Concord Music Hall

Concord gets some really good names, and the space is not bad. I have been there maybe 3 times, but I try not to go there now, even if it’s a band I love. They have a few different areas, including a balcony with sit-​down, kind of community-​like spaces where you can chill during breaks.
I have a couple of issues with it though:
1. Once you are in, you are in (maybe this has changed since I’ve been there). We were there for a show that ended up being 6 hours with 3 different bands, and they were not letting people leave to smoke, get food, anything, even during breaks between bands. So people were smoking in the club, drinking way too much without getting air/​food, and just generally getting agitated and cagey. Then security was rough with people who were too drunk, but it seemed like it was the venues own actions that created these types of scenarios.
2. Bathroom attendants.

It’s a shame this place has become such a popular venue for great bands to play in Chicago, because the place sucks. They have support pillars in the middle of the floor obstructing the view from large areas of the venue, they oversell their shows, and the sound is horrendous. I flew half-​way across the country to see one of my favorite bands play in my home town, and it ended up being a total waste of money because of the shit venue.
There’s also the fact that the tickets they «sold» in the pre-​sale wound up on stubhub for $ 500.

Rising from the ashes of Club Tropicana DeCache — I KNEW I had a feeling of déjà vu when I walked in this place. Saw NAKED RAYGUN here awhile ago, and while that band is a favorite, this club is not a favorite of mine. If an artist I like comes here, I’d go, but for the most part. .. eh.
Outrageous drink prices for tiny drinks — COME ON. We did find a friendly bartender that alerted us to some specials, that was appreciated, and is what makes me give three stars vs. two.
No readmission. The stage is good, the sound is adequate. Just not my favorite music venue in Chicago. I miss Club Tropicana, I guess.

Went to Concord for Santigold. Love the loft style wood and high ceilings. The concert was cute and colorful, what you would expect from Santi. Had a long Island for $ 12. Had better. Would come back for another concert.

I really can’t say anything here that hasn’t been said (and ignored by this venue) on Unilocal already ad nauseam. Clearly they don’t care and I don’t expect this to change any time soon (or ever).
1) The Security Staff: Absolutely ridiculous! It’s like some kind of joke that they play on their customers… like a music venue version of Ed Debevic’s except they’re not doing it for a laugh. It gives them pleasure to harass them.
2) Capacity: How this place gets away with the sheer number of people they cram into the building is beyond me. Sell 20% less tickets and guests might actually be able to enjoy the show that they’re paying good money to see. Good luck trying to get a drink or use the bathroom (that is tucked away in the furthest corner of the venue) once the show starts.
That’s it. That’s my beef. I too embrace this BOYCOTT and will not return until, at the very least, they address their security staff’s issues with harassment. In a city that has one of the best music scenes around the country with so many other top notch venues available, why tease yourself in thinking that you’ll enjoy seeing «that band that you like» in this joyless establishment. It will only sour the love that you have for the music. Miserable experiences guaranteed!

The venue itself is spacious and the atmosphere is marvelous. However the people who check ID’s are terrible. Got the ultimate stare down about my ID, and the security guard went out of his way to ensure that I was thoroughly patted down. Totally felt unwelcome. Will avoid attending other events at this establishment

Avoid this place! 4 bucks for a water. No readmission. This place is predatory to its customers and their wallets and it needs to close or make serious changes.
The sound wasn’t even that we’ll mixed
Wouldn’t let me go outside and smoke a square without buying another ticket to get back in. Didn’t have cups of water for free would only sell me a bottle.
Its even worse bc I have another ticket to see my favorite band here in may. Won’t return after then

BOYCOTT THIS VENUE!!!
Last night me and 5 girls went to see Stick Figure. We all had our tickets and IDs. We arrive and get patted down, and they wouldn’t let in the lady member of our group because they said she was drunk. She was our designated driver. Had no drinks– didn’t act drunk whatsoever! I asked to speak to a manager. A security guy named «Chris _​_​_​_​_​» (he refused to give his last name despite numerous requests) claimed to be a manager of the venue. I took his picture several times, even though he said it was «illegal to do so». What a liar! Asked him what law I was breaking. Had no answer.
The 5 girls drove in from Rockford Illinois, we had been looking forward to this show for months. Hundreds of dollars spent in travel and tickets. We demand full refunds, for Chris to be fired, and for everyone reading this to boycott this venue. Read the other bad reviews– this happens to everyone.
I’ll be making flyers and spreading them throughout Chicago to Boycott the venue until it closes. The box office didn’t care when I called. Informing local news and music journalists about this awful treatment.

