to that point with their hand raised.
Needless to say, this was a life changing event for me and I may have gotten more out of it than some of the participants. When I got home and turned on the news to watch the talking heads, I realized that no matter what anyone said on the left or right of the scale, the principles that founded this country will always draw people to this beautiful land. One hundred years from now the message the talking heads on the news are saying might be different, but people will still be coming to America for the same reason: basic civil rights.
If you haven't had the good fortune to witness this event I highly recommend finding out when the next one is being held. The ceremonies are listed on the website: http://www.masonicaudi...
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Don't know anything about the Masonic gatherings that went on here, but I do remember this place popping up in Maupin's "More Tales" where I think it was the key to Burke's mysterious past. Kinda creepy, but really big and really nice all the same.
It's always been known to me more as a concert hall though. First concert I went to here was in the 1st grade. That was Anita Mui. Last concert I went to here was just 2 weeks ago, when Rufus Wainwright played. I'd seen him at Davies' a couple years ago. Hard to match the acoustics there, but the Masonic Auditorium held up nicely. I thank the people who run the place for its magnificent upkeep, which has enabled me to experience one of the most enjoyable nights I've had this year.
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I came here for a concert recently and was very underwhelmed by the handling of logistics around it. My tickets were being held at the Will Call booth, and was probably around the 15th in line when I first got in. 10 minutes later, I was *maybe* around the 12th. People who wanted to buy tickets were serviced much, much quicker which really seems stupid.
As it turns out, they were also trying to sell tickets in the Will Call line. This was annoying idiotic and just made things more and more frustrating.
Another thing to note, if they are selling concessions, first go downstairs by the restrooms and check the vending machines down there. It's probably cheaper and has more variety.
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It was great to see how many Yelpers were at Air last night. I actually recognized and chatted with one fellow Yelper (and met another), but apparently there was a decent handful of us.
Anyhoo, Nob Hill Masonic Center. Interesting venue and pretty much what I had expected. I had no idea where our seats were, yet I wasn't too concerned. I had a hunch that any seat in the house would be a good one. And I was right, well sort of. Our friends were stuck with the ones on the very end, literally behind the act. As I was sitting in my 8th row center seat with content, I did notice that the seating wrapped a little too far too the backsides and it wasn't fair to expect people to enjoy those seats. My companion suggested that's what you get with a small venue. I suggested to add a few more rows in the back to please everyone. The place was small enough.
Anyway, the place was very nice and comfortable. I wasn't entirely pleased with the sound, I felt it was too loud at times. I wasn't sure if it was the fault of the sound techs or if the band took it to a higher level then they had sound checked or if we were just sitting too close (yeah right, as if!). And please note, I'm not old and uptight. I work in the music industry and I used to be the "Tweaker by the Speaker", so I'm not just being hyper-sensitive.
I was pleased to find that will call was inside the lobby because it was quite chilly outside. Once we walked in, I knew it was a "drink up folks, cuz you ain't takin' your drinks into the venue" kinda night. I can appreciate that, having come from a drama background, it is a theater after all.
All in all, I really did like this venue. Yes, I will return for the right act (which Air was for certain). Even though I was totally content with sitting through the entirety of this show as it was mellow enough, I always feel a little weird at venues where you're more or less required to remain seated.
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Literally my new favorite place to see a down tempo show in the city. Air was amazing, and I had the best time I'd had at a show in months. They were stupendous. This place is intimate and well designed. I will see any good Jazz, Ambient, or Blues show here. Any show where I wouldn't feel compelled to stand.
Before the show I got drunk at Zeki's, highly convenient.
Afterward I got re-drunk. it was fun. :)
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This is a beautiful venue! Would you expect anything less from a secret, cultish fraternal group based on masonry and construction? The Center sits on top of Nob Hill, which basically means parking is captive garage style ($15 for evening shows).
Upon entering the lobby, the first thing I notice is the massive two story Masonic rear projected glass tile mural. All the weird masonic symbols are there, eye of the Supreme Being, square and compass, bible, pillars, Pythagorean theorem, the envelope. What's up with the envelope? Anyone know?
The theater itself is quite beautiful and acoustically nice. Seating area wraps around a circular stage. The balcony seating rises at a steep angle so there's no problem with seeing over the heads of people in front of you. There really isn't bad seat in the house. I saw the band Air here and I thought it was a great fit. I was close enough to count 14 keyboards among the 5 band members.
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Saw the french band AIR here the other night.
WOW! What a cool place to see a show. Not a bad seat in the house. Large crowd still feels totally intimate. Absolutely loved this place.
It's a shame they don't have more music acts here as it really is one of the best places in the city to see a band.
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I saw Dave Brubeck here last night, and I was completely blown away. Not so much by the Masonic Center, but by Mr. Brubeck himself. What a gracious man and extremely talented musician! I feel so privileged I was able to see him live for a second time. WOW.
Now on to the Masonic Center...it's quite beautiful (although I agree with Rommy G, in that it smells like a geriatric center), and the acoustics are fantastic. It's not too big, but not too small either, which makes it the perfect place to see a big time jazz artist, like Dave Brubeck.
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I went to one media awards event there and I also went to a college graduation there. Probablty some other things too, who can remember?
I always liked it there. nice location. A good addition to SF.
The masonic is moronic. There are so many better places to see a show. I have gone for special shows like Ornette Coleman and Max Roach, and have enjoyed seeing living legends but over all the concert experience is rotten, the sound miseralbe and the view can be pathetic. The only reason to attend a show here is if the promoter has made a mistake and booked a good act in a venue gone wrong. Just say no to the Masonic unless a large than life jazz figure is playing.
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Saw Etta James here on a Saturday nite, and she's the only real reason this place gets 3 stars. Otherwise it would get none, maybe 1.
It's my opinion that this place was not made to host concerts at all, and that it is used as a venue now is merely an afterthought. I imagine that the real reason for this balconied auditorium was for large Masonic gatherings where men in a (semi)secret society could gather and listen to speakers on various subjects that would appeal to members of said group. What those topics are I dare not posit, but go buck wild with it, conspiracy theorists!
The seats are much too small and spaced too closely together. I say this not as a fat Middle American, but as a relatively fit 6' tall male. The sound quality was poor, and the place lacked any sort of 'jazz ambiance'; too open, too much stone work (they're Masons, go figure ...). On the plus side, the staff was super helpful.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
A nice four star venue for the periodic event of hudling the masses into welcoming the droves towards being a citizen of the US.ofA ...
For concerts? jazz events? ... other sort of entertainment venues?
hmmm... i don't seriously think so! ACCOUSTICS ... SUCKS!
I have been here twice, for oath-taking purposes ...
post 9/11 ... i finally decided to surrender my Green Card in solidarity for my country of residence; in submission to the moment of nostalgia and melancholy sadness felt whilst in Bracknell, UK, in the morning of Sept 11 2001 ... being an uprooted fruit from nowhere, i decided to append US to my family's EU passport collection ...
The other day, we spent a nice couple of hours in this old-school auditorium, for my Dad's oath-taking ceremony. He was the last of the family that became American. Now, we are all EU and US peeps.
The structure was indeed quite old school. Reminds me of my Catholic high school auditorium.... very pre-21st century!
I strolled through the halls during the boring video presentations. I enjoyed the various wall hanging and text displays that subtly describe the history of the Freemason movement. It seemed like a segue to my recent Rosicrucian museum visit.
I liked the original intent of the Freemason and Rosicrucian folks, albeit their hostility vis a vis women. However, I