The Firebird

I was here last night for The Foreign Exchange concert. It was my first time here. I’m going to keep this brief:
— sound quality and acoustics: excellent! No sound problems over here.
–parking: excellent because they have their own free private lot! That’s rare in that part of town.
— size: pretty small. You will feel crowded.
— seating: hardly any. On the wall I counted about 6 booths and a long bench facing the booths and the opposite side facing the stage.
— the bar was decent and served good drinks however when i closed my tab, i was charged for three drinks instead of two. I addressed it and the bartender refunded me for the third drink. The jack and diet cokes are $ 5 each.
Overall, not a bad venue just as long as you wear comfortable shoes because there’s a 95% chance you will be standing here.

The Foreign Exchange brought me to The Firebird for the first time. Anytime they’re in St. Louis, I make sure to see them. Not to mention, I’ve never caught a show at The Firebird, so my interest was peaked.
The Firebird is posted downtown, at Olive and N. Beaumont. Parking is FREE! Firebird has its own free parking lot, which is unheard of for a venue, a downtown venue, at that! It’s a 21+, open floor plan, event space. It puts me in the mind of The Ready Room or The Old Rockhouse.
There’s really nothing to the space. It’s small, and if packed to capacity, it may be a bit much to some. On the contrary, places like The Firebird provide a personal connection between the artist and fan that arenas and stadiums simply can’t do. So for that, I appreciate the intimacy.
There’s a bar toward the back of venue. I didn’t patronize, but concerning the choices, I heard it was pretty decent. It’s majority standing room only, with the exception of a few booths and some isolated seating near said booths. If you do not get to the Firebird early, prepare to stand. Ladies, I suggest not wearing heels, unless you’re about that «beauty is pain» life. Otherwise, choose comfort. Trust me.
Lastly, The sound was amazing. Nothing blarring or blasting. The sound guy did wonderfully.
In all, The Firebird is no more or less than an event space. The experience is what you make it. It truly is what it is.

Truly atrocious sound quality ruins any redeeming features this place may (or may not) have.

We saw a comedy show with Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher here recently. I want to emphasize here that there is loads of parking. Seriously: so much parking! When we got there, the streets were basically empty and there were two large lots (one behind the Firebird, one across the street) that were empty, as well. I’m sure the lots of packed during the day due to the nearby office buildings, but they were even mostly empty when we left. They were well lit, too, so it didn’t look too shady.
Inside is pretty small and very dim. It has kind of an industrial vibe to it to me. They had rows of folding chairs set up for the comedy show – some directly in the middle and some on the sides at an angle. It looked like all of the seats would be decent given the size of the venue. The bartenders were friendly and the drinks were decently priced. I think my jack-​and-​gingers cost about $ 6 which seemed fair.
The sound was excellent and the overall experience was good. It was easy to get to (albeit a creepy walk from just a couple blocks up the street) and our Über driver had no problems finding us when it was time to leave.

This venue is my new favorite in St. Louis. Small enough to be intimate and the acoustics are great. There really isn’t a bad spot to stand. Even if you are standing in the back, you are still only about 7 rows back from the stage.
The sign on the front of the building facing Olive is small and hard to see. Just remember to turn onto Beaumont or Leffingwell to access the parking lot. There is street parking in front of the building, but the entrance is in the back, so it would be a long walk. There is a decent size lot immediately behind the building, but when that is full, there is a large lot next to the building. I have never felt my car was in jeopardy of being vandalized here.
The venue is usually standing room only (I was here for a comedy show once and there were chairs set up in front of the stage). There is a booth that faces the stage to the right of the stage, but you would be hard-​pressed to see anything with everyone standing on front of you. There is a section of booths slightly separated from the stage for those 21+.
I haven’t ordered many drinks here, but I do remember a Stiegl Radler being $ 6. So prices are what you expect in a bar. Not cheap, not terribly expensive.
Smoking is allowed outside, but those under 21 can’t come back after leaving.
Ladies bathroom was clean, had soap and paper towels, and lots of toilet paper. This is always a plus!

Fan of the DJ guys were nice understanding mental position. Decoration is good and high lighting place. Waiters were friendly and serving minded. Love this kind. Highly recommending the place. Perfect rating.

This is a great small concert venue. It’s perfect for seeing any performance whether it’s of a local group that fills it half way, or a national act that fills it to capacity. The stage is big enough to accomodate a 6 or 7 peice outfit, but the overall the size of the venue makes every show an intimate experience (get your mind out of the gutter, you perv). The musical acts that they bring in tend to be really good. I’ve seen Built to Spill, The Melvins, Washed Out, and even Diplo here. Bands that my friends are in like to play here. Hell, i would love to play here.
The building has it’s own parking lot, but there are also lots adjacent to the building that (i think) are shared with Wells Fargo. I’ve never had an issue with parking here. Ever.
The drinks are not way overpriced like at larger venues. That being said, the selection isn’t amazing but what can you really expect from a place like this? You’re there for something better anyway.

