The Lincoln Theater

Good for smaller crowds but avoid sold-out shows.. I have been to the Lincoln theater twice and the experiences were vastly different. My first experience was at a Mindless Self Indulgence show. Now, granted, this isn't exactly the friendliest crowd of folks you could run into. The staff let in those who had hard tickets first, and those who had purchased online had to wait. If I had known ahead of time this was going to be the case I would have bought hard copies.

The place was jam packed from the stage all the way back. When it came time for MSI to go on, the entire crowd started pushing at each other. Not moshing, but people in the back pushing everyone forward to try to get in. My friends and I were at the front of the stage and we were all covered in bruises the next day. When we complained to the guy behind the bar he was rude and said that they would try to add more security in the future.

The second show I saw here several months later was much smaller and so much better. The staff was also a lot more friendly.

I would avoid shows that you know are going to be extremely big, because the layout of the venue is such that you can't hang off to the side. Otherwise it is a great place.…

Great venue, intimate feel. The musicians they attract say a lot for the Lincoln Theater--it's a great place to see live music in an intimate atmosphere. Quite frankly though, the beer prices leave a lot to be desired. My memory is foggy and my tabs have always been extremely high, but I think a PBR is upwards of $3--ridiculous! Since they renovated there is a lot more space, and because there are different levels it's generally easy to find a good "spot" in the crowd to dance AND be able to see. The smokiness has been remedied a little bit by requiring smokers to use the upper balcony to smoke. Overall, it's an awesome venue. The door men are often a bit unfriendly, but that's the case at most places--the bartenders are great, especially the female one.…

Good Music, Bad Air. We went to see Leon Russell this week and although it was a great show, the cigarette smoke was terrible. I love good music and especially love the good music at Lincoln Theater, but I won't go back until it's smoke-free.…