Congress Theater

I came to the Congress Theater in 2005 for Nine Inch Nails for their pre mini surprise tour. I remember how cool the venue was, a 1920s theater that was very run down in the hood of Chicago. Being able to see a band like NIN in such a small venue made it a very intimate and incredible experience.
I also remember how unorganized the venue and staff was though. My friends and I waited for hours to get a good spot along the bar. Finally when they went to let everyone in, they counted to three and threw open the gates, and everyone ran down the slippery hallway until they slammed into a group of people or the bar itself. They must have crammed 4,000 people into that theater that night! The pit was crazy and it was extremely hot! The sound was pretty shitty too! Trent Reznor got pissed off at the sound crew and threw his mic into the crowd at the beginning.
I know they closed this venue and are doing a renovation. I would love to come back for another show to experience this theater one more time. Bring back the Congress Theater!

This place had some great people perfoming here and the building itself is gorgeous. Sound is bad. The theatre was built to have 3,000 people and they fit 4,000 on some nights. Smelled bad. If the theatre was restored and they had the right staff then it could help the neighborhood and also bring desirable people to the Congress. Now unfortunately it is just sitting there waiting for something. I give it 4 stars for its architecture, the people are ridiculous and if there was a fire… God bless us. Save this place and make it into something great!!!

This place is NASTY. Dirty floors, dirty bathrooms, no water options, and everything just feels decrepit and falling apart. The main section floor just accumulates dirty water as its slight concave. ARGH.
Only reason I gave it 2 stars sometimes it gets good performers.

This is absolutely the oldest, dirtiest, and ugliest music venue I’ve ever been to. Went here for Armin van Buuren. The place was completely full of people. The balcony areas were filled with seats that were broken and disgusting. Think of old movie theater seats that are 20 years old covered with god know what.
I guess if you are going to have a crowd like this somewhere, you have to have it in a place where they can trash and it won’t make a difference.

Sorry, Congress Theater. Not a fan. I arrived here and waited around the front for friends before an Amon Tobin concert. When my friend and boyfriend arrived, we walked to the door. That’s when things started to go downhill.
Security was overly thorough with my body more than my bag. I had a point and shoot tucked away in one of the compartments of my purse and I thought photography was maybe not allowed. I had bottled water that I had to surrender at the door, and I guess I should have known better about that. My biggest gripe was that my boyfriend had a pen in his jeans pocket that got straight up taken away. Like, in a box and there was no way he could retrieve it afterwards. It wasn’t some fifty-​cent pen either; it was pricier. That sucks!
The venue as a whole looked pretty historic on the inside, which I like a lot. But it wasn’t particularly clean. We decided to sit upstairs rather than dancing in the standing room area downstairs. I used the bathroom at one point and it was crowded and dirty. The bathroom attendant was kind of rude to a lot of people, but I guess I understand the need for an attendant.
This next part doesn’t specifically have to do with Congress Theater, but of the other people attending this performance. Maybe I’m just a super sheltered person, but I was kind of shocked by the blatant drug use I witnessed. I saw someone exchange money for pills and I smelled marijuana smoke halfway through the concert. Someone was actually smoking IN THE VENUE! What?
That being said, if there is a band or DJ or whatever I’m dying to see, I’m not going to just not go because the venue happens to be Congress Theater. The Amon Tobin concert itself was INCREDIBLE. Yeah, maybe it would be a little bit of a bummer, but in the end, if I want to see a performance, I’ll go no matter what.

I know a lot of people hate on this place, but I actually don’t mind it. I’ve seen some great shows here, it’s hard for me not to like it. The acoustics are bad, but as long as you aren’t here to see Slayer or something, it shouldn’t be THAT bad.
One thing I really like is the slanted floor. Tall people in front of you now only become a moderate nuisance as opposed to an overwhelming one. They offer earplugs at most of the kiosks — at least they used to… it might not be a bad idea to get some. Unless the band has brought their own sound guy, they will play unnecessarily loud.