I have to give props to Concord for their dedication to the worlds longest ongoing prank. The prank is they pretend to be a respectable venue then proceed to inform concert goers that they are, in fact, a shit-​hole. They kick people out at random for made up reasons for comedic value. At least this is the only reason I could logically come up with. It’s that or they hire staff who couldn’t have possibly passed the first grade. The security guards are also presumably former KKK, Nazis, or Westbro Baptist church members. this aspect of concord is actually amazing. They were able to find all these people and make them work for the venue. However, it could make sense because they are mostly like owned by Satan.

Did some of the reviewers go to the same place I did? I went to see Helloween on a Friday night (¾). I checked the reviews to get an idea of what to expect at this venue. With all the 1 and 2 stars, I was expecting a disappointing experience.
Instead, I found it to be great. Every employee I ran into was kind and courteous. Security was professional and cordial. Even on the way out, just about every employee thanked us for coming and said to drive safely.
Sure beer was a tad expensive but they had a variety of Goose Island as well as domestic. Great job by Concord. I hope to be back some time.

If I could rate negative stars I would. Management is terrible the venue itself is awful and so dirty. The sound system is bad couldn’t here anything. The bouncers questioned my actual id. I almost want to call the police after they grabbed my wallet and searched it. I am an experienced concert goer and overall this was the worst concert experience of my life. You couldn’t pay me to go back here. Never ever give this place your money. Such a bad venue. NEVER GO HERE

This was my first show at the Concord. The show was great, sound was good, venue looks like it should be in Wrigleyville or Lincoln Park… night club feel. We found parking for free, right around the corner. A beer and a mixed drink was $ 22. Crazy for logan square, appropriate for the HOB. This place made me miss the dilapidated Congress. I miss that layout. Two stars for everything else.
But, the one star is for the security experience. It made me NEVER EVER want to ever go back. Ever ever ever. It is so much worse than the airport!!!
I hope to NEVER have to go back to this venue again, if only to never experience the harassment I experienced by the security check employee. The most bizarre items were removed from my purse to be returned to the car (In freezing temps no less). It was almost as if they were pranking me. I kept waiting for a… just kidding! They went thru every inch of my purse and my person, but my husband barely got a pat down?!
And the amount of security in the woman’s bathroom was so awkward. The fact that they removed the circular latches on the women’s bathroom stalls is invading privacy (you literally could see into the stalls). I think that is the weirdest thing.
This extremely nice venue felt so ghetto. Never again!
And I would have drank more than one drink, except their insane security confiscated my completely wrapped basic heart burn medication from Walgreens and my gum?! Not very smart for a business. But, the security seemed to miss ALL the other people who were smoking pot everywhere. Good job security! ;)

I love this venue! The atmosphere is exactly what you want at a show: intimate but rowdy. I’ve seen two shows here and am constantly looking for others so i can go back to Concord!
It’s a smaller venue but they never over sell it so you’re comfortable, not being groped, and can breathe. The staff is always friendly and helpful too.

My night started off being greeted by a man in the box office saying we have to wait till the doors opened to get our tickets. When specifically… our email said to get the tickets an hour before box office closed at 6? Then once the doors opened the two young girls at the counter didnt know what they were doing at all. Many people had will call tickets and they just simply DIDNT HAVE THEM IN THE OFFICE?
We finally got our tickets. Walked in and got a quick patdown. Nothing too bad. They have women pat down women and men pat down men so that is nice. And went up two flights of stairs. There is some bathrooms and the merch station. The merch lines went quick and the bathrooms were VERY NICE!
The venue is very wide. The balcony views are kinda terrible up close to the stage. The speakers block everything. I sat on a table for a second to tie my shoe and A man told me to get off. But he did it nicely. The guy on our side of the balcony was super nice. Water is $ 4 but the service is fast and the bar tenders are nice.
We went down to the very back of the venue and it was an okay view. Theres two pillars in the way of seeing lol. But the space in the back is very nice.
Overall the venue is nice. Well set up. Bartenders overserve people. They were wasted.
People can get rowdy but most are fairly nice!
Only gave ²⁄₅ stars because Of the box office causing us to be late inside the venue. They need to hire new people for that. We drove two hours so all that ruckus was just not worth it to us. I wont be coming back. Thats just because the drive. Its not a terrible place. But I’ve seen better.

