the state theatre

89lelac

Great 80's night! Good times and venue. Only seen one disappointment was a lady lost her coat ticket and knew the number and description and they wanted her to wait til the end of the night to distribute. They were not friendly about it and called the police that was unnecessary!

lynnzie513

The State Theatre is the perfect place to hear great bands because of its size. It holds only 800 people so it feels much more intimate than larger venues where you need binoculars to see the band. The acoustics are great. There is table service for those who want to eat before the show. The food is good and the bar service is fast. There's a balcony with great views of the stage. The State Theatre has a varied line-up of bands; check out their schedule and you're sure to find music you like.

lesposito

I've seen concerts, burlesque shows, movie and I've had great experience each time. The look gives it the authenticity of being old. It can get pretty crowded depending on what is showing, but they have seating in the balcony if you don't want to stand. I would eat beforehand though, the food is subpar.

majiksea

Great spot for a concert, the sound system is adequate and the sight lines are good from everywhere. The only issue is the seating for dinner is at the back of the theater, so if you spend more you end up with worse seats.

814anonymous

Hey, they are in business to make money and offer an eclectic selection of acts. No criticism of that.However, since its original opening, it has grown steadily more 'corporate' in attitude and atmosphere. Security staff unbfiendly. Sound guys are awful; woe unto you if you try to tell them volume is too high; mix is muddy; vocals can't be heard. Bottom line--I grit my teeth before going; this is no Birchhmere in terms of the auditory experience .

HighwayStar

I have seen Tab several times in No VA in the last few years, the latest being Thursday night 8/14. The State is a perfect venue......you can sit at a table and have a nice per show dinner, sit in the balcony for a great unobstructed view or ( my preference ) go right down by the stage so you can boogie up close and personal to a blues rock up and coming legend like Tab Benoit.What an entertainer! He's a true guitar virtuos with a soulful voice. The jams come one right after the other.....just as you think a song is coming to an end he spins off into another mind boggling guitar jam. His Louisiana roots come shining thru, not Chicago or Delta style blues but a Cajun' rocking' blues style that is like no other! Some of my favorite tunes he played Thursday were Solid Simple Thing, Night Train, Dirty Dishs, Medicine, Darkness, For What It's Worth ( great bluesified version of old Buffalo Springfield song! )....not a song all night that you want to go to the bathroom during and miss!This dude is the real deal, don't miss him when he comes to your town.

Philip_Herring

The state theater used to be just that - a neighborhood theater. One of the last to have had a balcony. It is right down town just off the town center and is now home to great bands both great groups from the 80's and some really good up and comers from this decade ;-)

397jimr

Saw Leon Russel there -- great performance but sound was over-amped.Staff at door was rude; searched purses, confiscated water bottles, no PA message re. photographs, but then strongly enforced. Not nearly as welcoming as similar venues in the Washington DC area -- such as Birchmere, the Hamilton, Blues Alley which are much more comfortable.

AmtrakDowneaster

If you want to sit down at all during the show... Don't get upper balcony seats! There isn't even 6 inches for you legs.

dadl

Used to come here as a teen to see movies, even sat in the same balcony that is still in use. I have seen many music acts here and you can get as close as you want to the stage. Love that there is room to dance, or stand around. The booze is reasonably priced.

MoreBacon_Please

Starts at the door where people who are 20 years old and younger are assessed a "security fee" because they have to hire more staff "to monitor" such pre-criminals. And the experience goes down hill from there.

TWS500

Attended the Psychedelic Furs concert here. Paid extra for a table. The band and the concert were great, however, venue "management (read, hardly any...)" allowed anyone to stand where ever they wanted to without regard for others in attendance at tables or elsewhere. People came and stood in front of us even though we had paid more for a table...they stood blocking the view. When "management" was asked to request that they move, "management" said they "couldn't do anything." While the waitress was very pleasant, there are not enough so service was slow. Bartenders are very slow so the bars back up during the opening act all around the tables so that no one can see anything. While the venue is nice enough, management is lacking to organize the place... It seems tickets were oversold so that many people stood wherever they wanted...many blocking the view of others... I doubt I'll be going back here...

632frankb

From Little Feat to Skip Castro this is the best local venue for a rock show of yesteryear and a few good beers. Usually packed - tickets are very reasonable. Book a table in advance.

jg325

A bunch of friends and I went to The State Theatre for a Legwarmers concert, and it seemed like just your average music venue, nothing special. I definitely got a big 1960s vibe from this place, especially in the lobby and entry area. It just seems really old. Irrespective of the concert I was going to, there seem to be adequate room for people to stand. For whatever reason, they locked the second bathroom area even though the theater was mostly full, so the lines for the bathroom were really long.Upstairs seating first-come first-served second floor, but I think people were mainly standing during the concert. The bar was minimal and also old.I definitely would prefer the 9:30 club over The State Theatre, that's for sure.

KiryC

Love this place for concerts. Nice big dance floor that is always hopping. Great brews on tap. The food leaves a lot to be desired, it's just basic bar food, but if you're not super picky it's certainly acceptable.