We tend to rate venues base on the people, well, I’m rating this venue base on the awesome experiences I’ve had every time I’m there for edm DJs: Armin, Ingrosso, and most recently Koyu, Hardwell, and Porter Robinson.
The security check point is a little ridiculous, but safety first right? We don’t want someone getting hurt or anything, but no matter how tight they make the security people somehow always end up on the «bad» couch, yeah that couch to the left of the girl’s security line where people look so F’ed up they have no idea where they’re at or there are always those girls that are balling because security yelled at them.
Whatever, 20 minutes I’m finally through security, yes, there is coat check, but would I want too? Not sure, it’s crowded and it doesn’t look secure, so I usually opt for a chair where the rest of my friends and family put there’s. We normally roll about 30 deep to these events so I’m not too worried about losing my jacket (or you just wear the cheapest, crappiest one you have so if you do lose it, you won’t have a melt down.)
The DJs have been amazing, and even though the venue is spacious it’s ridiculously packed! The people have been great, no issues. Every enjoys themselves and get lost in the music. Chicago knows how to rage!
Warning: the bathrooms aren’t up too par, but they are usable and gets the job done. So if you a huge clean freak and germ-​a-​phob, avoid the bathroom.
Honestly, I go to Congress for the show, not the décor or the layout of the place, it gets the job done and has been home to many awesome raging memories for me!
December 2012 — Porter Robinson
May 2012 — Armin

Saw Paul Oakenfold, ATB, and Paul van Dyk here. All awesome DJs, and I got some great pictures. There is a lot of room in here to stand and walk around, it’s perfect for live DJ performances versus in the smaller nightclubs.
The security here is too much for me. I’ve been patted down, nearly groped, and once was told I had to put my camera (just a digital Sony camera) back in my car. They also confiscate items like lighters and glow sticks. Waiting in line outside, you’ll notice girls cramming lights and such into their bras. Security WILL squeeze the padding on your bra, so don’t try it. There are bigger problems like people doing coke in the bathrooms, but whatever.
If you’re in the mood to be in the middle of a sweaty, jumping, dancing, moving, grooving crowd, go for it! It’s easy to make friends, take photos and enjoy the music. If you want to avoid the crowd and enjoy the music from afar, there is some seating in the back of the theater or you can stand in an area with more than enough personal space.
Drink prices are high. There’s usually a special on something disgusting like Heineken. Go for the music, not the drinks.
Balcony ticket prices aren’t worth it. You’re only getting access to a balcony seat, and I’ve had better views from just about anywhere else.

Terrible venue.
Bad sound.
No real security.
Just not appealing at all, but like others put it we have no say in where the artists perform. I will say that with a massive restoration it could be saved but other than that it could shutdown and it wouldn’t be missed. I really try to stay away from this place, bad vibes.

Here are some tips:
Get air conditioning.
In the words of Blanche you will sweat mor ethan a virgin at a rodeo
Get a cab stand
Getting out of here can be a cluster fuck as people try to get cabs walk in the streets and absent mindely wait for the 56 that stops at 10:30.
Get cheaper drinks
13 bucks for a «double» which is just a shot and half at a normal bar… yeah. no.
Get organized
Make it known where will call is. If you have a groupon be clear about how to get a paper ticket

Went here this past Friday a North Coast aftershow to see Girl Talk. While the concert itself was super fun & I danced my ass off, the venue itself is pretty terrible. I left feeling like I had just done 3 hours of hot yoga. The Congress theater definitely has some character to it and you can tell it’s an old theater. the upkeep of the place is horrible. We found a spot on the second floor where old balcony seats used to be located to avoid being in the trenches with the rest of the shirtless hipsters.
My friend was wondering why it was so foggy in the place and thought that they had fog machines turned on, but I explained that fog was mustiness. There seemed to be no ventilation in the place and before the show even started it felt like it was 80 degrees inside… no air conditioning. 2 ½ hours into it I had to chug down a couple bottles of water. I didn’t see what the restrooms were like but I could only imagine how scary that scene would be. The show was awesome and I had a lot of fun, but I don’t think really have too much of a desire to come back here anytime soon. If you do come here, be prepared to sweat and afterwards you will need a serious shower.