Staff is amazing and nice but this does not go for management. This money hungry company and the promoters they work with are thieves! The GM was completely unwilling to fix a ticketing issue that was advertised on Concords web page! False advertising is illegal and just wrong!!! I would never treat or even allow such an issue to happen! I felt trapped because this concert is on my bucket list and I am forced to give them my business. I am sorry to my friends that work at this venue for the bad review because I actually like the place but this is not acceptable! Stand by what you are advertising and selling. I get how ticket sales work but stand by what you are promoting and don’t be money hungry pigs or work with such pigs!

1. Clean beer lines
2. Don’t open areas & then kick patrons out
3. Put a real start time on tickets

If I could give this venue zero stars, I would. The Duke Dumont show ended up being a warmup DJ for the first two hours and the headliner actually playing for barely an hour. The music was annoyingly turned up to loud distortion levels when the main act came on, when it didn’t need to be since the show wasn’t even close to sold out! So why do they feel justified for charging over $ 30 a pop for a (relatively unknown in the US) house DJ? Probably because they know people don’t want to come back after their first experience here. They also had a humiliating prison-​grade pat down at the front and stupid attire rules that are not written anywhere.
Neeeeeeeeeever coming back… This venue clearly doesn’t know how to run an electronic act property. Stick to The Mid and Soundbar for all of your dance needs.

I really want to love this place, I really do. But every time I keep giving it another chance and coming back it’s still the same story. Overbearing security, rude staff, etc. Last night for the Disco Biscuits was the last straw for me.
I went to the bar to order a Goose IPA. I see the bartender start pouring the beer, and then the tap runs out. Without missing a beat the bartender moves the cup under the next tap (i think it was heineken) and continues to fill the cup the rest of the way and serves it to me as if it’s what I ordered. I understand you guys probably deal with a lot of drunk people, but if you’re serving somebody that’s too messed up to realize they’re getting a mixed beer then you probably shouldn’t be serving them in the first place. I’ve never been treated with such disrespect anywhere i’ve gone, and I keep coming back to this venue because they always get my favorite bands and I don’t have a choice as a music lover.
Please train your staff to treat your guests as what they are, paying customers; not idiots.

I went to the Lollapalooza aftershow for Kygo, the DJ. When we arrived at Concord, we were immediately asked for our i.d. One of friends did not have it, and even though she was underage and would not drink, they would not let her in. I think that if she would’ve said «I’m underage and I accept the hand stamp» they should have let her in. Her ticket was wasted. I thought that was unfair to her and very rude. When we were waiting for her, our group of 5, the ushers kept wanting us to move forward. We informed them that we were waiting for our friend, but they didn’t listen. The staff is pushy, which I did not appreciate.
The actual stage is upstairs. When you walk in, the bar is to the left, and the stage is in the front. You also have the option to go upstairs to stand and watch from above.
A DJ was playing at 11pm and lasted until 12am. Then another DJ took over from 12 am to 1am. Kygo finally came on at 1 am. Throughout the 2 hours of standing, we were pushed back from the front row to 15 feet from the front. I don’t know if it was the sound system or the DJ, but the base was incredibly loud and I saw most people, including myself, plugging our ears.
There is a bar that you can buy drinks at. Water is $ 4, but they can charge that because there is no other option. Throughout the night, many drink cups and liquids were spilled on the floor making it sticky to dance on.
I enjoyed the show, but the crowd was really rowdy. The chances of me coming back are ⁵⁰⁄₅₀. It depends on the performer.

New, modern facility. Conveniently located a couple blocks from the Western Ave. Blue Line stop. Cool place to see Faith no More 5÷7÷15. Epic.
Hope more cool bands get booked here in the future.