I’m giving the Firebird 5 stars because despite having little seating, the venue is clean, has free parking, and the staff is friendly. Free parking in Midtown is a BIG deal. The bathrooms smelled nice and weren’t disgusting. I’ll definitely be going there again.

best time i’ve ever had

This doesn’t really feel like a music venue, it’s more like someone’s frat basement that’s been converted to include a stage. The house lights are those rectangular office lights we all work under, and the pinball machines are cute but why are they really there? The seating is a bit strange with the half-​wall dividing the stage area from the diner booths. Lots of parking but the outside looks like a library when you first pass it from Olive, can miss it easily. I like their beer selection and the staff is friendly and I like that they post the set times when you first walk-​in. Good experience, just a little strange, definitely feels like a mom-​and-​pop operation, not a full-​fledged professional «venue».

Pretty decent venue, plenty of parking, lots of floor space inside, and attentive bartenders serving drinks. My only issue, and this is a personal preference, was a lack of seating. I don’t mosh pit, just like to sit and enjoy the music with my drinks, so that’s just me.

Even though I had a great time at the Pomplamoose show earlier this month, I’m giving the Firebird ³⁄₅.
Pros
++ Having a private parking lot is awesome.
++ Pomplamoose!
Cons
++ Doors were supposed to open at 7 and concert was supposed to start at 8, but we didn’t get in until 7:40 (even though we came at 6:45 ish) and Pomplamoose didn’t get on stage until I don’t even know what time. I’m not sure if this was the fault of the Firebird, Pomplamoose, both, or neither, but it would have been nice for someone to address that and tell us why we were waiting or to give us a time frame for when we would be hearing the people we came out to see. Or maybe this is just how things usually go at concerts and I’m out of the loop.
Overall, the cons wouldn’t keep me from coming back, but if it happened more than a few times, I might change my mind about returning.

Pretty good standing room only venue. Pretty cheap tickets and if you come early, you can get a fantastic spot. 21+ but they let minors in for a fee. Plenty of parking, they have their own lot in the back which seemed pretty safe with the crowd. Their drinks are reasonably priced. Decent liquor. The bathrooms have 2 stalls each gender. One side has booths more for sitting but without much of a view.
It was my first time and we saw Pomplamoose with a fun and friendly set. I’m definitely a bigger fan of jack’s now. He was so high energy it was nuts! What a show!!!
I was front row so this could be a unique problem. The sound wasn’t the best with the full band playing, but some of that is on the sound guys if it wasn’t good anywhere. Im pretty sure but not certain the view wasn’t good from the back of the crowd. Unless you like play basketball.
Seems like a fun way to spend an evening. Check the list and go see someone good or enjoy a drink with some decent background music. Unfortunately, it seems mostly smaller time people play here. Bigger people would probably need a bigger venue or sell out fast.

Small but not cramped, good security, attentive staff. I’ve been once and allowed my teen daughter twice without me, which I would probably not do at any of the other, larger venues. The acoustics are surprisingly good for the space. A St Louis gem.

Saw Peter Murphy last night. He was great, despite the abysmal sound at the Firebird. Would have liked to have had a drink, but with a sold out show, the strategy of only 2 bartenders with 1 barback was an epic fail. The drinks line was the length of the back of the building. However, this was a blessing, as I then only had to use the toilets twice. The floor of the ladies’ (in the stall area) was covered in a liquid. Disconcerting. Do red States have health codes? Would have wanted to dance, but there were some extremely rude young men doing their level best while flailing aimlessly to take up as much space as possible. One girl was hit in the face, another knocked down & my foot was stepped on by a combat boot. Nice bruise this morning. No sign of any sort of security anywhere.
Kudos to the Firebird for continuing to book great acts. I won’t be there to see them.

Why does this place get such great reviews? The sound is always terrible, no matter where you stand (forget sitting and being able to enjoy the show… More on that later). Even a good performer has to constantly, like between each song, motion to the sound guy to adjust something. I have now seen 3 shows here (first one 2 years ago and most recently last night) and in all that time it has become clear that the management does not care about the patrons. The HVAC is the biggest problem; it will never be a comfortable temperature in this place. Forget about the bar, too. Slow and with a long line, it isn’t worth the wait, not even for a pbr or coke.
I go to a lot of shows, in lots of types if venues, and I don’t expect Powell Hall everyplace, but I do expect the venue to have some type of accommodation for people who can’t stand for long periods. If you want to sit at this dump, you will either not be able to see over the weird banquette or be stepped on by others trying to get up to the stage.
Ambience-​wise, they try with the black walls and ceiling, but frankly that’s sort if lazy. The vinyl banners advertising a tattoo establishment don’t improve things much.
I do like how close you are to the performers, but I feel sorry for them on that stage. The ceiling is so low that the stage is certainly stuffier than the rest of the place, and if the performer wants to do anything besides stand there, they will probably hurt themselves.
I have decided not to darken the doors of The Firebird again. Ever. I don’t know how they attract (recently anyway) such big names. Just not worth it.