Seriously, turn on the mother effin’ air conditioner! I nearly fainted while on the ground level due to the mixture of heat/​humidity and the inability to breathe (lots of cigarette and weed smokers). I had to enjoy the show from the balcony area which was more comfortable (a lot less crowded, cleaner air, and a killer view of the stage as long as no one blocks you). But, it was still pretty darn hot.
News flash, fans are so 1970. Let’s upgrade to the real world of 2012 and get some quality air conditioning.

Talk about your fixer uppers.
The Congress Theater is a super majestic theater with a large arching balcony, stunning columns that lead you down its sides and a spacious ceiling, which in its prime was probably a dream to see. Now, well it’s old, broken in and obviously loved. It could use a coat of paint or two and maybe some polish on the floor. Truthfully, it’s almost the perfect type of venue for a punk rock show (the reason I was there.)
I’m not sure if the venue has air conditioning. They placed some heavy fans around the theater, but it was still sweltering inside so if you’re coming to see a summer show please dress accordingly.
The lighting rig and sound was state of the art. I think if the theater was updated it could use a little sound proofing because things bounced around even with a sell out crowd, but that’s being ticky tacky. Bars were strategically placed along the columns making it somewhat easy to get a drink.
There is parking, but not a lot so I would take the blue line to Western and walk up to the venue.

Came here for a Foster the People concert. The music itself was good, but the venue, not so much.
— Way too hot. If you’re here in the summer… make sure you really really want to see the band. I think it was 90 degrees out that day, so can you imagine how hot and stuffy it would be inside, with standing air and all those hot sweaty people around you? Yea. I was dying with my tank top on, should’ve worn a bikini.
— They gave us a hard time about bringing food inside, which I understand. So we said we would eat near the gate since they said no reentry (door guy had already scanned my bf’s ticket) but we were shooed to around the corner, and the door guy told us «in or out, guys.» They ended up letting us in obv, but I was a little annoyed for giving us a hard time. Also, they shooed some harmless random people sitting on a bench waiting for a bus and I felt sad for them. What if they were really waiting for the bus, and not trying to get into the stupid theater?
— Everyone in the audience was in high school, except us. Not their fault I guess.

I came here for Riot Fest to see Social Distortion and it was horrible. The company (my friends) was the only thing that kept me from leaving sooner and tolerating it as long as I did.
The building itself is beautiful. I was so pumped when I realized how spacious the venue is, but that also meant that many more people and that much longer of a line for anything (not even) worth standing in line for. I skipped the bar and went to the bathroom only if I absolutely had to.
The acoustics are terrible. All vocals were lost in the abyss of bodies. We were standing in back and could not make out a single word any of the bands were singing. My friend and I figured we were too far away, so we slowly made our way into the crowd and almost made it to the stage where we both agreed that it had nothing to do with location — As fancy as this place seems, the sound doth sucketh wherever thou art.
There was only so much bass I could handle before I gave up and left halfway through the performance that I had been anticipating. And I didn’t feel too bad since I had purchased a Groupon for this and had paid half price. I was bummed about this for what I paid, but I’d have been pissed if I had shelled out full price.

This is the worst venue in Chicago. Maybe in the country.
I have been to 20+ concerts here and every time I leave I swear I’m not going to come back. If only my favorite bands would stop coming here.
The sound is horrible. If a concert sells out it is so crowded and hot you can’t breathe. Security sucks. I don’t even have more to say because nothing will do it justice. They are horrible.
Only come here if you LOVE LOVE LOVE the band… otherwise save yourself the trouble.

