Pabst Theater

 

2

77

Stephanie M.

Milwaukee, WI

The Pabst has gone from the place I used to take field trips to for orchestra performances when I was in grade school to my favorite concert venue in the city.  I've seen dozens of shows here now, and I've never had anything short of an amazing time except for the one time a gaggle of too-drunk-to-walk sororstitutes and their aggro meathead boyfriends marauded the GA section at the Atmosphere/Brother Ali show.

The cheap tallboy Peebers may be a good thing to folks who know when to slow their respective rolls, but for the chicks I've seen yakking their guts out on the sidewalk outside an hour before the show lets out?  Not so much.  Anyway.

The sound!  Oh, the sound at the Pabst.  I know it's, like, a fancy theater and everything, but no matter where you're sitting, it sounds perfect.  No matter where you're sitting, it *looks* perfect.  I'm a little bummed that most of my favorite bands are popular enough to play at such a huge venue, but I'm sure as hell glad they're all playing Pabst and Riverside instead of the stupid Rave.  (Thanks, Solheim!  Love.)
Since the beginning of 2007, I have seen these amazing shows at Pabst:  Sam Beam, Devendra Banhart, Okkervil River, Damien Jurado, The National, St. Vincent, Of Montreal, Atmosphere, Mac Lethal, The New Pornographers, Emma Pollock, The Mountain Goats, Bowerbirds, Rilo Kiley, Spinto Band, Nik Freitas, and Aimee Mann.  I don't know if any venue but Schubas comes close to that level of quality.  Hot damn.

My favorite part about Pabst, beside the employees and the ambiance and the spotlessly clean bathrooms, is the awe it never fails to inspire in the performers.  Sometimes you'll catch singers just gazing up at the ceiling slack-jawed, and more often than not, someone on stage will say something like, "Is this place real?  I must've really made it!"  Very cute.

Drinks are expensive ($7.75 = double vodka tonic), but strong.  Bartenders are awesome, funny, and nice -- tip well and they will serve you accordingly.  (Tip well anyway, duh.)  Bonus:  they serve sweet, delicious, unrivaled Alterra coffee in case you're sleepy after heading over straight from work for or in need of a quick sobering up.

I always park at the 100 E Wisconsin building for $4.  Drinks at Safe House before/after.  Always a good time.

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Elite '08

4

122

Aesha W.

Chicago, IL

What a great venue!

I'm not a midwesterner, and this was my first trip to MIlwaukee proper. Pabst was really easy to find, even with the Marquette interchange construction raging. Of course I had directions, but even if you just knew the exit number and a couple of street names, I think you could find it.

One HUGE plus for this theater is the parking situation. The Pabst has parking beneath the theater, and when you take the elevator up, the elevators open into the theater lobby. A great amenity that I have not encountered in Chicago theaters; it's nice to not have to trudge out into the snow when you're on your way to a show. Also, the parking was dirt cheap - $5 if you had purchased tickets to a show.

I went to see Kathleen Battle, the legendary coloratura soprano. The venue was not too large, and her voice resonated beautifully within the space. The theater was beautifully decorated, both inside the concert hall and outside; along the walls to the concert hall, the management of the theater chose to share history of the Pabst Theater (the 4th oldest continually running theater in the US) - framed memorabilia along the way highlighted stars who once visited the Pabst, including Katharine Hepburn and Sarah Bernhardt.

One more thing - small, but significant - whoever designed the layout of the washroom was genius. While it doesn't have a huge occupancy (if you want to see an amazing theater washroom, you have to visit California Music Theater's Music Circus), it has a flow-through design - instead of people fighting their way to come back out the way they came, there is an exit door right near the washbasin area. This was really helpful in keeping congestion down before the show.

I look forward to visiting the Pabst Theater again soon. Maybe I'll try a different genre of music, in order to compare the sound of the hall.

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2

21

diana S.

Milwaukee, WI

$2 Pabst!
Sometimes I don't feel grown up enough to be in such a pretty place rockin' and drinking Pabst...so I feel especially grateful when I'm there. The venue attracts all kinds of bands for all sorts of people...which to me makes it all the more awesome.
And also, $2 Pabst.

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4

168

Dave S.

Milwaukee, WI

I've seen a wide range of artists in this theater, from Nickel Creek, the Decemberists, and Jeff Tweedy's solo acoustic show. The scale and feel of the theater is intimate, the acoustics are incredible. It's comfortable and accessible. When you walk in this space to take your seat, it's hard not to look up and marvel at the sheer beauty of the space. I think the artists feel that the Pabst is special too. Some of the acts I've seen at the Pabst I've seen in other venues. At the Pabst, the artists usually comment on the grandeur of the space. The intimacy and vibe of the Pabst infuses their performances.

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Elite '08

154

334

Leigh K.

Chicago, IL

It was my first time going here last night. It is a gorgeous space and the acoustics, as proven by Rufus singing an Irish folk song un-miced, were absolutely amazing. The Pabst was pretty cool, but I really didn't like that they kept it about 50 degrees in there. I was freezing cold the entire show and I noticed others shivering as well. I would advise that if you've got a small bladder or buy booze a lot, you should try to buy a ticket for an end seat. Two girls walked past us, making us stand up a total of 10 times (5 times out and 5 times back in). A couple times is forgivable, but more than 3 gets dagger eyes from me.

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Elite '08

13

151

Tonya C.

Milwaukee, WI

I've seen a few acts at this old-time theater, and thoroughly enjoyed myself at all of them. The size of the theater is just perfect for allowing a sense of closeness with the performers, while still being big enough to draw some pretty big names. The theater was renovated in the past decade or so to really highlight the old-time atmosphere, complete with gilded curleycues throughout, and plush fold-down seats that are pretty comfortable. They also offer a special mailing list that allows subscribers access to early-bird deals.

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