Firebird is great BUT bathrooms aint that clean, sound aint that great, and the floor aint that spacious. (not sure what venue these other people are going to, this place gets crowded fast)
Regardless, glad we have this little venue. because they keep bringing a number of great acts.
*Staff is btw very accommodating and relatively patient considering the drunk idiots they have to tolerate :)

Quite possibly the best indie rock venue in STL. I don’t know if it’s the fact that my musical tastes are evolving or if it’s the fact that they are able to attract more national acts, but I find myself at The Firebird 2 – 3 times a month.
It doesn’t even matter what you’re into, because this place has something for everybody. This summer I have found myself at a metal show, a punk rock show, a comedy show and an indie show.
Best show I ever attended here was Gaslight Anthem in 2012. The show sold out, the crowd was soaked in PBR sweat and the band played about 25 hits including covers from Pearl Jam and The Who. For a glimpse into how intimate The Firebird is, lead singer Brian Fallon jumped into the crowd and started singing and the whole place felt like it was going to explode with positive vibes.
Inside the club you will find your typical dive bar atmosphere. It’s a dark, no-​frills type of situation that lets the music shine. There are booths in the back of the place in case you get tired of standing during the show (a true sign that you are getting too old, like myself).
Drinks are kind of pricey, but nothing compared to other concert venues in STL like The Pageant or the dreaded Verizon/​UMB/​Riverport amphitheater/​pavilion/​whatever it is called these days.
If you find out that your favorite act is rolling through STL and playing at The Firebird, grab a ticket and go. You won’t regret the experience.

I have been here many times for concerts over the years. It is a fairly nice place but is is on the smaller side of things. The staff has always been nice to me and the tickets are normally reasonable. Parking is in the lot behind the building and be sure to go in the back door.

I went to my first concert here recently and had a really great experience. I always seen bands I wanna see on their event calendar but there is usually a conflict.
It’s kind of hard to find at first but they have a sign that faces the street. They have there own parking lot which is really nice because I have plenty of concert experiences where I have to park in a sketchy area and worry about my car during the show. I didn’t worry here and nor did I have trouble finding a spot!
I used will call when ordering the tickets (to avoid those stupid service charges) and had a smooth time getting in. The venue is smaller-​to-​medium sized. Small enough to feel like you are in an intimate setting. During and before the opener I ordered a beer and sat in the booths. The booths are really nice to chill out in cause there are plenty of times where I stand at a concert cause that’s the only thing to do.
The acoustics of the place were great. It wasn’t too packed but that was more due to the band we saw. I will be back for future shows.

Oh dear, I actually got out of the house for a show (unfortunately without the bf). But, it was my first time going to the firebird. It wasn’t that hard to find, and it would help if there was a sign at that side street that said parking in back to help out first-​timers. And, a good sign, as I was sitting in the car, waiting on a friend, I heard the music pouring out of the walls. Uh yes.
Of course, remember to bring cash and/​or your debit card. And also, earplugs. On that note, the sound was great — clear and loud. The floor is pretty small, it’s a pretty small club, I wouldn’t want to be in there if it was packed. Another plus, there’s booths and a couple of benches for sitting. Oh, and no smoking inside — oh, yeah, air I can breathe. Overall, nice place, and apparently they also host comedians, so, plenty of reasons for me to return.

I can get behind the Firebird.
Last night was my first time going to the Firebird. We had been wanting to check it out for quite some time, but we finally got a chance last night when Fishbone came to town!
I’m normally not big on wide rooms, but Firebird pulls it off. When everyone is stacked on top of each other, it makes it hard to get around and certainly use the restroom. The room was hopping for Fishbone, but it wasn’t too bad getting from the stage to the bar or even the sweet lounge section that they have on the side. It might be pretty bad for a sell out, but I couldn’t judge that until a bigger show comes in. Still, the place was pretty packed.
Oh, the beer selection! Firebird has an array of bottled and canned beer to choose from, and the prices aren’t too steep, unlike the venues I’ve written about in the past few days. PBR in the tall can? Sign me up!
Also, I am very thankful for the big parking lot. It had plenty of space for patrons to park off the street, which is rare for a venue of its size. Exiting was a simple process.
I hate the bathrooms! I can’t speak for the ladies, but the men’s room was a two seater. This place holds hundreds of people. There should be a law against such a small restroom! I spent quite some time waiting in line when I should have been skankin’ to the beat!
Overall, I am glad that I finally made it to the Firebird. If you love smaller venues and see something cool coming up on their calender, check the place out. Nice little rock joint!

Another smoke-​free show at The Firebird this past Saturday night. Note: the venue itself is not yet smoke-​free, but if an artist requests it to be that way, they will honor the request.
This time I got to see Mucca Pazza, a Chicago punk/​gypsy marching band. The venue was a tad small for such a large group (we’re talking about a 15+ piece band), but the crowd was full of energy and the band made the best of it!
The openers were locals that I recommend everyone check out: Fattback and The Monads. Both groups give 110% on the stage and employ solid musicians.
During the warmer months, it gets pretty damn hot inside The Firebrd. Just know that going in. They do have fans close to the stage, but be sure to drink plenty of the free water they offer (in the giant orange cooler near the bathrooms) and know when to take a load off if you feel faint. Other than that, rock on!