Erasure concert 9−17−11. Reading the reviews, I was almost terrified to go here. True, the place is in desperate need of TLC, but it wasn’t that bad.
AMBIANCE
You can tell that in it’s heyday it was grand and magnificent; now it is crumbling and dilapidated. However, when the lights go down and the music starts, you look around and see only the splendor, in a rustic gothic sort of way. There were signs of some ventilation.
SOUND
The sound wasn’t the best, but also wasn’t the worst. I was on the floor about 10 rows from the front, slightly off the middle of the stage and was satisfied with the sound.
BATHROOM
Not bad! It smelled strongly of Pine-​Sol. They had toilet paper, working sinks and soap. I can’t complain.
PARKING
I found (almost) free street parking a couple of blocks away in front of Fuego (had to pay $.25 to get me to 9pm, then after 9pm it was free)… NOTE: do NOT park on side streets. It is residential and permits are required. I saw a bunch of people getting tickets while I was circling the block waiting for a spot to open. There were also $ 10 paid parking lots by CVS and in a few more places on the block.
FYI — It gets VERY HOT in there. $ 5 coat check if you bring a coat.

I have been here countless times to see Café Tacuba, Ozomatli, Bootsy Collins, Manu Chao, Fabulosos Cadilacs paquita la del barrio, Victimas del Doctor Cerebro, etc. Sure the the sound can suck but the alternative venue to watch these bands has been the Aragon Ballroom and the Aragon I think is 20 times worse. Congress so far has kept tickets affordable, they have many bars and options at the bar. They also have many opportunities for free tickets. I have had really good times here.

Not sure if their AC was broken or they purposely wanted dub-​steppers to be dehydrated, but I saw Skillex and Pretty Lights here last week and it was the most my balls have ever sweat in their lives.
It’s a pretty cool layout for a venue with an old rustic appearance to it, but the temperature they had it at inside ruined the show for me. I left about an hour into it because I felt like I was going to pass out from heat exhaustion.
I don’t care how many drugs you take, seeing a show in a sauna is not cool.

I seriously thought the roof was going to fall in!
This Deco designed venue has seriously seen much better days.
It has fallen into disrepair and looks to be a condemned site from the outside.
Inside there are traces of brilliance but overall it seems that whoever is in charge doesn’t care mush to fix things– or clean the bathrooms before the doors open each night.
But– on the positive side– I saw The Prodigy!
another reason to think that the roof was going to collapse– but I wouldn’t want to see this band in another venue. The Huge domed arena hosted one of the best live music shows I’ve ever seen.
So– really I can’t complain.
The roof did not collapse.
Maybe they should get some corporate $$ to invest in a rejuvenation project. Keep everything old– just fix it up a bit?

This place has seriously disappointed me for the last time. I went here last weekend for Riot Fest and I am at the end of my rope as a citizen of Logan Square. Nay Chicago. Nay the United States. Nay the entire universe and any other dimensions that may exist about this place! I think I want to redress myself to real Congress about the mental and wallet pain and suffering this place has caused me. If they need to pass an law to get this place to shape up, so be it. I’ll even help them out by drafting the Act:
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THE CONGRESS THEATER SUCKS ACT OF 2009
Whereas, the sound at the Congress Theater due to its domed roof and lack of insulation is the worst sound in Chicago.
Whereas, the Congress is boiling hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter.
Whereas, a «cheap» American beer is $ 5 (and a «classy» import like Heineken or Corona is $ 6) despite the venue being surrounded in the Logan Square neighborhood by dive bars.
Whereas, it is possible to leave this venue smelling like cigarette smoke (even though the smoking ban has been in place for years), mold, and plaster that may or may not have fallen from the ceiling.
Whereas, security’s attitude resembles that of the airport in a third world country (minus only the automatic weapons).
Whereas, Guinness has been dropped from the bar menu (one of the few things that made this place worthwhile).
Whereas, did I mention how awful the sound is? Even the lead singer of Apocalypse Hoboken kept decrying the place as «too big.»
Be it resolved that, the Congress shall no longer host any good bands (as defined by Michael G.) until the above situations are remedied. They may still host mediocre dance acts and Rock en Espanol. Sometimes lucha libre!
Be it further resolved that, they may also not claim to be in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago (home of great concert venues). From hereto forth the Congress shall be referred to as «in Bucktown.» Sorry Bucktown, it has to be somewhere.
—
I know my proposal will probably end up in Luis Gutierrez’s (mine and the theater’s U.S. House member) garbage can but I have fought more quixotic battles in my day. Bring… it…on!